Ended up with Concealed Carrier IWB and am very happy. I must admit that ALL gun-choice decisions involve tradeoffs, but I really want ALL of my criteria to be met. Below are what we consider the 21 best 9mm concealed carry guns with a little bonus at the end. Of course, I regularly use my other M&P guns now. The M&P Shield 2.0 9mm with Integral Green Laser weighs only 18.8 ounces. Low-profile steel sights rode up top and wood panel grips went on the side of the grips, which housed an 8-round single stack magazine. The M2.0 Compact’s stainless steel barrel was of high quality and with their Armornite finish should be very durable and corrosion resistant. The Shield in this review is the 9mm variant, which is the most popular model. (function() { You will feel strength concealed in comfort when carrying in a 9mm pistol in an Alien Gear Holster. Enjoy and Be Safe! Like its full-size counterpart the M2.0, the M2.0 Compact has really nice ergonomics. I evaluate my Top 21 concealed carry guns in the recent second printing of my book “Concealed Carry & Handgun Essentials.” I definitely favor the 9mm for concealed carry and want to help readers and students compare this new model to my other recommended 9mms. It also does not print therefore no one will know that you are armed. Then my final overall recommendation or not is given, based on my assigned number of points and my opinions. Finding the perfect balance between size and potency is the key to producing the ideal concealed weapon. I wanted to test and evaluate the changes and improvements for this compact concealed carry gun for myself, since I already own the other variants. Of the originals, look for the 39-2 models; these were revised to feed hollow points as well as for greater reliability. These 7 S&W pistols are the best places to start…. No list of concealed carry handguns chambered in 9mm would be complete without the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. You should know that the M2.0 Compact is backward compatible with mags, sights, and (most) holsters, which helps with new gun expenses and not spending more for extras, if you have the original model gear. My shots were consistent each time and I could easily recognize the reset point. Best 9mm Concealed Carry (CCW) Pistol - SIG Sauer P365. This article may not be reprinted or reproduced in whole or in part by mechanical means, photocopying, electronic reproduction, scanning, or any other means without prior written permission. The reshaped slide profile and reduced thickness make the gun lighter and more maneuverable than previous ones. in my recent Book. I hardly know it's there. This was great for me and within my limits for my press range for my carry guns, given the limited 250 rounds I fired with it. Caliber and Concealability. Any of the options here should serve you well as a concealed carry option. How accurate is it out of the box, with the improvements and without modifications? There are major improvements to the trigger from the earlier version. (function(d, s, id) { What makes the G19 such a good choice? The base model has a 4.25-inch barrel, and holds 17+1 of 9mm. Date: January 17, 2017 Author: J. Of course, you know I prefer 9mm… and 45s. Our holsters are as durable as the guns they carry. This Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol has double-stack capacity – 12+1 in the original model and 15+1 in the M2.0 versions – but is compact and light enough for easy concealed carry. Barrel Length: 3.675. S&W makes some of the best 9mm pistols for concealed carry, for law enforcement duty use, home defense, and for general plinking/range use as well. I have reviewed several 9mm compact and full-size guns in depth recently, several on this website. Whether I say it’s the best carry gun or not, America has chosen, and 20 percent of concealed carry guns sold in the U.S. are Smith and Wesson … This little bodyguard is one of the best concealed carry guns … The 1911 Pro Series 9 was built from the ground up with all-day carry comfort in mind. Col Ben, thought you might like to know that yesterday I purchased the M2.0 Compact and brought it home. I was able to fit all my fingers on the grip, it felt nice, and I was able to handle it for good hits. The other major revision is to the trigger. It does use an external extractor, which some 1911 aficionados claim is heresy. The new 3.6-inch-barreled .40-caliber M2.0 Compact … The M2.0 Compact has a Limited Lifetime Warranty and a Lifetime Service policy. Ben is an experienced NRA-Certified Pistol Instructor, NRA Range Safety Officer, and FL Concealed Carry License Instructor. of 6.5 pounds press or much less to help mitigate movement, so this is certainly at the optimal lower end of my range. CONCEALED CARRY HOLSTER - Specifically designed and molded for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield / M2.0 4" 9mm/.40, this concealed carry holster is custom made using only top quality components and with absolute functionality and comfort in mind. Then critically evaluate the gun YOURSELF per your criteria and purpose, with standard drills (several mentioned in my Book), with various ammo types and brands, over an extended break-in period of about 500 rounds. I use my handgun selection criteria, compare each criterion to the gun’s features, and show my range test results for the M2.0 Compact, to help you analyze your handguns and make the best selection for yourself. Buy the Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Online Glock 26 Gen 4. At 15 ounces it’s extremely light and a very non-invasive pistol to carry around. fbq('init', '1619480211606749'); Specifically, I want to hands-on test and evaluate to learn: First, I will give you the M&P M2.0 Compact’s Specifications and special Features. The steel chassis with the full-length guide rails that extend the full length of the polymer frame is more rigid than the original M&P and helped lessen felt recoil and muzzle flip. Does the extended rigid and steel chassis frame help with muzzle flip, recoil, and reduce torque when firing it? A wide range of pocket-sized pistols are available today for civilian purchase, but none quite get it right like the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm. This lighter weight means the 9mm … I enjoy practicing with the 9mm, since it is not snappy and the recoil does not beat me to death after many rounds fired. The M&P9 Shield EZ is a little bigger than the standard Shield, with a 3.678-inch barrel and taller grip, so it does have larger dimensions, but it’s hardly difficult to conceal. You’ll run into both versions both new and used, but 2.0 is going to eventually be the only new one available as production of the original Shield winds down. However, you need to pick the right one. Similar to the Shield, the M&P9C is known for being reliable, accurate and as easy to shoot as it is to carry. Just like this Smith & Wesson firearm, all Alien Gear holsters are corrosion resistant and hold up to extreme conditions. The Smith and Wesson M&P Shield is currently produced in 9mm, .40, and .45 calibers.While the entire line could get days of accolades, we are going to focus on the 9mm … The chassis is visible through the holes in the frame on the dust cover above the front rail and below the slide. This is quality high-velocity premium ammo and worked great in this gun. Barrel lengths in both chamberings are 3.5 inches, all are striker fired, and fixed-sight … For weaker or smaller hands, that makes it far easier to charge the gun. Below I will get into the evaluation factors and my ideas for each of my criteria after the range testing by myself and my students. The … Changeable palmswells and numerous factory options are available too. I changed the load in my carry magazine when I returned home. Smith & Wesson 340 PD Of all the handguns for women, the 340 PD got the highest marks for safety and simplicity. NOT too aggressive and I really like them. I prefer the bright green fiber optic front sight for a better lock on the front sight and I do like larger sight dots with my condition. Even the new mag release button is steel over the previous polymer one. I’m just not drawn to it. js.src = "http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.0"; }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Gun Manufacturer: Smith and Wesson. For more information, visit smith-wesson.com. I fired about 250 total rounds for this test and want to fire a total of 500 rounds to break-in ANY carry gun I’m betting my life on. Are the trigger improvements and short, tactile and audible reset really “significant” improvements? I prefer that my carry guns have a max. Really. Very comparable to the Glock 19 and with a better trigger for me. $12.90. Whether you're shopping for a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm holster or a model for one of the other many popular S&W firearms, our Kydex IWB holsters are designed to ensure a tight fit and a smooth … You make your own tradeoffs according to your personal goals, priorities, preferences, needs, and use, but take a total system perspective and recognize that there are several overall features, characteristics, and pros and cons to include and then consider them. The things I liked best about the new and improved M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm were the aggressive texturing and solid grip; the light press, smooth, and crisp improved trigger; the short tactile and audible reset; the nice 18-degree grip angle and high grip to barrel bore axis; and the rigid stainless steel chassis to help with felt recoil. I like to have like calibers if I am going to get something else Anyway, it looks like a winner. I do want to shoot it more to get in my 500 rounds minimum for break-in to finalize my long-term reliability opinion, before I put it in my concealed carry rotation and for home defense use. Smith & Wesson 669 Semi-Auto DA/SA Pistol 3.5" Barrel 9mm 12-rd Stainless Slide Over Satin Lightweight Frame - Surplus Good to Excellent Condition . https://www.concealedcarry.com/gear/smith-wesson-mp-shield-review Then, I will follow with a mini-visual comparison between the original M&P 9 C and this new M&P M2.0 Compact. So far my finalists are a .357 snubbie, the M&P compact in 45 or the XDs in the same. We will get into the nitty-gritty from real world experience (mostly mine, but I did have This is different with a gun of this size and design. I cannot, as a private citizen, imagine myself in a self defense situation where I would need more than a 16 shooter to accomplish the task at hand. It starts with a scandium alloy frame. I watched the throngs of people in the street and thought of that scenario in terms of a terrorist vehicular attack. Yes, this M2.0 Compact is a winner and should make a nice carry gun, especially with its high capacity and excellent trigger, etc. So it’s expensive, and not small…but it’s also crafted by Smith and Wesson’s Performance Center, so you know you’re getting quality. rcel.async = true; document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); A very personal decision. Again, the press was soft, smooth, short, and crisp. Overall Length: 6.1 inches The compact barrel length was concealable, as was my original M&P 9 C and its 3.5 inch barrel. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, If you’re after a modern full-size gun, this is the Smith and Wesson 9mm to get. It’s a K-frame revolver with a round butt frame (meaning the rear of the grip frame is rounded, for those who don’t speak wheel gun) so it’s a bit beefier than a J-frame snubby revolver but still plenty compact enough for concealed carry. I was very anxious to compare it factor by factor to my other quality 9mm guns and receive input from some of my students to see if it truly ranked in my top concealed carry pistols. Thanks to Smith-Wesson I was able to receive one of the first ones produced to test and evaluate it for readers, students, and for myself. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. setTimeout(function(){ No feeding problems whatsoever and the mags ejected freely and worked very well. rcel.src = "https://trends.revcontent.com/serve.js.php?w=28707&t="+rcel.id+"&c="+(new Date()).getTime()+"&width="+(window.outerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth)+"&referer="+referer; Smith and Wesson M&P Shield EZ 9mm. However, Smith & Wesson’s M&P M2.0 Compact has the best blend of reliability, accuracy, concealment, and weight. Similar to Glock’s RTF texture. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. Again, consider that these are just my opinions with my criteria, my limited live-range fire, and shooting only about 250 rounds or so of FMJ and JHP ammo. The just-right aggressive grip texturing, extended and rigid stainless steel chassis frame (visible thru windows cut in the dust cover), its comfortable high grip-to-barrel bore axis, and the fine 18-degree grip angle all helped me to control the gun’s felt recoil and muzzle flip when shooting it. It should not be relied upon as accurate for all shooters & the author assumes no responsibility for anyone’s use of the information and shall not be liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information or any damages or injuries incurred whatsoever. I liked the short takeup and positive reset trigger. Smith and Wesson 340 PD; 2020 Concealed Carry Handgun Updates S&W M&P Shield EZ in 9mm. Sort By: 16 Item(s) Show. Decide on your criteria, how you will primarily use the gun, and what features are important to you and you are willing to pay for ahead of your range time. Went looking for a good holster. It’s a bit heavy, but overall dimensions are 7 inches long by 5 inches tall and 1.05 inches wide, with low-profile ambidextrous safety levers. rcel.type = 'text/javascript'; The base model has a passive trigger safety system. * This personal opinion article is meant for general information & educational purposes only and the author strongly recommends that you seek counsel from an attorney for legal advice and your own personal certified weapons trainer for proper guidance about shooting & using YOUR firearms, self-defense and concealed carry. 40 Cal Shield Models. Below are my evaluations for each of my 10 criteria for my concealed carry and home defense purposes. This M2.0 Compact was very similar to my original M&P 9C in terms of its reliability, accuracy, grip angle, takedown, and basic operations. The full-sized Smith & Wesson M&P series just continues to get better and better — especially for the concealed carry permit holder. These revolvers will be able to get … //]]> I had no malfunctions or stoppages at all with the M2.0 Compact and the Sig Sauer types and weights of ammo fired. (6) Is the high grip-to-barrel-bore axis comfortable for me and does it help reduce muzzle rise and help for a faster aim recovery? Does it have a short and distinct reset that is easy to feel and hear? We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Ben recently wrote the book "Concealed Carry and Handgun Essentials for Personal Protection" (second printing) with 57 comprehensive Chapters about concealed carry and handgun principles, techniques, and tips for both experienced and new shooters. Functional aspects along with the lower cost of ammo actually makes the 986 Performance Center a much more ideal CCW revolver. Sights after awhile, given my impaired night vision and color blind eyes a –... Subtract any of the M & P9C M2.0 with a better trigger for me use, because of model! 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