XDs vs. Shield

[telpinaro]

I've been looking for a new carry gun, something slimmer than my revolver. I've tried a bunch and have narrowed it down to the Springfield XDs and Smith and Wesson M&P Shield (both in 9mm), but now I'm stuck. I'm accurate with both, they are both thin enough to conceal... I'm not a huge fan of having a thumb safety since I generally carry the revolver a lot which doesn't have one. The Shield was a little snappier and I could feel it in my wrist eventually, but the XDs has that odd texturing and after 30 rounds or so I could feel it imprinting in my hand! A little bit ouch... not much. I imagine it would get very uncomfortable after a while... but then probably so would my wrist with the Shield. Both are things I can deal with in a thin carry gun... And they'll both allow me to practice plenty. Maybe the Shield I could carry with the safety off? Maybe getting weight lifting gloves will provide enough cushioning to let me practice without temporarily tattooing my hand? My hand being uncomfortable with the XDs was more noticeable than my wrist with the Shield.

Need some debate to help me decide! The only one I have to debate with around here is a six year old, and he won't help much.

 

[rilkil23]

Traded my XDs, and $100, for the Shield. Both are reliable but I prefer the feel of the S&W. you can't go wrong with either. The guy I traded just sent his XDs in for the recall, my Shield isn't having the trigger issue I've been reading about. Goo luck.

 

[trailboss]

My two cents

I'm not a fan of Tupperware guns but.......why not a glock, tried true and proven. And from a gunsmith point of view, simple and few parts.

If it was I , I'd look and a 1911. It doesn't get much thinner than a 1911.

As for your two picks, xd is nice but m&p does not have grip safety , I would go with fewer parts.
Also, the m&p is a close glock copy.
Some do not like the xd, they say it sits too high in the hand.

 

[dbelcher282]

I have a Shield in .40 S&W and I like it very much. It has the same "flipper" type trigger as my full size M&P, which has no thumb safety. Over the years, I've mostly carried 1911 variations cocked and locked so I am accustomed to sweeping the safety off but I would feel safe carrying the Shield with the thumb safety off.

 

[telpinaro]

My two cents

I'm not a fan of Tupperware guns but.......why not a glock, tried true and proven. And from a gunsmith point of view, simple and few parts.

If it was I , I'd look and a 1911. It doesn't get much thinner than a 1911.

As for your two picks, xd is nice but m&p does not have grip safety , I would go with fewer parts.
Also, the m&p is a close glock copy.
Some do not like the xd, they say it sits too high in the hand.

No Glocks... I've tried several (because everyone keeps saying "Try the Glock!), they all fit in my hand weird, and I'm not nearly as accurate. Love the gun, just not gonna work for me. I have these itty bitty narrow hands and crazy long fingers... the XDs and Shield fit best, felt comfortable and I shot straight, even though the XDs had a broken front sight (missing the fiber thing). I actually kind of like the grip safety... it's a safety I don't have to think about (unlike the thumb safety on the Shield), but I get the point about the fewer moving parts the better.

 

[ezkl2230]

XD-S. Many find that talon grips or another after market grip can alleviate the problem with the aggressive grips -see Hickock45's second video review of the XDS after he installed the talons:

The combination of the back strap safety and safety trigger are hard to beat.

 

[telpinaro]

Oh, and I can reach the magazine release on the Shield without moving my hand at all, but not quite on the XDs. Not a huge thing, but...

 

[telpinaro]

XD-S. Many find that talon grips or another after market grip can alleviate the problem with the aggressive grips -see Hickock45's second video review of the XDS after he installed the talons:
The combination of the back strap safety and safety trigger are hard to beat.

Wow, that does look a lot better! And yeah... I do love that the XDs has two safeties, and they both work without me thinking about them.

 

[Kenneth Baucum]

I don't make a practice of putting down anyone else's gun choices much (except for that crappy $350 Smith and Wesson in .40, ugh...) -- because with some exceptions, you can choose guns like you choose your car -- get what fits you. I will however, brag a little about my XD. I carry daily a Springfield XD .45 with 4" barrel, open or concealed. It's a big gun, and there's days I wish I had something smaller, but it's always been easy to keep clean and use on the range. I've dry-fired and practiced enough that I'm confident it'll be a good tool if I need it for anything more than that.

Of course, I understand you're asking about the sub-compact version, and a different caliber, and I wish you luck in your quest.

 

[ezkl2230]

BTW - take a moment to see the XD-S v Shield video as well. The long range shooting test (starts at about the 7:50 mark) shows a HUGE difference between the capabilities of two firearms.

 

[Kenneth Baucum]

Oh, and I can reach the magazine release on the Shield without moving my hand at all, but not quite on the XDs. Not a huge thing, but...

Whoa. That's actually pretty important in my mind... you need to be able to manipulate that thing under duress...make it work for you, not you for it!

 

[telpinaro]

I don't make a practice of putting down anyone else's gun choices much (except for that crappy $350 Smith and Wesson in .40, ugh...) -- because with some exceptions, you can choose guns like you choose your car -- get what fits you. I will however, brag a little about my XD. I carry daily a Springfield XD .45 with 4" barrel, open or concealed. It's a big gun, and there's days I wish I had something smaller, but it's always been easy to keep clean and use on the range. I've dry-fired and practiced enough that I'm confident it'll be a good tool if I need it for anything more than that.

Of course, I understand you're asking about the sub-compact version, and a different caliber, and I wish you luck in your quest.

I do plan on getting a full-size at some point... Mostly for target practice and hiking or camping. I'm pretty small so it'd be something I wouldn't even attempt to conceal. But that's after I save up again!

 

[telpinaro]

Whoa. That's actually pretty important in my mind... you need to be able to manipulate that thing under duress...make it work for you, not you for it!

I know... if it weren't such a tiny adjustment (it'd be measured in millimeters) for the XDs it'd be a deal-breaker. It was a rental, and I wish they'd let me have two magazines so I could see how fast I could switch. I got pretty good with a full-size M&P I used in a class once, and that I had to change my grip entirely.

 

[Woody57]

I've been carrying the Shield in 9mm for over a year now. I always carry with the thumb safety off. I carry in the 3-4 o'clock position in a Theis IWB holster. The holster and gun provide all day comfort. Never had any issues with the gun. Go with what fits you.

 

[mojoman]

Yeah, and I think that anyone of them are going to work, the issue you have with them I'm sure once you get any of them it will be like secound nature. I look at those one time but I got the XDs .45 because their where no shield out. I think that you will be happy with whatever you get.

 

[Drzzit]

If its going to be a carry gun, does the pain in wrist or hand really make either a bad choice? Hopefully Your not going to have to use it and shoot 30 rounds to defend Yourself.

Drzzit's S4

 

[K7lvo]

I was looking for a 1911 when the guy behind the counter suggested that I try "this," and held the XDs out to me. It felt good, and, just like the 1911, has a grip safety. That sold me. After putting a few hundred rounds through it, I liked it so much that I brought its big brother, the XD 5.25", home, also in .45. (I even picked up some magazine extensions for the 5.25, giving it a 16+1 capacity. That's, what, a half pound of lead down range before I have to reload? )

 

[telpinaro]

If its going to be a carry gun, does the pain in wrist or hand really make either a bad choice? Hopefully Your not going to have to use it and shoot 30 rounds to defend Yourself.

Drzzit's S4

If I need that many rounds for defending myself, I'd probably be screwed! But I will need to practice with it... Since I don't have a full-size anything to practice with yet, I need to be comfortable enough to use it at least semi-regularly.

 

[Drzzit]

I agree, but fortunately You can take a break while practicing and give Your hand a rest and then go at it again.

Drzzit's S4

 

[r1derbike]

XD-S has an ambidextrous mag release. I'm a lefty and release the mag not with my thumb on the right side of the grip, but my index finger on the left side of it. Much faster than having to "reach" for the release with a thumb.

Just sent mine in for the safety upgrade a few days ago, and using a Springfield Champion until it gets back.