March 06, 2016
By Handguns Staff
While compact is good, some do not want to give up the big hammer that the .45 ACP provides. However, a compact pistol in .45 quickly becomes real work to shoot, so S&W made life a little easier by porting the Shield. The two small ports on the barrel vent through matching slide slots to help reduce muzzle flip. You get the thump of the .45 without the recoil and muzzle flip associated with a big bore and a short slide. As a bonus, you get six-plus-one rounds in a flush-fitting magazine or seven-plus-one if you use the compact magazine with an included extension. It's available with either tritium night sights or fiber-optic sights.
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