Smith & Wesson M&P Shield X: First Impressions

The original Smith & Wesson M&P Shield completely changed the CCW landscape when it was introduced in 2012. It was the first of the current generation of sub- and microcompact 9mms, and I will make a prediction: S&W’s new M&P Shield X will be their most popular Shield. I think it will deserve it.

The Shield X takes everything great about the Shield, Shield Plus, and the new Bodyguard 2.0, and combines it into a new gun that in looks, features, and performance is an improvement over current Shield models. Technically I think it would be best described as a Smith & Wesson Shield Plus 2.0…but Shield X is shorter and easier to remember.

Let me be brief—I’ll start with a very short summary of the line, and then dive into the specs of this new gun. Smith & Wesson introduced the subcompact 9mm M&P Shield in 2012. It was fed by flush 7- and extended 8-round magazines. It was thin and sized perfectly for concealed carry. Best of all, and setting it apart from pretty much every other small 9mm on the market at the time, it was built to the same tough standards as S&W’s full-size M&Ps, making it suitable for not just CCW carry by private citizens, but also a great choice for law enforcement as an off-duty or backup gun. The barrel and slide were made from stainless steel and given S&W’s Armornite coating, their version of nitride. Roughly four years ago Smith & Wesson introduced the Shield Plus, which kept the external dimensions almost the same while transitioning to a double-column magazine. Flush magazines held 10 rounds and extended magazines 13 rounds.

With the Shield X Smith & Wesson has both sized the gun up…and down. Let me explain. The original Shield and Shield Plus sported 3.1-inch barrels. The barrel on the Shield X has been extended about half an inch. The frame has been lengthened as well, so that flush magazines hold 13 rounds. The Shield X ships with one flush 13- and one extended 15-round magazine.

However, this gun has benefitted from the ergonomic prodigy that is the Bodyguard 2.0. The grip frame has been redesigned so that your hand sits up a little higher on the gun. The grip has been narrowed slightly side-to-side, although you won’t be able to feel that. What you will feel is how the grip has been shortened front to back.

If I had any complaints about the original Shield Design it was that the grip felt a little narrow for its length, and the bore was a bit higher off the hand than I would like, increasing muzzle rise. With this redesign of the frame, Smith & Wesson addressed both those issues. If you’ve got smaller hands you’ll love it. They added increased texturing to the grip, and because your hand sits so much higher on the gun they added a beavertail in the back to reduce the chance of slide bite.

All the additional changes to the Shield X improve functionality (and looks, as far as I’m concerned) but they didn’t need to do anything to tweak reliability as the Shield ran great from day one. When S&W flew a bunch of us media types out to their facility in 2012 they had us put 700 rounds each through our Shields in two days, without cleaning, because they had so much faith in their reliability and durability. I took that gun home and still own it.

The Shield X has a new larger and square trigger guard that I love. The frame now has a rail for the first time, if you want to mount a light or a laser. The factory sights are excellent—a plain black rear notch, and the front is an AmeriGlo green day/night sight that is fast and easy to use. If you want to mount an optic to the slide, it is cut from the factory for the Shield RMSc/Holosun K footprint.

Smith & Wesson also brought over the great slide serrations from the Bodyguard 2.0. The slide is covered with them, front and back, and not only do they look good, they work. The trigger has been brought over from some of the Performance Center versions of the M&P—it has a nearly flat face and has a safety lever in the front.

I had a brief opportunity to shoot this gun and it’s everything you’d expect from a Shield—reliable, concealable, and good-looking, while being a little bit more shootable. I loved the highly visible front sight.

Initially there are just going to be two versions of this gun, with and without a manual safety on the side, plus reduced magazine capacity options for those of you who live in states ruled by commies who hate freedom. Check it out, I truly think S&W has another winner on their hands.

M&P Shield X Specifications

• Type: Striker fire, semiautomatic
• Cartridge: 9mm
• Capacity: 15+1 rds., 13+1 rds.
• Barrel: 3.6 in., stainless steel w/ Armornite finish
• Length: 6.87 in.
• Width: .90 in.
• Height: 4.9 in. (w/o optic)
• Weight: 20.8 oz.
• Finish: Stainless steel with Armornite finish
• Frame: Black polymer with texture panels
• Sights: Ameriglo Trooper Lumigreen night sight (front); Blacked out serrated U-notch (rear)
• Safety: Trigger blade safety; Manual thumb lever(Thumb safety models only)
• MSRP: $599
• Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson, 800-331-0852, smith-­wesson.com

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