Glock G43 vs S&W Shield 9

I've had a Shield for about 3 years (with the external safety). Always wanted a Glock single stack 9mm......whenever it came out. I have 2 G19s that I love.
Was able to rent a G43 a few weeks ago. I have small hands and I found it too small for me. Tough to grip and control.
I don't pocket carry so that isn't an issue for me. I suggest you try to rent both if you can before purchasing.
I'll be keeping my Shield.
 
Glock vs Shield

The other day I spent a few hours buying a 9mm for CC. I looked at the Shield, G43, and Ruger lc9s. I ended up with the Ruger because of the smoother trigger and what I felt was easier CC than the other 2. Comparing the G43 and the Shield, I'd go with the G43, I really didn't care for the shield and I have a full size M&P-9 that I love, go figure.
 
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I have not yet seen a G 43 so I can't comment on that.

I can comment on the Shield as I've had one for a bit. They are very reliable and accurate shooters. A good size for their purpose. You can get them with or without the external manual safety. If you find it objectionable it can either be ignored or removed.

One thing I will say though is that I find the Shield safety to be useless and borderline dangerous. It is much too small for easy manipulation when the blood is pumping in my opinion.
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I find the safety easy to manipulate and as I said it can be ignored or removed. Removing it simply makes it a Shield without the safety.

The mag disconnect can be removed.

Smith and Wesson made a good gun in this one especially in the 9mm version.

tipoc
 
Bought a Shield for the wife last year......good little gun. We envisioned it for purse carry, but it hangs out under the seat of the SUV most of the time.

A little too heavy for pocket carry, though. Since I have three Glocks (amongst other things) I am really monitoring all the boards on peoples experience with the G43. Would like to cash in the. 380 for a pocket 9mm.
 
Check out both guns and see what's the right fit for you. The shield is no doubt a great little pistol from what everyone says. I haven't shot one but but I have shot the MP9. With that said I do rather the glock for me personally. They feel better in my hands and I like the grip angle better for my shooting style it just plain works best for me.
So let's talk about my Sunday at the range. I have a new glock 43, it feels like a glock, shoots like a glock in every way. If you like a glock you will love this little pistol. Today put 150 perfect rounds through through my g43 every round fed and fired perfectly. From cheap steel to factory loads to reloads. It runs like a boss, not one single glitch. If you like glocks this is a no brainier. Great little gun I love it.
 
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The G43 weighs 19.95 oz. or 18.oz empty. The Shield weighs 19.oz empty. One ounce difference between them in weight.

The G43 is 6.2" long. The Shield is shorter at 6.1" in oal.

The G43 is shorter at 4.25". The Shield is 4.6" tall or .350" taller.

The G43 carries 6+1 rounds while the Shield carries 7+1 rounds. This is with the flush base magazines. Both guns have magazine extensions which can increases the round count by one and increases weight and height.

A person can review the specs for themselves side by side.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...750051_809560_-1____ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

http://singlestack9.com/

On paper the guns are quite close. What makes the difference is how they function in the hands of the shooter.

Whether these guns are "pocket carry" size is up to the shooter. To me something in .380 can fit that bill better.

tipoc
 
I have far more handguns than I know what to do with . Been buying them for about 50 years. Rarely have I been as impressed with a new gun as I have been with the Shield I bought last week . Accurate , minimal recoil and unlike KelTecs , small Rugers and Glocks , it doesn't torture my trigger finger after several mags of shells . The trigger has minimal takeup before going bang and surprised me the first time I shot it . Because of that , I recommend the manual safety version if you are going to carry with one in the chamber . Spent the last week happily shopping for holsters, spare mags , etc. One thing I would recommend ,however , is a mag loader as the magazine springs are pretty wicked . Can't wait to shoot it again tomorrow .
 
If you're new to handguns then I would definitely NOT recommend either of the choices you suggested, here's why. Little guns are more difficult to shoot accurately than full sized ones, especially for people just starting out. And they are, IMO, less fun to shoot. Their small size and weight makes it difficult to get a proper grip and does little to help control recoil.

I'm 5'6 and 150 lbs and carry either a Glock 23 or 5" 1911 on a daily basis. The 1911 prints almost none if I wear a medium sized t-shirt and the Glock doesn't print at all. Since you're looking at 9mm I'm going to recommend the Glock 19, it is a VERY easy gun to shoot, it is easily concealable, and offers respectable capacity for a 9mm handgun. You will enjoy shooting it more and be more inclined to practice and hone your skills. If one day you decide you need something smaller the pocket 9s are always there.

One thing to consider before you buy a Glock, and you have to be honest with yourself, is how diligent are you about practicing gun safety? Glocks are NOT forgiving about gun safety mistakes. I always do my utmost to be muzzle and trigger conscious but I am always just a hair more so when handling a striker fired gun without a manual safety such as a Glock, like finger extended as far as possible from the trigger guard conscious. Probably overkill but that's just me.

If you HAVE to have one of the two you mentioned and are not open to suggestions then I would have to say the shield simply because it's bigger.
 
They are both good guns. Although the Glock 43 has not been out very long, there have not been many complaints about function; perhaps Glock took their time bringing it to market and didn't use the buying public as beta testers, the way so many manufacturers are doing now? (And no, I am not a Glock fan boy, I understand that some of their other models have been introduced with problems.)

Your original post makes it sound like a thumb safety is a deal breaker for you, so your choice is simple: buy the pistol that meets your requirements best, which in this case is the Shield with the thumb safety. There are pluses and minuses to every decision made about a handgun, including whether or not to have a thumb safety. The choices are available because both choices are legitimate. Your choices are yours to make.
 
The Shield is a little gun that shoots like a big gun. It's a great carry gun, HD gun and range gun all wrapped in one.
the G43 is a nice shooter as well but it's odd insofar it seems to fit outside of every particular niche.
I was thinking this a couple hours ago as I was shooting a variety of guns at the local range.
My LC9s is smaller and it's mag holds 7 rounds.
My P938 is even smaller and also holds 7 rounds.
Both are well suited for pocket carry.
My Nano is a bit blocky and like the G43, only holds 6 in its standard mag. It's also smaller than the G43.
My Shield is an awesome shooter and has an 8 round mag option and is the same size as the G43.

My G43 is a nice gun but it's larger than my small guns that hold more rounds and frankly, doesn't shoot any better than any of them.
I say go for the Shield.
 
I carry the Shield most times, mine in 40 S+W, I bought my daughter one in 9mm as the 40 is too snappy for her little hands. Both shoot great, very reliable and accurate little guns.

I fired the G43, I see little difference in the two. The fact is when compare the Glock and the M+P line and the Springfield XD line I really find no functional difference of any consequence. The debate is really a "Ford/Chevy" debate.

There a a couple of reasons I will probably never own a Glock. The first is the fact that I cast my bullets. While some do shoot cast from a Glock it is rather problematic. WHile I have to watch hardness and sizing in the Glock with my M+P and my XD's I simply use range scrap and water drop them then load as cast. Secondly is cost, Glock is the most expensive, In the current case between the Shield and the Glock that difference is $150-$175. I can buy Shields all the time for around $365 ( $315 with my LE discount) and you can't touch a new Glock for that.

But we have what I call "Glockophiles", those who treat Glock like it's the best and all others are no better than scrap metal. That proves Glock superior to all others in one area, it's marketing is par-excellence.
 
The Shield is a high-quality gun, in all components and ergos.

The other one, like all of them, is essentially borderline junk which is hyper-marketed. Cheap parts and poor ergos.

I carry the Shield every day of the year.
 
The Shield is a high-quality gun, in all components and ergos.

The other one, like all of them, is essentially borderline junk which is hyper-marketed. Cheap parts and poor ergos
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Oh yeah, I see that going over real well.:rolleyes:
 
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