Glock G43 vs S&W Shield 9

The other one, like all of them, is essentially borderline junk which is hyper-marketed. Cheap parts and poor ergos.
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Ergonomically I would have to agree, but that is an individual thing. The Glock is kind of like an AK, loose where it can be loose. This is not a close tolerance weapon.

But that is the intent. This weapon was designed as a military ad police sidearm. I don't know how many cop guns you have examined but they do not tend to keep them in pristine clean condition like you or I would. The same goes for military in a combat environment.

The Glock is designed to work every time, and it does that well. Then again so does the XD and the M+P. Three peas in a pod.
 
Seems to be a good many people upset at Glock for being late for something that didn't have a due date. That said, the M&P line of pistols were a "back to the drawing board" exercise for Smith & Wesson after being caught copying way too much from Glock. Though I certainly recognize how unique the Shield is, I don't like the oval grip shape. I am going with the G43 based on familiarity . However, I can't suggest what would be best for you, it really is something you should try before you buy.
 
More than one person here has suggested carrying a gun with a manual thumb safety and pretending it does not exist. This is bad advice. If you carry a gun with a safety, it is highly recommended that you train yourself to use it, otherwise buy a gun that does not have one. There are so many options these days it makes it easy, especially with the Shield which is now offered with or without the thumb safety.

OP, I might also suggest you check out the Springfield XDs, it's very similar to the Shield, and many prefer it.
 
Where are all the Glock fans? is this a Shield forum I prefer the g43 myself, both are great choices and you can't go wrong
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I like Glocks, it is was I normally carry and compete with, but am not a fan of the G43. The Shield and XDs are both better choices IMO for a single stack striker-fired 9mm.
 
Where are all the Glock fans?
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My EDC is a Glock, but the OP seemed like he had a strong preference for a thumb safety. Why push him to buy something that he isn't comfortable with when a solid choice that meets his criteria is available?
 
The 9mm Shield has become my first CCW and I did not arrive at the purchase on a whim.

I looked at all of the similarly-sized (sub)compact in the same caliber, including the G43. Money was no issue.

I actually had it carved down to the Kahr Arms CM9 (or PM9) and the S&W Shield. The G43 was knocked out in the first round.

The Shield won. Proven track record, excellent construction, slim, accurate, came in under $400 USD, and is enough like my M&P 9c that I was familiar with its inner workings. I also liked its trigger... A lot. The Kahr's DAO has this long, smooth pull that suddenly breaks. The Shield has some slack and it is easier for me to "feel" when it's about to break.

The G43 looks like a nice piece, but at 6 +1 capacity I wasn't sold. Why when I can have 7 or 8+1 in a solid, proven platform? I currently run with 2x 7-round magazines with grip extenders. I am toying with some different grip tape and sleeve styles and currently enjoying a product from Tuff1. I have plans to throw some brighter sights on them and, after a few more hundred rounds, may have someone do a trigger job on the babe.

The Shield is very, very sweet.
 
I have a Shield in both 9mm and 40. They are both good guns. I pocket carry them with an Alabama kydex pocket holster. Don't even know I have one in my pocket.
 
Held the Glock 43 and biggest thing I didn't like was that it felt too slim. I would take the Shield 9 over the Glock. There are other options like the Ruger LC9s Pro and Kahr PM9.
 
Spent about an hour at the rental range yesterday shooting the Shield and G43 side-by side.
My intent was to put 50 rounds thru each pistol to determine my EDC purchase.

The session confirmed my desire to get the Shield. Both were nice pistols and I'm sure my decision is purely based on personal preference.

To me, the G43 is almost too small. I found myself "riding" the slide release so the gun would not lock open on the last shot. I couldn't find a hand position that alleviated the issue. Granted, I only shot a box of ammo and practice and training would probably alleviate the problem.
The trigger of the G43 also had a bit more creep. Again, for a carry gun, this would not be a big issue but it is worth noting.
The controls (mag and slide release) are also a bit too small for me. This is a personal issue due to a busted up thumb on my right hand. I have limited movement that makes it difficult to manipulate smaller controls. (I have problems with most Glocks as well as FNH and Kahr pistols)
The range said that both pistols had seen about the same round count, but the Glock still seemed much tighter than the Shield. You may make your own decision whether this is a good or bad thing, just thought I would mention it.
I also found when "snap shooting" that I tended to shoot low with the G43 and was shooting quite well with the Shield

For me the Shield is the way to go. I became accustomed to it faster and it pointed and felt more natural. The grip is a better shape, at least for my hands, and the trigger and recoil felt smoother. Only once did the slide not lock back on an empty chamber.
I found that the magazines were easier to load and they dropped free better. The G43 didn't always cleanly drop out. Again, this could have been my bad thumb not engaging the release with enough pressure compiled by the fact that the button was stiffer than the Shield.
The Shield mags were also shaped so that it was easier to tell the orientation of the magazine during quick reloads. ie, it was easier to tell which way to insert the magazine into the gun without looking down during a quick reload. ( I hope that makes sense)

I have also determined that I will probably go with the manual safety on the Shield. Despite the thumb issue, I was able to sweep off the safety easily while bring the pistol on target.

By the end, I was "stealing" ammo from the G43 to shoot the Shield. So my decision has been finalized. Gonna go see Jim at my local shop next week and see what his price will be.

The G43 is a great little pistol that would probably suit most people better as a true pocket gun...it's just not the one for me
 
Shield with safety. Glock 43 grip is too short and empty magazines will not drop free, corner of palm gets in the way.
 
I have shot both, few hundred rounds now through the 43 and only about 50 through the Smith.

First I will say they are a tie. Everything else is opinion.

I been carrying Glock everyday for 20 plus years in full and mid size. The 43 is exactly the same shooting and breaking down. I choose the G43 for this reason.

My partner is a range instructor and a Glock armorer. He owns the Smith because the Glock wasn't out yet. He felt they were a tie also.

We both decided they are about as close as two guns can get, accuracy and feel is nice on both and recommend either for carry.
 
I just got done with an argument with a glockophile. All I sad was that the XD, M+P and Glock were all good, none really better than the other, and the argument was purely subjective.

You'd have thought I blasphemed God or something. Went to personal insults from him quickly.

Such is the nature of a subjective argument where one or both hold beliefs they cannot support.

For me in that size I choose the Shield, a bit bigger and full size and it's the XD. Purely subjective on my part and I know that.
 
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