Reliability Of The S&W Shield 9 Compared To The Glock 26?

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Joe_Pike

New member
I have a Glock 26 with night sights. Nice gun....except I'm having a difficult time liking it. It seems almost too small for how thick it is. I can't figure out a way to carry it either. It will fit in my pocket but seems too heavy for that when I can carry my P938 that weighs considerably less. IWB seems silly too when a Glock 19 isn't that much heavier and has 50% more capacity unless you add magazine extensions to the 26 (then what's the point of having a small gun to begin with?).

I've been considering a Shield 9. It fits my hand well and I think carrying IWb would feel pretty good. The eight round magazines are short two rounds from the G26, but I don't think that that is a huge deal for the average citizen trying to keep crackheads at bay at the local Neighborhood Market.

I can't really afford to have both, so, I would have to sell the 26 to get the Shield.

So, the G26 is a proven firearm and has been around long enough to have earned a reputation as being very reliable. That's one of the reasons I bought it. Has the Shield reached that level yet not having been around as long?

I really want to love that Glock 26, but haven't been able to up to this point.
 
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TunnelRat

New member
IWB seems silly too when a Glock 19 isn't that much heavier and has 50% more capacity unless you add magazine extensions to the 26 (then what's the point of having a small gun to begin with?).
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I have both a G19 and a G26 and carry both. The 26 I own has the factory +2 baseplates. So why carry it over the 19? Because the difference in height at the back of the grip, which is what prints most on me when carrying strong side, is enough to notice. If I get a chance tonight I'll post a picture but for me the now angled grip of the 26 prints notably less than my 19 and I seem to shoot it just as well. To me the difference in terms of printing is just as much as the difference in going from a 17 to a 19, maybe more so. I think it's worth trying the extensions at least.

If you're comparing the ended magazine for the Shield at 8 rds the Shield will be taller than a G26, especially with the factory baseplates. I know this because I owned and compared an M&P 9c to the Shield and that was what I found. More rounds is still more rounds. Will you need them? Maybe no, maybe yes. It is nice to be able to use a 19 or 17 magazine as your backup mag for the 26 and get a lot more capacity, which is something you can't really do with the single stacks.

I think the S&W Shield is a nice gun. I wouldn't sell a G26 for a Shield. I'd save up money for the Shield as frankly it's very affordable lately.
 
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tranders

New member
I have the Shield 9mm and it has worked fine so far. Glock makes a single stack 9mm if your a Glock fan.
 
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dyl

New member
A better comparison to the Shield may be the Glock 43. it is relatively new, but has lower capacity than the 26.
 
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Rivertrail

New member
I'd say you need to carry the one that is most comfortable to you - both are quality guns. I agree the G43 may be the better comparison and you might try handling it before you decide. I had a shield but didn't like the way it felt in my hand and I've had a 43 and loved the way it fit my hand so really just make sure you are confident in handling it and go for it.
 
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bassJAM1

New member
Why get a Shield if you already have a great single stack 9 in the P938?

Several times during the rebates this summer I had a Shield in my shopping cart at Palmetto State, but never could pull the trigger because getting a larger and heavier gun than my P938 just for one extra round in capacity just didn't make sense.
 
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JDBerg

New member
A few of us on this forum own a Walther PPS and I have the "M2" version. I shoot this one better than the G26 I used to own. When I shoot the PPS alongside my G19 it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the targets, but the G19 is a little better at the range than the Walther.

If you want (IMHO) the best 9mm single stack CCW, get a Sig P239 SAS Gen2 at more than twice the cost of the Walther, but (again, MHO), the PPS-M2 will hold its own against the G26, G43, and the Shield.
 
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TunnelRat

New member
Or find a used P239, SAS or not, but you'll still pay a lot more sadly, especially with the rebate on the PPS. There's a P239 at a LGS for $565, German made frame, basically LNIB. I keep wanting to buy it, but I also want a PPQ.
 
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gglass

New member
More than 2 million Shields sold since 2012... I think we would have heard about any real issues by now... Just sayin'.
 
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cc-hangfire

New member
I own both the Glock 26 and the Shield 9mm. I'm another vote for equally high reliability on both. It comes down to what fits your hand well and what fits best in your carry system.

BUT, along the line of what's mentioned above, your SIG P938 does practically everything that the Shield does if you carry extra magazines, while the G26 has the potential for much greater capacity with G19 or G17 backup mags.

(Although I would never recommend against getting one more gun!)
 
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JDBerg

New member
TunnelRat: said:
There's a P239 at a LGS for $565, German made frame, basically LNIB. I keep wanting to buy it, but I also want a PPQ.
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I see used 40's going for substantialiy more than that, if that's a Nine that's a deal
 
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adamBomb

New member
So why carry it over the 19? Because the difference in height at the back of the grip, which is what prints most on me when carrying strong side, is enough to notice.
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I noticed the same thing as well with the 19. The 26 is short enough to not print and holds more rounds than the single stack 9s that I would need to IWB carry.

OP, if you want a single stack 9 there are a few really good options, the shield being one of them.
 
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Vulcannut

New member
I don't have a Glock 26 but have handled them and wouldn't mind getting one. I do have a 9mm standard shield and a 9mm Performance Center shield. Both have been great guns. They conceal well and shoot well. A couple of things:

1. The M&P series have a different trigger tan a glock. It's kinda two part. Different so be aware some love, some can stand it, and some hate it.
2. They have sold over 2 million Shields which means they a mass produced at a high volume. They are tight when new and take a few hundred rounds to break in.
3. Don't know how Glock customer service but S&W is excellent in this regards. If you have an issue they will take care of it. If you have question they are more than willing to answer them.

I myself like my Shield but at some point a Glock 26 will be hanging out with them. You know you can use Glock 19 mags in a Glock 26 and I would bet someone has a spacer to make it look right. If the length of the grip is a problem for you.

Now is a good time to by a Shield. S&W is still running a rebate program on them. Depending on where you live this means either extra mag and ammo or $75.

Good luck
 
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TunnelRat

New member
I see used 40's going for substantialiy more than that, if that's a Nine that's a deal
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Yeah it is. Didn't hurt that right around the time it came up I took a class at SIG where an instructor was using one to make headshots at 25 yds like it was nothing. The reality is he likely could have done it with anything, but hey it's a good excuse to buy one right?

Now is a good time to by a Shield. S&W is still running a rebate program on them. Depending on where you live this means either extra mag and ammo or $75.
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I absolutely agree, I just wouldn't want to sell the 26 to get it.
 
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ritepath

New member
Welcome to my world about 4 or 5 years back. I invested in the micro wonder everyone was harping about insisting I get one. So I dug up a g26 only to find the grip was crappy (wonky is how I describe it) and it was thicker than a brick. If I was going to have something that thick, it would be with a grip that is useful so I finally sold it, and after some research I invested in a Shield. It's been a trooper for around 4500 rounds so far.

I really should invest in a second Shield, but I really need a LCPII and a few more CZ's, so the one I have will have to do.
 
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bedbugbilly

New member
I've had a 9mm Shield for a couple of years. Iv'e shot factory rounds as well as my cast reloads out of it. It's been flawless. The only time it has been "unreliable" - and I don't really consider it really a case of being "unreliable" - is when I've been working loads up for different powders/cast bullet weights/designs. Once the load is worked up to where the rounds cycle and are accurate - it eats 'em like candy. I consider it reliable enough to carry and have just as much confidence in it as I do in my Smith Model 36 carry which goes bang overtime.
 
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