My nephew just got a 9mm M&P Shield, and asked me the best way to carry it. I'm not familiar with the gun (is it striker fired, or a traditional DA/SA semi auto?) so I thought I would pose the question here: hammer down on a loaded chamber with safety on? Safety off? Thoughts? (And yes, I told him to go get some instruction from a knowledgeable source, but I was curious as to the answer myself, so I thought I'd ask here.)
S&W 9mm M&P Shield - Carry condition?
- Thread starter PA32Mark
- Start date
The striker fired Shield can be carried three ways and your nephew should decide which works best for him and when.
1.) The gun can be carried, or kept, with a full magazine and a empty chamber. This will involve racking the slide to load a round in the chamber. At that point the piece is ready to fire. The gun is slower to bring into action but it is useful for some applications.
2.) The piece can be carried, or kept, with a round in the chamber and the frame mounted thumb safety engaged. To fire the safety must be disengaged and the trigger pulled. This is fast and the safety is easy to access. It has decided benefits.
[Downside: one can fumble disengaging the safety]
3.) A round in the chamber and the frame mounted safety disengaged. To fire just pull the trigger.
[Downside: One can fumble and yank the trigger when not intending too particularly when piece is in a in a pocket]
Folks can debate the benefits of the three all day and possibly will. But these are the three. You can also use any of the three as required or desired or transition between them as the situation calls for or as desired.
You nephew has gotta figure what works for him.
tipoc
1.) The gun can be carried, or kept, with a full magazine and a empty chamber. This will involve racking the slide to load a round in the chamber. At that point the piece is ready to fire. The gun is slower to bring into action but it is useful for some applications.
2.) The piece can be carried, or kept, with a round in the chamber and the frame mounted thumb safety engaged. To fire the safety must be disengaged and the trigger pulled. This is fast and the safety is easy to access. It has decided benefits.
[Downside: one can fumble disengaging the safety]
3.) A round in the chamber and the frame mounted safety disengaged. To fire just pull the trigger.
[Downside: One can fumble and yank the trigger when not intending too particularly when piece is in a in a pocket]
Folks can debate the benefits of the three all day and possibly will. But these are the three. You can also use any of the three as required or desired or transition between them as the situation calls for or as desired.
You nephew has gotta figure what works for him.
tipoc
Shadi Khalil
New member
Apologize if I'm echoing but I personally would keep it off when carrying but train to switch it off on the draw. I've seen quite a few reports of the safety engaging itself in the holster. As far as I'm considered, the safety is just in the way. The M&P trigger is plenty adequate for its purposes.
marine6680
New member
I personally like "round chambered" carry.
My shield has no manual safety, so no worries about fumbling with it.
Its perfectly safe to carry this way, if you use a good holster. All the passive safeties built into the pistol prevent mishaps... any mishaps that may occur will be caused by user error.
My shield has no manual safety, so no worries about fumbling with it.
Its perfectly safe to carry this way, if you use a good holster. All the passive safeties built into the pistol prevent mishaps... any mishaps that may occur will be caused by user error.
Your nephew should not carry this gun until You, He or somebody hires an NRA instructor to meet at the LGR to review the manual of arms for this gun, and make recommendations for the conditions of carry that apply, and which are best suited to his skill level. You do not mention which type of holster your nephew has or plans to buy for this gun, I would advise that he holds off buying one until he meets with the instructor to go over these options.
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Your nephew should not carry this gun until You, He or somebody hires an NRA instructor to meet at the LGR to review the manual of arms for this gun, and make recommendations for the conditions of carry that apply, and which are best suited to his skill level. You do not mention which type of holster your nephew has or plans to buy for this gun, I would advise that he holds off buying one until he meets with the instructor to go over these options.
Exactly what I told him. I posed the question here for my own knowledge, as it is not a gun I am familiar with.
Exactly what I told him. I posed the question here for my own knowledge, as it is not a gun I am familiar with.
bedbugbilly
New member
The Sheild is available now either with or without a safety.
I just purchased a 9mm to switch off to at times from my Smith Model 36 snub. I got the model with the safety - some like them, some don't. The safety is smaller but can be "thumbed off". Mine will be carried with a round in the chamber and the safety off.
It's no different than carrying a revolver for SD with all chambers loaded - they are made (I'm talking DA "newer" revolvers) to be carried with one under the hammer as they have hammer blocks/safety designs so they can be.
The Shield still has a "safety trigger" even if it does not have a standard safety. Plus, since it's a DAO, the trigger pull is stiffer (unless mods have been made). The important thing if it's being carried for SD purposes is that the holster used fully covers the trigger area so there can be no accidental "snags".
A person is going to carry their handgun in the manner they want to. Personally, I would neve carry without a round in the chamber. Many semi-autos - and the Shield is one of them like many others - has a strong recoil spring which means that racking the slide and putting a round in - especially under stress - is not only time consuming but difficult at best. A SD situation will occur in seconds - not minutes. By the time a round is racked - it could be all over with you being the "loser".
Any pistol class I have ever taken - and I've taken quite a few taught by LE, former military spec. ops., swat team members, etc.- have and will tell you that a holstered SD handgun with an empty chamber is worthless.
You can have an accidental discharge with any handgun - Shield, Glock, Ruger, Colt or whatever and the first thing that comes to mind is the person putting his finger not he trigger when drawing . . . that's why ii is extremely important to train yourself to keep that @#$%!@ finger off the trigger until your are ready to shoot. Yes .. . a handgun could fall and hit the ground and you could have an accidental discharge under unusual conditions.
I carry on the belt and prefer a thumb break holster but that's just me. Many use kydex holsters or open top holsters, etc. and it's a personal choice. On a Shield, if I was going to use an open top holster, I'd be looking at a good "retention" holster that insured the handgun was securely held in place but would still draw easily if needed. And as with any semi-auto - a loaded spare magazine that is easily accessible is also a "must have" as far as I'm concerned - along with lots of training and practice of clearing jams and mag switch outs to "keep going" if need be.
The important thing with any handgun is to read the manual and then read it again. Shoot it, practice with it and "learn it" and all the safety features and how it functions. The Shield is an excellent choice and he won't have any problems with it as long as he practices and shoots it on a regular basis so it's "second nature". Good luck!
I just purchased a 9mm to switch off to at times from my Smith Model 36 snub. I got the model with the safety - some like them, some don't. The safety is smaller but can be "thumbed off". Mine will be carried with a round in the chamber and the safety off.
It's no different than carrying a revolver for SD with all chambers loaded - they are made (I'm talking DA "newer" revolvers) to be carried with one under the hammer as they have hammer blocks/safety designs so they can be.
The Shield still has a "safety trigger" even if it does not have a standard safety. Plus, since it's a DAO, the trigger pull is stiffer (unless mods have been made). The important thing if it's being carried for SD purposes is that the holster used fully covers the trigger area so there can be no accidental "snags".
A person is going to carry their handgun in the manner they want to. Personally, I would neve carry without a round in the chamber. Many semi-autos - and the Shield is one of them like many others - has a strong recoil spring which means that racking the slide and putting a round in - especially under stress - is not only time consuming but difficult at best. A SD situation will occur in seconds - not minutes. By the time a round is racked - it could be all over with you being the "loser".
Any pistol class I have ever taken - and I've taken quite a few taught by LE, former military spec. ops., swat team members, etc.- have and will tell you that a holstered SD handgun with an empty chamber is worthless.
You can have an accidental discharge with any handgun - Shield, Glock, Ruger, Colt or whatever and the first thing that comes to mind is the person putting his finger not he trigger when drawing . . . that's why ii is extremely important to train yourself to keep that @#$%!@ finger off the trigger until your are ready to shoot. Yes .. . a handgun could fall and hit the ground and you could have an accidental discharge under unusual conditions.
I carry on the belt and prefer a thumb break holster but that's just me. Many use kydex holsters or open top holsters, etc. and it's a personal choice. On a Shield, if I was going to use an open top holster, I'd be looking at a good "retention" holster that insured the handgun was securely held in place but would still draw easily if needed. And as with any semi-auto - a loaded spare magazine that is easily accessible is also a "must have" as far as I'm concerned - along with lots of training and practice of clearing jams and mag switch outs to "keep going" if need be.
The important thing with any handgun is to read the manual and then read it again. Shoot it, practice with it and "learn it" and all the safety features and how it functions. The Shield is an excellent choice and he won't have any problems with it as long as he practices and shoots it on a regular basis so it's "second nature". Good luck!
marine6680
New member
Very limited data...
The pistols are designed in a way, that barring extreme circumstances... ones that are beyond reasonable or even plausible... the pistol will not fire unless the trigger is pulled.
Basically, if you keep your finger off the trigger, you will not have a problem.
A person with a stray trigger finger can pull the trigger untended. This is true for all pistols though.
A 1911 with a safety when used as modern training suggests, has you disengage the safety as part of the draw, so trigger discipline is still a must.
a DA pistol may have a bit more margin of error, but is still vulnerable.
Its all about practice and training. No system is beyond human error. It will come down to what margin do you need in the pistol to make up or your skill and training level.
My shield has the safety, it is never on. I still wipe it when I draw as habit in case it accidentally got engaged. In a fight that momentary glitch as you do something unfamiliar can cost you big.
One time I drew my OC in a fight, and when I hit the button it didn't spray. Then I was in a less than optimum position. Not Good, had I known that I would not have broken contact with the inmate. I pushed myself away to deploy, nope, now I'm right in his sights.
One time I drew my OC in a fight, and when I hit the button it didn't spray. Then I was in a less than optimum position. Not Good, had I known that I would not have broken contact with the inmate. I pushed myself away to deploy, nope, now I'm right in his sights.
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I carry my 9mm Shield IWB around 4-o'clock with 7+1 and safety on. The safety is really easy to disengage as you unholster.
Here's a gif I made of the motion:
I can see why some would want to carry unchambered or, going the other way, safety off... The way I carry works for me, the way I've trained, and the way I've practiced.
My full shield review: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=563569
Here's a gif I made of the motion:
I can see why some would want to carry unchambered or, going the other way, safety off... The way I carry works for me, the way I've trained, and the way I've practiced.
My full shield review: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=563569