Pictures: Ruger LC9 vs S&W Shield [Archive]

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butlers

05-31-18, 14:51

All,

I know there's already some comparison photos out there, but I thought it would be helpful (to someone?) just to do another series.

Ruger LC9 in 9x19mm (same size as all the variants -- LC9 Pro, LC380, LC9s, LC9s Pro, EC9s) vs S&W M&P Shield in .40 S&W (same size as the Shield in 9x19mm, but slightly smaller than the Shield in .45 ACP).

Very Respectfully,
butlers

Slide to slide:
https://i.imgur.com/4HKKWeI.jpg

Barrel to slide cover plate:
https://i.imgur.com/f3tR60t.jpg

Side by side from the back:
https://i.imgur.com/YywEuq1.jpg

Stacked on top of each other:
https://i.imgur.com/5GyqtI4.jpg

Stacked on top of each other, top view:
https://i.imgur.com/aVerzlm.jpg

Stacked on top of each other, back view:
https://i.imgur.com/doKyXik.jpg

Stacked on top of each other, bottom view:
https://i.imgur.com/XDJv0fK.jpg

Stacked on top of each other, front view:
https://i.imgur.com/OQ7DzYy.jpg

Sam

05-31-18, 15:04

Good job on the pictures.

We have both of these guns also. The Shield is mine and the LC9 is the Mrs. We've shot the LC9 enough to know that it's reliable and will put the bullets into a small zone at self defense range. I've shot at least 1000 rnds through the Shield and absolutely positive that it's reliable and accurate. The LC9 being slimmer has a sharper recoil than the Shield. Also the DAO trigger on the LC9 is a bit heavier than the Shield. The Shield is more shootable and more robust.

Interestingly, the LC9 will fit into any leather or kydex holster made for the Shield.

butlers

05-31-18, 15:11

Interestingly, the LC9 will fit into any leather or kydex holster made for the Shield.

Sir, that's a great observation.

"Conventional wisdom" states that the Shield is too large for pocket carry, whereas the LC9 (while no LCP) is an excellent option for pocket carry. But when you actually put both of them side by side, slide to slide, etc (as I attempted to do in the pictures above), the differences are honestly so small that I don't understand why folks come to that conclusion. <shrug>

usmcvet

06-01-18, 16:59

Excellent photo comparison. I carry mine in my front pocket. What's the price difference? I have a Shield and love it!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180601/85cbe05cca364f39d1a6153d6145a84a.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sam

06-01-18, 19:12

Way back when the Shield first came out, I paid $400 for it. Paid $300 for the LC9.

NCPatrolAR

06-02-18, 00:07

made this a sticky so its easy for others to see

wanderson

06-03-18, 19:28

I’ve owned both at the same time, the Ruger felt smaller and was almost small enough to pocket carry. I think it’s about 2 oz lighter too.

But I sold the LC9s and kept the Shield, the Ruger trigger shape would blister the side of my finger unless I just used my fingertip, and the Shield shot much tighter for me due to the shorter travel of the trigger and lighter recoil.
The ruger grip feels much thinner, it feels like the center of the grip is thinner than the front & back. The Shield grip just fit my hand better.

I have several Rugers, some old, some new, all great. But I had several small issues with the LC9s and when the front sight came loose after 300 rounds I lost confidance in it. No doubt Ruger would have made it right, but the Shield just shot better and after 4 years has not had one issue or failure with any ammo.

usmcvet

06-03-18, 19:41

Way back when the Shield first came out, I paid $400 for it. Paid $300 for the LC9.

That’s about what I thought. Thanks Sam.

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butlers

06-04-18, 02:29

The hard thing about making an apples-to-apples price comparison is that there are so many versions of both pistols.

The Shield comes in 9x19mm, .40 S&W, and .45ACP. (There's a .380ACP version as well, but the frame is pretty different.) Even within the same caliber, you have versions with or without a manual safety, magazine disconnect, and loaded chamber indicator (and non-compliant versions command a higher premium in restricted states). That's not even getting into the Shield 2.0, Performance Center variants, etc.

The Ruger also comes in many flavors:
- LC9 (original hammer fired)
- LC9 Pro (original hammer fired but no safety, no magazine disconnect, and no loaded chamber indicator)
- LC9s (striker fired)
- LC9s Pro (striker fired but no safety, no magazine disconnect, and no loaded chamber indicator)
- EC9s (striker fired with safety but no magazine disconnect and no loaded chamber indicator)

That being said, the Ruger is going to be consistently cheaper. The latest budget model -- the EC9s -- routinely sells for around $200-$225 (these are 2018 Summer prices):
https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/3283?view=list

The Shield still retails for around $325-$350:
https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/180021?view=list

The bigger/diverse aftermarket for the Shield is a big plus, but one (often-overlooked?) advantage with the Ruger LC9 is the ability to get a .22LR conversion kit (though this only fits the hammer-fired version, not the striker-fired):
http://twisted.industries/product/lc-22lr-conversion-kit-2/

(I believe a .22LR conversion kit can be a great training tool, though certainly not an end-all, be-all.)

When I inquired about the possibility of a similar product for the Shield, this is what I got back:

From: Twisted.Industries <Sales@Twisted.Industries>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2018 13:57
To: [REDACTED]
Subject: Re: M&P Shield?

As of now, we do not have plans for that pistol. But possibly in the future.
Harry [REDACTED]
Twisted Industries Inc.
Twisted.Industries
Office: [REDACTED]
Mobile: [REDACTED]

SST

06-09-18, 01:54

I can't speak to the Shield, but I do have an LC9s. There is a very small margin of error for what will actually fit in a pocket (with a pocket holster) and what won't fit in a pocket. The LC9s fits in my front pocket with a Superfly pocket holster, when my CZ P01 is in my glove box because it's sometimes just not concealable enough for what I'm wearing.

usmcvet

06-09-18, 13:27

I just shot my shield today for the first time after removing the mag spacers from the 8 round magazines.

I'll be putting them back on, they prevent over insertion! Once I figured that out I was able to reload gently and didn't have any issues. I took them off so they would fit in my double.pocket mag holster.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180609/af4899a3f8f0e23f41295eba4c2683e0.heic

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180609/12acb6ad50ec722ad3c3ff71e9722a32.heic

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180609/a9c24898d152ffba4ebbeb281b38fd15.heic

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R.A.N.G.E.R

10-28-19, 06:34