Carry guns are often a compromise. Larger guns shoot well, but the weight, length, and height of a full-size handgun don’t allow comfortable concealed carry. A small gun will kick more and is more difficult to shoot well. A mid-sized handgun will offer good performance while remaining comfortable to carry. Among the best-balanced handguns I have tested in some time is the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus Carry Comp. This is a Performance Center handgun that is carefully designed with good features. With good sights, a good trigger, and an effective recoil compensator, the Shield Plus is a great all-around carry gun.
The original Shield was introduced in 2012. At one time, the Shield was among the most popular slim-line 9mm handguns. These compact handguns displaced the .38 snub and small .380 pistol as lightweight carry guns. The evolution of these pistols into higher-capacity handguns with ten rounds or more in the magazine led to a more formidable handgun. Grip design makes for greater comfort. The Shield Plus is an improved Shield with a flat trigger, redesigned grip, and a standard ten-round magazine. Thirteen- and fifteen-round magazines are also available. The latest Shield Plus is a highly developed 9mm with an optics-ready slide, better trigger, and, in the Performance Center version, a specially designed recoil compensator. This pistol features a four-inch barrel. That barrel length is optimal for 9mm Luger performance. The pistol features excellent combat sights. The rear sight is a black, drift-adjustable unit, while the front sight features a tritium insert. A bright night sight makes for rapid target acquisition.
The pistol’s compensator is the primary advantage of the Performance Center Shield Plus. The compensator would prove to limit muzzle rise during combat drills and allow rapid recovery during firing strings. While compensators have some blast from their open-ported design, the tradeoff is acceptable. The polymer frame is black, while the steel parts of the Shield Plus feature a rugged Armornite finish. This finish is resistant to corrosion and wear. The Shield Plus Carry Comp arrived in a blue-and-white cardboard box with a cleaning and tool kit and three magazines—ten-, thirteen-, and fifteen-round capacity. These magazines allow pocket carry in some pockets, such as vests or cargoes, with the ten-round magazine in place, while the fifteen-round magazine is the obvious choice for home defense. The thirteen-round magazine is a compromise length well suited to concealed carry. You get all this for an MSRP of $649.99.
The trigger action is nice and crisp for a striker-fired handgun. Trigger compression averaged 5.5 pounds on the RCBS trigger compression gauge. I engaged in dry fire before heading to the range. This is a cornerstone of mastering a handgun. With dry fire squared away, the pistol was lightly lubed, and I headed to the range. Jumping to the end, the pistol never failed to feed, chamber, fire, or eject. Most of the ammunition used in this firing review was Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain FMJ ammunition. I also used hollow-point ammunition, including the Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain EXP and the Black Hills Ammunition 124-grain JHP. There were several takeaways from the firing test. The grip frame is thinner than some compact guns; this is, after all, a subcompact size. The S&W draws quickly and gets on target quickly with a good balance. The thinner frame may kick back more than a compact frame, but less than the original slim-line Shield—a good place to be. With the ten-round magazine in place, the pistol handles well. With the larger magazines, the pistol is easier to shoot well, particularly the extended fifteen-round magazine. This makes for a nice-handling pistol in its size range. The pistol gets on target quickly, and the sights are excellent combat sights. The trigger is smooth, with a crisp let-off and rapid reset. Reset is as important as the trigger break in fast combat shooting. When firing the Shield Plus, be certain to keep the blade safety firmly pressed into the trigger face. The blade safety prevents lateral discharge and prevents trigger movement unless the blade safety is firmly pressed. It is similar to other striker-fired types but demands its own routine.
The barrel port keeps muzzle flip down and isn’t excessively loud. The sights and the trigger are an advantage in rapid fire. The pistol is accurate enough for personal defense and home defense. The four-inch barrel offers good velocity and energy. I fired a few shots from a 15-yard benchrest using some of the most reliable and accurate ammunition available. Results were good, especially for a subcompact handgun.
15 yards, 5-shot groups from a solid benchrest
Groups are measured in inches
Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain FMJ — 2.0 inches
Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain EXP — 1.5 inches
Black Hills Ammunition 124-grain JHP — 1.2 inches
There are compact handguns that may be concealed under light clothing with covering garments. The S&W Carry Comp conceals as well as, or better than, most. An advantage over slightly larger handguns is that the S&W may be carried in some pockets with the ten-round magazine in place. The S&W may be carried under the shirt in a bellyband holster easily. Galco offers one of the best bellyband holsters available—strong, secure, and with a choice of standard or cross-draw carry. The S&W Shield Plus is flat, light, and easily concealed, but when it comes up ready, it shoots more like a big gun than a little gun. The compensator makes for easier shooting than most pistols in the size and weight class. The Smith & Wesson Shield Plus in standard form is a good concealed-carry handgun. This Performance Center Carry Comp brings the pistol to another level of performance. This is a handgun that should be considered by anyone looking for a superior subcompact handgun.
Specifications
Caliber: 9mm
Action: Striker-fired
Sights: Night sights/Optic Cut
Barrel Length: 4.0 inches
Slide: Stainless steel
Frame: Polymer
OAL: 7.0 inches
Weight: 17.9 ounces
Capacity: 10+1, 13+1, 15+1
MSRP: $649
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