SHIELD GEN. 1 DIFFERENCES

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  • diver dan

    Sharpshooter
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    8   0   0
    Jan 21, 2013
    668
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    DeMotte
    What is the differences between a gen 1 shield .45 and the gen 2.0 shield .45.I am looking to get one of these but dont know the difference.OR is there any real difference ? Money wise it seems to be a better idea to get the gen 2 , they are close to same.:)
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,052
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    Southside Indy
    I have a Gen 2 45, and honestly I don't really know what the difference is between it and the Gen 1 (never tried the Gen 1), but I love mine. The review Amishman posted is spot on from my experience. Surprisingly soft shooting for a subcompact .45 acp. First Shield I shot was a buddy's .40 and I was expecting it to be snappy. I had to ask him if it was a 9mm! When he said it was a .40, I decided right then to get the .45 and was not disappointed.
     

    Ark

    Grandmaster
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    25   0   0
    Feb 18, 2017
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    Indy
    The big differences are the new texturing, the small front serrations, and a slightly improved trigger. Otherwise, they're the same gun. I'm not entirely sure why holster makers even list the 2.0 separately.

    FWIW my regular carry is a Gen 1 PC Shield 9mm and I have not seen a compelling reason to exchange it for the 2.0. It's an extremely solid, accurate, reliable firearm that is easy to carry all day. I would, however, buy the 2.0 over the 1.0 if I didn't have one already, and if the street price was within $50 or so.
     

    WebSnyper

    Maximum Effort
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    56   0   0
    Jul 3, 2010
    15,419
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    127.0.0.1
    The big differences are the new texturing, the small front serrations, and a slightly improved trigger. Otherwise, they're the same gun. I'm not entirely sure why holster makers even list the 2.0 separately.

    FWIW my regular carry is a Gen 1 PC Shield 9mm and I have not seen a compelling reason to exchange it for the 2.0. It's an extremely solid, accurate, reliable firearm that is easy to carry all day. I would, however, buy the 2.0 over the 1.0 if I didn't have one already, and if the street price was within $50 or so.

    Is this true of the 45 Shield though? I have a 2.0 9mm and and the trigger and the texture are definitely the difference on those, but I thought the 45 Shield was introduced with all the 2.0 features when it came out.
     

    Amishman44

    Master
    Rating - 98%
    48   1   0
    Dec 30, 2009
    3,678
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    Woodburn
    Is this true of the 45 Shield though? I have a 2.0 9mm and and the trigger and the texture are definitely the difference on those, but I thought the 45 Shield was introduced with all the 2.0 features when it came out.

    You are correct sir, in my understanding, that when S&W first brought the Shield .45 out, it came out with the upgrades that the 2.0 offers, already on it.
    Smith & Wesson had to upgrade the 9mm and the .40 to the 2.0 version to keep up with the .45 version.
     

    throttletony

    Master
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    12   0   0
    Jul 11, 2011
    3,630
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    nearby
    How is the recoil on the .45 shield?
    I'm tempted to carry the bigger bullet.. but not convinced that it'd be a good move. I have a 9mm gen 1 shield and like it, but I've thought about getting the PC version of the .45.
    I've only fired .45 out of full-size handguns - an assortment of 1911s, XDM 45, G21, etc - but never in a small, polymer gun.

    I only ever bought 1 gun that I would have NOT bought if I'd tested it first - that was a G27, and the .40 in that small package was not conducive to good shooting in my hands - snappy. I got better at it, but never enjoyed that gun. By contrast, I liked the G23 I had.

    I'm wondering if I would find the same thing in a .45 - that in a small package it's unexpectedly unpleasant
     

    dkelly27

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Feb 20, 2019
    11
    1
    Oswego
    The recoil on the Shield .45 is very easy to manage. I've had mine for two years and love it. The recoil is surprising. Smith & Wesson did it right.
     
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