Shield vs Glock 43 buy

[kaveman]

The current S&W rebate isn't an either/or,.....it depends where you live. Here in IN and most non-restrictive states it's two extra mags(total four), two boxes of carry ammo and a mag loader. In non-free states where there are ammo or mag restrictions or where ammo cannot easily(cheaply)be shipped(AK and HI), it's a $75 rebate like before. And yes, I've got a pile of Shields that were delivered to my dealer for $200 after rebate, so used prices should absolutely crash for the near future.

I have Glocks but have never really 'liked' Glocks, so I went with the Shield. PSA still runs specials for under $300 shipped so if you have a receiving dealer to work with and you don't mind waiting for Smith to ship you the freebies it's a hella deal.

Someone mentioned a Shield that sticks the slide when firing. Yeah, some have been doing that lately but the problem has been accurately diagnosed. If you get one that does that Smith can take it back under warranty and quickly fix it or you can do it yourself if you don't mind taking it apart and working on it for a few minutes. Most Shields don't have the problem but some do.

Check this thread on the S&W Forums and scroll down to the fix at post #21. New 9mm M&P Shield - slide getting jammed back.

 

[doddg]

As for rebates, Walther has one too. Just knock $100 off the best price you can find on a Walther PPS M2.
Walther Arms - Rebate 100 - Walther Arms
Here is a PPS M2 deal at deguns.net for only $279 after rebate.
Walther PPS M2 9mm 3.2" Pistol

1. Oh my! Do I pay the extra money and move up to the Walther since they are on sale at Cabela's for $100 off and I could get one for $330???
(With buying at Cabela, you don't have to pay for shipment to an FFL dealer, which negates the $280 deal at DEGuns.net.)
2. Is the Walther "better" than the Shield or Glock?
3. In my day, late 80s, the name Walther was top tier, so it does get my attention.
4. Keep the input coming, please.
5. It is tempting to get the Shield, since it seems to be a safe bet, but since there is going to be a flood of resale down the road, will the Walther be a better value in the long run, or am I just chasing a never-ending quest that cannot be satiated?

Walther PPS M2 Centerfire Pistol
Price After Rebate
$329.99 - $349.99
Our Price
$429.99 - $449.99

6. There is one with 300 rounds through it for $300 on Armslist (saving taxes, $23, and the extra $30 = $53 saved).

 

[bwframe]

How much is slight cost difference a factor in deciding on a potential life defending/saving tool.

Wonder if there is reason Glock isn't offering rebates?

 

[VERT]

I own a Shield, a Walther PPS, a J frame, a Glock 26 and a Glock 42 sitting in the safe. The Walther PPS classic in a tuckable holster is sitting on my hip right now. The PPS M2 and classic are the same slide and guts. Diffeeence is the frame.

 

[doddg]

How much is slight cost difference a factor in deciding on a potential life defending/saving tool.
Wonder if there is reason Glock isn't offering rebates?

1. Correct. If the Walthers are having FTF and Glock isn't: point made.
2. That is what I don't know.
3. It seems the Shield and the Glock are top-tier reliable guns.
4. I thought the Walther would be on the same plane/tier/class as them.

 

[VERT]

1. Correct. If the Walthers are having FTF and Glock isn't: point made.
2. That is what I don't know.
3. It seems the Shield and the Glock are top-tier reliable guns.
4. I thought the Walther would be on the same plane/tier/class as them.

The PPQ and PPS are same quality as the M&P and Glock offerings. Period. I own all of them in multiple copies and sizes. Only problem with Walther's are the chambers are not as long and holster selection is not as varied. But the guns will shoot and are very accurate.

 

[bwframe]

Wonder if there is info on how these guns hold up over time/rounds fired?

Never forget the stories of a few years back about XD's. You could find hardly any confirmation online or in print, but nearly all the instructors and competitors alike wanted nothing to do with them. Failures and reliability were a well known issue.

 

[doddg]

I own a Shield, a Walther PPS, a J frame, a Glock 26 and a Glock 42 sitting in the safe. The Walther PPS classic in a tuckable holster is sitting on my hip right now. The PPS M2 and classic are the same slide and guts. Diffeeence is the frame.

1. Wow! Sounds like you're only missing a Kahr CW9.
2. Since you have 8k+ posts I assume you are entitled to an opinion based on your research.
3. Is it twiddle-de and twiddle-de-dum between these guns, and just buy whatever is on sale, or is the Walther in a "higher" class than the Shield or Glock 43?
4. I await your input, and understand that others will disagree.
5. They ought to have a "Consumer Report" about guns like cars (I drive Corollas: boring but reliable and inexpensive comparatively.

 

[doddg]

Wonder if there is info on how these guns hold up over time/rounds fired?

Never forget the stories of a few years back about XD's. You could find hardly any confirmation online or in print, but nearly all the instructors and competitors alike wanted nothing to do with them. Failures and reliability were a well known issue.

1. Exactly what I heard/read.
2. An instructor here told of many many XDs having issues at training, more than other brands: I was shocked since I thought they were top-tier.
3. That's what I wonder about Walther.
4. The Shield seems to be a work-horse, and perhaps the Glock the same or even more.
5. Noone comments on the Kahr CW9.
6. I have been warned away from some guns: Mosquito, Nano, etc.

 

[doddg]

The PPQ and PPS are same quality as the M&P and Glock offerings. Period. I own all of them in multiple copies and sizes. Only problem with Walther's are the chambers are not as long and holster selection is not as varied. But the guns will shoot and are very accurate.

1. That being true, it would seem that for a person who has no background/prejudice, since if all things are "equal," just buy the lightest (my benchmark), and/or the one on sale, if there is no reason to pay a little extra for an extra round in the chamber or whatever feature a more nuanced individual would appreciate.

 

[bwframe]

1. Exactly what I heard/read.
2. An instructor here told of many many XDs having issues at training, more than other brands: I was shocked since I thought they were top-tier.
3. That's what I wonder about Walther.
4. The Shield seems to be a work-horse, and perhaps the Glock the same or even more.
5. Noone comments on the Kahr CW9.
6. I have been warned away from some guns: Mosquito, Nano, etc.

It's sometimes difficult to see past brand loyalty. Often that loyalty is based on "because that's the brand I bought."

There are a lot of guns out there, especially in this category, that barely see a couple hundred rounds in their lifetime. Much less than the thousands and ten thousands we like to know how that gun held up through.

 

[VERT]

1. That being true, it would seem that for a person who has no background/prejudice, since if all things are "equal," just buy the lightest (my benchmark), and/or the one on sale, if there is no reason to pay a little extra for an extra round in the chamber or whatever feature a more nuanced individual would appreciate.

Just pick one and go with it. I promise you that all of them will shoot. I prefer the Walther because it is the heaviest, has a full grip and has the better, very Glock like trigger with good sights. The gun behaves well and shoots like a larger gun. Glock with a set of aftermarket sights would be my second choice. It is actually a bit too light and trim IMO. I prefer the G42 actually. The Shield is fine and a best value.

 

[mcapo]

I have a Performance Center Shield (pretty darn good trigger after a few hundred rounds - for a striker fired gun) in 9 mm and much prefer the Shield to the G43 - but its all preference. Glock, Walther, S&W - whichever one lands in your hand to its point of aim is probably the one you should buy.

From your other posts, I know that you like small and light but I keep thinking you would like a 3913 Smith and Wesson. Bigger and heavier than a Shield but a sweet shooting little gun. The late model is often a "Lady Smith" but not all are labeled as such.

View attachment 57671

 

[doddg]

Just pick one and go with it. I promise you that all of them will shoot. I prefer the Walther because it is the heaviest, has a full grip and has the better, very Glock like trigger with good sights. The gun behaves well and shoots like a larger gun. Glock with a set of aftermarket sights would be my second choice. It is actually a bit too light and trim IMO. I prefer the G42 actually. The Shield is fine and a best value.

1. Well Said!
2. I just looked at a vid where Guns and Ammo tested every single stack 9mm gun.
3. The test took days.
4. In reliability, only 3 guns made it to 1000 rounds w/o a misfire: Walther PPS, Glock 43, and I won't even tell you the 3rd one b/c it will offend. (Taurus 709 Slim)
5. They even did a special test at the end using different types of ammo, but they all did perfect.
6. The Shield made it to around 700 rounds, like the Kahr, before a mishap.
7. The Ruge LC9 was one of the most accurate.

8. This was verification for what I needed to hear for justifying getting the Walther.
9. I'm negotiating with a guy on Armlist now for one he's asking $300.
10. When I told him DEGuns was selling them new with a $100 rebate he said they wasn't.
11. I sent him the link and copied the info that I was sent here.
12. When I went to DEGuns website it did not show the $100 rebate on their sale price of $380???
13. I simply told him it must not be updated b/c I saw (and sent to him) the $380 - $100 Walther rebate = $280.
14. Cabela is selling them for $330 with the rebate and you don't have to use a FFL ($25-$35).
15. If I can get the $300 used Walther for less, I will buy it.

 

[VERT]

The PPS is actually the first of the modern single stack polymer striker fired guns. Been around for years but at $600 never sold well. Interesting enough the P99 was a first in class to have customizable back straps. Walther is a solid brand. Like CZ they just lack the marketing muscle.

 

[doddg]

I have a Performance Center Shield (pretty darn good trigger after a few hundred rounds - for a striker fired gun) in 9 mm and much prefer the Shield to the G43 - but its all preference. Glock, Walther, S&W - whichever one lands in your hand to its point of aim is probably the one you should buy.

From your other posts, I know that you like small and light but I keep thinking you would like a 3913 Smith and Wesson. Bigger and heavier than a Shield but a sweet shooting little gun. The late model is often a "Lady Smith" but not all are labeled as such.

1. I looked it up: interesting, since 1990, a forerunner of things to come.
2. I'm not offended by a gun built light and small for the ladies, but due to the weight, I would defer to about any of the others.
3. If I went by weight only, the Kahr CW9 would be in the lead, but no one is talking about it much, and that reliability test Gun and Ammo did really get my attention.

 

[IndyTom]

Walther has a $100 rebate: Offer limited to Walther PPQ M1, PPQ M2, PPQ Navy, PPQ 45, PPS M1, PPS M2, PPS M2 LE, PPS M2 Laser Set, or Color variations.

HK has 4 free mags: VP9 or P30 (not the SK models)

S&W has 2 mags, 2 boxes of Hornady and a mag charger: [FONT=&quot]Consumers that purchase any new qualifying M&P Full-Size, Compact or M&P Shield pistol from July 1, 2017 to September 30, 2017 will be eligible to receive two (2) boxes of Hornady Critical Defense® ammunition, two (2) additional M&P magazines and a Caldwell® Mag Charger® Universal Pistol Loader, for a total MSRP value of $180. Consumers residing in Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. states with restrictions on magazine capacities and/or ammunition transfers will be eligible for a $75 mail-in cash rebate with the purchase of qualifying pistols.

I can't speak to the G43, but the 9mm Shield shoots well. I do find that I have to hold it a little more firmly if I want to dry fire without knocking a coin off of the front sight (which helped with knowing how to hold it at the range). Mine also has a super stiff slide lock even after lubricating it and putting at least 4 magazines through it. The Walther PPQ and HK VP9 have nicer triggers, but may be larger than you are looking for.[/FONT]

 

[308jake]

Shoot them all and see what works best for you.

 

[doddg]

Walther has a $100 rebate: Offer limited to Walther PPQ M1, PPQ M2, PPQ Navy, PPQ 45, PPS M1, PPS M2, PPS M2 LE, PPS M2 Laser Set, or Color variations.

HK has 4 free mags: VP9 or P30 (not the SK models)

S&W has 2 mags, 2 boxes of Hornady and a mag charger:[FONT=&amp]Consumers that purchase any new qualifying M&P Full-Size, Compact or M&P Shield pistol from July 1, 2017 to September 30, 2017 will be eligible to receive two (2) boxes of Hornady Critical Defense® ammunition, two (2) additional M&P magazines and a Caldwell® Mag Charger® Universal Pistol Loader, for a total MSRP value of $180. Consumers residing in Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. states with restrictions on magazine capacities and/or ammunition transfers will be eligible for a $75 mail-in cash rebate with the purchase of qualifying pistols.

I can't speak to the G43, but the 9mm Shield shoots well. I do find that I have to hold it a little more firmly if I want to dry fire without knocking a coin off of the front sight (which helped with knowing how to hold it at the range). Mine also has a super stiff slide lock even after lubricating it and putting at least 4 magazines through it. The Walther PPQ and HK VP9 have nicer triggers, but may be larger than you are looking for.[/FONT]

1. Appreciate the summary.
2. I don't care about S/W extra mags, but of course, the ammo looks good, but it doesn't bring the price down enough from its $374 (best price found at Hoosier Armory) retail.
3. I have shot many of these, and even the Shield seemed big to me after handling some of them, and especially compared to the Ruger LC9 and Taurus 709 Slim I bought to play with.
4. I thought that to get a more reliable gun, I would have to move up to the Shield, Glock 43 or the Walther PPS, even though they are heavier and larger as you pointed out.

 

[doddg]

Shoot them all and see what works best for you.

1. If my summer vacation wasn't over and I started school, that is exactly what I would do.
2. Don't know if I'll have any time this weekend to pursue it: my life of leisure is over.