I've owned a Kahr PM-9 for years, no one has beat it yet for slim dimensions and functionality.

+1  I love my PM-9, with Tritium night sights.  I wear a lot of "cargo pants" type stuff and usually have a big pocket to hide it in.  Slips into all my motorcycle jackets and the tank bag equally well.

how is it going to shake up the market? For cryin' out loud, they're the last ones to the table with a single stack concealable 9. It's going to be hard to beat the S&W shield. Sure the fanboys will love it

A little late to posting, but I agree completely with the above.  I just bought a S&W Shield last week... the new package with factory night sights and 3 mags.  SWEET.   Compliments my M&P 9 Pro perfectly.

Glock might make some quality stuff, but it is always boxy, and usualy bigger, heavier, and less ergonomic than anything Ruger or S&W offer.  And yes, the LCP wins hands-down on the Glock 42 for size.

Add me to the list for S&W Shield in 9mm. For a striker-fired pistol, I found the trigger to be very reasonable right out of the box.

And I like manual safeties.

Well, I'm "that guy" who buys the cheap gun because I have a hard time believing I'll ever get it back if it gets used as intended.  Not cheap as in crap, but cheap as in inexpensive.  Now that I'm in Texas, maybe it's not such a worry, but I've lived most of my life in Maryland and California, so...not known for kindness towards gun owners...

A while back, I took a chance on a Taurus 740 slim and absolutely love it for carry.  I've put 1000+ rounds through it and had three failures to feed - two from the same box of range ammo, one from a different box of range ammo.  I've never had a self defense round fail to feed or jam, it's the exact same dimensions as the 709 slim, but packs 7 .40 rounds.  I can fit it my cargo pants pocket with a pocket holster, sits pretty comfy at the small of the back in the DiSantis IWB, and fits perfectly into my bike jacket inner breast pocket with that pocket holster as well.  Shot a perfect 250 score on my concealed carry test with it, so it's accurate enough for its intended purpose.  And it cost $280 (+ $25 for a second mag). 

Well, I'm "that guy" who buys the cheap gun [...]A while back, I took a chance on a Taurus 740 slim and absolutely love it for carry.  [...] And it cost $280 (+ $25 for a second mag).

Yep, my very first gun so many years ago was a Taurus.  Was a good price.  $280 does make the $620 I sprung for the Shield seem really high.... (but $100 of that was the tritium sights, alone; and it did come with 3 mags, so the extra two should be worth at least another $70 or something).

Yep, my very first gun so many years ago was a Taurus.  Was a good price.  $280 does make the $620 I sprung for the Shield seem really high.... (but $100 of that was the tritium sights, alone; and it did come with 3 mags, so the extra two should be worth at least another $70 or something).

My first .45 was a Taurus Millennium Pro. I had some ramp issues with it right off the bat, which the factory fixed. Unfortunately, that same handgun is caught up in a recall at the moment. It can go bang if you drop it. I've put it away and will send it in when they call for it.

I suspect that most of the time, Taurus makes an acceptable firearm. I just don't think I can stake my life on the specific issues that this one purports to have.

Semiautos are prone for issues as it is; wheel guns are much more reliable. I like semiautos, but they've got to be rock-solid for me in EDC.

of all the possibles for concealed carry, my choice is always. wheel gun.
I want it to fire when needed.
and I want to be able to make it fire if it fails.

My first .45 was a Taurus Millennium Pro.

And that was MY first one also- a 9mm Millennium (PT-111 or something?)

I had some ramp issues with it right off the bat, which the factory fixed. Unfortunately, that same handgun is caught up in a recall at the moment. It can go bang if you drop it. I've put it away and will send it in when they call for it.

I had to send my back for repair because of it jamming, when it came back, it was fixed... but it was a nightmare to strip and I ended up trading it in after owning it a decade.

I suspect that most of the time, Taurus makes an acceptable firearm. I just don't think I can stake my life on the specific issues that this one purports to have.

My thoughts, exactly

Semiautos are prone for issues as it is; wheel guns are much more reliable. I like semiautos, but they've got to be rock-solid for me in EDC.

The problems with revolvers are they cannot be made but so small, and they don't have much capacity.  They are more reliable, for sure.  That said, I have never had a single problem with any other semi (S&W & Ruger)... and we are talking thousands of rounds.

Semiautos have come a long way in just a few short years. A lot of variables in there, including ammo. Sometimes the gun is just fine, but doesn't like a certain type of ammo. Gotta spend time figuring out what kind of ammo the gun prefers.

My Shield 9mm has never coughed. I've even used it for training classes. I have absolute faith in it. Steve

My Shield 9mm has never coughed. I've even used it for training classes. I have absolute faith in it. Steve

Ditto. Great little pistol.

But to illustrate some other semiautos that aren't so reliable, I've seen some trouble -- mostly palm safety spring -- with the Rock Island Armory .45s. These were NIBs and the problem has been corrected, but still...

When I got my Keltec P11 some 10-12 years ago I went right off and did a fluff-n-buff. Since that time I have shot 500-600 rounds thru it. Never a single problem with it. No FTF or FTE, nothing. It has gone bang every single time. I hate the plastic sights but other than that it has been a great little gun.

When I got my Keltec P11 some 10-12 years ago I went right off and did a fluff-n-buff. Since that time I have shot 500-600 rounds thru it. Never a single problem with it. No FTF or FTE, nothing. It has gone bang every single time. I have the plastic sights but other than that it has been a great little gun.

my first ccw was a keltec 380 (isn't everyones  ) same deal, did a fluff and buff, several hundred punishing round later it still goes bang every time. Steve

my first ccw was a keltec 380 (isn't everyones  )

No, mine was/is a Ruger LCP

same deal, did a fluff and buff, several hundred punishing round later it still goes bang every time.

Same here

Kel Tec P3AT is mine.

No, mine was/is a Ruger LCP

Same here

  LCP... the Keltec guys refer to that as the "little copy pistol"    Steve

first one?


.45 long colt.... not fun to shoot, but effective...

only designed to save your life... if it needs saving....maybe....

! No longer available

[www.youtube.com review]

My take on his review (and his review looked pretty well done)

Advantage S&W Shield:
-----------------------------
Capacity (+1)
Grip (comfort)
Sights (metal)
Barrel (recessed)
Mag (full metal)
Recoil (less)
Slide grip (better)
Price (by huge margin)
Warranty (lifetime)

Advantage Glock 43:
--------------------------
Takedown (ambi and 1 less step)
Trigger (smoother)
Weight (2 oz less)

Conclusion- unless you are a die-hard Glock fan, the Shield seems a much bigger winner.

Great review, and it squares with my own research and personal knowledge.

I may have mentioned upthread already, but my EDC is the 9mm Shield. I've carried several types and calibers over the years, and comfort is a big deal with me. The Smith provides decent firepower, exceptional reliability, and great value in a firearm that is both comfortable to wear and to shoot.