Smith & Wesson has officially unveiled their new sub-compact Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Pistol chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W. Like the other M&P pistols, the Shield is polymer framed and striker fired. The MSRP is $449.

It is slightly larger (0.1″ greater height and length, 0.05″ greater width) than the Ruger LC9 and is 2 oz. heavier.

I really like the Shield’s design and specifications. I expect this to be a big seller.

The press release …

Smith & Wesson Corp. today announced the introduction of the company’s new slim, concealable, lightweight, striker-fired polymer pistol with the unveiling of the M&P Shield™. Available in 9mm and .40 S&W, the new M&P Shield features a slim design combined with the proven and trusted features found in the M&P Pistol Series. From the pistol’s easily concealed one-inch profile to its optimized 18-degree grip angle, the M&P Shield offers professional-grade features that provide simple operation and reliable performance.

“Throughout the industry, there has been a progressive demand for a reliable, accurate self defense firearm,” said Mario Pasantes, Smith & Wesson’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Global Professional Sales. “Whether used as a backup for police personnel, an undercover firearm for plain-clothes officers or a dependable carry gun for private citizens, the M&P Shield expertly fulfills the need. Built to professional standards and backed by Smith & Wesson’s reputation for innovation and quality control, the M&P Shield adds another high performance option to our company’s broad line of purpose built firearms.”

Chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W for proven stopping power, the M&P Shield features a high-strength polymer frame with a black, Melonite® coated stainless steel slide and barrel. Both models are standard with a 3.1-inch barrel, which contributes to an overall length of 6.1 inches and an unloaded weight of 19 ounces. For fast tracking and smooth target acquisition, the M&P Shield is standard with a 5.3-inch sight radius and has been enhanced with a short, consistent trigger pull measuring 6.5 pounds. Featuring a quick and audible reset made possible by the striker-fired action, the M&P Shield allows multiple rounds to be placed on target both consistently and accurately.

The accuracy of the pistol has been further refined with a white dot stainless steel front sight and a white two-dot stainless steel rear sight. The M&P Shield retains familiar operating features on the left side of the frame, including a simple takedown lever, flat profile slide stop, magazine release and thumb safety. The flush mounted safety allows users to carry the pistol comfortably and confidently. For improved firearm control, the M&P Shield is standard with a fixed textured backstrap and additional texturing at the forward portion of the grip. An extended trigger guard has also been added for operation of the pistol with or without gloves.

Internal features of the new M&P Shield mirror the standard M&P Series. Its stainless steel internal chassis reduces flex while providing a stable shooting platform and its low-bore axis helps maintain ease-of-use and a comfortable feel. Other familiar features include a passive trigger safety that prevents the pistol from firing if dropped and a sear release lever that eliminates the need to press the trigger in order to disassemble the firearm. A loaded chamber indicator is located on top of the slide.

The M&P Shield is shipped with both an extended and flat magazine offering users the ability to customize the length of the grip. The 9mm M&P Shield offers an 8+1 or 7+1 magazine capacity while the .40 S&W M&P Shield is standard with either a 7+1 or 6+1 magazine capacity. The M&P Shield will also be introduced in a California compliant model. Both the 9mm and .40 S&W M&P Shield have an MSRP of $449 and are available now.

As an added bonus, Smith & Wesson has worked with the industry’s top holster, laser and after-market sight manufacturers so that owners can personalize their M&P Shield with high quality accessories that are immediately available from various providers.