S&W Shield vs Glock 26 (CCW)?

[coloradokevin]

I'm hoping to get some opinions on how the S&W Shield stacks up to the venerable Glock 26 in the CCW world. I'd really appreciate some opinions from anyone who has carried both and can comment on the real world differences they've seen between these guns when trying to carry concealed!

I'm familiar with the mechanics of both of these guns, and I've been carrying Glocks professionally for over a decade. My off-duty gun has always been a Glock 26, and it works well for me.

The reason I'm currently asking this question is because I'm trying to find a gun that my better half would be likely to carry for CCW use on a daily basis. She's a petite woman (5'3", 100lbs), and has far more trouble with concealment than I do.

Although she currently owns and shoots a Glock 17, I'm not sure that she's particularly brand loyal, and would probably be most likely to carry the gun that she can most easily conceal.

So, is the slimmer and slightly "taller" Shield better in this instance, or the shorter and "fatter" Glock 26? Having not owned both, I'm finding that this is a tough question to answer, though I'm thinking that the Shield might be less likely to print when concealed (which is why I'm considering it). Obviously you sacrifice some magazine capacity with the Shield, and the G26 has the advantage of magazine compatibility with the G17 she already owns. But, none of that matters if she leaves the darn thing at home in her night stand!

Thoughts?


EDITED TO ADD:

I suspect this is going to be a close race: 1) The S&W, being slimmer, has an advantage for CCW use in this dimension. 2) The Glock, being shorter, has an advantage for CCW use in that dimension. 3) Length isn't as much of a consideration for CCW, at least in my experience, so the slight difference between the two in that dimension may not matter at all.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Since you already have a G26, why not have her try it out and see if it works for her?

 

[cslinger]

I have owned both. I still have the 26. My personal opinion is owb the g26 conceals as easily or even easier due to the shorter grip. Iwb the shield feels better.

Mechanics, feel and other intangible preferences aside the shield doesn't give enough extra concealability to offset the loss of rounds carried. I am not one of those you need 87 rounds and a belt fed in the car kind of people and I am fine with a 5 shot j-frame so I wouldn't let that be the only criteria but platform to platform I feel the 26 makes more sense by the numbers so to speak.

Course if you hate glocks or the feel or cannot shoot them etc etc then the above is nothing more than magazine racing.

Both are good. Neither conceals appreciably different then the other. For me that meant the glock benefits outweighed the shields. Ymmv

 

[Jlr2267]

I have owned/carried both. Hated the G26 IWB...just could not tolerate the thickness. The shield, for me, is a much easier pistol to conceal (I'm a large guy at 6'2" 255 lbs). I don't even feel it tucked in a crossbreed, and it disappears under a t-shirt.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

If I may suggest, take her to a range and let her try both, maybe even something else. If she will be carrying, she needs to decide for herself what she is comfortable with. Many years ago, I took my wife to a range to teach her to shoot. She had never shot a handgun, so I thought my Ruger .22 semi would be a good place to start. Did I feel like a putz when after 10 minutes with the Ruger, she grabbed my S&W model 25 and shot like a pro! After nearly 30 years together, she still doesn't let me forget that one!

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Toss up - whichever is a good choice. Use what works best. I shot both and bought the G26 as I shot better with it and like the guns ergos....it points better for me. But the M&P is a fine pistol.

VooDoo

 

[coloradokevin]

I have owned both. I still have the 26. My personal opinion is owb the g26 conceals as easily or even easier due to the shorter grip. Iwb the shield feels better.

Mechanics, feel and other intangible preferences aside the shield doesn't give enough extra concealability to offset the loss of rounds carried. I am not one of those you need 87 rounds and a belt fed in the car kind of people and I am fine with a 5 shot j-frame so I wouldn't let that be the only criteria but platform to platform I feel the 26 makes more sense by the numbers so to speak.

Course if you hate glocks or the feel or cannot shoot them etc etc then the above is nothing more than magazine racing.

Both are good. Neither conceals appreciably different then the other. For me that meant the glock benefits outweighed the shields. Ymmv

Thanks for the side-by-side comparison there, that's kind of what I was wondering about. I'm not sure if she'd carry IWB or OWB at the moment. Given the fit of most of her clothes, I'd guess she'd have to carry OWB, or buy a new wardrobe (I personally carry OWB in most cases, but I'm a lot bigger than her, and have more "real estate" on which to hide the gun). Currently she isn't really carrying at all, because her G17 simply isn't suitable for concealment.

Since you already have a G26, why not have her try it out and see if it works for her?

She has shot the G26 on a couple of occasions.

I should also probably clarify that this wouldn't be a first gun for her. She's been through a police academy before she chose a different career path, she already owns a full-frame Glock, and has also shot everything I've put in front of her (we just don't have access to a shield to shoot as a point of comparison). She's not really a huge fan of compacts compared to full-size pistols, but neither am I when it comes to playing on the range. Either one will fit her hand just fine, so it's really going to end up being a user preference issue (while we don't have access to a Shield for her to try, she has looked at them in the store before, and didn't seem to prefer one gun over the other).

In many ways it is what it is for concealment… she'll need to practice with the new gun regardless, and I doubt she'll shoot either as well as she shoots her full frame Glock. I originally got her the G17 a few years ago because that's what she wanted then, and she was convinced she'd carry it for CCW use. She now agrees with me that it isn't suitable for concealment, as I had told her back then (I'd certainly tell her that I told her so, but that's a dangerous statement to make to an armed woman who knows where I sleep!).

While I'd be the first to say that you can never have too many guns, I'd still like to get her one that she'd be most likely to carry. That's kind of why I approached this by looking at them mostly from a concealment perspective. Incidentally, this is intended to be a Christmas surprise, otherwise I'd just take her to the store and have her pick her poison.

 

[guyfromohio]

I liked my G26, but didn't like carrying. However, I've changed to OWB almost exclusively and would probably appreciate it more. If you're considering s Shiekd though, look at a Walther PPS.

 

[jimbo555]

I Don't like the feel of the double stack Glocks and find the Walther pps perfect.

 

[Teachu2]

My experiences mirrors cstalkers precisely - exactly opposite. I own and carry a G26, and love to shoot it. My wife loved her M&P 9c on the range, far more comfortable for her to shoot than my G26. I carry the G26 often in the cooler months, but had purchased a Shield for summer carry - it just disappears in a IWB hybrid holster under a tee shirt, while the G26 requires a baggier garment. The Shield is also easier to pocket in a jacket. I shoot the G26 slightly better, but the Shield is far easier to conceal. My wife prefers her 9c to the Shield at the range.

Then my wife got her CCW permit, and her perspective changed. We were at the range one day, and she asked if she could try my Shield again. She shot about a box through it and decided she wanted one. I bought her one and it quickly became her primary carry, and the 9c became her truck gun.

For simply shooting, the G26 fits my hands very well. I can shoot it accurately very fast, and it holds eleven rounds. If I can get away with a windbreaker or other light cover, or even an untucked buttonup shirt, chances are I will be carrying the G26. If it's 106 degrees out, the Shield wins. When I'm out working on my property during rattlesnake season, the G36 with two rounds of snakeshot leading off is what I'll be wearing.

The first rule of gunfighting is have a gun. I prefer to have the biggest gun I can conceal and shoot well, but sometimes that's the Shield.

Both are excellent guns, as is the M&P 9c.

 

[Teachu2]

BTW, my wife's first gun was a Ruger LC9. She held one at the store and it felt good. This was during the Banic, and it took six weeks to get one we could buy. She fired three shots and was DONE. The narrow frame and almost squared edges hurt her hands. She then shot every 9mm they had in the rental fleet, and she loved the M&P 9c. She was afraid the Shield would be the same as the LC9, but it's much more comfortable to shoot. Better sights, too.

 

[JohnBiltz]

I think a lot of people mistake concealability with comfort with the G26 and Shield. For myself concealment is all about the grip and the Shield has a longer grip. Thin is the killer ap for comfort. But just because something feels comfortable does not mean it conceals better. An extra quarter inch of thickness on the waist is not going to be very noticeable.

 

[Osageid]

How about the 42?? Not trying to hijack thread but it is very controllable and concealable. I was thinking her size might make this an option. My wife has the 26 but does not carry "on" her. She is of similar stature.

 

[coloradokevin]

Osageid,

That's not a bad option in terms of size and concealment, but I'm not a huge fan of the .380 as a defensive round. I'm not going to say I'd volunteer to be shot with one, but it is a big step down in performance when compared to the "big 3" in defensive hand gunning (9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP).

 

[viking499]

I never had the 26, but have the Shield and really like it. My wife does too. Think I might have to get her one so I can keep mine.

My friend had a 26 and a Shield. He still has the Shield........

 

[RustyShackelford]

New M&P Shield....

I purchased a NIB M&P Shield 9x19mm today.
It's the new no thumb safety style. I plan to carry it CCW mostly. I ordered a Blackhawk SERPA CQC Sportster holster & a new Otis 9mm Ripcord.
I'm left handed and I'm a tad miffed the Shield can't convert mag releases(according to the gun shop clerk).
I plan to get Corbon PowRball 9mm & some Winchester 9mmNATO FMJ for carry/defense. I may buy some Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P JHP later.

The Glock 26 9mm offers the added benefit of using larger 9mm pistol magazines in a pinch.
You can tote the 26 9mm then pack 1/2 15rd Glock 19 magazines.
The M&P Shield can't do that.
The M&P Shield is compact. My no thumb safety is easy to hold & conceal.

 

[hAkron]

The Glock 26 shoots like a regular gun, the shield shoots like a pocket gun and is more difficult to be accurate with - this is my personal experience with my guns and my hands. You experience may be vastly different.

 

[txblackout]

I have a glock 26 and it is my truck gun along with a glock 19 mag for 15+1.

I didnt like the thickness of the glock 26. I considered the S&W shield, but I figured if I was going to go small I might as well get the smallest and so got the kahr CM9 it holds 7+1 which isnt great, but it conceals very well and is very comfortable.

 

[JohnBiltz]

Osageid,

That's not a bad option in terms of size and concealment, but I'm not a huge fan of the .380 as a defensive round. I'm not going to say I'd volunteer to be shot with one, but it is a big step down in performance when compared to the "big 3" in defensive hand gunning (9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP).

Better a .380 carried than a 9mm left at home.

 

[druryj]

Like some others have said; I've had both; still have the G26. I just shoot it better and it carries just about as easily really.

 

[JDR]

I never understood the idea of buying a CCW or EDC firearm without first finding out whether you can shoot it well. I own a Gen3 G-17 and shoot it pretty well if I may say so myself. I can't shoot either the G-26 or the Shield very well, but I do shoot my Sig P225 very well. It's really hard to figure out what is going to work for somebody else until they find out for sure what works.

 

[bannockburn]

I have never felt comfortable with the abbreviated grip design of the Glock 26 so I would be more inclined to recommend the S&W Shield instead. I would definitely try to take a test drive of any of gun that I was considering buying to see if it was best suited for the job at hand.

 

[guyfromohio]

After a one year break, I have another G26. Opinions haven't changed though. I actually find it less concealable than my larger CZ PCR. I shoot it better than it feels like I should, but IWB and OWB, it protrudes. Sticking to PCR for EDC and PPS when discretion is paramount.

 

[HexHead]

How about staying out of it and let her pick her own gun?

 

[edmo01]

I own both and I find they are great guns...

As others have said, find a range with rentals and let her decide after shooting them.

One thing I've noticed is with the thinner, lighter slide the Shield's recoil springs are noticeably stiffer. The stiffness stacks even higher as you approach fully retracted.

My wife and daughter can run the slide on my GLOCKs all day, however they find the Shield's springs combined with the harder to grip thinner slide are a deal breaker.

Because of this my wife carries a G26.

Edmo