S&W Shield Plus Optics Ready- which sight?

[Palmetto Bug]

I have a M&P Shield and love it but it doesn't hold 10 rounds, which is the ideal for IDPA courses, and it doesn't have a slide cut. I've though about getting the slide milled but there's still that capacity issue. Now that Smith and Wesson finally came out with a 10+ or 13+ Shield that's optics ready, I need one. The only thing that concerns me is which sight to add. I think S&W has a deal with or owns Crimson Trace because they push their 1550 model. It looks cheap and, even though it mounts without an adapter plate, it is wider than the slide. I think adding a plate ruins the idea of a co-witness dot. Hanging over the sides just looks stupid.

Shield Sights, confusingly a completely different company from S&W, makes some compact models that might not hang over the sides of the slide. Not sure about their footprint. I think everything Holosun makes would require a plate. Same with Trijicon. Does anyone know which dot sight works well and fits without an adapter on a 9mm Shield Plus OR?

[Coastal Woodie]

You can cut the posts down on a holosun and make it fit without an adapter plate. I’d just buy the adapter plate and be done with it though. I’ve had good luck with the holosun 407k and trijicon rmr.

[Cwaysvt]

What CW said. File to fit or adapter plate. All the other current Jpoint footprint optics are lacking.

I’ll be putting a Holosun EPS carry on mine before too long. It comes with a plate from Holosun.

[Palmetto Bug]

To answer my own question, this is what I've dug up after a bunch of online research.

The S&W Shield has a Shield Sights RMS footprint. Supposedly, the Swampfox Sentinel, the Shield RMSC or SMSc, Sig Romeo 0 and the Hex Wasp should fit without an adapter and allow co-witness to the stock iron sights. One poster said the Holosun EPS with an adapter will still sit low enough to allow co-witness.

All this is probably moot. I went through dozens of flip up sights on my ARs so I could have back-up sights. Truth is, if my scope isn't working, I quit shooting. I am not really planning on getting into any CQB and if I did, I doubt I'd be wasting a lot of time looking at my sights as I shoot over my shoulder and run away.

Does anyone have a Shield Plus OR that could measure the width of the slide at the optic cut? I can't find the definitive measurement. I think it's .900".

[Palmetto Bug]

I’ll be putting a Holosun EPS carry on mine before too long.

If you want it "before too long", you might better order it now, I haven't found them anywhere in stock. Most sites say if you backorder them, they could get them in 8-12 weeks.

[Palmetto Bug]

I haven't been able to find a Holosun EPS in stock anywhere so I decided to get a Shield SMSc for the interim. They're not easy to find either!

Why are mini dot scopes so scarce? Is this still part of the lingering covid supply chain disruption or just our new normal?

Luckily, I'm seeing some ammo prices dropping. Still a lot of high prices but at least they're moving downward.

[DG34YF]

Tried Trijicon RMR on XDSmod2 45 & a Hellcat, had to use a plate, no co-wit.
Returned it & got Holosun 507 (red), ground posts, cut screws, good co-wit.
Holosun has good features, top load battery & shake awake.

Really like the Hellcat open sights, kinda sorta want to leave it open...
That small a window, a co-wit. does take up a good percentage of the view need to keep brightness jacked if wanting speed.

[Palmetto Bug]

I still might change this out to a Holosun EPS but so far, this looks quite adequate. It really fits the gun like it was made for it. Plenty of room on the co-witness.

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[Cwaysvt]

Looks good hope it works out for you.

I’m patiently waiting on the EPS carry to come back in stock for mine but may break down and settle for the 407k.

[Coastal Woodie]

Looks good hope it works out for you.

I’m patiently waiting on the EPS carry to come back in stock for mine but may break down and settle for the 407k.

I’ve been daily carrying a 407k since last November and it’s been great.

[Coastal Woodie]

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I think I like the holosun 407k more than my RMR.

[Cwaysvt]

Definitely nothing wrong with them. The idea of having a closed emitter that can’t be blocked with debris sounds nice. But I admit it’s probably not necessary.

[Palmetto Bug]

Well after all this anticipation, I finally got to shoot it today and it needs to go back for warranty work. The firing pin is not retracting as it tries to reload and it stops the fresh round from chambering. Anybody ever experience that with a Shield? The safety instructions that came with it coincidentally mention several times to make sure the firing pins isn't protruding. Damn it.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Palmetto Bug]

After comparing this Shield Plus to my Shield v 1.0, I think there may be a missing part. The v1.0 is different the Plus but I think there may be a spacer that is supposed to go in front of the striker spring assembly. I can't find an exploded view diagram anywhere on the internets but I made a part that I think may be what it needs to hold the whole assembly farther back. It makes the firing pin retract just enough to miss the next fresh round yet still lets the striker ding the primer. It may take some tweaking but without a live fire session, it seems to work like it's supposed to.

Does anyone know where to find an exploded view parts diagram for a Shield Plus?

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[Cwaysvt]

I have not had nor heard of this problem.

But I’d sure be letting S&W handle the repair with it being a defense pistol.

[Cwaysvt]

I would be keeping an eye on the trigger blade safety pin though. I’ve seen a few reports of those walking out some.

[Palmetto Bug]

Just tested the mod and it functions like it should now.

I looked at my safety blade pin and it was not centered. I was able ro push it to center with my thumbnail so I'll be keeping an eye on it.

I shoot much better with the dot!

Uplula makes a great mag loader and it works on M&P full size double stack, Shield v1.0 single stack and Shield Plus hybrid stack mags.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[WoodieSC]

I guess I've been away from IDPA too long. I didn't realize they allowed RD optic sights on pistols. That would definitely change the game.

[Palmetto Bug]

Well after getting some trigger time with this gun, I love it. The dot really makes me much more accurate and faster at acquiring the target. One thing that matters more than I expected though is having it set up for co-witness. Because of the small scope size, the dot only becomes visible when you are already pretty closely lined up on your view of the target. I find myself needing the irons sights and focusing on the front iron sight to get initially oriented then the dot shows up and I can focus hard on the target. Much, much more practice might make me more instinctive at getting the dot on the target without looking at the iron sights first but I'm a ways off from there. I think I would be better with a slightly higher grip angle. I tend to point this pistol low.

One of the biggest reasons I was intent on getting a dot scope is because my main shooting hobby is wingshooting and clay busting. To get good at those, you need to learn to ignore the barrel and focus hard on the target only. The best shooters in the world seem to obsess on target focus. If you are seeing the barrel or beads, you need more lessons and practice. Pistol shooting is much the opposite. You are trained to focus on the front sight and let everything else be secondary. I didn't want to thwart all the lessons I've had for shotgunning and develop bad habits while trying to hone my skills at run-n-gun pistol shooting. The dot that seems to be right there with the target lets me keep that focus with both eyes at distance instead of on the barrel and sights, at least after I find the dot by first using the iron sights.

Another thing that becomes much more apparent with the dot is how much skill it takes to keep the front and back sight and target all lined up. The slightest grip change makes the dot move all over the place even when you think you are holding pretty steady. It's a lot like the realization you get of how shaky you are when you first use a laser sight. That bullshit you see on TV cop shows with the perp with five or six red dots all steadily centered on the middle of his chest is unrealistic. It would be more realistic if it looked like lasers dancing around the room full of druggies at a rave. Lasers and dot scopes will give you some humility about your aiming skill.

[3 1/2" MAGUM]

Sorry for hijacking.

I've been considering getting a micro/sub 9mm that can hold an optic and a light. For the optic, Im thinking I want shake-awake and for sure exterior battery removal. Any negatives for what I'm thinking?

So far I've looked at the Glock 43X MOS, Hellcat and the Sig 365X. Any others I should consider? How about optics and lights? As a package, I would like to end up with as small profile as possible. Thanks.