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Brando1992 · March 23, 2017, 09:24 AM

Jimbob - I have to disagree with you. as i have owned multiple of both the shield and the sr9c. As to how they shoot, they are different sizes one being a single stack and one being a double stack so that's hard to compare. But for what its worth in my hands and when applying proper fundamentals they both shoot exceptionally well for their price point.

I have done a lot of gunsmithing on both of these firearms and I can tell you the smith and wesson is built to a much higher standard. The parts also have been more consistent and they seem to have a better quality control. The slide itself has a much nicer machining job than the sr9c and the trigger mechanism is vastly superior to the sr9c. The shield does have that awful hinged trigger but a quick swap with some apex parts and it turns into a phenomenal trigger. The s&w is a more refined and better finished pistol when you actually break them both down and pay attention to the little details. I have owned 3 shields and 2 sr9c's. I finally found a good deal on a shield without a safety and its here to stay.

That being said looking at the two ruger sr9c's I've had. Both were incredible shooters for the money with a pretty good trigger. I can look into the slide and see where it seems they got lazy on cleaning up the inside and did not smooth out the casting/machining(whichever they used) before applying the finish. The trigger bars have also been inconsistent and their contact with the sear has been unpredictable and often needs a slight filing to remove unwanted grit and "crunch" when pulling the trigger. (careful not to mess up, ruger does not sell these like glock does and getting to file happy can cause it to go into class III territory real quick

this has never happened to me with one of my guns but I have read of it happening to others online) My last issue with the sr9c is that it seems to have way to many safety "features" the worst one being the actual manual safety. Not just because it has one but because it is difficult to disengage compared to almost any other frame mounted safety I have ever felt. It is to small and does not operate smoothly and often requires a change of grip to take off, which hinders a draw.

All that being said the shield is a $300-$350 pistol that shoots extremely well for its size and though it doesn't have the most amazing trigger in the world it shoots well none the less and apex has a great fix for it if it bothers you to much.

The sr9c is a $400-$450 gun that is more equivalent to the m&p9c, fns9c, glock 26/19 or even the springield xdm 3.8 subcompact. If you could find an sr9c for $300 I wouldn't have any problem recommending it to someone but for the prices they go for I would much rather spend money on any of the ones listed above.

Just my opinion, for what its worth

March 23, 2017, 09:24 AM	#117
Brando1992 Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2015 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 268	Jimbob - I have to disagree with you. as i have owned multiple of both the shield and the sr9c. As to how they shoot, they are different sizes one being a single stack and one being a double stack so that's hard to compare. But for what its worth in my hands and when applying proper fundamentals they both shoot exceptionally well for their price point. I have done a lot of gunsmithing on both of these firearms and I can tell you the smith and wesson is built to a much higher standard. The parts also have been more consistent and they seem to have a better quality control. The slide itself has a much nicer machining job than the sr9c and the trigger mechanism is vastly superior to the sr9c. The shield does have that awful hinged trigger but a quick swap with some apex parts and it turns into a phenomenal trigger. The s&w is a more refined and better finished pistol when you actually break them both down and pay attention to the little details. I have owned 3 shields and 2 sr9c's. I finally found a good deal on a shield without a safety and its here to stay. That being said looking at the two ruger sr9c's I've had. Both were incredible shooters for the money with a pretty good trigger. I can look into the slide and see where it seems they got lazy on cleaning up the inside and did not smooth out the casting/machining(whichever they used) before applying the finish. The trigger bars have also been inconsistent and their contact with the sear has been unpredictable and often needs a slight filing to remove unwanted grit and "crunch" when pulling the trigger. (careful not to mess up, ruger does not sell these like glock does and getting to file happy can cause it to go into class III territory real quick this has never happened to me with one of my guns but I have read of it happening to others online) My last issue with the sr9c is that it seems to have way to many safety "features" the worst one being the actual manual safety. Not just because it has one but because it is difficult to disengage compared to almost any other frame mounted safety I have ever felt. It is to small and does not operate smoothly and often requires a change of grip to take off, which hinders a draw. All that being said the shield is a $300-$350 pistol that shoots extremely well for its size and though it doesn't have the most amazing trigger in the world it shoots well none the less and apex has a great fix for it if it bothers you to much. The sr9c is a $400-$450 gun that is more equivalent to the m&p9c, fns9c, glock 26/19 or even the springield xdm 3.8 subcompact. If you could find an sr9c for $300 I wouldn't have any problem recommending it to someone but for the prices they go for I would much rather spend money on any of the ones listed above. Just my opinion, for what its worth __________________ Frequently asked Questions: Q:First gun purchase, what should I buy? A: Get training and go rent all of them and buy what fits your hands. Q:What upgrades should I get for my gun? A: None, just buy ammo and training. Q:Are you using sarcasm? A: Is the Pope Catholic?