Beretta PX4 or S&W Shield (9mm) for CCW??

[jagee]

I currently own a Kel-Tec P11 and don't really like the way it shoots (or looks for that matter) and am thinking about buying a new CCW. I know I want a 9mm and after reading online reviews I have narrowed it down to the Beretta PX4, S&W Shield, or the S&W M&Pc (which I don't think I really want).

Any suggestions on these guns (or others) as to which one would be the best CCW would be appreciated.

 

[maxmayhem]

shield.....px4 kind of big for ccw..even the subcompact is kind of wide...

 

[24Carat]

shield.....px4 kind of big for ccw..even the subcompact is kind of wide...

Seriously? And folks carry 1911?

You must be one of those skinny guys.

 

[indykid]

One of those skinny guys checking in, and along with my always with me pocket Kahr PM9 I usually can be found carrying a Beretta PX4 with a 17 round mag and one in the chamber. The PX4 is amazingly accurate and has been that important 100% reliable that is needed for carry. It also came with 3 different size backstraps which made fitting one to my hand even nice.

 

[jagee]

Seriously? And folks carry 1911?

You must be one of those skinny guys.

I have a 1911 that I don't like to carry. It is just too heavy for my taste and hard to conceal.
And I wouldn't consider myself skinny, 5'10" 230ish lbs.

 

[jagee]

One of those skinny guys checking in, and along with my always with me pocket Kahr PM9 I usually can be found carrying a Beretta PX4 with a 17 round mag and one in the chamber. The PX4 is amazingly accurate and has been that important 100% reliable that is needed for carry. It also came with 3 different size backstraps which made fitting one to my hand even nice.

From what I can tell online I like the PX4 about the same as the shield, except for the price. The width is also kind of appealing with the shield but not a deal breaker.

 

[joliverjr]

I think it depends on your level of concealment and how you plan to carry. The Beretta is a double stack. More rounds, but quite a bit thicker. If you carry IWB, that could get uncomfortable and you won't be fooling anyone if you're trying to hide it, which is kinda the point of a ccw. I got rid of my Beretta PX4 SC for that very reason. Very nice gun, but I needed something concealable.

 

[FireBirdDS]

Berettas, with the location of the safety, makes malfunction clearing a b***h when trying to grab the slide and rack it. Also there is a high chance of the safety gettin unintentionally engaged at a bad time while clearing it. Overall there is just not as much surface area on the slide to grab freely.

Berettas do not make very good fighting pistols IMO.

 

[FireBirdDS]

Also PX4s are tedious to field strip.

 

[24Carat]

Also PX4s are tedious to field strip.

Tedious? Turn a lever 1/4, pull it out and the slide comes off?

And I guess all of your tours in the Mideast qualify you to expound on what is, or is not, a good fighting weapon ?

 

[jagee]

pretty sure I've decided on the Shield. Gander is running a sale for $429.99 right now. Cheaper than suggested MSRP from S&W website.

Can anyone talk me out of it so I don't have to explain myself and the purchase to the wife?

 

[FireBirdDS]

Tedious? Turn a lever 1/4, pull it out and the slide comes off?

And I guess all of your tours in the Mideast qualify you to expound on what is, or is not, a good fighting weapon ?

I'm speaking in the context of conceal carry, and the force on force exercises I've participated in. Do I need to have been overseas to have an educated opinion?

At any rate, my vote is for the shield.

 

[Aaron1776]

Tedious? Turn a lever 1/4, pull it out and the slide comes off?

And I guess all of your tours in the Mideast qualify you to expound on what is, or is not, a good fighting weapon ?

Yeah and I guess your Beretta fanboyism causes you to try and insult/discredit those with different viewpoints because you don't have a real counter argument. (Not cool dude)
There are a lot of reasons why the military is considering replacing the M9 Aka Beretta 92fs. One of them is the terrible ergonomics in comparison to modern designs like the M&P. Beretta developed their line of pistols back in the 70s and 80s when we didn't really know what we wanted in a modern fighting pistol, and they haven't really given up on that basic design. But you can't fault them too badly, they're known for their shotguns and submachine guns, not their handguns.
Btw, you don't have to be a soldier to figure that out. All you have to do is, I don't know, TRAIN with one next to the other and to figure out which one is going to work better for you. I've owned, trained with, and carried both. Beretta designs, despite being pretty, suck in comparison to the M&P line.

 

[24Carat]

Yeah and I guess your Beretta fanboyism causes you to try and insult/discredit those with different viewpoints because you don't have a real counter argument. (Not cool dude)
There are a lot of reasons why the military is considering replacing the M9 Aka Beretta 92fs. One of them is the terrible ergonomics in comparison to modern designs like the M&P. Beretta developed their line of pistols back in the 70s and 80s when we didn't really know what we wanted in a modern fighting pistol, and they haven't really given up on that basic design. But you can't fault them too badly, they're known for their shotguns and submachine guns, not their handguns.
Btw, you don't have to be a soldier to figure that out. All you have to do is, I don't know, TRAIN with one next to the other and to figure out which one is going to work better for you. I've owned, trained with, and carried both. Beretta designs, despite being pretty, suck in comparison to the M&P line.

I quit attempting to be cool long ago. Rather than postulate and preach it sound like you both are sorely lacking the ability to transition between platforms and be effective with a variety of weapons. How you surmise that the 92 and the PX4 are even remotely the same line of design is laughable.

 

[Aaron1776]

I quit attempting to be cool long ago. Rather than postulate and preach it sound like you both are sorely lacking the ability to transition between platforms and be effective with a variety of weapons. How you surmise that the 92 and the PX4 are even remotely the same line of design is laughable.

Aren't you cute.
Since you can't see by looking at the PX4 what design flaws it shares with its predecessors, I'll copy a short description that sums up the same mistakes Beretta has blindly clung to for the past 30 years.
"The Px4 uses the same short-recoil, rotating barrel action as the Beretta 8000 models and uses the same trigger and safety system as the M9/92fs series,"
Gee, same action, safety, and trigger as the previous designs. It's soooo different that it borrows major components from previous guns made by Beretta!!!! So essentially they packaged up the crappy DA/SA trigger and the terrible slide safety and slapped it onto a frame that hopefully feels better in your hand. Totally dissimilar to previous designs.
Right.
Now those of us who actually know how to operate a firearm might see the major disadvantages a slide safety/de-cocker offers when clearing any sort of malfunction or how having a trigger that isn't a consistent pull could complicate matters in training. Both can be gotten around via that much more training (as I once did), OR you can train smart and not hard and just buy a pistol that discards those disadvantages so you don't have to deal with them at all.
It was my 92fs that saved my life 7 years ago, and I haven't forgotten that. I did however grow up enough not to invest my ego into my gun choice and put my Beretta away in favor of designs more suitable to the task. I'd rather spend the extra training time increasing my skills. I still get it out every now and then to play with it/ demo why the major design flaw makes your life harder, but why waste my time with it more than that? And why would anyone in their right mind buy a gun with a slide safety and DA/SA trigger if they only want one gun and could get a gun that makes their life easier?
If you like your PX4 fine, but stop pretending it is somehow streamlined for fighting in comparison to other firearms.

Oh and once again you're simply trying to slime your opposition rather than offer concrete reasons as to why the PX4 is the superior or equal fighting design.
Bravo.

 

[netsecurity]

I quit attempting to be cool long ago. Rather than postulate and preach it sound like you both are sorely lacking the ability to transition between platforms and be effective with a variety of weapons. How you surmise that the 92 and the PX4 are even remotely the same line of design is laughable.

The lower and decocker are practically identical to the 92fs I think. Obviously the rotating barrel is a big difference, but not much else has changed to my knowledge besides the frame and slide shape. That is part of what makes the PX4 a reliable design right out of the gate.

I agree that the PX4 is kinda thick, and the decocker on the frame is not the best design. For CC I'd go with the Shield over the PX4SC (the M&P9C with safety is what I actually use). In the end it matters which gun gives you the most confidence in making the shot. I have big hands, so I require a double stack grip in order to obtain accuracy. I use my PX4 as a nightstand gun, a role I think it is well suited for.

 

[alex00]

I can't speak for the Beretta but I purchased a Shield a few months ago and I love it. I have smaller hands so I wanted something that was comfortable to hold and that is reliable. Ended up buying it for $450 and felt like I got a great gun. Fired flawlessly at the range and I have no regrets. For $429.99 I think you're getting a great deal! If you end up buying it let us know what you think. I'm sure you'll love it.


On a similar note, can somebody tell me a good holster for the shield? I'm pretty thin and don't want the gun gauging into my side.

 

[bluehdflhrs]

Better check out the small Kahrs PM and CM before you buy.I think they offer the best pocket guns on the market.

 

[Toolepqk]

pretty sure I've decided on the Shield. Gander is running a sale for $429.99 right now. Cheaper than suggested MSRP from S&W website.

Can anyone talk me out of it so I don't have to explain myself and the purchase to the wife?

If beech grove has one in stock, they sell the shield at $399.

 

[MCgrease08]

OP, you don't like the look of the KelTec, but you do like the look of the PX4 Storm?

To me that's one of the ugliest guns ever designed. It looks like a boomerang mated with a foot. Yuck!