Gradually, the small self-loading pistol has replaced the snubnose 38 Special revolver as the default carry gun for most Americans. While there are other choices, the slim-line 9mms, such as the Smith & Wesson Shield and Ruger LC9s and others, are the most-popular concealed-carry handguns in America. But despite those pistols’ popularity, companies continue to innovate, seemingly defying conventional engineering by make smaller pistols reliable and easier to shoot, while not losing a lot in round counts.

Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and Taurus have introduced pistols that are not quite slim-line nines but are a tiny bit larger. They are the Ruger MAX-9 No. 3500, Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield Plus 13246, and the Taurus GX4 1-GX4M931.

These new-breed pistols are among the more-innovative handguns we have tested in some time. We don’t think we missed anything in testing these pistols and in the end, there is little reason to choose the slim-line nine over these handguns. They take the small 9mm from single-digit to double-digit capacity. In this matchup we fired, field stripped and carried the three similar pistols and found good performance. All received a solid A or A- ratings. There were no malfunctions. The pistols seem well thought out. But there are differences.

Here’s what we thought of them after extensive handling and range testing.

Gun Tests Grade: A

$553

The Shield Plus was purchased for within a few dollars of the Ruger MAX-9. It isn’t that long ago the standard Shield was on sale at the big-box stores for less than $300, but times are changing.

A quick glance tells you little about the Shield Plus. It looks and feels like any other Shield. However, Smith & Wesson has made major changes in the Shield Plus, and a close examination points these out. With all respect to higher capacity, the trigger-action improvement is just as big an engineering feat, in our opinion.

Regarding capacity and footprint, there is literally no increase in size over the standard Shield 9mm discernable by the eye. The Shield Plus, according to Smith & Wesson, doesn’t use a double stack but instead employs a stack-and-a-half magazine. The pistol’s new flush-fit magazine holds 10 rounds, and the extended magazine holds 13 versus, seven and eight rounds in the original Shield. This is significant and is just enough to make things interesting. The other pistols cannot equal the 13-round magazine capacity of the Shield Plus, although with the flush-fit magazine, the Taurus beats the Smith & Wesson by one round, or if you’re totaling rounds, one 11-round magazine in the Taurus and one in a holster adds up to with 22 rounds versus the 23 rounds in two magazines with the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus. So, we are not going to sweat a round or two in capacity versus handling, but the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus handles well and has the greatest magazine capacity of the test guns. The Shield Plus grip has about 0.14 inch greater circumference for this added capacity.

Smith & Wesson redesigned the trigger in this model. We applaud this because we have had difficulty with the Smith & Wesson trigger in the past, and this seems mostly limited to the 40 S&W- and 45 ACP-chambered Shield pistols. The bifurcated trigger has been replaced with a blade-type trigger. No longer do you endure a spongy feel, which was not all bad compared to other pistols, but you now have a more modern blade-type safety lever that operates more like other pistols of this type. It isn’t quite a flat trigger, but it is far superior to the original. With the new trigger breaking at 4.5 pounds, we don’t feel the need for any changes.

Elsewhere, the pistol keeps the 2.0-model’s changes, including improved grip texture, forward and rear cocking serrations, and a slightly different grip angle. The pistol has a reversible magazine release. The slide lock is easily manipulated. The slide itself isn’t interchangeable with the standard-capacity Smith & Wesson Shield, but looking at them, we could see no difference. The sights appear the same. They are fixed sights with three white dots. They were behind the efficiency of the outstanding Ruger sights, but a step above the Taurus, we think.

We confirmed several things concerning any interface between the old and new Shield. Aftermarket sights, laser and light combinations attaching to the trigger guard, and holsters designed for the original Shield may be used with the Shield Plus. With good sights and a nicely shaped grip, we expected performance with the new trigger to be a pleasant experience. When firing with the flush-fit magazine, some shooters found the pistol more difficult to fire; others shot well with either the flush-fit or the extended magazine. This is by far the best-shooting Shield pistol we have tested. The trigger is that nice.

Surprisingly, we did not expect the 0.14-inch difference in grip girth to make the pistol more comfortable to fire, but the new Shield Plus is more comfortable than previous pistols to fire with all types of 9mm ammunition. An extra 2 ounces of weight over the Ruger and Taurus pistols also helps.

The Shield Plus 9mm turned in good combat groups, very close to the Ruger, and equaling the Ruger in some runs. However, we found ourselves firing 2 to 3 inches high in the initial drills. It was the grip, so the raters adjusted their hands on the grip and paid attention to detail, and the pistol responded by ramming the bullets into the X ring.

Combat accuracy is good to excellent for a subcompact-size pistol. As for absolute accuracy, this Smith ran neck and neck with the Ruger MAX-9 with only fractions separating the pistols.

Our Team Said: After the range evaluation, we found the Shield Plus to be a credible pistol with good practical accuracy and complete reliability. We were unable to discern much, if any, difference in recoil as far as comfort goes between the three pistols, but the level of control was slightly different, favoring the heavier pistols. The Ruger MAX-9 is more controllable than the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus, and the former’s natural point seems better.

On performance and value, the Shield is in second place on our scorecards. Just the same, there were no problems when firing the Plus, so the pistol rates a solid A. If you like your slim-line Shield 9mm, you will like the Shield Plus better, we believe. There is no penalty in girth or weight, but the Shield Plus holds more rounds and is more comfortable to fire due to the slightly reshaped grip. The trigger is much better. Bonus: The new Shield fits your older Shield holster and accepts trigger-guard-mounted lights, so you won’t have start over buying new accessories.

9mm Luger Range Data

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