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I have 2 shields, 9mm and .45. Both go bang when I pull the trigger and they are very thin! One has the mag guts.

cmgee67 wrote:TAM how is that compared in size to the 642? My wife has the 642 and I love that little gun. I would like to get one as well but I’d like the 357 option instead of only 38’s.

They’re pretty much the same size, both are 5-shot J-frame’s with 1-7/8” barrels. The differences - other than color - are a scandium frame, an XS Sight Systems big dot tritium front sight, and the .357 magnum caliber on the 340; versus an aluminum alloy frame, a plain ramp front sight, and +P .38 Special for the 342. Both guns have the same Uncle Mike’s boot grip. The 340 weighs 13.8 oz to the 342’s 14.4 oz, so it is .6 oz lighter. I don’t know if that’s enough to make a difference for most people, but it is a really light pistol. My wife has a 642CT, but she carries a G43.

One thing .... before you buy one, read this: http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic. ... 16#p490416.

Recoil with 110 grain WWB practice ammo isn’t too bad, although you can tell that the bullet is really stepping out there. I carry it with 125 grain Hornady Critical Defense, which per Hornady develops 1200 fps and 400 ft lbs out of a 2” barrel. With that load, it stings your hand pretty well. It’s not unshootable, and in a real SD situation you might not notice it too much, but it isn’t something you want to do with any degree of regularity. The Remington Express "Pistol & Revolver" 158 grain SJHP exits a 2” barrel at around 1050 fps. As one commenter on the above linked thread said:

Best description I could think of was shooting that was like driving a motorcycle at 45 mph and slapping a mailbox while you drive by.

That’s pretty much what it felt like.

The Shield is more ergonomic than the Glock (as is a brick), and has a better trigger. I have the Shield 9 and 45, and both have been 100% reliable, and very accurate. The stock Shield trigger is not bad. It's not as good as a CZ, but for defensive purposes, you would never notice the difference. It is considerably better than a Ruger.