Smith & Wesson likely has the most concealed carry options on the market. They have a startling amount of micro-compact 9mms, to the point where they seem to be competing with themselves.
We have the Shield Plus, the Equalizer, the CSX, and now the Shield X. Beyond the micro-compact 9mms, we also have the Bodyguard 2.0 series, countless small revolvers, and the compact M&P series.
Introducing the Shield X
Today, we have their latest, the Shield X. The Shield series has been an extremely successful gun for S&W. I remember when the original hit the market; it was so popular that it was often selling for above MSRP.
The Shield Plus introduced the stack-and-a-half magazine design and became a staple in its own right. The Shield Plus evolved into several models, and now we have the Shield X.
The Shield X series sticks to the stack-and-a-half design of the Shield Plus but makes some strategic changes. The “X” in the gun world typically means a compact slide and a full-sized grip, signifying a crossover model.
However, the Shield series doesn’t seem to have anything to cross over with. Nonetheless, the Shield X features a longer overall grip with 13- and 15-round magazines to match.
The barrel is now 3.6 inches long, which puts it firmly in the middle between the standard 3.1-inch and the Performance Center 4-inch barrel. It’s also the first Shield with a rail, so it can accommodate micro-sized lights.
S&W has been on a tear with aggressive serrations that I first noticed with the Bodyguard 2.0, and they’ve seemed to stick around with the Shield X.
Since it’s 2025, the Shield X is optics-ready with a Shield RMSc cut. S&W calls it the ClearSight Cut, which is used to divert gas away from the optic to prevent the lens from getting dirty. I’ve never seen that happen enough to matter, but hey, less carbon is better than more, I guess.
The Shield X comes with the same flat-faced trigger as the Shield Plus, and they also produce a thumb safety model as well as a 10-round model for states with magazine capacity restrictions.
First Impressions of the Shield X
I don’t have much experience with the Shield Plus series, but I had a fair bit with the original Shield. I’ve handled the Shield Plus, the CSX, and the Equalizer, and the thing that stood out immediately with the Shield X was the grip.
It’s just perfect. I know that’s extreme, but they found a way to make the grip quite thin and well-rounded. It doesn’t feel blocky, and it’s a needed revamp of the Shield grip shape.
The curve at the rear of the grip is more pronounced and forms a micro beavertail. The trigger guard also features a more pronounced undercut. The two allow for a nice, high grip on the gun. The higher the grip, the more control you’ll have over the gun.
The grip texture goes higher on the grip than previous Shield designs. Honestly, the Shield X seems like a 9mm version of the Bodyguard 2.0. It’s roughly the same shape, just scaled up. The grip is thinner than any Shield at only 0.9 inches wide.
I was also happy to report that the magazines aren’t all that difficult to load. Both the 13- and 15-round magazines are loadable without a tool. After experiencing the Bodyguard 2.0’s 12-round magazine, I wasn’t so confident with the Shield X. Luckily, that was an easy fix.
The Shield X magazines will work in the Shield Plus, but the Plus magazines won’t fit in the Shield X due to thicker base pads.
We need a new name for this size of gun. They aren’t the same micro-compacts we see with the P365 or original Shield Plus. Guns like this, the P365XL, the Hellcat Pro, and similar models are far from “micro.”
Range Time With the Shield X
I shot the Shield X with just iron sights. I didn’t have a red dot on hand that wasn’t already on another test gun. The included sights are a blacked-out rear sight and a high-visibility front sight that is also a night sight. The sight picture looks fantastic, and they catch the eye quickly, and the bright sight drops between the blacked-out rear sight well.
I could get a quick sight picture and alignment. I started at 10 yards and fired five rounds into a Dot Torture dot. They all made it into the dot, but two just broke the line. I bet a red dot would clean that up a little bit. At 25 yards, I fired five rounds offhand and created roughly a palm-sized group.
Out to 50 yards, I could land most of my hits on an IPSC-sized steel target. My main problem with accuracy at this range was the front sight covering the entire target. Again, a red dot would clean this up.
The trigger feels fairly nice. We have a slight pre-travel, then a wall, and a crisp break. At first, the trigger felt a bit like it was rubbing plastic on plastic, but after a hundred and fifty rounds or so, that feeling faded, and it smoothed out.
Going Fast
The Shield X’s improved grip design and ability to choke up high give you excellent control for shooting fast. I could snap off double-taps in less than half a second and have the two rounds land about two inches from each other. Shooting five-round strings as fast as I could never felt difficult, and from the low ready, I could do it in about a second.
The rounds were sticking to a group smaller than my hand at seven yards. The front sight was always easy to track thanks to its bright nature and the fairly flat shooting nature of the Shield X. The relatively low recoil makes it easy to control, and the ergonomics of the grip design take that a step further.
Speaking of ergonomics, the gun doesn’t have a ton in the controls department. We get a trigger, a magazine release, and a slide release. The magazine release is easy to reach and sticks out nice and far for easy engagement. The slide release/lock is super small and not very easy to use.
The Shield X brings a new degree of refinement to the Shield series. It’s a bit bigger and fits more into that Glock 19 category than the Shield Plus, but it’s lightweight, thin, and easy to carry. The Shield X would be an excellent concealed carry gun and offers excellent ergonomics, great accuracy, and plenty of modern features.
Specifications
- Barrel Length: 3.6 inches
- Overall Length: (Missing)
- Weight: (Missing)
- Width: 0.9 inches
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 13 and 15 rounds
Star Ratings (out of Five)
Accuracy: 4/5 Stars
The sights allow for quick and accurate shots at and beyond concealed carry ranges.
Reliability: 5/5 Stars
I shot a mix of steel-cased ammo and Estate Sale reloads without a single malfunction. It goes bang when it’s time to go bang.
Ergonomics: 4/5 Stars
The grip shape and design feel fantastic. My one downside is the micro-sized, easily pinned down slide lock.
Where To Buy
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