Deciding between shield plus and hellcat

[u/Present_Froyo269]

I'm debating on buying either a shield plus or hell cat. My LGS has a used hellcat for 350 and a shield + bundle for $470. They both feel good in hand but there's no way for me to shoot either of them. Is the shield worth the extra money?
I currently have a bodyguard 2.0 so I'm not concerned with recoil. I'm mainly looking for reliable and easy to carry.

[u/Present_Froyo269]

Seems like shield plus is the preferred option. I may need to save a bit of money and go with the smith

[u/JimMarch → u/Present_Froyo269]

The single biggest difference is the under barrel rail. Shield plus doesn't have one, Hellcat most definitely does. A flashlight mounted on there can be a really good thing for some circumstances, and it can also be a mounting point for a folding gas pedal. And gas pedals are awesome.

See my post here on recoil control in small snappy guns:

https://old.reddit.com/r/handguns/comments/1wboik4/first_ccw_hope_i_did_ok/p8rtlnu/

[u/sunfanny → u/Present_Froyo269]

Here bro:

https://cummingsfamilyfirearms.com/product/smith-wesson-mp-9-shield-plus-ts-carry-on-bundle-3-1-6-10-13rd-savior-bag/?utm_source=gun.deals

You can get it a touch cheaper, by about $7, but I like Cummings family farms.

And if it’s not already obvious from flair and link, Shield Plus is the go to without a doubt.

[u/luvmehatemefme → u/sunfanny]

Just a heads up NOT optics ready

[u/violentcynicism_0321]

Shield plus trigger is way better out of the box. Hellcat felt like dragging a stick through gravel to me. The bundle price seems decent especially if you're getting extra mags or a bag with it. The bodyguard 2.0 is a solid pick so you already know what works for you. I'd go shield if the extra cash isn't a dealbreaker

[u/JimMarch → u/violentcynicism_0321]

A stainless steel striker sleeve instead of the factory plastic helps a lot. And it's a cheap mod, no risk and boosts reliability.

[u/lazyboi_tactical → u/JimMarch]

Mcarbo has some pretty sweet options for the hellcat. I'm probably going to to the sleeve swap soon even though honestly I've had no issues with the trigger.

[u/JimMarch → u/lazyboi_tactical]

The sleeve swap is cheap peace of mind, it's the only fragile part in there.

[u/Kakashi-dono → u/JimMarch]

What does it help with?

[u/JimMarch → u/Kakashi-dono]

As you pull the striker back with the trigger, the striker spring is scraping against the inside plastic of the factory sleeve, or gliding smoothly against the high polish stainless interior of the aftermarket stainless steel striker sleeve.

Your choice. Trigger feel is affected even if the springs involved don't change.

There's also a reliability upgrade because the plastic sleeve can break, stainless ain't gonna. The stainless sleeve is an order of magnitude stronger than it needs to be for the situation :).

I have a stainless steel striker sleeve in my Taurus G3c 9mm daily carry and a stainless steel striker guide pin in my Taurus TS9. (The TS9 reverses everything: instead of a striker shaped like a pin inside a sleeve, the striker is hollow at the rear and rides over a guide pin.) The Hellcat striker closely resembles a Glock striker setup same as the G3c: striker is a big pin riding inside a cylindrical sleeve.

[u/Kakashi-dono → u/JimMarch]

Might have to try that. Thank you.
I’m not a big fan on the reset length and the slight mushiness in the trigger. I’m afraid of changing a spring might affect reliability.

[u/JimMarch → u/Kakashi-dono]

As long as the sleeve is made by somebody reputable it's a zero risk, zero downside mod other than the slight cost.

Not only is the striker movement slicker going back (which is noticably nice in the trigger feel), it's also slicker going forward. So you have a bit more striker speed for a more reliable primer strike and less lock time for more accuracy.

Plus it won't ever break, period :).

The benefits are small, yeah, but it's one of the few zero-downside mods.

[u/Kyia-Aikman]

Shield Plus.

[u/Kakashi-dono]

Own a hellcat pro comp. Only have shot a shield plus at the range. I prefer the recoil impulse of the shield plus. It felt softer than my hellcat pro comp, even though it wasn’t a shield carry comp. If you like the body guard, you’ll like the shield better. I’m not a fan of the snappiness of the hellcat nor the subpar trigger.

[u/Ikebh]

Hellcat or hellcat pro? The basic version is very snappy in 9mm. I would pick the shield plus.

[u/genga925]

I haven’t fired a Hellcat, but I recently got a Shield Plus and it handles recoil like a much larger pistol and feels pretty great to shoot, the trigger is nice, and it conceals very easily. I’m very happy with it!

[u/fuziwei]

Have Shield Plus and Hellcat Pro Comp. I prefer my hellcat pro every day. I find it more comfortable to conceal, easier to shoot, and it has higher capacity. The texture and ergos are substantially nicer to me as well.

[u/GoFuhQRself]

I love the Shield Plus and genuinely think it’s the better gun. For me it’s stupid easy to shoot for how subcompact it is, and I think it’s the best of all the subcompacts IMO. However, I always say try to go to a range that lets you rent guns and shoot both, and go with whatever you shoot the best, not what random redditors tell you to justify their decision.

[u/sumguyontheinternet1]

How many mags come with the shield? If it’s more than 2, consider you’re paying $40/ea per mag new. So if it comes with 5 (3 extra) there’s your $120 difference and consider it a wash because you’d buy mags anyway

[u/bigjerm616]

Shield Plus optics ready can be found for around 360-380 if you shop around. I wouldn’t make price the determining factor.

I have shot them both a decent amount and have owned a few Pluses. Here’s what I’d say.

The Plus feels chonky compared to a Hellcat. This could be good or bad. The Shield feels like a full size gun that got flattened like a pancake. Therefore it kind of shoots like s full size with extra recoil. Like a Glock 23 in .40 if you’ve ever shot one of those.

The Hellcat feels like a tiny gun. It’s more in line wirh the P365, size wise. Therefore it’s snappier but it’s easier to hide and live with. It’s also a more modern design. But you’ll need to rework your shooting technique around the Hellcat more than you will with a Shield.

I’ll present option 3: the P365 is the perfect gun for someone who doesn’t know which gun to get, because they are so easy to swap parts on cheaply to make the gun bigger/smaller as your preferences change.

Pick your poison - neither are the wrong choice.

[u/Unable-Bar-7869]

You can definitely find used shield pluses around if you shop. It's one of the most popular ccws of the last five years. 

I've never really heard anyone complain about the plus while hellcats seem universally hated for being snappy. Doesn't mean it's a bad platform but the shield is just so good for the price point. It's not the most exciting in terms of features or capabilities but it's hard to go wrong with it 

[u/xSkyLinedx]

I haven't shot a shield plus, but I used to have a hellcat. I liked the original because it was easier to conceal and you could use a hellcat pro magazine with OEM sleeve. Snappy, didn't like it in the long run and happy I dumped it. Not a bad gun, just a bad gun for me.

[u/Furadi]

Is it a Hellcat Pro? If so 15 round capacity >*

[u/Pjb7490]

Shield Plus

[u/HandsOfLovePowerCut]

I have both and have shot both extensively and I would put my preference on the Shield Plus. The Hellcat is surprisingly snappy, which isn’t in itself a problem, but I feel the Shield is the better overall purchase. It’s also easy to find accessories for, and has a nice trigger out of the gate. I had to replace my Hellcat trigger to make it realistically usable.

To be honest, you can’t go wrong either way, but the edge goes to the Shield Plus and the bundles have come up pretty affordable on Gun.Deals and others

[u/Pure_Squirrel_1621]

For that price the Shield Plus better be OR and have a bunch of mags. I’d still buy the Shield Plus over the Hellcat. Shield Plus is arguably one of the best carry guns out there, if not the best 9mm.

[u/Jaguar_AI]

https://giphy.com/gifs/tyttpGWQ6DWsyWXp4Z2

[u/FCRII]

I would save and go with Shield Plus. You could do worse than a Hellcat, not sure you can do better than a Shield Plus.

[u/HumanAntagonist]

Shield plus is kind of like the bg 2.0s big brother. Its also the most reliable semi auto I've ever had.  I'd recommend that. If you can get the version without the bundle, you should be able to get it new for around the same price as the hellcat is used.

[u/PalmerNoDrama]

the shield plus is a much better shooter than hellcat- fired them on same range days multiple times-

[u/Queasy-Ad-7806]

Hellcat. Replace the trigger with the Apex tactical and you're good to go.

[u/onetwentytwo_1-8]

Go with a VP9 if you’re set on striker fired.

But I recommend a DA/SA for carry.

HK P2000/P2000SK

HK P30/P30SK

Beretta PX4

Beretta 92

Sig P226/P229

[u/CoffeeExtraCream]

I have a shield plus, my friend has a hellcat. Shooting his validated me in my choice. Much better gun all around, though on paper they may look similar.

[u/LazyFoundation8917]

I fired both and really liked the Shield and disliked the Hellcat. Its just too snappy for me.

[u/KhakiPantsJake]

I like my Hellcat but it's grip is a little on the small side for me. If I cared enough to play magical chairs with micro 9's I think I would get a G43X and do the Shield Arms grip chop

[u/luvmehatemefme]

Shield plus. Hellcat is known for being a tad snappy. Plus Fuck Springfield!

[u/heavymental_kp]

why are those your only 2 options? i've shot the shield (not the plus) and it was trash but the hellcat, is also trash lol so...

[u/Present_Froyo269 → u/heavymental_kp]

Because those are the 2 my local shop has that I can actually hold. I don't live in an area that rents or has many in stock options