New for 2021: Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus

Smith & Wesson joined the ranks of several other manufacturers in offering expanded capacity inside a micro-compact carry pistol, thanks to the launch of the company's new M&P Shield Plus. The new pistol takes many of the features that gun owners loved about the M&P Shield M2.0 and blends them with a couple of design enhancements that make the gun even better.

To start, the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus features a redesigned stagger-stack magazine that ups flush-fit magazine capacity from seven rounds to 10 rounds. The extended magazine increased from an eight-round capacity to 13 rounds, making this a more capable CCW package than ever before. Despite the increase in capacity, the dimensions of the M&P Shield Plus are only slightly wider than the original M&P Shield M2.0 model, which means that it's still an easy-to-carry pistol. In fact, the Shield Plus is designed to fit all standard M&P Shield holsters currently on the market.

One of the other enhancements found on the M&P Shield Plus is the addition of an entirely new trigger assembly. S&W eliminated its traditional hinged trigger safety, opting instead to go with a blade-in trigger safety like many other models on the market. The trigger's profile has changed drastically as well, now coming with a much flatter face as opposed to the curved bow seen on past models. The trigger also offers a clean pull with a crisp break that aids in accurate shooting.

Multiple models will be available at launch, including optic-ready, Performance Center and manual-safety-equipped pistols. Each of these guns will share many of the features found on the M&P Shield M2.0 models, including enhanced texturing, serrations at the front and rear of the slide, three-dot sights and a 3.1" barrel.

Suggested retail pricing on the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus starts at $553. For more information, watch our video on the M&P Shield Plus above or visit smith-wesson.com.