NRA Gun of the Week: Smith & Wesson Performance Center Ported M&P9 Shield

by
posted on October 7, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Though the company’s M&P Shield model pistol ranked among the top selling firearms for 2016, Smith & Wesson has decided this best-selling pistol was deserving of attention from its custom shop, the Performance Center. Included on this model are enhancements to nearly every aspect of the firearm. Check out what American Rifleman’s Joe Kurtenbach has to say about the Performance Center Ported M&P9 Shield, and be sure to visit smith-wesson.com/pc to discover other great pistols Smith & Wesson has to offer from its Performance center.

Specifications:
Model: Performance Center Ported M&P9 Shield
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Action Type: recoil-operated, center-fire semi-automatic pistol
Frame: polymer
Slide: steel
Barrel: 3.1”
Sights: Tritium, three-dot configuration; drift-adjustable
Magazine: seven- and eight-round detachable box
Trigger: 6-lb., 6-oz. pull
Weight: 18.2 ozs.
MSRP: $519

Latest

AR on table with target
AR on table with target

Skills Check: Rifle Standard Delta 2

Carbine performance is all about maintaining control. The Rifle Standard Delta 2 is a drill that pressures recoil control, visual discipline and cadence as distance decreases and time compresses.

Gun Sales Up for the 7th Month in a Row in 2026

The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) estimate of last month’s gun sales was up 2.2 percent compared to August 2025.

Caring For & Feeding Your Cap-and-Ball Revolvers

Compared to pistoleros of the 19th century, today’s handgunners have it easy. It's not enough just to get an old-school, cap-and-ball revolver. You also need to acquire everything to shoot and clean it.

Lighter & Better: Savage’s Updated Ultralite Series of Rifles

Savage Arms kicked off 2026 by announcing a new generation of Model 110 bolt-action rifles, and now, the company has also introduced an updated series of Ultralite rifles.

Gun of the Week: Franchi Momentum Elite MULE

One of the latest entrants into the general-utility rifle market is Franchi with its Momentum Utility Lite Elite bolt-action rifle, also known as the MULE.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 11, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.