Performance Center Shield ups the ante for standard CCW features–again

Monday, Smith & Wesson announced a new option for the Performance Center ported M&P Shield: tritium night sights.

This addition to the existing upgrades of the Performance Center Shield makes the model one of the most feature-packed in the concealed carry market. Both front and rear sights are tritium.

“Small, thin-framed handguns remain the leading choice of today’s concealed carry owners, so as leaders in the category we continually enhance our M&P Shield pistols, insuring they deliver optimal performance and function for the user,” said Tony Miele, General Manager of the Smith & Wesson Performance Center. “The Ported M&P Shield pistol models help to reduce felt recoil while delivering improved muzzle control. With the new tritium night sights, users can achieve improved speed and accuracy in all lighting conditions.”

The Shield has become a top pick among many concealed carriers. By including tritium sights, Smith & Wesson preempts the expense and labor of replacing stock sights with tritium ones.

The Performance Center ported Shield is available in 9mm and .40. With Smith & Wesson having just introduced the .45 caliber Shield at last weekend’s NRA convention, it’s not clear at this time if the sight upgrade will include .45 right away.

Before now, Performance Center models had fiber optic Hi Viz sights. The new tritium option expands the pistol’s versatility for low-light shooting.

Other specialized but existing features of the Performance Center pistols are a ported barrel and slide for recoil control, plus an enhanced trigger that has a short reset. The backstrap is interchangeable for size, and highly textured for a sure grip.

Common to all M&P Shield models is the 18-degree grip angle, loaded chamber indicator, and passive trigger and drop safety mechanisms. All come with one flat-bottomed and one extended magazine. In 9mm, the mags hold seven rounds or eight, respectively. In .40, the flat mag holds six rounds; the extended one holds seven.

The pistol carries Smith & Wesson’s lifetime service warranty. MSRP is $600. If current online prices of other Performance Center M&P Shields are any indication, the real-world price should be substantially lower, in the low $400s.

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