​ SMITH & WESSON SHIPS 3 MILLIONTH M&P SHIELD PISTOL

S&W introduced the M&P Shield in 2012, and now some 3 million have left the assembly line (Photo: S&W)

Just seven years after the initial release of their M&P Shield pistol on the commercial market, Smith & Wesson this week announced they have hit the 3 million mark.

Debuted in early 2012, the striker-fired polymer framed pistol has proven popular with buyers, leading Massachusetts-based Smith to expand and update the line over the years. This has included offerings in .45ACP as well as .380 to augment the original 9mm and .40S&W chamberings. To this, you can add improved M2.0 models and optics-ready Performance Center guns. All maintain the same slim profile and 18-degree grip angle as the original.

“Over the past seven years, the M&P Shield pistol has continued to be the handgun of choice for personal protection,” Lane Tobiassen, President of Smith & Wesson, said. “The M&P Shield pistol design hits the sweet spot between shootability, concealment, and power to provide a reliable personal protection pistol.”

M&P Shield pistols ship with two single-stack magazines and are available with an MSRP from $399 to $854, depending on the configuration.