Smith & Wesson's Performance Center take on the M&P 9 Shield Plus is a slim 9mm carry pistol with a 3.1-inch ported barrel and matching ported slide, 6.1 inches long and 20.2 ounces. The PC-tuned striker action has a flat-face trigger with a tactile and audible reset, and a manual thumb safety sits on the frame. Sights are fiber optic, green in front and red at the rear. The polymer frame carries enhanced grip texture on an 18-degree grip angle, and the stainless barrel and slide wear an Armornite finish. Two magazines come with it: a flush 10-rounder and an extended 13-rounder.

Illinois concealed carriers get a pistol that disappears under a shirt with the 10-round magazine and gains a full grip with the 13. The porting keeps the muzzle flatter in rapid strings, which matters most in a 20-ounce gun, and the bright fiber optics pick up fast at the range. The thumb safety suits holsters and carry positions where a manual safety is preferred.

Key features

• 9mm, 3.1-inch ported barrel, ported slide
• Flat-face trigger, Performance Center tuned action
• Green front, red rear fiber optic sights
• 10-round and 13-round magazines included
• Manual thumb safety, 20.2 ounces

Ships to the Illinois FFL dealer you pick; the transfer and the state's hold happen there before you carry it home.