Best Light For M&P Shield

Poor attempt at humor aside, the M&P Shield is CCW that is quite popular as a self-defense weapon. As a self-defense gun, you will use this during the night a lot as well. But a pistol with night sight is not enough for nighttime usage.

While you can just get a random handgun light and call it a day, it’s not wise to do such things. Finding the best light for M&P Shield is more important than you may think. Without a good compatible light, your experience with the gun won’t be the same as it should have been.

And that’s why I’m here to help. I will take your worries away and help you find the best weapon light for your Shield. So, without further delay, let’s jump straight into it.

How To Choose a Light For M&P Shield?

Now that you know about all the flashlights for the M&P Shield, how do you choose which one is the best for you? After all, there has to be a single best, right? And that’s where things get a bit complicated.

You cannot outright call one light the best. It may be objectively better than other lights based on intensity or better battery life, but it may not be the right choice for you. What do I mean by that? Well, for one, you might want a laser light along the LED. Or you don’t like the laser with the LED. That automatically rules out that light as an option for you.

That’s why, you need to think from your point of view. What do I want? What do I need? Is it a high-intensity LED? Is it a green laser? A red laser? Or both LED and a laser? Well, when you can answer these questions, you will already get the best light for your Shield.

On top of that, you can also consider your budget. If you can’t spend too much on the light, no need to force yourself to do it. I have given you budget options as well. Just because it’s budget, doesn’t mean it’s not good.

1. Crimson Trace LL-801 Laserguard Pro Tactical Flashlight

Crimson Trace is mostly known for their quality laser sights for pistols. This one however is part of their 2-in-1 lineup. What I mean is, this flashlight has a built-in green laser light as well.

The Class 3R laser light is completely legal and it does work like your other laser sight does. Highly accurate with a high intensity beam. The peak brightness of the flashlight is 150 lumen. With a broad spread, the flashlight is great for close quarters and medium-range as well.

A surprising thing about this light is the battery life. With the included single CR2 battery, you can use the light for around 4 hours. Depending on what kind of combination you are running, the battery life will vary a lot.

Does this fit S&W pistols?

Yes, it does. It fits 9mm and .40 S&W pistols alongside M&P Shield. You don’t need to do any gunsmithing to make them fit in your gun.

Is this available in red laser?

Yes, it is available in red laser. The red laser is naturally a bit less powerful in terms of intensity. But it can offer a slight bump in the battery life.

How does the light turn on?

Through the instinctive activation feature of Crimson Trace. The LL-801 has this awesome feature where you can use small sensor-like buttons to easily deploy both the laser and the flashlight.

2. LaserMax Centerfire Laser Light

LaserMax is another trustee laser sights maker for handguns. They make laser sights for almost every single popular model out there. This one however is part of their hybrid series. Thus the name. It’s both a light and a laser sight. Just like the one, I mentioned earlier.

The Centerfire is equipped with a 100 lumen light with a slight yellow hue. It’s not as white or off-white as most other LEDs. But it’s not a con of the light. Rather, this warm color is quite a welcome sight.

The flashlight body is made out of polymer. The same type of polymer that you see in your pistol. In terms of durability, it’s extremely durable. On top of that, the light also has an automatic turn-off feature. If the light doesn’t detect any activity, it will turn off automatically after 10 minutes.

What kind of battery does this use?

It uses an LMS-2x13N battery. The battery latch is accessible from the outside and it’s safely tucked inside a water-resistant housing.

Where is this made?

All of the Lasermax sights and sights-related items are made in the USA. They are designed and manufactured inside their own factory.

Is this light bright enough for hunting?

It actually is! While not a lot of people use handguns for hunting if you want to hunt or even fish, you certainly can do that with the help of this flashlight. It’s quite bright and visible during the night.

3. Viridian Reactor 5 Gen 2 Green Laser Sight

While the other flashlights so far have both LED and a laser sight, this one from Viridian is only a laser sight. The Reactor 5 Gen II is equipped with a completely legal green laser light that is made to be used with self-defense weapons like the M&P Shield.

The Gen 2 models have even better and more advanced laser technology that improves the battery life compared to Gen 1. If you are a green laser enjoyer, you know how power hungry that color of laser is. Thankfully, this one is a bit less hungry and will not ask you to change the battery every other day.

A great part of this laser light is that you can easily carry it inside a holster. Yes, it’s tested to be supported by most modern-day holsters. That includes all the leather and polymer ones as well. On top of that, Viridian itself sells holsters as well. You might want to pick that one up if you pick their laser.

Is Viridian a Chinese brand?

No, they are not. They are an American brand. All of their products are made in the USA and they provide service inside the country as well.

Is this laser made out of aluminum?

No, it’s not. It’s made out of thermo molded polymer. It’s a high-strength material that is known to be heatproof and well suited to be handgun accessories.

Can I adjust the windage of this light?

Yes, you can. You can adjust both windage and elevation of the light. Giving you complete control of your task. If you want to hunt, you can hunt. If you want to shoot, you can shoot as well.

4. Streamlight 69273 TLR-6 100-Lumen Pistol Light

When you talk about or search for weapon lights, Streamlight will flood your search engine with their recommendation. After all, they are one of the most trusted flashlight manufacturers in the market.

The TLR-6 is equipped with a 100 lumen LED and a red laser light for accurate target shooting. The TLR-6 is made out of high-strength polymer. The same type of material is also used in your Shield.

A great thing about this is, that you don’t need to re-sight every time you change your battery to power this thing up. That’s an issue that occurs in a lot of cheaper laser sight and LED lights.

Do I need a gunsmith to install this?

Implying you have the necessary screw bits required to install this on your Shield, no, you don’t need a gunsmith. Just you, your tools, and the manual is enough.

Is this waterproof?

It is water resistant. But not proof. It has 1 meter impact resistant and IPX4 rated water-resistant chassis.

Where is this light made?

Streamlight is also an American brand. They are not Chinese or imported from other countries and call their own. They design and manufacture these lights in the USA.

5. Crimson Trace LTG-770 Lightguard Tactical weapon flashlight

Crimson Trace is another great laser sight maker. When they joined the flashlight party, it was a given this would be a hit. And it was a hit. The LTG-770 is one of the cheapest weapon flashlights that isn’t outright garbage.

Rather, this light has so much going for it. It’s definitely one of the best M&P Shield lights you can purchase at the moment of reading this guide. The LTG-770 has an ambidextrous setup. Meaning, you can use either of your hands to turn on the light while firing. Whether you are a lefty or a righty, you can use the light with relative ease.

The light is made out of durable polymer. It features a 110 lumen LED tactical white light. With a broad beam and different light modes, this weapon light is the perfect choice for hunting or tactical shooting during the night. The light was designed for Smith & Wesson M&P Shield and Shield M2.0. It will not fit the .45 ACP models. Also, keep in mind it will not fit guns that come with laser sight built-in.

Is Crimson Trace American?

Crimson Trace is also an American brand. And a fun fact in case you didn’t know, Smith and Wesson own Crimson Trace. So, you are getting the best possible value.

Is this a good light for hunting?

Surprisingly, it is. While it doesn’t have the longest of range, it’s pretty good at close quarter hunting. Thanks to the high intensity wide beam.

Does this fit the 9mm M&P Shield?

Yes, it does. You don’t need to worry about that at all. You don’t even need a gunsmith to install this on your 9mm Shield.

Conclusion

And that wraps it up I suppose. Of course, there are many other options available for your Shield. That doesn’t automatically make them worse or better. I wanted to find the best and most versatile lights for M&P Shield. And I think I successfully managed to do that. Of course, the decision is up to you at the end of the day.

I hope you make the right decision and enjoy your new purchase. And that’s all I got for you today. Hope you enjoyed the read like I did writing it. Do make sure to come back later for more guides like this. Till then, take care and have fun.