Smith & Wesson Now Shipping Non-Microstamped M&P Shield Pistols to California

Smith & Wesson Corp. announced Apr. 8, 2014, that non-microstamped, California-compliant M&P Shield pistols will now be shipping to the Golden State.

The popular concealed carry pistols were approved and added to the California Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale prior to the microstamping requirement  — essentially grandfathered in.

Available in 9mm and .40 S&W, the CA versions have a few slightly different features to make them compliant with stringent state laws. Those features include a loaded chamber indicator on top of the slide, a single-sided thumb safety and a magazine safety.

According to Mario Pasantes, S&W's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Global Professional Sales, "As California consumers face a diminishing list of pistol choices for personal protection due to the state's microstamping requirement, we are proud to offer them access to our newest and most popular pistols in non-microstamped yet fully compliant versions."

The CA-approved M&P Shields use the familiar operating controls and dimensions from standard Shield models. They also come with 7- and 8-round magazines.

CA-compliant Smith & Wesson M&P Shield pistols are available now for $469.