M&P Shield in .45 ACP

[phiferran]

I had heard rumors about a M&P Shield 45, but just saw this announcement today.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category4_750001_750051_780153_-1_757781_757781_image

 

[jhc77]

That's nice. I'd pick that up over the XDS I've been eyeballin. Might be sub $400.

[phiferran]

2 minutes ago, jhc77 said:

That's nice. I'd pick that up over the XDS I've been eyeballin. Might be sub $400.

I definitely want to look at one. 

[TGO David]

It looks good.  I'd probably consider parting with my XD-S for one of these.

[Grand Torino]

I wouldn't mind fondling one of those as well.

[TNWNGR]

I'm glad to read about this one because I'd been planning on an XDs .45 I like the ergonomics of the Shield better. I believe I'll try and do some comparison so I can make an informed decision because either one are light weight pocket rockets.

[Patton]

Dear S&W:

[nightrunner]

I'm really liking the new grip texture on this one.

 

With this, I fail to see why anyone would choose any XD over a Glock or M&P.

[dralarms]

I sure like that.  I'll have to sell the 40 and get the 45. 

[VERO1]

Pretty sure I'll be needing one.

[musicman]

Super happy to see this.  Like anything, they'll surely sell at retail for awhile.  Looks like a $30 premium over MSRP for the regular 9 and 40 Shields right now.   

Wonder what holster compatability will be for the 9/40 shields vs this one.

[tercel89]

1 hour ago, musicman said:

Super happy to see this.  Like anything, they'll surely sell at retail for awhile.  Looks like a $30 premium over MSRP for the regular 9 and 40 Shields right now.   

Wonder what holster compatability will be for the 9/40 shields vs this one.

I bet your more happy than a pig in fresh mud , I know you love those M&P's .

[tercel89]

S&W has outdone Glock for sure with this one. Glock's single stack 45 the , 36 , is 1.10 inch wide . The Shield is  1.05 counting  the slide stop . The Glock 36 just still seems a lot fatter. This will be a tough decision between the two if I have to decide between them. I have never had a 36 but this Shield 45 looks pretty good.

[musicman]

1 hour ago, tercel89 said:

I bet your more happy than a pig in fresh mud , I know you love those M&P's .

Lol!  Kinda... I find myself in a terrible predicament.  I was planning on selling one of my regular Shields to fund a PC Shield 9. I'm glad I haven't done it yet because they just came out with one with night sites.  I think I'll probably jump on one of those soon, and then wait on the 45 until they give it the same PC treatment.

 

Or maybe I'll keep both shield 9s and buy more, lol!  We'll see...

[TNWNGR]

5 hours ago, tercel89 said:

S&W has outdone Glock for sure with this one. Glock's single stack 45 the , 36 , is 1.10 inch wide . The Shield is  1.05 counting  the slide stop . The Glock 36 just still seems a lot fatter. This will be a tough decision between the two if I have to decide between them. I have never had a 36 but this Shield 45 looks pretty good.

I've owned a G-36 and shot an XDs .45 I can already tell you once the Shield .45 has been out for a couple of months I'll be scouting around for one. And I was getting ready to buy an XDs .45, sure am glad I waited.

[Moped]

Bought a new M&P Compact .45acp back last fall.  HATED IT!  Traded it for an .45 XDs and have zero regrets.  The M&P had a horrible trigger.

[Patton]

I don't know why it is but Shields have better triggers than full size and compact M&Ps. I hate  regular M&P's, but for whatever reason my Shields have had better triggers than even my Glocks. I didn't really care for the XDS; I sold it to go back to the Shield.

[BigK]

57 minutes ago, Moped said:

Bought a new M&P Compact .45acp back last fall.  HATED IT!  Traded it for an .45 XDs and have zero regrets.  The M&P had a horrible trigger.

 

 

 

I'm not a huge fan of the stock M&P trigger either, but that can be fixed if money is no object.  While you're at it, you'll also have to spend some more money to get sights as nice as those that come stock on the XD-s.

The other thing I didn't like about the Shield 45 is that that bore axis felt tall to me. It FEELS like there's more gun sticking up above my hand, even if there isn't (I'm not sure, I can't find that measurement anywhere).

The 45 Shield feels really really thin in my hand and I wear size M gloves. I think I read that the shield is actually about 0.09" wider, so I'm guessing the added length of the Shield grip front to back lets them round the corners of the grip, giving it a sleeker feel than the squarish Glock-like feel of the XD-s. Add the fact that the 45 Shield is also about a half inch taller (looks like the extra height is all in the grip length), letting you get you get that extra finger on the grip. It just feels better in your hand even if the extra height is a little harder to conceal. 

Bottom line for me is I'm not selling my XD-s any time soon, but if I didn't already have one, it'd be a REAL tough call between the 2. I like a lot of things about both.

Edited May 24, 2016 by BigK

[Steelharp]

1 hour ago, BigK said:

I'm not a huge fan of the stock M&P trigger either, but that can be fixed if money is no object.

Or, you could just buy a better gun. ANY gun.

There is no finer revolver than a S&W. And no worse semi-auto. (My opinion.)

Edited May 24, 2016 by Steelharp

[musicman]

We get it Steelharp, if it ain't some cheap Turkish gun, you don't want it! 

[TNWNGR]

9 hours ago, Steelharp said:

Or, you could just buy a better gun. ANY gun.

There is no finer revolver than a S&W. And no worse semi-auto. (My opinion.)

LOL...I'm not an M&P pistol enthusiast and can easily do w/o them but I'm a big fan of the older S&W revolvers and 3rd gen 5906. However I do like the Shield and those I've handled have had good triggers and just felt better then the larger M&P's. I'm the same way with the SA XD line, I just don't like them but the XDs9 & XDs45 are real gems that I do like. Anyone whose read much of what I've said should know I have a love hate thing going on with all things Glock but have more training hours spent with that brand then any other.

[MemHeli]

Yes, my XDs may be on the way out the door...    Can't wait to shoot this gun.

[Steelharp]

37 minutes ago, musicman said:

We get it Steelharp, if it ain't some cheap Turkish gun, you don't want it! 

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Excellent.

Actually, my heart is in the wonderful CZ 75... but they do get heavy after a while... I'm thinking I'm really liking the Ruger American, too... PPQ trigger at a good bit less money.

[musicman]

I'm starting to wonder if the new Ruger American pistol is prey to the same inconsistent trigger as the M&P line.  I've read you and a couple others' poems about how fantabulous the trigger is, but the 9mm version I played with was simply unacceptable.  Takeup, then what feels like should have been the break just leads to more movement, and then at some point it releases the striker.  Absolutely no actual indication of when it will go off. And it didn't seem to happen in the same place every time, either.  

 

Again, maybe it's just the ONE I played with.

 

Back to the Shield.  I really do feel that the warranted trigger cricisms directed at the doublestack M&P family don't apply to the Shield line.  

 

As to the CZ75 point, completely agree. I happen to like the gussied up Tangfolio semi-customish stuff, but same idea.  BigK and I had this discussion yesterday.  The doublestack metal framed platform is a different animal to poly striker guns, and of different purpose.  I will continue to buy and shoot both, for different reasons, but will never try to compare them to each other. 

[Patton]

Steelharp, I disagree with your opinion. I believe the shields are some of the best all around handguns on the market, and especially for their value. I have felt better triggers on higher dollar guns, but they have the best striker fired trigger of any gun I have ever shot. I don't know why any given shield has a better trigger than their full size counterpart. I find the shield is easier to shoot than many guns twice its size and weight, and I find reports of malfunctions nearly unheard of.

 

I wish the same shield platform was available in a longer and taller full size. Something like a slim, 10 round 4.25" barrel. It would easily serve as a duty weapon and an all season IWB concealed weapon.