Originally Posted by Nonuthin

5. After my personal, semi-informed experience, I have come to believe that you MUST have a solid hold with locked wrist and elbow to provide an absolutely firm backstop for these little .45's to cycle properly or they will fail to feed reliably. My friends who swear by the .45 Shields are all ham-handed GORILLAS. I'm not.

CONCLUSION: The .45 Shield is a slightly flawed design because of its many dimensional and design compromises in order to achieve its desirably diminutive overall size and weight. Design compromises like in the .45 Shield require a gorilla-like grip and attention to ammunition sensitivity as part of the equation for reliable function.