I recently received my M&P 45 mid size. I ordered it with the Apex DCAEK installed and Ameriglo Proglo sights with the serrated rear. I also ordered four extra 10 round magazines and a 14 round magazine to try out. I inspected the gun and cleaned it prior to shooting it.

Our weather was cold and clear. I broke the gun in with 250 of the filthy Remington UMC 230 grain hardball load. I also ran sixty of the Federal Hydra Shok 230 grain hollow point round for function testing.

The trigger was very crisp and felt much lighter than our stock M&P 9mm and the reset was much improved. The reset still has less "feel" than the Glock but is better than the stock 9mm. I requested the duty spring Apex set up as this is a carry gun.

After a few magazines I started downloading by one round. I download all my Glock mags by one round to ease insertion and extend the life of the magazines. The S&W 10 and 14 round mags were a tight fit with a full capacity load and very difficult to insert and lock in the gun with the slide forward. I read other threads suggesting loading the mags and letting the springs take a set but I much prefer the speed and easier reload with one round downloaded. I left two magazines loaded and will see if they take enough set to allow quick insertion of the magazines later. For now my spare mags and the mag in the gun are loaded with nine rounds.

The temperature was around 24 degrees F and I fired all 310 rounds without a single malfunction of any kind. I fired the Federal load for accuracy at twenty five yards with a five shot three inch group. Three of the rounds were touching but the other two opened it up. The pistol is obviously capable of better accuracy than I can manage. I fired from a supported rest for the accuracy target.

Recoil was not noticeable and double taps and hammers to the target were easy. I fired several failure to stop drills with monotonous results. In other words, the pistol is very ergonomic and easy to shoot well. I chose the small grip insert as it worked best for me.

I like the Ameriglo sights. The orange insert is easy and fast for my old eyes. The dirty Remington ammo mucked it up pretty quick. The front only night sight is the brightest of any I have. I was a bit put off not having a rear night sight but after a few presentations I line up the gun without problem.

The 14 round magazine functioned without problem but protrudes quite a bit from the bottom of the gun. It is more suited to open carry or home defense where concealment is not an issue. All magazine were sturdy and well built. As I mentioned above, getting the tenth or fourteenth round in the magazine required a very heavy insertion push to reliably seat the magazine in the gun with the slide forward. If leaving the magazine loaded for a few weeks does not create an easier reload I will opt to carry the magazines at one round less.

My current carry holster for the M&P is a Comp Tac Minotaur OWB. It pulls the full size butt into my body and allows me to conceal with a light jacket or untucked shirt. The full size grip is not an issue for me regarding concealment. The Kydex holsters are hard on the finish of the gun. After a couple of hundred presentation there is just a hint of wear on the front edges of the slide but it's not something I'm worried about. Any working gun will show wear no matter what the finish.

Bottom line, I'm very happy with my M&P 45 mid size and it replaced my Glock 23 as my daily carry gun. When it warms up a bit I will run another 500 or so rounds through it. YMMV but I'm a happy camper.


The photos below are the after 310 rounds. That Remington stuff is nasty.

congratulations on your purchase and thank you for the detailed report. Its truly a wonderful gun.

LOL, my 45c looks identical to that after using the Remington stuff too!

I have been looking at the mid-size 45.....thanks for the write-up.

Last month I put another 300 fMJ and 200 Federal Hydra Shoks through the gun. Temps as low as +5 degrees. All six hundred rounds were fired without cleaning. No malfunctions at all. It may be a keeper. I mentioned the difficult seating of full magazines in the above report. After a few weeks loaded to full capacity some were easier to seat but three remained very tight and difficult to seat with a closed slide. Disassembly revealed no discernible difference in the magazine internals or bodies.

I finally got my Raven Phantom holster. They are worth the wait. Retention and concealment are first rate.

Nice report and follow up. I have the 45c and it is a winner.

Update 5/9/2011, if anybody is still interested. The gun now has 1,191 rounds through it with zero malfunctions. I've fired mostly hardball with 300 rounds of 230 grain Federal HST to assure reliability. It was thoroughly cleaned some where in the mid 800s.

I'm still loving the Raven OWB holster and mag pouch as they disappear under an untucked shirt or light vest. It carries like a Lightweight Commander only it has eleven rounds instead of eight. The ten round magazines now hold all ten rounds and seat without problems. The fourteen round magazines are still best downloaded to thirteen rounds for positive seating with the slide forward. I've been carrying it since after it was broken in and I plan to use it for my spring time LEOSA qualification.

Thanks for the update I have the same .45 and I am much more accurate with it than my Glocks.

Thanks for the review. You M&P 45 owners talked me into getting one. I went with the 45c for another ccw.

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6 will do the job!

Good range report dittos. My full size looks about like that presently as it has been at the range all week getting fired as much as possible. Winchester 230 grain ball is just a filthy, but shoots fine. It just went over 4,000 rounds without a malfunction. I wanted a mid size when I bought mine, but they were apparently not out to the dealers at that time and I couldn't manage to wait. I, too am thinking about a 45c. I've got a couple of those 14 rounders and kept them on my vest. They're not all that easy to carry even there due to the big chunk of plastic on the bottom. I have wondered if they'd work fine without the extra bulk.

Thanks for a very nice range report. I'm glad your gun is reliable. I don't shoot Remington any more, although I do sometimes order their bullets for reloading.
I have not YET ordered a Smith semi, but am getting very close, particularly after range reports like your's. Would get the .45c or the 9c

Of course, ANYONE that picks up your gun to look at it will immediately read the stupid liability disclaimer and ask: "Why did they put that on the gun?" Ignorance on Smith's part. They are still terrified of lawyers. (I understand, since I used to work with them occasionally.)
Sonny

Love my M&P45 fullsize. I put the Apex sear in it and the trigger is at 4 lbs. (down from 6.5-7). I have several 1911s with that trigger pull weight, so it's not a problem. The gun is dead reliable with factory hardball and hollowpoints, and all kinds of varieties of my lead handloads.

I'm looking for a good IWB for it, and maybe the Raven for OWB. Did you mean you had the Minotaur IWB (not "OWB", as you stated in your original post)? Thought about trying one of those, or a Tucker "Answer".

I picked up a Blackhawk serpa for my 45 midsize. It carries great, but I sure got alot marks on my slide in a short time...wonder if some soft velcro on the inside would relieve that problem.

Due to my body shape I favor OWB holsters so I ordered the Minotaur Gladiator set up for OWB. I used the Minotaur until the Raven Phantom arrived. I like both holsters but the Raven is definitely more concealable and carries better.

I've worn the Raven for the last few months and will order a few more for other handguns. They take a while to get but are worth the wait.

Thanks for the excellent report. That ammo really is dirty. How is the front sight enamel holding up? I have the same set-up on my M&P9. You just can't ignore the front sight in the daylight (which I need the older I get). Thanks again.

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N.R.A. BENEFACTOR Member

The front sight is like new when I wipe the powder residue off. Years ago I had an IWI yellow rear sight insert come out of a set of Glock night sights but other than that I've had pretty good luck with night sights.