KEEP OUT OF GUN STORES
I was just "driving by" my LGS and since there was a ton of traffic, I just stopped in....$410 later...I am the owner of a brandy spankin' new Shield 45...
Took it to the range but I only brought in the 7 round mag (long story) fired 50 rounds right out of the box, no problems...
I did not have my 9 (Performance mod) with me, but the 45 felt about equal in recoil to the 9, certainly not much more, and I think that I am much more accurate with the 45 over even the Performance 9...???
Nice gun.....
So now to start stocking up this is my only 45 ..

Congratulations. Don't forget to send off for the $75 rebate.

$410!?!? Ouch! Where are you located?? These things are well under $400 everywhere online...


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Where are you seeing it for $300.....
Buds has it for $420...and then there is the FFL of $25 so that is $445....so I think I got it right....
And I did send in the rebate form, so y FINAL cost will be $345
Is that what you are talking about?

After shipping, transfer fees, etc. and after the rebate I'll be into mine for $260.

I haven't seen the .45 for $300, but they are $329.99 here:

S&W M&P45 Shield .45 ACP Pistol w/o Thumb Safety, Black - 11531

Shipping usually runs $17 and FFL is around $25. So $372 total. Not really a whole lot of difference.

You'll be happy with it! Enjoy and have fun doing some good shooting. Hard to quibble over a few $$$ when you have a nice shooting 45 for less than $400 after the rebate!

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Loving retirement!

Oh No! I wish you hadn't posted this. I just bought the 9mm Shield PC and like it so much that I was already thinking about the 45 Shield, but was holding off because I thought the 45 recoil would be a bit too much to allow for good accuracy. Now reading what you say, I may be back at Cabela's next week (I like my local gun store Cabela's, even if the price is a bit higher, as they always treat me okay on trade ins and have a great stock of ammo and accessories that I can look at and handle before buying, things the internet discount shops cannot do for me.

Anyway, Thanks for the post on the 45 Shield.

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DAV Life Member

Sounds like a great deal. Love walking out of the store & heading straight to the range. Good times! Thanks for letting us know... I'm already tempted to get the 45 A C P!

After rebate I'm into my 45 for $251.99 TOTAL in my hand price. If I had ordered it a week earlier it would have been $241.99. The 9mm I'm into for $231.99. TOTAL in my hand price.
Ya really can't help but buy a couple at these prices!

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Forum consigliere

Great that some of you guys seem to have gotten a STEAL.
(Whether I believe you or not....well, it's the internet you know)
I'm happy with my price from my LGS.
If WE don't support local businesses it will all go the way of HOME DEPOT...remember all the little hardware stores, and OFFICE DEPOT, remember all the little stationery stores???
I will try not to be the guy who nickle and dimes every deal...
$345....good enough for me....
YMMV

daka,

Don't let the stories of all those cheap prices put you off. You just bought a fine piece of handgun, and if it's anything like mine, it will be well worth every cent you paid for it. I bought mine shortly after they became available, as did many other folks. After I told a friend in another city about it, he asked me to buy one for him if I could find one for sale. A new Academy Store opened up here and guess what? I spent 425 of his dollars. We both knew at some point they would be cheaper. Neither one of us is sorry we bought one early. Both of them are keepers, and I fully intend to amortize the cost of mine over as many years as I have left to shoot and carry it.

I like a good deal on a good gun as much as anyone else, but I have yet to buy one that sooner or later I don't find one or hear about one being bought for less money. If I hadn't liked mine at the time I bought it, I wouldn't have paid what I paid, nor would I have paid $250.00 for it. You got yours cheaper than I got mine, and I'm tickled spitless for both of us!! Lord willing, by the time anyone else gets their hands on mine, it will be very well used and very well carried and I will have gotten my money's worth from it multiple times!! And if it saves my life or my loved one's life, it will be a priceless possession!

And BTW, I'm in full agreement with your sentiments about shopping local. That doesn't mean I won't make sure I buy from them for the lowest dollar they'll accept, but I sure would hate to be without the small and family owned LGS's around for me to stop and look and see and buy from. I like to hold things in my hand before I lay my money down. I don't always do that, but that's what I like. I think you did good!

PS: One thing I will buy online is ammo (from a few trusted sources!) FYI, I have had really good experiences buying ammo from SG Ammo dot com. If you are willing to sign up with them, they'll send you one or two notices via email every week with their listing of what they have for sale in bulk lots. If you are patient, you can get some good stuff in both 9MM and .45ACP at prices (including their shipping costs which are reasonable, I think) at good prices. They've always gotten my orders to me in 3 or 4 business days. They are, in my experience, a great vendor to do business with! Good luck with your new shooter!!

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So long ... Ken

I got to shoot a shield 9mm on monday and I was scratching my head as to how little felt recoil it had. I mean, for a small light gun, it was nothing. I want the .45. I have about 1K rounds of .45 just begging to be shot. I do have my Home Defense gun as a .45 right now too. So.....

I still can't get over how little recoil that gun had. I'm blown away. I don't think I was super accurate with it though. I didn't seem to shoot it any better at the 25 meter berm at clay pigeons than my 442. Some of the guys I know struggle with the accuracy of it. And shoot other guns better. Another guy I know says it's one of the most accurate carry guns he's ever used and bought 3.

I've also heard many say they were more accurate with the 45 than the 9............

Yes, they are hard to resist.

Right after S&W announced the rebate online prices started going up everywhere. I paid less than the original poster for mine and my sons but if I had paid $400+ I would still consider it a great price for these little pistols. They shoot way above their weight and size range. I have a Sig P220 in 45acp and even though it's twice the overall size and almost a pound heavier it's only slightly more accurate. Great gun that Sig but nowhere near the bargain that the Shield is. It is a total blast to shoot.

Just got the Shield 45 PC and I hated the .9mm. The .45 is a dream to shoot. Recoil IMO is much better than my Zev 43 ands the Shield 9mm. The trigger is 10X better. Glad your enjoying. At the end of the day maybe you could have saved $50 or even $75 but if you enjoy it does it matter. I believe as you support local business. I by about 50% local and 50% on the internet. To be honest I'll spend the extra $50 to get the instant gratification and touch, feel the trigger and hold in my hand before I buy. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Yes, and the same goes for the $75.00 Rebate. If I get it fine; If not, I wont cry about it. I enjoy my new Shield 45!

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It's The Carbonaro Effect!

HOPEFULLY, we are DONE with this topic !

I paid $282 shipped for mine from brownells before the rebate (came out to $237 otd) My FFL made $20 on the transfer and I bought some ammo from them. I guarantee I will spend that $100+ savings there within the next couple months so the FFL is better off than if I purchased it from them for $400+

People think "you bought it online so you're not supporting local businesses" but I guarantee the FFL I go to makes plenty off of transfers alone

Just to be clear about how business works, unless you are a FFL holder, the pistol has to be shipped to a FFL (in my case, my LGS). He told me that he makes the same amount of money whether I buy via Davidson's or Bud's and have it shipped to him for me because he has no "carrying costs" that holding every desirable gun would cost him. He does have a decent inventory, but he's a small business owner and isn't made out of money. The pistol comes in by Fedex, he calls me, I take delivery, he gets his cut for cooperating with the big internet guys and gets the transfer fee (and collects the state tax)....and as a bonus I usually pick up some cleaning supplies or some other things I don't really need. If you are a FFL, more power to you.

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Loving retirement!

^^Words of wisdom.^^

I bought my Shield .45 just before the rebates. Nothing I could do about it, and I've enjoyed it too much to care.

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What, me worry?

With the Rebates the Shields are the best value on the market.

+1
One of the alltime best firearm values.

Believe it or not online deals are way better than local gun shop prices. I paid $315 shipped for my shield 45, the local gun shop wanted $100 more plus fees, no thanks.


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M&P 9, Shield9.

I just picked up a Shield 45 from Palmetto State Armory for $329, for the past few weeks it was $299.

Several LGS have had Shield 9s for $225 - $240

Just curious about your experience with the recoil on the 45, if you have a minute to expand on that a little. I always thought that 45 recoil in comparable size pistol would tend to be more than a 9mm, but if I read your info correctly, sounds like you are saying the 45 Shield is more comfortable than the 9mm to shoot, am I reading too much into what you said? I am seriously considering the 45 Shield so very much interested in your thoughts. Thanks.

0849

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DAV Life Member

I was just at my local hardware store yesterday. It has been around forever and they always have any odd thing that you can't find at the Box stores.

I thought about grabbing a 45 but I have been sticking with the 9mm since ammo is so cheap. I usually pay around $9-11 per box and that gets expensive if you shoot several times per month with 2 people.

We get one free day per week at the range with our membership. So, I try to make at at least that day. If my wife can't make it, I try to schedule another day. I still get the free time if possible.

What are you guys paying for the 45 ammo?

I prefer the recoil on the 45 shield to the 9mm shield. The 9 mm jumps with more muzzle flip. The 45 just pushes back "less jumpy". I am able to get back on target faster with the 45 shield. The trigger is smoother in the 45 shield. The slide is smoother on the 45 shield.

If you are considering getting a 45 shield. I say do it!

I bought a new Shield 45 and it is in shipping right now. This is the lowest cost handgun I have ever bought with the exception of a FIE Titan 25 auto I bought 30 years ago for $45. The Shield 45 is less than I paid for the Kel Tech 3AT when it first came out.

My costs are $319.99 for the pistol, $9.99 for shipping, $10 for dealer transfer then minus $75 for the rebate. This all comes to a total in hand price of $339.98 before the rebate and $264.98 after the rebate.

They still have some in stock.

Here is the dealer's link sorted for Shields of any caliber:

http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx...ellers=1111136

I live in Washington State and they can't keep the .45 shield in stock. So they charge full MSRP for the gun. Its all about supply and demand here. At least there is the 75 dollar rebate, which makes the price lower.

13 -15 per 50.

TargetSports
SGAmmo
Ammoman

Every once in a while you can find like AE .45 for nearly what you pay for 9mm. But yeah, it's usually more. Self Defense ammo however, barely a difference.

There is a special package of the .45 with factory night sights and a third magazine. It's usually priced about $100 more than the base .45. Don't know if this is what the OP got.

I have both the 9 and 45. Like both equally. The 45 tends to shoot nicer groups but that maybe the bigger holes in the paper.

Friend of mine has a 45 and the RSA decided to come apart by it self. No way to put it back together and Smith claims not to have any in stock to send out. He isn't happy.

Last 45 I bought was $9 per 50 for WWB.

But on almost any day you can get it for $12.50 shipped from one place or another online

My final cost is $350.....the gun speaks for itself....250rds and I'm very happy. Most transfer fees run about 25 to 50 dollars around here and I will not pay $25 for a two-minute phone call.

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One day at a time

I gave up anything over 9mm/38 Special more than a decade ago as too hard on my old joints. I sold my 44 Magnum and 45 Colt revolvers, gave my GI 1911 to my son when he got his Army commission, and haven't fired any caliber that started with a 4 since. But I was so intrigued by how soft shooting the 9mm Shield was when I tried one at a rental range that (a) I bought one, and (b) a couple of weeks later decided to see what a 45 Shield would be like. You know, just as a scientific inquiry. For comparison purposes only. Simply to confirm that I'd made the right decision a decade ago.

Now I find myself fighting off the urge to get a 45 Shield, too. It seemed to have just barely more recoil than the 9mm, certainly much less than I remember my full size 1911 having. It shot just as tiny groups as the 9mm at social distances, and overall was just a hoot to shoot. I do NOT know how they have managed to fiddle with the laws of physics in that little thing, but I can not wait to shoot one again.

I buy 45 ammo from freedom munitions at .28 per round, or at walmart $18 for a box of 50 either winchester or Remington.


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M&P 9, Shield9.

If you decide to purchase, you won't be one bit sorry. Great shooting & carry gun.

I was surprised on my first range trip that at 7 yards I was shooting groups as good with my .45 Shield as I do with my 9mm Shield.

Hell I shoot the 45 better than the 9 at 5,7,10 or 15 yds. I don't even want to keep my 9 anymore.


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Not with all the admin charges they tag on. This is a giant fallacy.

I bought a .45 Shield last week after hearing all the good feedback on them. I've had it out a few times, and like it, but I can't see those that say it has "less recoil" or just as pleasant as a 9mm.
I don't have a 9mm Shield to compare, but I do have a PC .40 Shield, and I enjoy shooting the ported .40 better than the .45.
I want to try some different ammo in both, but the .45 is scary accurate with WWB.
Here's a target, first rounds ever fired with my .45 Shield:

what admin costs? around here the ONLY cost besides the gun's price is a $15 FFL transfer fee and you're gone

My .45 Shield with factory night sights and three magazines I picked up yesterday was $455 out the door.

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Since I got my rebate check, my OOP for the Shield .45 was $269.
I would have paid $10 for the FFL but my guy is cool and let it slide for a delay in picking it up.
Best sub $300 gun ever bought.


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It's what I got, and I LOVE it.

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Loving retirement!

$268 plus tax after rebate. Gun is super accurate and picked up an owb holster from darwindefense.com. Great holster. Love the gun!

I bought my .45 Shield a month ago and LOVE it! Prices in NJ aren't as competitive as in other parts of the country, but I still got a pretty good deal and also got in on the 1st rebate.

I still have one more handgun purchase permit and was considering a Charter Arms Pitbull in .45 acp.

With the rebate being extended, I'm tempted by the 9mm Shield - but the grip texture on the 9 isn't as good, and I'm not sure the 9's trigger would be as good as the .45's.

I'm also thinking about a PC ported .45 Shield with the fiber optic sights. That should shoot at least as well as my .45 Shield!

A ported Shield .45 will not only shoot as good as your standard .45, it will shoot BETTER.
Less muzzle rise, better trigger, win-win.
I'm going to sell the .45 I just got, every time I go shoot both my Shields I like the ported PC .40 more.

UP-Date! Just received the $75.00 rebate check. Total price for me, $310.00. OTD. and bought locally at my LGS&R! And what a sweet piece!

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It's The Carbonaro Effect!