I am looking real hard at the shield 45 for carry. I don't hear too much about this firearm anymore. I guess no news is good news as they say. Any insight from current owners\carriers would be appreciated. Thanx.

I don’t know of anyone who has trouble with one. (You can read about anything on the internet if you look long enough.) Most folks seem to say they are surprisingly accurate and don’t recoil as much as expected. Based on my limited experience, I agree with that.

Here's a link to a thread I started about a year ago, with some info on the Shield 45:

Long-Term Report on M&P 40c, Shield 9, & Shield 45

Bottom Line: It's a fine gun!

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What, me worry?

I'm one that has not had any issues and feel they are surprisingly accurate and don't recoil as much as expected. My favorite pistol. Only complaint is finding ammo. Seems 9mm is slightly easier to find but even that is difficult.

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Shield 45, SW40VE, 586, 1000

Another +1 for the Shield 45. Accurate and controllable.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

I bought a pair of 45 Shields with night sights in August 2018. Ran 250 rounds thru each one with no issues. I carry one regularly and one gets nightstand duty. Rotate them occasionally. Never had an issue with either one. Accurate, reliable, easy to shoot great guns.

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Tim
SWCA #2697

I found mine to be more accurate and easier to carry than expected. The recoil was manageable enough that my teenager didn't mind shooting it either. I also like the grip surface, which seems to make it handle better than other pistols of the same size. I don't really see a downside.

I own two Shield 45s. One with, one without, a light. Both are exceptionally accurate, and reliable, for a lightweight/short barrel polymer 45. Either one will consistently group 4", or less, offhand at 25 yards. Apex trigger (not sear), SSguide rod, ameriglo I-Dots, and 185 JHPs pushing ~800-900 fps. Did polish a few areas, but the stock sear and striker block cleaned up quite nice. Can't emphasize enough to how important it is to match the ammo to the firearm.

Been carrying one for a couple of years with zero problems. Recoil is very manageable, good trigger, quite accurate for such a short barrel.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I've got 1600 rounds through mine. Very reliable and accurate. No complaints at all.

Typically you don't hear anything about a firearm a few years after it has been released, it gets a lot of attention when it's new, then it slowly fades away, even if it remains successful and people in general like it.

Besides, single-stack .45s aren't all the rage right now, most folks are into high capacity subcompact 9mms like the SIG P365 or Springfield Armory Hellcat right now. So the Shield in general has lost some steam, and many anticipate that Smith & Wesson will make their own entry into that niche shortly.

That being said, the M&P45 Shield is a fantastic carry firearm which by all accounts is surprisingly soft-shooting for such a lightweight .45 ACP pistol. Furthermore, in the unfortunate event in which the AWB is reinstated like certain politicians are pushing for, then the M&P45 Shield will be exempt and therefore is likely to skyrocket in demand, so if you're thinking of getting one, then it's best to do so sooner rather than later.

I was actually looking to buy an M&P45 Shield as a new Summer Carry gun as well as an alternative primary EDC in the event that the AWB does make a comeback, but ended up getting an Performance Center M&P40 Shield instead because I happened upon a deal that was too good to pass up, and obviously I'm a fan of .40 S&W anyway.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I have Shields in 9/40/45. All have been flawless. Going to town I carry the 9 for compactness. All other times I carry the 45 as I like it best And I shoot cast lead bullets in all 3.

BTW I don't need a concealed handgun that holds a bazillion bullets, The Shields hold enough. I ever carry a revolver too.


Notice. Since the 9 is having it's day in the sun. People want one that holds a bazillion bullets........Stick with a bigger caliber .......Where less is more.

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S&W Accumulator

So I Went ahead and plunked down moolah on a new shield 45! I can't wait to see how she carries and shoots. Seems like a nice addition to the stable. Thank you folks.

IF all else fails, this is one of the easiest to shoot loads for defense.

Premium 45 ACP Ammo For Sale - 165 gr Hydra Shok JHP - Federal Premium Defense Ammunition In Stock - 20 Rounds

I can't seem to find the one I'm interested in, the PC 2.0 with tritium night sights (model#12474). My hope is that the ported barrel would reduce some of the recoil, as I have a somewhat reconstructed right thumb from an old motorcycle accident. None of my local shops will take any money from me because they can't say how long the wait is, and I live five miles from the Smith & Wesson factory.

I have a standard and PC45 Shield. Like others I’m amazed at the accuracy and controllability . Shooting them back to back I can’t really tell much difference in muzzle rise etc. I don’t really notice much of a difference in muzzle flash either and that’s mostly with 230gr HST’s .
My PC Shield came with the factory tritium sights. I ended up replacing the sights on both Shields with Trijicon HDs with orange front . For me the HDs are way easier to pick up then the factory tritium sights.
I love the 45’s so much I sold my 9mm Shields .
When I think about it the porting on the 9mm Shield seemed to make more of a difference then on the 45PC.
The little longer 45 grip fits my hand perfect. I was hoping that the 2.0 9mm Shields would have the slightly longer grip of the 45’s.
I’m left handed and was involved in a H&R bicycle/ car accident . Several years ago. With a lot of damage to my left arm/wrist/ fingers. I’m always amazed whenever I shoot one of my 45 Shields at how comfortable they are. I bet you will really like either the standard or PC45.

You won't find any significant recoil reduction with the ported barrel in a relatively low pressure .45. Buy a non ported one and enjoy it.
I could tell a slight difference in the .40, but not in the ported/non ported Shields I've shot in 9mm or 45.

I bought one of the first 45 Shields back in 2016, but ended up going with a PC40 as my fullsize M&P was in 40.
Got another .45 last spring and I'm glad I did.

Accurate, nice trigger and easy to control.
I add TFO sights to all my M&Ps, and because I'd rather have a light and not need it, than find I need a light and not have one handy, mine has a LaserMax light and green laser.
Nice compact unit and can be found on Amazon for $160.
LaserMax with Grip Sense

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U. S. Army Veteran

Thanks, Sandog. I was going to inquire about the night sights S&W offers on the PC 2.0 .45, as this is the model I'm looking for. They don't say who's they use, just that they're tritium. Was wondering if it would be more cost effective to buy the version without, and purchase aftermarket ones. That is, if they're better.

Usually upgrades included with the gun are more cost effective than buying them outright later.
Not sure who's Tritium sights S&W uses but I'd guess they are either Trijicon or Meprolight.
Nothing wrong with either of those.

The Fiber optic part of the TFOs really pop in the daylight.
After the light fades that F/O 'glow" is gone, until it gets to full darkness and then the Tritium part takes over.

One set of sights I really like are the Ameriglos on my G48.
The front sight really stands out in the day, with that red/orange ring around it.
And the front sight is what matters most.
But at night the Ameriglos glow all the same, same green and same intensity.

I like how some brands like the Tru Glo have a different colored front sight, and that front sight glows brighter than the back two lamps.
But that is only noticeable at night, and you'd be using a hand held or gun mounted light to ID your target first anyway.

The Tru Glo TFOs ( not the Pros which are more $$$) are only about $68 for the set on Amazon, so not going to break the bank.
Here are the TFOs on an M&P .45:

And on an M&P .40:

If you decide to go aftermarket, be aware that the factory sights are on really tight, at least the front one is.
A sight pusher is the way to go, but not just any old sight pusher.
I bought a $130 one from Brownell's (B&J machine) and it wouldn't begin to budge the front sights on any of the M&Ps I changed sights on.

I sold that pusher, and got the install done with a brass sight punch and hammer, but there is no room for error with that method.
Slip and you might damage the sight or mar the finish on your slide.

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U. S. Army Veteran

My experience was that the pistol was reliable and slim to carry. I did not like the porting on the barrel and slide and couldn't stand the "fiber optic" sights, sold it instead of putting money in new sights.

If I had to do it again, I'd get the plain model, a safety, and some conventional sights.

The factory tritium sights are marked trijicon on the bottom . Check the PM I sent you .

My PC .45 Shield is a softer shooter than my 9mm Shield.
Not sure if the porting makes that much difference, but it's a reliable and accurate shooter.

Skip the 45 and get the 9mm. Less recoil, more bullets, same effect on bad guys


45 is for shooting with your friends
9mm is for shooting at your enemies

I had one for awhile. It never gave me problems. I traded it off for a Glock 43 when my department switched to Glocks. Just wanted to keep the same trigger and mechanics the same with my carry gun to my work gun if that makes sense.

I would be inclined to agree with you, if we were talking about pistols other than the Shield.
My full size M&P is a 9mm, it has noticeably less recoil and holds 7 more rounds than the full size .45 equivalent.

But in the Shield, the .45 only holds one less round than the 9mm, and I actually like the recoil of the .45 better than the ported or unported 9mm Shield.
Not saying the .45 Shield has less recoil than a 9mm Shield, but I find it just as pleasant to shoot.

If anything, the .45 Shield probably has more recoil then the 9mm, but it is a slower recoil, not as snappy as the 9mm or .40.
And the larger grip of the .45 helps make it comfortable to shoot.

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U. S. Army Veteran

What are the differences between the original M&P .45 and the new 2.0 .45?

Are the magazines interchangeable? At this point I am heavily invested in the M&P 14 rounders because I just finished putting together an AR-45 pistol, and the magwell adapter is designed for the M&P mags.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Seems our big ol 45 beat the stuffins out the Keiser's puny 9mm back in WWII...........And it still will.


Or do like me and get all three 9/40/45. The 45 is the most accurate of my 3.

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S&W Accumulator

All older .45 Shields had 2.0 features.
The .45 Shield was the testbed for the 2.0 features, even though they didn't yet call them 2.0.
The only thing I can think of that the 2.0 has over the original .45 Shield is the "2.0" stamping on the slide.

In other Shield calibers (9mm and .40) the 2.0 added forward cocking fish scales on the slide, but even my 2017 .45 has those.
And magazines are interchangeable.

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U. S. Army Veteran

Sandog is correct.

The M&P45 Shield 1.0 and 2.0 are identical save for slide markings because the M&P45 Shield 1.0 was the basis for the 2.0 Series.

That being said, even if the M&P45 Shield 1.0 were the same as the earlier 1.0 9mm and .40cal variants, then the differences would be minimal, as the only differences were more aggressive grip texture and some minor forward slide serrations for press checks, that's it.

On a personal note, I actually prefer the 1.0 design because I feel that the 2.0 grip texture is too rough and to me press checks are just the latest superfluous (onion-on-the-belt) trend like hooked/textured trigger guards of decades passed. The M&P already has a witness hole in the top of the barrel hood so that you can see brass inside when loaded, and while it isn't easy to see in low light, press checks wouldn't be much better under the same lighting conditions.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Yes, and in 9mm and .40, the 2.0 generally has a better trigger than the 1.0
All the .45 Shields, whether marked 2.0 on the slide or not, have nice trigger pulls.

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U. S. Army Veteran

I forgot about the trigger, but then again, my 1.0 model is a Performance Center model so it already has an improved trigger, and trigger snobs hated the 2.0's trigger as well, so it's just sort of slipped my mind.
Heck, trigger snobs even hate the Shield PLUS trigger which is supposed to be the best yet, so apparently nothing short of some goofy-looking aftermarket brightly colored aluminum trigger with an even goofier name will ever satisfy them.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I had an early Shield .45. The factory sent me new magazine followers on two occasions. It also went back to the factory 3 times.It would constantly drop the magazines.It was obviously a lemon. Surprisingly, Smith and Wesson would do nothing to resolve this issue.They told me it was because I was a left handed shooter.
I was in Law Enforcement for 33 years, and I am a firearms instructor.I asked them what would happen if a right-handed officer was injured and had to shoot left-handed.They had no answer.

I have two M&P 45s, a full size and a Shield with the 3.375" barrel.
Both have been flawless.
I carried a 642-1 for years and bought the Shield with the intension of replacing
the 642-1 and making the Shield my EDC.
After a few months I went back to the 642-1 due to the weight of the Shield.

I've been told more than once by people I consider experts in their field that
if you get into a gunfight and don't win with your first three rounds there's a good
chance you're not going to win so I don't know what the advantage is when
it comes to a hand gun that holds 20 rounds.
I think the Shield 45 is an excellent choice for your EDC.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

Thanks Sandog and Forte.

Being that I built the AR-45 pistol, I wanted a "companion" Shield .45 to go with it. I found an 4.6" LE version, (model 11884), with 3 mags. Not sure what these normally go for, but considering current political circumstances and that these are getting hard to find, I wanted to verify mag compatibility before committing to purchase.

If anyone is curious, the AR-45 build is as follows:

Palmetto lower with Aero LPK
Wilson .458 Socom upper receiver, (XL Aero)
Wilson UPK
CMMG RDB BCG and 16" barrel, (cut to 10.5")
GHW Tailhook Mod 1 brace, (buffer tube cut down to keep under 26" OAL)
Trybe 9.25 forend, (Optics Planet brand)
Magpul accessories
Sig Romeo 5
Stern Defense AD-MP.45 magwell adapter

Stern said their adapter wouldn't work with the CMMG Radial Delay BCG because the adapter was made for blowback style bolts. I played with the seating depth of the magwell adapter, and modified the adapter where the standard mag catch engages.

It runs like a top. Only thing is... that the LRBHO isn't functional at the moment. I may take the time at some point to make that functional somehow, but I really don't miss it at this point.

If anyone wants to see a pic, I will try to figure out how to pull that off the phone and post it.

So what is current average market pricing on a new Shield .45 2.0 ???

And always remember. A 9mm MAY expand. But a .45 will never shrink.

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S&W Accumulator

Also remember: after you've fired 11 rounds, with 9mm you have 7 more. But with .45 you're out.

IF....You haven't extinguished the problem in 11 rounds you need to go home and practice more. IF you're still standing.

A magazine change takes all of 3-4 seconds.

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S&W Accumulator

Not with 14 rounders.

Well....

The M&P .45 2.0 is ordered and shipped. Should have it in hand by the 6th. Model SWLE 11884 does come with 3 mags, and the enhanced full length stainless chassis system. I assume that means it's more durable/ longer life? The extra mag and the enhanced chassis seem to be what makes it LE.

I probably overpaid... but I bought somewhat local and had to pay state tax... and it was one of the only places I found online, (after an extensive search), that actually had the model 11884 in stock.

We're talking Shields here, not FS pistols. The 9mms only hold one more round than the .45.

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U. S. Army Veteran

You're going to love it.

I ordered two magazines from Lawmen's Supply back in June and after waiting nearly six months I found some on eBay and cancelled my order with Lawmen's.

Well the two I ordered and cancelled from Lawmen's arrived yesterday along with a bill.

Not sure if I'm going to keep them or return them. Not so sure if I need 7 magazines for a gun that I never shoot.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

It is to my understanding that the full length chassis was added for the sake of improved rigidity of the frame, not durability, although it probably does make the firearm more durable as a fringe benefit.

Apparently Smith & Wesson had received some feedback from Police Departments who issued the M&P40 1.0 which indicated that when fitted with a heavy laser/light, the dust cover would flex under recoil, resulting in the laser/light being thrown off zero or possibly even damaged over time. The full length chassis on the M2.0 models was to address this phenomenon.

What makes it an LE (Law Enforcement) Model is that it comes in a plastic clamshell case with 3 magazines and comes fitted with tritium night sights, whereas the standard model would come in cardboard box with 2 magazines and standard sights.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

CDNN has a bunch of 14 rounders in stock right now for $35 a mag. I have a few on the way from them as I type this.

You can never have too many mags.

Well the 11884 came early, (but I still have to wait to pick it up), and it came in the cardboard box and has standard sights. The box does say 11884 for the model, and it did have 3 mags. (shrug)

I had an early 45 Shield. Liked it so well that I bought one of the Performance Center versions, with a 4 inch unported barrel. This one is really sweet.

It looks like I'm the odd man out here. I have 3 Shields:

1) Shield 1.0, 9mm -- About 3.5 years of carry and ~750-800 flawless rounds.

2) Shield Plus, 9mm -- 150 rounds through it (100 FMJ + 50 Speer Gold Dots). Ran perfectly.

3) 4" PC Shield 45 -- Not so perfect. Feeding issues. I ran about 300 rounds of 230 grain ball through it, thinking maybe it was a break-in issue. No dice. Sent it back to S&W. They replaced the locking block and maybe something else. I'm about 100 rounds post-TriptotheMothership, and still having feeding issues. It's an accurate, soft-shooting pistol, and I like it, but I get some kind of misfeed about every 2-3 magazines.

I had a Glock 36 .45 like that and I gave it to a friend who was aware of the problems I was having.

I figured if it didn't work when it was brand new it never would.

I replaced it with my Shield 45 which IMO a much nicer and better gun.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

I bought mine to use as my EDC so for me I wouldn't need higher capacity magazines.

And since I went back to my 642-1 for my EDC I'm hot sure just
how much I'll ever shoot my Shield 45.

If I'm just shooting for fun I like shooting my full size M&P .45.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

I did end up calling Lawman's and paid for the magazines.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.