Finished my purchase comparison: M&P45C vs. Glock 30S Gen 4 vs. XDm .45

I've been working on finalizing my choice for my next .45 ACP Semi-Auto and the last to be compared was the XDm .45. My current .45 ACP's consist of the Springfield Armory 1911 TRP and the Springfield Armory XD/s .45. The TRP is strictly a range/competition gun, while the XDs serves solely as a CCW. I felt the need to get something that fell more towards the middle. After deciding to buy the M&P40C, I thought it would be an easy decision to add the M&P45C. But it didn't turn out to be that simple.

Before I go further, I am going to emphatically state there is no bad gun among the choice of these 3 semi-auto .45 ACP's. It truly comes down to personal preference of feel, function and adaptiveness to the gun's ergonomics. When I qualify at the range for semi-auto I typically shoot my Glock G19, but have also used my G23 and G26, so you can see I am not a stranger to the Glocks which allowed me to be right at home with the 30S. I also like my M&P40C which shares space with my G23 in the compact .40S&W category. And the XDs is a nice feel in my hand which helped me easily welcome the XDm. So while it is not out of the realm of possibility to one day own all three of these models, I had to pick one to start with. So without dragging this out any further, I ranked these .45 ACP semi-autos in this order of my preference of ownership:

1. Glock 30S
2. Springfield Armory XDm
3. S&W M&P45C

The Glock was just a consistent stand out for me with its fluid feel, wonderful trigger and familiarity like it's been my partner for decades.

The XDm was everything I expected it to be and was on par with Glock in many aspects and it reminded me very much of my XDs in as lightly larger package.

The M&P45C feels great in the hand, what made it fall behind was the trigger. It felt gritty and not smooth. Maybe that goes away in time, maybe it requires the ever popular Apex replacement. In either case it didn't live up to what made me buy the M&P40C, but all else being on par save for the trigger on the example I tried, it was close to being a tie for second place.

So today I put my deposit down on the Glock 30S. I did also note that Springfield currently has a buying incentive on of 3 extra magazine with a pistol purchase, so that may important to someone looking for a better deal. I get a little bit of savings as I am buying through Glock's Blue Label program, so that extra savings is appreciated...

As I mentioned, there may be a time I complete the purchase of all 3, but right now the 30S comes home with me first.

I bought a 30s a while back. For me it's the almost perfect combination of concealability and firepower.

I also looked at the XDS as well as a Kahr CW45 and others. On my short list is a Glock 41.

RevolverDen said:

So today I put my deposit down on the Glock 30S.

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Congratulations! Does the grip on the 30S feel "fatter" that the grips on the 9mm Glocks you own, or the other .45s you looked at?

JohnSW said:

Congratulations! Does the grip on the 30S feel "fatter" that the grips on the 9mm Glocks you own, or the other .45s you looked at?

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If I may, the 30s uses the 30SF frame which is a little more ergonomic. I have average size hands. I wear a size large glove. The 30s fits my hand well. But I did have to put magazine extensions on my mags which extended them about a quarter inch. The 30s is a little "fatter" than the Glock 19. But not much IMO.

Kanewpadle said:

I bought a 30s a while back. For me it's the almost perfect combination of concealability and firepower.

I also looked at the XDS as well as a Kahr CW45 and others. On my short list is a Glock 41.

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I agree about the G41 being a worthy acquisition too.


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JohnSW said:

Congratulations! Does the grip on the 30S feel "fatter" that the grips on the 9mm Glocks you own, or the other .45s you looked at?

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I might have felt a slight initial difference, but no standout issue that made the grip uncomfortable at all. I didn't actually put a tape measure on it though to see a number difference.


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I never got to try a MP45c. When I was looking for a double stack .45, they were simply not available. I got the Xdm 3.8 .45 compact and it actually worked well due to its size - shot and carried well.

A little over a year ago I got the Glock 30S (and finally found a 9rd magazine for a touch less overall height) and never looked back. It has become my favorite double stack .45 to carry. I think that is because of the smoother curves on the grip (less aggressive texture) and more significantly it's lighter by several ounces in overall weight compared to the XDm.

The 30S lighter weight makes for more recoil at the range and if I wanted more of a range gun than a carry piece, the XDm would be the better choice. I found for me the 30S is a good compromise between "carrying ability" and manageable recoil. Wished I could have tried the MP45c, but at this point I am not feeling the need to look for one.

While I can tuck in my shirt with it if I wanted to, I tend to go to the M&P compact in 9/40 when I want to carry a double stack and have to tuck in my shirt. I found the 9c/40c's smaller grip radius makes the tucking in of my shirt work a little better.

I first owned a Glock 30. It felt too chunky. I then bought a M&P 45c. It felt much better in my hand and shot well. The trigger on my gun was quite nice. A friend talked me into a trade, and since I knew I could always get another, I went for it. In the mean time, the Glock 30S came out. I bought it and liked it quite a bit, but it didn't feel the same in my hand. I ended up selling it and getting another M&P 45c. It still feels better to me. The new one also has a good trigger and is quite accurate.

Now keep in mind, I've carried Glocks since the G21 was first introduced into the U.S. I've been a Glock fan since the early days, although I had to be drug into it kicking and screaming, plastic and all. I never believed that a better gun in all considerations would ever be made. The M&P 45c and the Shield both are the guns I never expected. However, nothing in 9mm can replace my G19/34/26

RevolverDen said:

I am going to emphatically state there is no bad gun among the choice of these 3 semi-auto .45 ACP's. It truly comes down to personal preference of feel, function and adaptiveness to the gun's ergonomics.

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That was my take on when I went looking for a full size combat poly 45, the Glock and XD were too big for me, but the M&P was just right.

Kanewpadle said:

I bought a 30s a while back. For me it's the almost perfect combination of concealability and firepower.

I also looked at the XDS as well as a Kahr CW45 and others. On my short list is a Glock 41.

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I couldn't help myself as a friend recommended both the 30S and 41 Gen4, then I saw your post and called up my friend who owned the 41 to go to the range with me and bring along his 41. After shooting a box of 50 through it, I bee-lined back to the LGS and purchased the 41 to go along with the 30S. If I keep this up I may have to sell one of my recent revolver purchases.

The "SF" frames make a HUGE difference in how the large frame Glocks feel in the hand! I've handled the G21 and it felt overly long and awkward. When I bought my G20SF it felt virtually perfect...as does my G29SF! I'm currently looking at picking up a G30SF quite because the model line really fits the average-to-large hand extremely well.
The "SF" is radically different from the "S" model....it is basically a shortened version of the full-size model, while the "S" is a single-stack and a very different frame.

Hans Gruber said:

The "SF" frames make a HUGE difference in how the large frame Glocks feel in the hand! I've handled the G21 and it felt overly long and awkward. When I bought my G20SF it felt virtually perfect...as does my G29SF! I'm currently looking at picking up a G30SF quite because the model line really fits the average-to-large hand extremely well.
The "SF" is radically different from the "S" model....it is basically a shortened version of the full-size model, while the "S" is a single-stack and a very different frame.

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Not quite. The 30S is a double stack 45. It is the combination of a 30SF frame and the narrower 36 single stack slide and barrel. It is about 4 oz ounces lighter than the 30SF. There is no difference between the 30S frame and the frame used on the 30SF.