M&P Shield .40 or .45 ?

[okiegtrider]

This one really is all about personal preferences and what suits you. Reading these posts the .40 has it's share lovers and haters for sure, but appears to be less popular all around. The 9 and .45 seem to have equally positive reviews.

For me, it's a .40. About eighteen months ago, a friend of mine began singing the praises of his .40 Shield and insisted that I take it to the range and shoot it, promising that I would be pleasantly surprised. Turns out he was right. I liked it enough that shortly after I went out and bought my own. YMMV

 

[MyDads38]

I own all 3 calibers in the Shield, my very first purchase was the 40, then the 9 and then the 45. The 40 was so accurate, I added the 9mm. I have no qualms about any of the 3 but it would be nice if they offered the 9 and 40 in the same size as the 45. The 45 just seems to be perfect in all aspects.

 

[Smooth1]

I like my 40 Shield

 

[Bill Bates]

I haven't shot a 45 but I am reading and hearing about the 45 trigger all the time. The extra size would make carrying it an issue but I have yet to try the trigger on the 45.

I have a 9mm that my wife carries now and a .45acp Shield I carry. My wife best girl friend has a 40 and I have shot the it. When comparing all three the .45acp Shield is the pick of the litter.

My .45 has a better trigger than either 9mm or .40 S&W and hit fits my paw much better. The recoil is very manageable and less snappy than the .40 S&W ( which isn't all that bad or hard to manage). Simply the ergonomics of the .45 Shield work better to me than the slightly smaller 9 and 40.

As to the very slight increase in size for the .45acp Shield; when it comes to conceal carry there is virtually no difference between the ever so slightly smaller 9s and 40s and the 45. Either conceals easily and on my waist I can't tell the difference. The extra 1/32 of and inch in width and the extra almost quarter inch in grip length just makes the 45 Shield feel so much better in the hand and is imperceptible when it comes to concealment. I like the more aggressive stippling on the 45 Shield. The 9mm and 40 Shield out of the box are just a tad slick if your hand is at all sweaty (you correct this quickly with some grip tape by outfits like Talon)

 

[Bourget117]

I'll throw in my opinion here as well. While I don't own any of the shields, I have shot all three. I don't like the .40 at all. In fact I don't really like any .40 except for the Sig P229. The .45 is surprisingly soft shooting. Doesn't really feel like a .45 at all. Almost like a 9mm with a heavier grain bullet. And as mentioned in some of the other posts, the slightly larger size and the more aggressive grip texture really do feel much better than the others. I am seriously considering picking up the .45 now after recently trying one.

 

[SpectrePilot]

M&P Shield .40 or .45 ?

After reading this thread, and several others to add or confirm details, but primarily because of this thread I abandoned my pursuit of a Colt Defender Lightweight .45 and bought a Shield .45 today at less than half the price.



Range day this Saturday so I can't wait to see just how well it shoots and how happy I am with the purchase. With the rebate how could I go wrong?

 

[SpectrePilot]

M&P Shield 45 range report

I shot my new Shield 45 this weekend along with my Glock 30SF. I only shot a total of 100 rounds of Winchester white box 230 grain ball. I experienced no malfunctions with either pistol.

Accuracy was not finely evaluated but at 5 yards I did shoot the entire middle out of target. They both exhibit similar accuracy at that range, unsupported standing. Both pistols shot POA-POI at that range which in my mind is very practical.

The recoil I felt was about the same in both pistols. I've shot the Glock a lot and was honestly surprised the Shield 45 was so similar since it is a good bit lighter and much more compact. Attribute this to the recoil spring set up and the grip shape I suppose. I did note the muzzle rise seemed higher with the Shield but it was in no way a problem.

The trigger in the Shield 45 is noticeably better than the Glock. It is crisper with a better break, it is lighter, and it has a similar tactile reset that is very welcome.

The Shield 45 magazines are hard to load. A tight spring was surely the cause but they are pretty hard to get the rounds in and under the feed lips. That will soften with time I'm sure.

I did notice the Shield 45 slide lock was very sensitive to any pressure at all. If I was riding over it with the slightest pressure it would fail to lock the slide open after the last round. Just have to concentrate on grip to avoid the slide lock.

It's a keeper for sure and once I get a good holster (already ordered an IWB kydex from High Noon Holsters) it will replace my Glock 26 as the primary for CCW.

 

[John Reid]

+1 vote for the Shield .45 ACP.

 

[BigDog48]

+2--Love my Shield45!

 

[Dad_Roman]

+3--Love my Shield45!


3 outings so far. 274 down range with each one mine/hers. With Beavertails. Great fun.

FYI...558rds and only 1 unexplained FTE yesterday. Mammas gun, left the expended round in the chamber. Possible she did something since we have had -0- failures otherwise.

104 each yesterday.....


EDIT: rd count up to 730 through 2-45's... -0- failures....also have 2-9's...one new and one with a couple thousand through it.
.

 

[Brasky]

My vote would be for the shield 45.

While I have not shot the 9, I would recommend the 9 over the 40 if you like the smaller size as 9 is cheaper, more plentiful, has very similar ballistics with federal HST, holds more, and recoils less.

I would only recommend getting a 40 if you already have another firearm in 40 and a surplus of ammo

 

[bigfutz]

If your question about which handgun caliber is best...just don't go there. The 9/40 Shields have a little different feel from the 45, so you be the judge. If you are going for cheapest to buy and cheapest to shoot, go for the 9.

 

[mattwings]

I do not have the .40 as my last .40 was an SDVE and it was very diificult for me to shoot, so I have not wanted another since. I do have a .45 and 9mm. I like both, both are accuratw, but the 9mm is more consitent and cheaper for me (ammo is about 40% less). Shoot all three and buy what you prefer!

 

[fdw]

I really really like the 45 and find it very comfortable to shoot. I find it even more comfortable in my hand. If you are interested I just purchased 500 rounds of the below for $12.96 a box (reman) they are offering $5 flat rate shipping on orders above $125.

45 Auto 230 gr RN Reman | Freedom Munitions

Enjoy!

 

[Joe7]

my .02:
I shot a friends .40 Shield and did excellent with it.
Ordered a 9mm Shield for the extra round and the cost effectiveness.
While waiting for the 9mm to come in I purchased a P238.

Outcome:
Of the 3 I shoot my 9mm the worst for some reason. Not "bad", but not as well as my P238. Maybe it was just the day but I couldn't miss with my buddies .40. Go figure. I carry the 9mm or P238 depending on various circumstances.

My take:
Shoot whatever you can get your hands on first and then buy. We're all different.

 

[bigfutz]

Another thing to consider with the Shield 45... seems there are slightly fewer holster options. I was considering a Blade-Tech Klipt Ambi listed for "Shield" but seems it was designed for the 9 & 40 only. They don't have one listed for the 45 except in the RH only, which is quite a different make.

 

[Bozz10mm]

Another thing to consider with the Shield 45... seems there are slightly fewer holster options. I was considering a Blade-Tech Klipt Ambi listed for "Shield" but seems it was designed for the 9 & 40 only. They don't have one listed for the 45 except in the RH only, which is quite a different make.

Stealth Gear USA makes a holster for the Shield .45. Very nice, but pricey.

@OP: Get the .45

 

[Dad_Roman]

Little early still for a plethora of accessories to be available. No mag extensions/guts, few holsters etc etc.

Im patient....Im waiting...

 

[tbrock]

I have the 9 and 45.

For shooting, I love the 45. For carry, the 9 is easier as it is lighter and has a less aggressive grip texture. I put a Hogue grip on the 45 because the grip texture irritates my skin. (I don't wear a T shirt).

The 40 should be the same as the 9 as far as carry issues.

All that being said, if I could only have one, it would be the 45. It feels great in my hand, and shoots very well. With the 45, you just know it will do the job, despite all the hoopla about modern handgun cartridge development.

If you carry a 45, you qualify for a gold star on your Man Card.

 

[ScaryWoody]

I went 45. I have Glock 9's and 40's. The Shields small size, good capacity and great texture makes it a winner. It's now my daily carry. I gave up a few rounds to make really big holes.