Granddad
Member
I couldn't pass up a recent sale for the Shield 45. The pistol had received good reviews and I liked the idea of a small and light striker-fired 45 auto. Unboxing the pistol, I found the fit, finish and overall build quality to be good for a mass produced gun (IMO). Fully loaded with the 7 round mag, the gun was about 27 oz. which, by my standards, is pretty light for a carry 45 auto.
I've now made three trips to the range, going though 500 rounds of coated SWC and 100 rounds of XTP and Gold Dots with no function issues. While the grip texture felt like it might be abrasive, I really didn't notice it during or after the range sessions. It does "stick" to your hand and I can't imagine a situation where this pistol would slip in your hand while shooting. The rear cocking serrations are almost sharp-edged and do allow a sure grip in racking the slide. I found the trigger to be one of the best among the striker-fired pistols I've owned (my SIG P320 9mm is probably a little better but I haven't shoot them side-by-side). The trigger pull is smooth and seems fairly light (I don't have a trigger pull gauge), reset is noticeable and not too long. My real surprise was the accuracy of the pistol; at 7-8 yards it has been rather easy to keep 6 to 7 shot groups within 3 inches or less when I did my part. Also, I tended to shoot about 1.5 inches left if I didn't get enough finger on the trigger. Recoil was very manageable and quite a bit less than I expected for such a small pistol (I think the grip texture and grip length contributed to that). To this point, I am quite satisfied with the way the gun functions and shoots.
At some point I might change the sights, but otherwise I think it would make a good concealed carry pistol. I've been happy enough with it that I purchased a OWB from High Noon (I think the model is the "Snapper").
I've now made three trips to the range, going though 500 rounds of coated SWC and 100 rounds of XTP and Gold Dots with no function issues. While the grip texture felt like it might be abrasive, I really didn't notice it during or after the range sessions. It does "stick" to your hand and I can't imagine a situation where this pistol would slip in your hand while shooting. The rear cocking serrations are almost sharp-edged and do allow a sure grip in racking the slide. I found the trigger to be one of the best among the striker-fired pistols I've owned (my SIG P320 9mm is probably a little better but I haven't shoot them side-by-side). The trigger pull is smooth and seems fairly light (I don't have a trigger pull gauge), reset is noticeable and not too long. My real surprise was the accuracy of the pistol; at 7-8 yards it has been rather easy to keep 6 to 7 shot groups within 3 inches or less when I did my part. Also, I tended to shoot about 1.5 inches left if I didn't get enough finger on the trigger. Recoil was very manageable and quite a bit less than I expected for such a small pistol (I think the grip texture and grip length contributed to that). To this point, I am quite satisfied with the way the gun functions and shoots.
At some point I might change the sights, but otherwise I think it would make a good concealed carry pistol. I've been happy enough with it that I purchased a OWB from High Noon (I think the model is the "Snapper").
