So I'm looking at the M&P45

JSandi

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I'm new to the M&P line, I've only followed it to the extent that I know it exists, had a few bugs which S&W worked out and it now has a huge following.

I'm a 1911 fan at heart and prefer .45 ACP.

Glock's are out of the question for me...

H&K's too much money...

So what about the M&P .45?

I like the mid size gun, looks like one could carry it concealed, but the extra barrel on the FS one would be nice too...

Thumb safeties, CT laser grips, surefire lights plus those 14 round mags make this the perfect bump in the night gun.

Lets hear from those who own them, carry them and run them...

Good, bad, ugly and the indifferent!
 
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I've got a full size M&P 45 (no safety) with 4.5" barrel. It's my night stand gun, and I occasionally open carry it at work (LGS) Concealing this brute isn't really an option for me. I love it, but its not perfect.

The Good:

45 ACP

45 ACP

45 ACP.... OK I'm done.

Very comfortable in hand. Palm swells can be swapped out.

Points very naturally.

Sweet shooter (recoil is not bad).

Accurate.

The ergonomics of this gun are top notch.

There's a design feature where if you slam in a loaded mag with the slide locked back, it will automatically release and chamber a round without having to hit the slide lock lever or pull back the slide. I thought this was kind of a novelty until I recently participated in a 3-gun competition. It makes reloads so fast. I love it.

The Bad:

Relatively low capacity (10), although if an extra 2 rounds means the grip needs to be brick-like, like on a glock 21, then I'm ok with the trade off.

The trigger*

*FWIW, my pistol was bought new in Feb 2013, before Smith addressed the trigger issues in their M&P's. Mine was gritty, heavy, and had virtually no detectable reset. After spending $80 on the Apex DCAEK, there is no grit, the break is much lighter and crisper, however the reset is still pretty weak. But I've shot it enough that I know exactly where it resets.

I bought a new Shield a few weeks ago and the factory trigger is leaps and bounds better than my 45 was out of the box. I plan on doing no mods to it, and I've been told that all recent M&Ps should have the better trigger, so you should be good to go.


That said, overall I love this gun and don't hesitate to trust my or my wife's life to it. It's also a fun range toy. No regrets.

Good luck!
 
If you want to carry it, consider the compact. I'm a huge fan of the mid-sized 45 (don't know why, I just love it) but it's not the easiest gun in the world to conceal during the summer months. A compact with an x-grip magazine extension is just about the same thing as the mid-sized M&P.
 
You didn't really say what you want it for.... I suspect for general use... maybe a little range time, bedside, CCW... etc.. all around, it is a special gun in my book. Not the ideal concealed carry gun, but doable under the right situation, amazing accuracy and easy to shoot at the range.. just remember it is not a 1911.. but it sure does make for a fun range time.. and everything Columbus said!!

Oh ya, almost forgot, I base my comments on owning a FS 45..... not to mention 6 other M&P's of various combos..:)
 
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The trigger*
After spending $80 on the Apex DCAEK, there is no grit, the break is much lighter and crisper, however the reset is still pretty weak. But I've shot it enough that I know exactly where it resets.
Good luck!

First off, thanks for the positive post!

Second, 3-gun is for 9mm unless you're shooting USPSA 3 gun. The brass for the .45 is just too $$$.

About the reset: I noticed I was having trouble with my APEX FSS with the ultralight comp spring installed. The reset just wasn't powerful enough and I eventually out ran the gun. I have installed the four pound trigger reset spring and life is a lot better. I realize we don't have the same trigger kit, but if yours came with a heavier reset spring, I suggest installing that one or even returning to the OEM. I haven't had any issues since making this change and I now have very positive reset.
Best of luck!
 
Thanks for the replies.

I guess this gun would serve bedside duty, with CT laser grips, X300 and a 14 round mag.

Occasional carry when weather permits a jacket.

My primary carry gun is a trusty S&W J Frame, but a 9mm Shield could very well be in my future too...
 
I purchased a new M&P45 mid size back in August. My gun was pretty fresh and came with a fired shell casing dated 7/2013. My gun has the barrel with the single punch mark next to the locking lug, which I believe indicates some kind of revision.

I've read about the supposed revisions that S&W made to these later guns in terms of trigger feel and reset. Frankly, I can't detect any reset in the trigger, either tactile or audible. Out of the box it had a spongy trigger feel with a gritty take up. The trigger had what I would describe as a sloppy break. I'm not one to complain about triggers as I shoot DAO J Frames pretty well, so this trigger is still fine for duty and even target work. I've noticed that with lots of dry fire practice and range time, the trigger is getting better.

Now for the biggest issue I had with the gun. Out of the box it was having a constant Failure To Feed (FTF) issue. It was quite common, usually every 7-10 rounds. It happened with reloads, OEM ball ammo, hollow point carry ammo. You name it, it choked on it.

I'm no gunsmith but, looking at the gun I could see what looked like a burr or small imperfection on the back of the extractor. Probably just a small glitch in the MIM process used to manufacture that component. Rather than goof up a brand new gun, I just called S&W and explained the problem. As usual, their customer service was great, they paid shipping both ways and they had the gun back in my hands in 2.5 weeks. I've run 250 rounds through it since it has been back from the shop and it has been completely reliable. S&W installed a new extractor to resolve the issue.

Overall I would recommend the M&P 45, I think it's a good value. It falls in between a service model XD and a Glock in terms of price. You can usually find the mid size M&P 45 for $480 shipped if you look around online. I would just make sure you put lots of ammo through it to verify it will be reliable. I had read about the FTF issue on these forums before I purchased mine but the consensus was that the FTF issues seemed to plague the early guns. I got a gun with a born on date of 7/2013 and mine still had some bugs to be worked out. Just know that if you do have problems, S&W will stand behind it and make it right.
 
I have an M&P45 mid-size - if that's the one with the full 10-rd grip and the 4" barrel. No problem concealing it (but I also conceal a SIG P226 .40 S&W. When I initially bought it, the trigger was too heavy, and the reset too long. A quick trip to Dan Burwell of Burwell Gunsmithing fixed all that 9he had previously done a M&P9 and a M&P9C for me). Everything has been great since then (short reset. 4-lb trigger, etc). If you a big fan of the .45ACP, go for it. BTW, Dan's trigger job is only $65 (plus shipping). In fact, I recently bought a new M&P40 (my 4th M&P). The trigger was improved over the older factory triggers, but still not to my liking. I've already sent it off to Burwell.
 
I'm a 1911 guy, but bought a used M&P full size, no safety, a few years ago. I have used it in a few matches, and in one SD course. I might have 800-1000 rounds through it, mostly 200-grain LSWC. No malfunctions. None.

Regarding the tendency to "self chamber" when a magazine is briskly inserted when reloading, I have spent so much time learning to quickly retract the slide on a semi-auto to chamber the first round in the magazine that I found that I was inadvertently ejecting the top round when shooting the M&P. (I was pulling the slide after the round was chambered). When shooting the M&P I now hold myself back just a little.

I like the caliber, the light rail, the light weight, the standard capacity and the ergonomics. It's as utilitarian as the Glock, but feels better.

I see no need to change the trigger. It's not a 1911 but it's much easier than a DA revolver or DA semi-auto. I can't hear or feel reset anyway; I'm usually too busy thinking about what I'm shooting at.

The 1911 conceals better, and is my preferred carry piece. The M&P is what resides in my "get home" bag with other emergency stuff.

Good gun.
 
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I have an M&P45 mid-size - if that's the one with the full 10-rd grip and the 4" barrel. No problem concealing it (but I also conceal a SIG P226 .40 S&W. When I initially bought it, the trigger was too heavy, and the reset too long. A quick trip to Dan Burwell of Burwell Gunsmithing fixed all that 9he had previously done a M&P9 and a M&P9C for me). Everything has been great since then (short reset. 4-lb trigger, etc). If you a big fan of the .45ACP, go for it. BTW, Dan's trigger job is only $65 (plus shipping). In fact, I recently bought a new M&P40 (my 4th M&P). The trigger was improved over the older factory triggers, but still not to my liking. I've already sent it off to Burwell.

I too like Mr. Burwell's trigger work. He performs magic.
 
My primary carry gun is a trusty S&W J Frame, but a 9mm Shield could very well be in my future too...
My 649 Bodyguard was my primary carry, but has been replaced by my Shield 9mm. With the advances made in the 9mm ammo, I have no worries about carrying it. Which ever way you go, the M&P line up will have you buying more. Just look at the guys who own them, alot own more than 2. I have 3!:D
 
Until I can figure out a way to insert magazines without using two hands, one M&P is just fine for me. I taught my left hand how to shoot a single action all by itself and now it has two guns of its own. I'm not ready to buy it a third yet.
 
I carry the mid-size during the winter and it is the perfect size for a EDC gun. It shoots well and I haven't had any reliability issues with 1500 rounds through the pipe. You can't go wrong with the M&P 45.
 
1911 is a doorstop- but a lot of folks like it. For a CCW pistol stay with 45 cal. Lasers and all that? star wars. I dont like a manual safety, one more thing to ==== with, compact- single stack- if you practice you wont need 400 rounds, or lights or lasers or any other attachments. you have to think of temp, where your going- if your bulging at the mall somone will beat you over the head with it. right load, holster, and a rubber neck
 
If you buy one, you'll buy more. I love the feel of the full size 45, but can't stand the way the 14-round mag looks and feels.
 
I've stated before many times that I love mine a lot. My trigger was gritty but I decided to just shoot the grittiness out. It was 100% gone at 1000 rounds. Now at 4000 or so its awesome. I believe that mine was made in April '09.
 
M&P45C Owner

I am relatively new to the M&P series, and still have much to learn.

Mine is a completely stock 45C with no safety and no mag disconnect.

I have a shade over 300 rounds through it with zero stoppages or malfunctions. Everything you can think of except wad-cutters.

I am very happy with my purchase, and after other failed attempts, this pistol has made .45ACP enjoyable once again. It mitigates recoil better than any .45 I've shot...and I've shot quite a few.

The C is essentially a standard M&P slide/barrel assembly (4") on a shorter height frame (8 rounds instead of 10). I purchased this to replace a Glock pistol as my carry gun. The good news is for bedside/hd use the 10 and even 14 round magazines snap right in. The accuracy and ease of shooting the big caliber is what won me over.

For a short time, I also had the FS 45, but the two were so close in capability that I decided to trade the FS for something else I was after and stick with the C model. The FS was also problem free and a good shooter. Here is a picture of both to compare the size difference. (It's not much). FS on top, C on bottom.

001640x480_zps10ea82d1.jpg


Hope this helps.
 
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