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Well, I decided to be a contrarian, even to my own inclinations!

I picked up a Smith & Wesson M&P 45 at the Fort Worth Gun Show yesterday. It's the full size model in Dark Earth color with a black slide. Here's what sold me:

• Fully ambidextrous controls, including the slide release and magazine release. The mag release is reversible, and taking it out and turning around took all of about 2 minutes.
• Ambidextrous thumb safety. I know, I know... It has a trigger safety, yada, yada, yada. I still like me a thumb safety.
• Lower bore axis in relation to the frame than the XD, but it still has a pronounced "beaver tail" so the slide won't bite you. Lower height = less muzzle flip.
• Relatively light weight - almost an ounce lighter than the Glock 21, one of its competitors.
• Changeable back straps. It came with the medium one installed, and it fit my hand even better than the XD. I tried installing the smaller back strap, and it is now perfect.
• It feels very much like a 1911. In fact, the ergonomics are very much like a 1911 and it points very naturally.
• Trigger pull is about a pound heavier than a Glock 21, but it has a shorter pull, and it breaks crisply, unlike the Glock.
• The above comes at the sacrifice of 3 rounds of capacity compared to the Glock 21. The M&P is a 10+1 magazine. On the other hand, if 22 rounds of .45 ACP isn't enough, I have pressing business elsewhere.
• Legal in California when I have to go out there later this year for family reasons.
• Gun show price was $599.00, which is pretty affordable for a premium brand fighting gun. (The H&K USP Compact .40 it is replacing was purchased for $740.00 in 2007)
• Built in America, by Americans, working for an American company.

Here's a picture of what it looks like:



Here is a review from GunBlast.com

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Just teasing!

Congrats on the purchase.

Congratulations, TAM - that gun is on par with the XD and an excellent choice, although somewhat more expensive than the XD. I nearly bought one myself but settled on the XD instead, primarily for a slightly better trigger action. The difference is minor, but it was enough to throw the balance to the XD for me.

You can't go wrong with either of these guns.

The Annoyed Man wrote:Well, I decided to be a contrarian, even to my own inclinations!

I picked up a Smith & Wesson M&P 45

We're not speaking to you anymore.

Kidding!..
Congrats on the new gun. I've heard great things about those. It seems you've done your homework.

I almost got an M&P....until I read about the XD 20,000 round torture test.

Great choice! We love our's. I hope you enjoy shooting it as much as we do. I made CDP Expert in IDPA without doing anything but changing from shooting a 1911 to shooting an M&P. The administrative stuff like reloads are significantly faster. We figure about 20,000 rounds through it and we both shoot it!

The Annoyed Man wrote:[*]Legal in California when I have to go out there later this year for family reasons.

Just make sure you only have 10 round mags.

Otherwise, I assume you're referring to California's roster of approved handguns? Fortunately for the California visitor, that doesn't prohibit the possession of a "non approved" handgun, you just can't buy it from a dealer in California.

I have been considering an XD myself so this information is interesting to read. I do currently have one S&W auto, so maybe I will look at one of these instead to keep it "all in the family".

Congrats on your new toy!

SQLGeek wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:[*]Legal in California when I have to go out there later this year for family reasons.

Just make sure you only have 10 round mags.

Otherwise, I assume you're referring to California's roster of approved handguns? Fortunately for the California visitor, that doesn't prohibit the possession of a "non approved" handgun, you just can't buy it from a dealer in California.

I have been considering an XD myself so this information is interesting to read. I do currently have one S&W auto, so maybe I will look at one of these instead to keep it "all in the family".

Congrats on your new toy!

I'm originally from California, and have had to live with their stupid "10 round rule" for years. But just to make sure, I went to the CA attorney general's website for these issues (http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/) and checked to see if mine is legal. It is, and it does have 10 round mags. That's actually why I checked in the first place. It could be "legal," as in meets all their requirements, but actually be "not legal" because it isn't on their stupid list. I would rather risk losing this $599 pistol when I get there, than to risk losing a $1,000+ Kimber.

BTW, Bonus points! I discovered that the M&P fits (more or less) into the shoulder holster designed for my USP Compact (ditto for the spare mag), so I can actually carry this pistol pending the purchase of a model specific holster for it.

Nice choice! I know it shoots great too.
1.5 years back I was totally new to handguns, after tedious research and forum prowling I was 100% sold on getting an XD-M for carry, it looked great and everyone that had one loved theirs.... Then I finally got to the gun shop ready to buy and found that it didn't "fit me". I have medium to small hands, wanted something in 40 or 45. The 45 was way too big and the 40 just didn't feel 100% secure for me. I was bummed out.


The counter guy put a M&P 40 compact in my hand and that was all she wrote. It felt secure (medium back-strap) and shoots great, so far 100% reliable. Good design and excellent customer service from personal experience(s) in the last year.

Fast forward to Last December, I wanted a full-size 40 or 45 for designated home use. Fortunately I gave the M&P full-size 45 a try with the small back-strap installed and it fit. After buying it this would be the first time I had even shot a 45! It too is flawless and is even easier to control that the 40 compact of course. *Fyi a very decent forum for this gun is MP-Pistol.com. TexasCHL and this one are the only forums I really even bother to look at. There is info and directions there if you are interested in removing the thumb safety, doing trigger work or 3rd party replacements of sear, plunger, etc discussed. I got a 9mm conversion barrel for the 40 compact after reading about it there and works great too.

Does the M&P have the magazine disconnect "safety feature"? If so can it be disabled?

I have smaller hands as well so maybe the M&P would be just the ticket.

I love my M&P 40 and my XD45. Great choice on either!

FWIW, my next purchase will be an M&P 45 but the c model without the thumb safety and it's just a little shorter stopping right at the end of the rail.

SQLGeek wrote:Does the M&P have the magazine disconnect "safety feature"? If so can it be disabled?

I have smaller hands as well so maybe the M&P would be just the ticket.

I don't believe it does. I haven't tried it with a live round, but you can dry fire it without a magazine in place, so it must not have the disconnect.

The way to find out is to try dry firing it without a magazine. I have the magazine safety on mine. I like it because I believe the magazine drop better and faster with it then when it has been removed. And yse the safety can be removed.

Thanks TAM and Comp. All this talking is driving me nuts...I need to go check me out some guns.

TAM / anyone:

California, and I believe Massachusetts, have the '10 round mag'
restriction.

If you load the M & P to its full 10 + 1 capability, does that break
the California rules? Since you would then have a weapon loaded
with 11 rounds?

SIA