[D-Man]

I had been thinking about a new .45, and since I already have a 1911 (S&W), I was focusing on a hi-cap polymer model. The three main competitors were the Glock 21/21SF, S&W M&P, and XD45.



I had to rule out the Glock immediately, as the grip just was too big for my hands.



This morning I compared both the M&P to the XD. Honestly both felt very good in my hand, but in the end I went with the M&P for the following reasons:



1) The guns were similarly priced, but with the rebate/mag promo I'll get $50 back and 2 free magazines.



2) I like the 1911 styled thumb safety.



3) The M&P sits lower in my hand, which should give me less flip and better recoil handling.



4) While the M&P does lose out in capacity by 3 rounds, as we've seen there are rumors of extended capacity magazines. Even if longer in length than the 10 rounders, they shouldn't be much longer than how the XD is stock.



5) I am a happy S&W owner (1911, 642, and 19-3).



I just cleaned it up, and hope to take it to the range tomorrow for it's break-in. After a few sessions, I am planning to send it out to get a trigger job, new sights, and other cosmetic add-ons.



By the way, one thing that suprised me is that I think I prefer the medium backstrap. I don't have large hands, and initially felt the gun with the small backstrap on, but the medium filled out better in my hand. Heck, even the large didn't feel that bad!



If I make it to the range tomorrow, I'll be sure to add my report to this.

 

[m4arc]

That sounds good man!



I'm going to be getting one soon because I love my M&P9 so much that I just have to have one in 45ACP!

 

[sholling]

I have the M&P45 with thumb safety and just so you know the trigger really benefits from being pulled. After roughly 100 dry fires and 100rds it dropped from an obscene 9-1/2lbs to a slightly heavy but very smooth 7lbs. It'll still get a trigger job but not lower than 5lbs.

 

[D-Man]

I braved the light snow and low 30 degree temps to hit the outdoor range this morning (the stations are covered, so it's not too bad). Anyway, I shot just over 100 rounds of mostly FMJ, and came away very impressed! For comparison purposes, I also took my S&W1911 with me.



Bear in mind that I'm a novice shooter, but one thing that surprised me was that the M&P handled recoil nicer than the 1911 - the 1911 had more muzzle rise to it.



Another interesting observation was that after shooting the M&P, gripping the 1911 felt weird - almost like it was too thin. I have Ahrends wood grips on my 1911, and they are actually a little thicker than the stock wood panels. But the ergonomics of the M&P (I had the medium in) won out.



The magazines are very tough to load, and most times I just put 9 in. I assume these will break in, but getting the 2 extra free mags will be nice to have.



I couldn't tell how accurate it was since the outdoor range targets are objects (bowling pins mostly) hung in the air 25 yards away. I'll need to take the time to drive to the indoor range to shoot at closer distances.



Again, I expected a good experience from reading other glowing reviews on the M&P45, but didn't think it would be that good! And I can't imagine how much it will improve after I send it out for some work!!

 

[tsix]

Great to hear you had such a good first outing and congrats on the purchase!

The magazines are very tough to load, and most times I just put 9 in. I assume these will break in, but getting the 2 extra free mags will be nice to have.

I would highly recommend you get the UpLula mag loader, as I have run well over a thousand rounds and the mags have not loosened up noticeably (I have been leaving them with 10 in the mag). Either that, or expect some blisters before you get the callouses built up...

 

[coltman1985]

congrats~!

 

[98z28]

Congrats on the new gun.



Novice or no, hitting bowling pins at 25 yards is good shootin'.

 

[D-Man]

Congrats on the new gun.



Novice or no, hitting bowling pins at 25 yards is good shootin'.

Well, I definitely wasn't hitting them on every shot, though maybe in time I will. The tough part is it's hard to tell if I was missing by one inch or one foot. I hope maybe in early December I can take a trip to the indoor range and see how it runs.

 

[LarryNH]

Congrats on your choice of .45's. I have been shooting 1911's for many years. 1 shot with the M&P with the small grip, I was sold and I bought my first one.

The promo pressured me into the second one. LOL



I had one heck of a time loading the mags to capacity also. I tried 3 or 4 different mag loaders. It went better but when I got my Uplula from the M&P store I found the perfect mag loader that fits all of my mags perfectly.



I never leave the range because I ran out of ammo. I usually bring hundreds of rounds. My thumb pain was what would end my day of shooting. Now leave because I am done shooting and want to go home.



My highest praise for the Uplula, regardless of the wierd name

It is worth it's weight in gold.