I have been carrying the Shield 45 for a year now and I have decided to store it away. I am going to briefly go over this gun for anyone who is interested. 45 carry guns often come up, and I think this is one of, if not the best .45 carry option, that’s not a metal gun.
Pros- grip is great, it’s an M&P. That means it’s reliable and it has a lifetime warrently. It’s Accurate. It holds 7+1 6+ 1 which is on par with other 45 subcompacts but thinner. It’s easy to carry and conceal. Stock sights are decent though I changed them. The gun just really feels good in my had (for whatever that is worth to you). It’s not too small like some subcompacts.
Cons: here’s where I’m going to be more detailed.
Taking the back plate off to clean the striker channel is an absolute mess. That being said, Smith doesn’t want you taking that back plate off, and your average Joe probably won’t need to clean out that channel ever, but I like to easily disassemble and inspect all parts of my firearm (my other M&Ps allow this, the Shield 45 is the only one I’ve had issues with). The strikers in home is a little bigger, which makes me think it’s easier for small pieces to get into that channel.
This gun handles recoil well for its size, BUT it’s still 45 acp from a small gun. Follow up shots are slower, and recoil is more aggressive than a 9.
Magazines are a pain to re-assemble. I know this may seem like petty complaint, but maintenance is a big part of guns. I want to be able to clean a magazine in 2 minutes and be done (I don’t clean mags often, but when o do I want it to be a short endeavor).
Slide release- the slide release is further back on the gun and it is sensitive. I had to train to move my thumb over, but even with the change sometimes the recoil would cause my hand to shift and the gun would not lock back.
My M&P 45 Shield has been a great carry gun. I will be keeping it for sure. I’ve put well over 1,000 with undeniable reliability. I have just decided there are better tools for me and I’m moving to my M&P 9 for EDC. I can conceal it well and I shoot it much better than I can shoot a small .45.