I like shooting one handed but from this distance it's all bravado. Nevertheless, the recoil is nice, and it feels good. I may have even hit the target - but I kind of doubt it! Lol!
There's a lot to say about this pistol. I was wrong about it being out of Houston PD; I emailed S&W and submitted the SN, asking if they could provide me some history of the gun. Turns out it was made in 2007, at the request of Hartford CT PD. This was the first order of this particular gun by a major PD and the order was for 500 of them.
That leads me directly to the safety on the weapon. Now, I'm not getting into whether or not I favor a safety; that's too much like Democrat vs Republican and I don't like being told how I ought to think. But I ordered this gun for around $300 and I didn't care one way or another if it had a safety or not. It was a Police trade in - a S&W .45 for three hundred bucks.
That being said, from what my researches told me, the Police Chief at Hartford personally chose this pistol based a lot upon the safety features. He was concerned very much so, about gun grabs. The weapon can be charged with the safety engaged, the magazine can be dropped, but the weapon not fired - the mag disconnect. The thumb safety is ambidextrous, leaf style and not unlike that of the 1911. I found myself engaging the safety between magazine insertions and it flipped up easily using the side of the thumb. After I acquired a sight picture it flipped down easily using the thumb. Doing this did not take me off target or anything. It was there and I used it. It came with the gun.
I ran my second box of 50 through it yesterday. And I was looking for it to malfunction - which it did not. Now, all did not bode well for these pistols at Hartford PD - Officers complained of the slide slamming home upon magazine insertion, of failure to eject, and of missfeeding. What resulted is that in 2011 Hartford PD switched to the Glock 22.
All that being said, this is one of those controversial pistols. Now, I've run 100 rounds through it. And I haven't had a problem - yet...
Edit: Spellin
That leads me directly to the safety on the weapon. Now, I'm not getting into whether or not I favor a safety; that's too much like Democrat vs Republican and I don't like being told how I ought to think. But I ordered this gun for around $300 and I didn't care one way or another if it had a safety or not. It was a Police trade in - a S&W .45 for three hundred bucks.
That being said, from what my researches told me, the Police Chief at Hartford personally chose this pistol based a lot upon the safety features. He was concerned very much so, about gun grabs. The weapon can be charged with the safety engaged, the magazine can be dropped, but the weapon not fired - the mag disconnect. The thumb safety is ambidextrous, leaf style and not unlike that of the 1911. I found myself engaging the safety between magazine insertions and it flipped up easily using the side of the thumb. After I acquired a sight picture it flipped down easily using the thumb. Doing this did not take me off target or anything. It was there and I used it. It came with the gun.
I ran my second box of 50 through it yesterday. And I was looking for it to malfunction - which it did not. Now, all did not bode well for these pistols at Hartford PD - Officers complained of the slide slamming home upon magazine insertion, of failure to eject, and of missfeeding. What resulted is that in 2011 Hartford PD switched to the Glock 22.
All that being said, this is one of those controversial pistols. Now, I've run 100 rounds through it. And I haven't had a problem - yet...
Edit: Spellin
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My carry pistols. I also have an LCP when I need to go real small.
The two I carry...
Kimber Super Carry Pro HD in a Galco Vhawk
Sig P238 Equinox in a Desantis Nemesis
Kimber Super Carry Pro HD in a Galco Vhawk
Sig P238 Equinox in a Desantis Nemesis
Well I never would have thought it possible, but last week the 45 outshot the Makarov. This really, really surprised me. The distance was 25 yards to target. The first target is the Makarov. The second is the M&P 45. This makes exactly 150 bullets I've run through this Police trade in, and I haven't had any anomalies yet. Now, the trigger on the Makarov is better and the recoil is a whole lot less. This also might be the best I've ever shot with the Makarov - it's right up there. But the M&P defeated it handily. I can't say why, for certain. Well, I've started carrying it concealed, because it really shines.
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This pistol is a little large on the carry side of the house, but I was determined to carry it. So I experimented around. I didn't want to go overboard, so I looked at functional experiments. I began with the iwb. I had a Glock 30 SF that I'd carried iwb in a Crossbreed. I didn't like carrying that way. Maybe I had my hopes up too high because it's such a popular mode of carry.
I got this nice looker on EBay. And boy, it looks sharp. But I knew it wasn't going to fly in the long run. Not with this full size 45.
I got this nice looker on EBay. And boy, it looks sharp. But I knew it wasn't going to fly in the long run. Not with this full size 45.
YEAH!!!!!! I always knew good old American ingenuity could beat those rat commie bastige...
Seriously, thanks for this. I appreciate the pics and input. I am a huge fan of the M&P series of pistols, reliable, accurate for self defense and not so darn expensive you cannot afford one.
David
Seriously, thanks for this. I appreciate the pics and input. I am a huge fan of the M&P series of pistols, reliable, accurate for self defense and not so darn expensive you cannot afford one.
David
What it came back to in the final analyses yet again, was the Kangaroo chest band. Now that presented problems because the chest band doesn't provide rigid trigger protection. That's why I'm skittish with strikers. I like a double action first round, like on a Makarov or a Beretta. And I like a decocker. I not as critical of revolvers as a lot of people, either.
But, I got this carry on Buds, for about $300. Now, you get a giveaway like this you can't go looking a gift horse in the mouth. I was determined to carry this M&P 45. Yes, it has a thumb safety but I still wanted that trigger protected.
And so I looked and looked. Then I came across these Kydex trigger guards and I ordered one. Now, it this thing works real good.
I bought a dual magazine pouch for iwb and I carry it on my Kangaroo, also. All of this is easily adjustable to the sweet spot to where you're not uncomfortable. The 45 rides real good like this, and the flat profile doesn't dig into the ribs like say, a Ruger Alaskan revolver does. It's the mags that I find myself microadjusting - not the M&P.
I've been wearing this rig more and more. Almost continuously now. I am almost on board with making this my carry all the time. Now, I always have my 340 in my pocket.
But, I got this carry on Buds, for about $300. Now, you get a giveaway like this you can't go looking a gift horse in the mouth. I was determined to carry this M&P 45. Yes, it has a thumb safety but I still wanted that trigger protected.
And so I looked and looked. Then I came across these Kydex trigger guards and I ordered one. Now, it this thing works real good.
I bought a dual magazine pouch for iwb and I carry it on my Kangaroo, also. All of this is easily adjustable to the sweet spot to where you're not uncomfortable. The 45 rides real good like this, and the flat profile doesn't dig into the ribs like say, a Ruger Alaskan revolver does. It's the mags that I find myself microadjusting - not the M&P.
I've been wearing this rig more and more. Almost continuously now. I am almost on board with making this my carry all the time. Now, I always have my 340 in my pocket.
Yeh, David, if they had not been giving these away on Buds, I'd have never gotten it. I feel better now that I have the Kydex trigger guard and I can carry in the Kangaroo chest band. That trigger is very, very protected. Of course, certainly, there are very fine iwb holsters that will do this, but I am a fan of carrying up high on the chest, under the arm. Especially with these big shooters.
Now, it's like I say, I always carry two, and my fast go to is my 340.
Looks like you are all set. Looks good, I had never seen the trigger guards like those, looking them up as we speak...
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