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View Full Version : Compact .45auto for CCW


DHart
10-01-16, 14:01
I've carried a variety of .45s over the years, mostly 1911s, and of those, Commanders more than any other size.

More recently, I've carried polymer striker fired pistols for CCW more than my 1911s. The Glock 30 was one which I carried for a good while. Great pistol.

With so many small .45s to choose from these days, I've drilled down to what, for me, is an ideal choice for a compact .45 for CCW: the M&P45C, with 4" barrel.

I prefer it to the small single stack .45s because capacity is better, rapid fire controllability is better (.45auto is a stout caliber to shoot!), terminal ballistics are better with the longer barrel (4" vs. 3" or 3.3"), longer range accuracy is made easier with a longer sighting radius, and recoil is dispersed throughout the palm more widely than with the thin backstrap of a small single stack .45.

And with all of that, the M&P45C remains very easy to conceal and unobtrusive to carry. It really offers a great blend of desireable characteristics for a fighting .45 that is conveniently compact.

There are several magazine choices with this gun, the most compact of which is the 8 round mag (giving 8+1=9 round capacity) which has a flat base plate. This is my favorite magazine with the gun as it is so compact, but still allows a full 3-finger grip on the gun, even for my hands which are large/extra large glove size. And interchangeable back straps on the grip allow customizing grip size!

http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030987.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030987.jpg.html)

The M&P45C is about the same size as a Glock 19.
http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030993.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030993.jpg.html)

There is also an angled pinky extension which can be used as a base plate if one needs more pinky support.
http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030928.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030928.jpg.html)

And there is the 10-round magazine (giving 10+1=11 round capacity)
http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030999.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030999.jpg.html)

My preference for carry is with the 8+1=9 configuration and having the 10-round mag as the spare.
http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1040010.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1040010.jpg.html)

My sample gun had a heavy 8+ lb. trigger. That was quickly and easily changed to a very nice 4.5 lb trigger by swapping out just the sear and striker block. Just these two small parts were changed. And the trigger pull now is excellent! There was no need for a complete (and expensive) "trigger kit" consisting of trigger, springs, and other small parts. Just the Apex sear and Apex striker block did the trick.

I also removed the ambi-thumb safety. It's nice to have the option to use it if you want to, or don't if your don't! And quick and easy to remove or install.

Holster is the High Noon Bare Asset, carried at 4 0'clock position. And I use the Talon rubberized grip accessory to add some additional traction and a slight cushioning.

This setup offers a very competent and yet very easy to conceal and carry .45auto CCW. If you're considering a compact .45 for CCW, the M&P45C is certainly one you should give serious consideration to. And, with the 10-round magazine, the pistol makes a very capable house/truck/RV defense pistol, as well. Kudos to Smith & Wesson for a job very well done with the M&P45C.

The pistol also carries well with the 10-round magazine.
http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1010331.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1010331.jpg.html)
tuck
10-02-16, 05:30
I had a 45c for awhile and enjoyed it. It's practically identical in size to a G19. I wish S&W made a 9mm pistol that size.

A side note, you really need to clip your finger nails.
556BlackRifle
10-02-16, 10:59
I've shot the M&P and man, it was a good shooter. The one my buddy has - has an Apex trigger and it's a pleasure to shoot over the stock configuration. I think you've done well. Congrats!
Watrdawg
10-02-16, 13:11
I love my M&P 45 Middy. It's probably the most accurate pistol I have. I probably carry it as much as my G19 and it conceals just as easily. I've looked at other 45's and so far just don't see a need to try them out
Helix12
10-02-16, 13:44
Nice handgun. And, as usual, you do an excellent job with photography.
DHart
10-02-16, 13:46
A side note, you really need to clip your finger nails.

What? To please you, tuck? I think not; my nails are none of your business.
DHart
10-02-16, 13:47
I've shot the M&P and man, it was a good shooter. The one my buddy has - has an Apex trigger and it's a pleasure to shoot over the stock configuration. I think you've done well. Congrats!

Thanks, 556BR. It's a great carry gun.
DHart
10-02-16, 13:49
I love my M&P 45 Middy. It's probably the most accurate pistol I have. I probably carry it as much as my G19 and it conceals just as easily. I've looked at other 45's and so far just don't see a need to try them out

I can't say that I am most accurate with my 45C over all of my other pistols, but plenty accurate for sure. And, yes, the 45C carries almost effortlessly. I love it.
DHart
10-02-16, 13:49
Nice handgun. And, as usual, you do an excellent job with photography.

Thanks Helix, I appreciate your comments. I do enjoy the photography aspect quite a bit.
BuzzinSATX
10-02-16, 14:01
Nice rundown and pics. I really want to like a G30, but the grip just does not fit my hands comfortably (grip is too large). I recently bought a PPQ 45 and love it, bu it's just too large to CC for me. I was looking at the new .45 Shield, but and also going to take another look at the 45C based on your experience and excellent post. Thanks!
newyork
10-02-16, 14:02
Nice looking set up and write up.
DHart
10-02-16, 14:40
Nice rundown and pics. I really want to like a G30, but the grip just does not fit my hands comfortably (grip is too large). I recently bought a PPQ 45 and love it, bu it's just too large to CC for me. I was looking at the new .45 Shield, but and also going to take another look at the 45C based on your experience and excellent post. Thanks!

Buzz... the G30 is a great gun and I like mine very much, but the grip on the M&P45C is SO very much nicer that I'll pick the 45C over the G30 every time.

By replacing the sear and striker block, the trigger is so nice and light on my 45C that I almost want to beef it back up a little. It's great for target shooting at 4.5#, but I wouldn't mind it being a little heavier for carry duty, perhaps 5# to 5.5#.

In future, I would consider only replacing the sear or the striker block, not necessarily both at the same time. Then shooting for a few hundred rounds before deciding that both parts need replacing. The trigger was too heavy right out of the box. But a really light trigger is almost as bad, with a carry gun.

In the adrenalized flurry of a defensive situation, the difference between 4.5# and 5.5# is nothing. Wouldn't even be noticed. But 8+ lbs is too much. The most common complaint with the M&P45s is that the trigger is heavy, but that is so easily remedied that it's really a non-issue. It is inexpensive and simple to get a great trigger on these guns.

Personally, I think the 45C is nearly as easy to conceal and carry as the Shield 45, and is a better choice due to longer barrel (improved ballistics), longer sighting radius (easier to shoot accurately at distances), better controllability due to a little more size & weight (45auto is a stout caliber, especially noticeable as the guns get smaller and smaller), has more capacity (9 to 11 rounds), and disperses the recoil out around the palm better and more widely than the thin back strap of the Shield does. In a gun as small as the Shield is getting, I think 9mm is a better choice all around, for a variety of reasons.
DHart
10-02-16, 14:49
Nice looking set up and write up.

Thanks, newyork. Glad you stopped by.
newyork
10-02-16, 15:00
My current carry is similar to your thoughts.

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/rslamiroult/IMG_20161002_151210.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/rslamiroult/media/IMG_20161002_151210.jpg.html)
DHart
10-02-16, 15:02
My current carry is similar to your thoughts.

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/rslamiroult/IMG_20161002_151210.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/rslamiroult/media/IMG_20161002_151210.jpg.html)

Yes, very much in the same vein. Nice choice.
Hern13
10-02-16, 15:29
I've had a lot of lucky with my HK 45C in an OTG HEX holster. I carry it AIWB on days I don't carry my G19 and they're roughly the same size.
Nra-Life-Member
10-02-16, 15:45
The HK USPc 45 is my choice. If I decided on full size, its the Sig P220.
newyork
10-02-16, 16:16
Mine is in a JM Custom "George " aiwb holster
Averageman
10-11-16, 15:48
I can't say that I am most accurate with my 45C over all of my other pistols, but plenty accurate for sure. And, yes, the 45C carries almost effortlessly. I love it.

I dug mine out of the safe again after about a year of sitting in there without any attention. It's a damn fine pistol and intend to carry it over my G-26 now.
DHart
10-11-16, 16:01
I dug mine out of the safe again after about a year of sitting in there without any attention. It's a damn fine pistol and intend to carry it over my G-26 now.

I too let my M&P45C languish in the safe for a while during a period. Then at some point I got back to it, put on a set of Talon rubber grips, did some more shooting with it and all of a sudden I totally realized what an exceptional pistol this is. It is by far my favorite carry .45auto, just like this with the flat magazine base pad:

http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030988.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20M%20and%20P/P1030988.jpg.html)

I would buy another one in a heartbeat if anything happened to this one. It is plenty compact without shrinking down into the realm of what would be, for me, undesirably small for a .45auto pistol. Excellent controllability for rapid fire, 4" barrel for terminal ballistics, and decent capacity for a small .45auto. And when using the full-size mag, 10+1=11 rounds on tap. Not bad at all for a compact .45.

When I handle my G30 now, I just wish to get back to the M&P45C. Not that the G30 isn't a great pistol, but the grip on the M&P45C (made even more wonderful by the rubber Talons) is so far superior to the Glock grip that I'm not a fan of the G30 anymore.
awdxtc
10-12-16, 09:55
Try the G30s it uses the SF frame and the same slide as the G36
nova3930
10-12-16, 09:59
During my M&P phase I wanted a 45C for a lot of the same reasons you laid out. Never did manage to get one though. In my current phase if I wanted a compact 45 I think I might stick with the P320 series just for commonality.

If I was gonna go crazy and carry a FS 45 (which I do sometimes) it would be my FNX-45T. It's big and heavy, but it shoots fantastic and hard to argue with 15+1 of 45....
DHart
10-12-16, 14:38
Try the G30s it uses the SF frame and the same slide as the G36

I did check out a G30SF the other day.. The grip was better than the G30, not bad, but not even close to how good the M&P45C grip feels. And, I'm not sure I'd like the light weight G36 slide - more felt recoil.

There were a good number of years where I was all into Glocks, but lately with the M&P models and the P320 models, Glocks just feel like yesterdays news to me. Most of my Glocks spend most of their time in the safe these days. My M&P40, M&P40C, M&P45C, and several P320 40s are getting most of my time and attention.
SIGguy229
10-12-16, 15:44
I have a G21SF...love shooting that. Tried a G30S...very snappy. How does the M&P 45 compare to the G30S?
awdxtc
10-12-16, 16:57
I have a G21SF...love shooting that. Tried a G30S...very snappy. How does the M&P 45 compare to the G30S?

Which is weird because I find the recoil on my 30s to be very manageable but then again I carry a 10mm in the winter.
masakari
10-12-16, 17:18
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p313/madcatjoe/20160919_201919_zpstjiykjxx.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/madcatjoe/media/20160919_201919_zpstjiykjxx.jpg.html)
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p313/madcatjoe/IMAG0373_zpsfx9prv6g.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/madcatjoe/media/IMAG0373_zpsfx9prv6g.jpg.html)

I agree. It's the perfect carry gun for me.
DHart
10-12-16, 17:29
I have a G21SF...love shooting that. Tried a G30S...very snappy. How does the M&P 45 compare to the G30S?

Yeah, the G21SF is my other Glock 45; great .45 launcher, very soft-shooting pistol. It is my nightstand gun with a Streamlight TLR on it.
http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Glocks/45ACPDefenseTeam.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Glocks/45ACPDefenseTeam.jpg.html)

The G21SF is bit large and heavy for EDC, but I do that once in a while.
http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp59/zmonki/Glocks/P1010683.jpg (http://s397.photobucket.com/user/zmonki/media/Glocks/P1010683.jpg.html)

I haven't shot the M&P45C and the G30 back to back in quite a while, and I don't have a G30S. I suspect the M&P45C will be a little softer and more comfortable to shoot than the G30S.
DHart
10-12-16, 17:30
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p313/madcatjoe/20160919_201919_zpstjiykjxx.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/madcatjoe/media/20160919_201919_zpstjiykjxx.jpg.html)
I agree. It's the perfect carry gun for me.

Very nice. I like the colors. It's an awesome .45 carry gun indeed.
walker2713
10-17-16, 12:31
+10.....

Love mine also....good feel in the hand, soft shooting and accurate.

Currently mine is doing night stand duty.....
DHart
10-17-16, 12:52
+10.....

Love mine also....good feel in the hand, soft shooting and accurate.

Currently mine is doing night stand duty.....

I compared shooting my G21SF, G30, and M&P45C the other day and though I've enjoyed the Glocks over a number of years, they feel so awkward and uncomfortable to me now in direct comparison to the M&P45C and M&P40. The capacity is lower with the M&P45C (with the compact magazine), but the feel in the hand and shootability of the M&P is dramatically better than the Glocks. I feel the same with the SIG P320. I no longer carry any of the Glocks.

These days, my Glocks just feel like they're past their prime, they've served their purpose, and have now been surpassed by the M&Ps, P320s, etc. Not that the Glocks aren't good guns or that they're not effective, but they just feel so out-of-date design-wise and ergonomically as compared with the M&Ps and P320s, etc. I was relatively happy with my Glocks until I began spending more time with the M&Ps; now, the Glocks are taking a back seat.
clarkz71
10-19-16, 10:14
By replacing the sear and striker block, the trigger is so nice and light on my 45C that I almost want to beef it back up a little.
It's great for target shooting at 4.5#, but I wouldn't mind it being a little heavier for carry duty, perhaps 5# to 5.5#.

I have the Apex FSS Flat trigger kit in my 4.25" M&P9

It comes with 2 trigger springs, green & silver,both are heavier then stock, silver one gave me a 4½ pull.
Green is supposed to be 1 lb more.

Your welcome to try it, I won't need it as I'm ordering another kit for my new 5" Pro Series.

Shoot me a PM, I'll drop it in the mail. N/C


.
DHart
10-23-16, 10:41
I have the Apex FSS Flat trigger kit in my 4.25" M&P9

It comes with 2 trigger springs, green & silver,both are heavier then stock, silver one gave me a 4½ pull.
Green is supposed to be 1 lb more.

Your welcome to try it, I won't need it as I'm ordering another kit for my new 5" Pro Series.

Shoot me a PM, I'll drop it in the mail. N/C


.

Thank you, clark... spring arrived.
clarkz71
10-23-16, 11:43
Thank you, clark... spring arrived.

Excellent, let us know what you get for a pull.