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New Shield 45
I finally got my new Smith & Wessom M&P Shield 45. I took it out the other day and put 100 rounds of various kinds of ammo through it. I did not have any problems and it shot great. It is slightly larger than my Shield 9mm, It handles great and I am really pleased with the results. The recoil is not bad for a small sub compact 45. I will put about another 200 or 300 rounds through It and if everyting is good, it will take its place as my EDC. I was curious how much velocity I was losing through the 3.3 inch Barrel so I shot 2 Factory loads over the chronograph. This was the results:
Federal American Eagle, 230gr FMJ, 775.63 FPS (10 shot average)
Federal Tactical HST, 230 gr HST HP, 818.86 FPS (10 shot average)
Federal American Eagle, 230gr FMJ, 775.63 FPS (10 shot average)
Federal Tactical HST, 230 gr HST HP, 818.86 FPS (10 shot average)
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I have both the 9 & 45 Shields. My 45 will absolutely not fit in any of my high end Kydex 9mm holsters, the slide width is the issue. It will fit less detail formed holsters with the open muzzle.
The sear in the 45 has not changed, the Apex sears works fine in the 45 as will the 9/40 aluminum flat face trigger. The 45 has a different striker block unique unto itself. This is what will be new in the 45 kit when available.
45 Shield striker block:
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45 Shield with Apex 9/40 aluminum trigger:
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I'll be very surprised if MagGuts is able to get an extra round in there without extension. When I spoke with them the last time about this they were less than hopeful. Maybe they can work some physical magic with the Z-spring but I remain dubious.
The design of the S&W 7 round magazine is just about the sorriest setup I've seen. That little base plate fork clip is just a joy to work with during reassembly. I certainly envision no end user issues with that system
The sear in the 45 has not changed, the Apex sears works fine in the 45 as will the 9/40 aluminum flat face trigger. The 45 has a different striker block unique unto itself. This is what will be new in the 45 kit when available.
45 Shield striker block:
45 Shield with Apex 9/40 aluminum trigger:
I'll be very surprised if MagGuts is able to get an extra round in there without extension. When I spoke with them the last time about this they were less than hopeful. Maybe they can work some physical magic with the Z-spring but I remain dubious.
The design of the S&W 7 round magazine is just about the sorriest setup I've seen. That little base plate fork clip is just a joy to work with during reassembly. I certainly envision no end user issues with that system
I installed the sear and the flat trigger but that resulted in a pull lighter than I care for in a carry gun- 4 lbs. My 45 had a lighter factory pull than any of the Shield 9s I've worked with. The mechanical advantage of the flat face trigger itself reduces the pull weight by 14-17 ounces in my experience. I ended up just polishing the factory trigger bar, sear and striker block and installing the flat face trigger. This gives me a nice clean 5lb-2oz trigger.
If you're interested in the flat trigger I'd surely recommend trying it by itself before you change any other internals. One of the big issues with many of the earlier Shields was the channel that the striker block runs in. The factory bore job was sloppy with a rough surface and often had burrs present. This is where that infamous pre-travel grittiness came from. The Shield 45s I've worked on so far have had none of that grittiness and their striker block bores looked much better done out of the box.
The Apex trigger alone will reduce the pre-travel a little bit as well as the over travel. The latter is important for me as a shooter. Reset remains crisp and tactile.
If you want the sear as well I'd wait for the kit to come out so you get the striker block. Apex will undoubtedly have a noticeably improved version as compared to the factory piece. You will also have Apex warranty and support by doing so.
I imagine the 45 will indeed work in most open muzzle leather holsters thus saving many folks the additional expense of a new holster. Nice to know.
I'm hoping MagGuts can pull a rabbit out of the hat with the 45 mags. I'd love to have them prove me wrong
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