I was torn between a Sig 365, Glock 43x, Springfield Hellcat Pro, and Shield Plus. After comparing size of all 3 the 43x is out due to size. The Hellcat pro fit very well but the trigger has a lot of travel. The Sig was also nice but the rear sights dots are super small. I did like the Shield plus trigger but still not sold on the shields. I tried CCW a shield 1.0 and tried drawing at the range from an IWB holster and my hands were just too big for it and I couldn’t get a full grip even with the extended mag. I did notice the plus is a little meatier. I think I’m just going to 1) ask to put all 3 in a holster and see which I have more grip with and 2) rent them at a range.
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Well, we're supposed to be focusing on the front sight anyway.
Very true! That’s why I like the U shape rear and giant orange front of the Hellcat Pro. If I could Frankenstein a gun I would do the Hellcat pro sights in the Sigs frame with the Shields trigger.Well, we're supposed to be focusing on the front sight anyway.
AustinTX
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Shield Plus out of those three for me, by far. It’s the only one of those three that, like my Walther PPS M1, shoots like a full-size pistol at speed out to 15 to 20 yards in my hands.
I’ve never previously cared for Shields and their lousy hinged triggers, but the new trigger on the Shield Plus is a game-changer, IMO. I keep dragging my feet, but since Walther is in no hurry to release a higher-capacity PPS M3 — and since HK probably won’t release the higher-capacity micro 9mm for which they’ve filed patents before we’re all dead — I will likely pick one up soon. (Actually thinking to pick up both the standard Shield Plus as well as the 4” Performance Center version as well, although the trigger in the latter is lighter than I would prefer.)
I’ve never previously cared for Shields and their lousy hinged triggers, but the new trigger on the Shield Plus is a game-changer, IMO. I keep dragging my feet, but since Walther is in no hurry to release a higher-capacity PPS M3 — and since HK probably won’t release the higher-capacity micro 9mm for which they’ve filed patents before we’re all dead — I will likely pick one up soon. (Actually thinking to pick up both the standard Shield Plus as well as the 4” Performance Center version as well, although the trigger in the latter is lighter than I would prefer.)
chaim
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I recently made the same choice against the same guns...
I didn't like the SIG's trigger at the store compared to the others, but I went with it anyway. I love my SIGs and the overall feel was familiar in a way. Well, after shooting it about 500-600 rounds over the last two weeks, the trigger has really grown on me and I love it.
I did like the deep U rear sight on the Hellcat the best, and the Shield's sights seemed second best, but I figured that the sights are the easiest things to change on a gun, so if I wanted to they could easily be changed out. I'm starting to get good with this gun, so I guess the sights aren't so bad after all. BTW, shortly after getting my P365 I bought a Glock 22 (my first Glock) and the standard Glock sights everyone complains about... well, I find I like them in practice.
Nothing wrong with the Shield, I liked it and I do love my 1st gen S&W M&P40c that I've had for some time now. However, I found myself most drawn to the P365 and 43X. I actually almost went with the Glock because of the extra size. It is still quite narrow to conceal nicely IWB. I figured the extra sight radius would make for less muzzle flip and quicker follow up shots, and the larger grip would make for a more positive grip and quicker draw. In the end, price was my deciding factor as the SIG was about $50 cheaper and it already had night sights and adding the night sights to the Glock would have further added to the price difference. That said, I'm still heavily considering adding the 43X (variety is the spice of life, and nothing wrong with having a choice).
Luckily, these are all good guns. Whichever one you choose will not be a bad choice.
I didn't like the SIG's trigger at the store compared to the others, but I went with it anyway. I love my SIGs and the overall feel was familiar in a way. Well, after shooting it about 500-600 rounds over the last two weeks, the trigger has really grown on me and I love it.
I did like the deep U rear sight on the Hellcat the best, and the Shield's sights seemed second best, but I figured that the sights are the easiest things to change on a gun, so if I wanted to they could easily be changed out. I'm starting to get good with this gun, so I guess the sights aren't so bad after all. BTW, shortly after getting my P365 I bought a Glock 22 (my first Glock) and the standard Glock sights everyone complains about... well, I find I like them in practice.
Nothing wrong with the Shield, I liked it and I do love my 1st gen S&W M&P40c that I've had for some time now. However, I found myself most drawn to the P365 and 43X. I actually almost went with the Glock because of the extra size. It is still quite narrow to conceal nicely IWB. I figured the extra sight radius would make for less muzzle flip and quicker follow up shots, and the larger grip would make for a more positive grip and quicker draw. In the end, price was my deciding factor as the SIG was about $50 cheaper and it already had night sights and adding the night sights to the Glock would have further added to the price difference. That said, I'm still heavily considering adding the 43X (variety is the spice of life, and nothing wrong with having a choice).
Luckily, these are all good guns. Whichever one you choose will not be a bad choice.
beeenbag
Member
I currently own the standard hellcat, 365, 365XL, and a shield plus. My shield plus is in 30 super carry but the others obviously in 9, but I can say from my experience, I prefer the shield plus over the others by a large margin. Both for carry and for shootability.
bannockburn
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I tried four Micro 9s (Shield Plus, Hellcat, 43X, P365, and P365X), and went with the P365X. It had the best trigger, decent sights, and the slightly larger size of the grip frame felt perfect in my hand.
Also went looking for a true pocket size carry, high capacity .380, and considered two (P365 .380 and LCP MAX). Came away with the LCP MAX. Very much a "real" pocket auto as I thought that the P365 .380 was just a smidge too large for pocket carry. The LCP MAX was exactly what I was looking for in terms of size, weight, and mag capacity. The trigger is a little stiff and heavy but still usable and I really like the sights on it.
Also went looking for a true pocket size carry, high capacity .380, and considered two (P365 .380 and LCP MAX). Came away with the LCP MAX. Very much a "real" pocket auto as I thought that the P365 .380 was just a smidge too large for pocket carry. The LCP MAX was exactly what I was looking for in terms of size, weight, and mag capacity. The trigger is a little stiff and heavy but still usable and I really like the sights on it.
I bought a P365 a few months ago because I wanted more capacity than the P938 I was carrying and I'd bought two P320's and found out that I can shoot Sig striker guns pretty good.My wife shot it for the first time yesterday and she wouldn't give it back.Good thing I ran across a very nice used one last week and bought it,or I'd be without a nice carry gun.I tried some of the other small 9MM carry pistols,but nothing is better than the 365 when it comes to checking all the boxes.I like them enough that I may buy the Spectre custom shop gun at the LGS if I can talk myself into it.
They're all reputable, so the hard thing here will be making a bad choice. It will come as no surprise that my choice would be the Shield Plus, but in all fairness, I held a Hellcat Pro recently and really liked how it felt. I haven't liked any of the other Hellcats I've held. I don't know that there's really enough difference between the Shield and the Shield Plus to make that your best choice, though. Not if the extended mag on a 1.0 still wasn't enough grip for you.
At some point, sometimes that time is right away/immediate, a decision needs to be made.
The old phrase "analysis leads to paralysis" becomes what can actually occur. "Over-thinking" it is another way to put it.
A firearm could be ruled out (the G43X) for being too large, yet an S&W Shield 1.0 is too small. The Hellcat's trigger just doesn't feel right.
Compromises may need to be made as there is likely no perfect handgun for every person for every carry situation.
On the other hand, some folks probably would be content to carry any one of the subject handguns and, with the right holsters, they'll work.
What I Have/Use.
Glock 43 (with Hogue grip sleeve); Glock 26gen3 (both have mags with or without finger extensions to adjust grip size); Glock 19gen3 or gen5 (larger, may have a light and mrds attached). Either might be carried AIWB, IWB, or OWB.
I also have various revolvers which might be carried instead (but wrong forum to discuss revolvers).
OP, keep looking and thinking about it. Eventually/hopefully, a decision will be made and maybe we'll see the final decision here in this thread.
The old phrase "analysis leads to paralysis" becomes what can actually occur. "Over-thinking" it is another way to put it.
A firearm could be ruled out (the G43X) for being too large, yet an S&W Shield 1.0 is too small. The Hellcat's trigger just doesn't feel right.
Compromises may need to be made as there is likely no perfect handgun for every person for every carry situation.
On the other hand, some folks probably would be content to carry any one of the subject handguns and, with the right holsters, they'll work.
What I Have/Use.
Glock 43 (with Hogue grip sleeve); Glock 26gen3 (both have mags with or without finger extensions to adjust grip size); Glock 19gen3 or gen5 (larger, may have a light and mrds attached). Either might be carried AIWB, IWB, or OWB.
I also have various revolvers which might be carried instead (but wrong forum to discuss revolvers).
OP, keep looking and thinking about it. Eventually/hopefully, a decision will be made and maybe we'll see the final decision here in this thread.
citizenconn
Member
Of those options the only one close to me and my shooting partner's carry guns is a Shield .45 acp, gen 1. We changed the guide rod on it and greatly improved its handling.
I had a Glock 43 for several years but never warmed to it enough over the long haul. I liked the size ok, but was never a fan of the trigger or grip angle. As far as polymer handguns, I'm going back the other way and seeking out metal handguns instead.
I had a Glock 43 for several years but never warmed to it enough over the long haul. I liked the size ok, but was never a fan of the trigger or grip angle. As far as polymer handguns, I'm going back the other way and seeking out metal handguns instead.
Smaug
Member
I tried the P365, Hellcat Pro and Shield Plus in the LGS.
- The P365 and Shield Plus both have great triggers; the Hellcat's was a bit more mushy.
- I too liked the Hellcat's sights better, but I finally decided this gun is not really about sights.
- P365 includes a tritium front sight, which is more important on a gun like this than precision sights.
- The Hellcat Pro's aggressive slide serrations are a bit of a turn-off for me; they seem more likely to catch on clothing, belts, holster. (remembering that this may be carried in a pocket at some point)
- S&W's serrations are the best; low profile but they have great traction, once you grab them.
- S&W's size is a class bigger than P365, unless you're talking about the XL.
- P365 can double as a pocket pistol; Shield+ cannot. Hellcat's a little bigger too.
- P365 trigger shape is best; no levers, no external safeties and a nice smooth radius on the corners.
- Springfield has that Gear Up promotion, which is always tempting.
- P365 has the mechanics as the licensed and serialized part; so you can make major modifications later without government fees and such. (though it is not cost-effective)
It's a great gun; easy to shoot well, and quite soft-kicking for its size. (no need to settle for 380)
I haven't shot a Hellcat Pro nor Shield Plus.
I'm thinking of adding a Shield Plus or Shield EZ9 anyway, as an intermediate size pistol between my P365 and my HiPower. I like the Shield+ better, but I think my wife could eventually handle the Shield EZ9.
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doubleh
Member
I finally settled on the 356XL. Glock wasn't even an option as glocks don't feel like I want a pistol to feel. Strictly a personal opinion. I had shot an early hellcat and didn't find it appealing so it was sig or shield and the 356 won. Even with my medium sized hands I added a grip wrap to the sig.
Smaug
Member
365XL I think feels just like my P365 with the 12 round mag, but has the longer barrel/sight radius to go with it. Same thinness.
Good call. Let us know how you like it as you get more rounds through it.
Good call. Let us know how you like it as you get more rounds through it.
This is the plus amongst the ones listed. You can reconfigure the gun however you think is best fit without buying anothe "gun".
The_Quartermaster
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There is no one handgun to do it for everyone and the OP is proving that this really does exist in our 2A world.
I wish you luck in finding the right one for yourself, OP.
I wish you luck in finding the right one for yourself, OP.
Charlie98
Member
Armored farmer
Member
We had a fun shootaround one day here on the farm.
Sig 365
Standard hellcat
Sr9c.
The Sr9c is hard to beat but larger...
The Hellcat is more comfortable to shoot
The 365 was the best shooter because of its trigger(imho)
The general consensus was for the 365.
I still like my Hellcat best. The 365 feels tiny in my hands.
Sig 365
Standard hellcat
Sr9c.
The Sr9c is hard to beat but larger...
The Hellcat is more comfortable to shoot
The 365 was the best shooter because of its trigger(imho)
The general consensus was for the 365.
I still like my Hellcat best. The 365 feels tiny in my hands.
LiveLife
Member
For concealed carry micro pistol?Well, we're supposed to be focusing on the front sight anyway.
I think we better be focusing on our threat "looking past the front sight".
Dry fire and see which one moves the front sight the least. My Shield 9mm jerked the front sight so bad, I needed to dry fire like 2000 times before it minimized front sight jump when striker was released (After that, fast point shooting headshot was easy). Range pistols should be well "broken in" so you should get a good feel of front sight jerk/jump. (I found pistols out of the box that didn't move the front sight tended to be more accurate as they were broken in)
For something that your life depends on, I highly recommend you shoot them at the range and see which you can hit POA fastest because it doesn't matter what brand, price or feel in your hands if you can't hit your target and fast enough as you will likely need multiple hits on target to "neutralize" the threat.
And if I was there at the range with you, I would jump right to defensive point shooting training and see what the "natural point of aim/impact" is for each pistol with eyes closed as one that shoots more "natural" will allow you to shoot more accurate faster with eyes open - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...or-her-first-time-today.908729/#post-12369077
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For concealed carry micro pistol?
I think we better be focusing on our threat "looking past the front sight".
Dry fire and see which one moves the front sight the least. My Shield 9mm jerked the front sight so bad, I needed to dry fire like 2000 times before it minimized front sight jump when striker was released (After that, fast point shooting headshot was easy). Range pistols should be well "broken in" so you should get a good feel of front sight jerk/jump. (I found pistols out of the box that didn't move the front sight tended to be more accurate as they were broken in)
For something that your life depends on, I highly recommend you shoot them at the range and see which you can hit POA fastest because it doesn't matter what brand, price or feel in your hands if you can't hit your target and fast enough as you will likely need multiple hits on target to "neutralize" the threat.
And if I was there at the range with you, I would jump right to defensive point shooting training and see what the "natural point of aim/impact" is for each pistol with eyes closed as one that shoots more "natural" will allow you to shoot more accurate faster with eyes open - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...or-her-first-time-today.908729/#post-12369077
I ended up with a Shield Plus, optics ready, night sights, 4 13rd, 1 10rd magazine package for $475 OTD. No ranges around had any of the ones I wanted to try so having shot shields before and pretty decent with it I went with the best bang for my buck.
Archie
Member
Personal 'fit' is of more importance than many think. There are many shooters who prefer this gun to that and really do not know why. Honestly, from the choice you are making, "This one feels just a bit awkward in my hand" is quite relevant. So the 'test' you propose seems quite reasonable. (At least to my battered mind.) However, personal 'fit' is a secondary consideration.
Sounds like the quest is for a proper defense handgun. (The one you are going to carry in life.) My first consideration is reliability. One that always (without attention to low grade ammunition or being hit by lightening) shoots and operates as expected. The second consideration is power in making the attacker retire from attack as soon as possible. "Comfort" in either handling or carrying comes later in the list of desired qualities. But is certainly more important than finish or other such matters.
Such choices differ between individuals. What I consider ideal some others just cannot endure.
For Post 20, which quoted my Post 11, "The Hellcat's trigger just doesn't feel right", I was trying to paraphrase the OP. I have zero experience even holding (or having seen) a Hellcat.
I wouldn't know how the Hellcat's trigger feels. I just wanted to clarify my post's intent. Perhaps I should have said up-front I was paraphrasing or somehow quoted the original post, but sometimes I'm a bit challenged in how to use these forums' functions. I also might have been called away and posted before I could proof-read what I was posting. I noticed this forum has a limited time to go back and edit things, too, before it "gets set in stone".
I'm primarily a "Glock-guy" and I don't have much interest in buying/trying/converting to another brand. With Glock, I've attended Glock Armorer training a 3 or 4 times over the years and really like how Glock's parts are generally available from several online retailers; compared to very limited armorer classes available from the other manufacturers and seemingly very limited parts availability.
That's all.
I wouldn't know how the Hellcat's trigger feels. I just wanted to clarify my post's intent. Perhaps I should have said up-front I was paraphrasing or somehow quoted the original post, but sometimes I'm a bit challenged in how to use these forums' functions. I also might have been called away and posted before I could proof-read what I was posting. I noticed this forum has a limited time to go back and edit things, too, before it "gets set in stone".
I'm primarily a "Glock-guy" and I don't have much interest in buying/trying/converting to another brand. With Glock, I've attended Glock Armorer training a 3 or 4 times over the years and really like how Glock's parts are generally available from several online retailers; compared to very limited armorer classes available from the other manufacturers and seemingly very limited parts availability.
That's all.
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