Rittmeister
Member
Looking for current thoughts on the M&P45, full-size. I am thinking of picking one up for range and HD use (since it can mount a flashlight).
I've long wanted a 1911 with a light rail, as I really like the 1911 platform and shoot very well with it, but I can't justify the price of most of the quality railed 1911 pistols (Kimber, Springfield, Colt, etc). What I REALLY want is a Rock Island Armory/Firestorm/Citadel etc with a rail, but there are no signs that those manufacturers are going to bring out railed pistols.
So - I branched out a bit in my research, considering things like the XD45, Sig P220R, and now the M&P45. I fired an M&PC in 9mm back-to-back with a full-size XD 9mm, and I was shocked at how much less felt recoil the M&P had, despite the shorter barrel and lighter weight. I assume it's due to ergonomics and the lower bore axis. This leads me to think that the full-size .45 ACP version might have similar characteristics, and for a HD gun the extra few rounds in the mag over a standard 1911 can't hurt.
Finally, I like the fact that the M&P is available with a thumb safety. Say what you want but I prefer to have one. At first I was turned away by all striker-fired guns, since (as far as I knew) they all required a springy trigger pull to finish the cocking of the striker before release, but I understand that the M&P is fully cocked when ready to go and has a crisper trigger pull as a result.
Sorry for the rambling above. Any current thoughts would be appreciated - trigger pull, ergos, ease of disassembly for cleaning, etc. I'm also curious about the magazine safety - apparently the gun can be had with or without? True/false?
I've long wanted a 1911 with a light rail, as I really like the 1911 platform and shoot very well with it, but I can't justify the price of most of the quality railed 1911 pistols (Kimber, Springfield, Colt, etc). What I REALLY want is a Rock Island Armory/Firestorm/Citadel etc with a rail, but there are no signs that those manufacturers are going to bring out railed pistols.
So - I branched out a bit in my research, considering things like the XD45, Sig P220R, and now the M&P45. I fired an M&PC in 9mm back-to-back with a full-size XD 9mm, and I was shocked at how much less felt recoil the M&P had, despite the shorter barrel and lighter weight. I assume it's due to ergonomics and the lower bore axis. This leads me to think that the full-size .45 ACP version might have similar characteristics, and for a HD gun the extra few rounds in the mag over a standard 1911 can't hurt.
Finally, I like the fact that the M&P is available with a thumb safety. Say what you want but I prefer to have one. At first I was turned away by all striker-fired guns, since (as far as I knew) they all required a springy trigger pull to finish the cocking of the striker before release, but I understand that the M&P is fully cocked when ready to go and has a crisper trigger pull as a result.
Sorry for the rambling above. Any current thoughts would be appreciated - trigger pull, ergos, ease of disassembly for cleaning, etc. I'm also curious about the magazine safety - apparently the gun can be had with or without? True/false?