My new EDC - 4" M&P 45 ACP

[williamkevin]

I LOVE this gun! I decided that I wanted my Every Day Carry gun to be as close to my IDPA gun as possible. It made sense to me that both pistols have the same grip angle and controls, and operate exactly the same. I'm used to the ergonomics, and since I can successfully perform immediate action to clear a malfunction with my M&P 9mm during the pressure of a match, I figure that will give me a leg up if I ever find myself in a situation where I need to perform in real life. So far, I've got about 100 flawless rounds through it. It's a very SWEET shooting gun. It'll be better after the installation of Apex Tactical Duty/Carry kit, which will address the trigger. The M&P comes stock with a less-than-stellar trigger, and in my opinion is the ONLY drawback to this pistol. My tactical partner (TLynnHughes) was also impressed!



I'll hopefully be able to post a proper range report after I fully put it through it's paces.

[RHenriksen]

Congratulations, I love my full-sized M&P .40. I've also done the Apex trigger, it's a great upgrade.

[The Annoyed Man]

I have the fullsized .45, and I really like mine. Very soft shooter.

I forget... Did you guys try shooting mine at the last forum day?

[williamkevin]

I have the fullsized .45, and I really like mine. Very soft shooter.

I forget... Did you guys try shooting mine at the last forum day?

I did (one plate left standing...one more round...I MISSED!). It was what got me thinking (about buying an M&P in 45 acp that is).

[mbw]

I am a 1911 and Glock fan. I purchased an M&P Pro 9 just B4 Christmas and have been very impressed with it so far, 1000 rounds. No problems with the Pro trigger, around 4 1/2 lbs and breaks clean.

Thinking about the same pistol that you just bought for a carry weapon, the 45 Compact. Since you also have a full sized 9 can you tell me if the 45 slide is thicker than the 9? Grip the same? The specs on the web page do not tell me much.

Thanks-

[surprise_i'm_armed]

OP: When you say you don't like the trigger, is it because it's too heavy,
a reset issue, or something else?

Does anyone know the trigger pounds on a stock M & P trigger?

Am I reading correctly that the Apex trigger job will reduce this to 4.5 pounds?

TIA.

SIA

[williamkevin]

I am a 1911 and Glock fan. I purchased an M&P Pro 9 just B4 Christmas and have been very impressed with it so far, 1000 rounds. No problems with the Pro trigger, around 4 1/2 lbs and breaks clean.

Thinking about the same pistol that you just bought for a carry weapon, the 45 Compact. Since you also have a full sized 9 can you tell me if the 45 slide is thicker than the 9? Grip the same? The specs on the web page do not tell me much.

Thanks-

I just measured the slide thickness of both pistols. I measured them near the top edge just forward of the ejection port. The 9 is 1.02" and the 45 is 1.04". I'll tell you that the 45 fits just perfect in both my Blackhawk SERPA and Bladetech holsters that I originally bought for my 9mm. The grip front to rear is slightly thicker than the 9, but the ergonomics feel virtually identical. I believe if you would put the next size smaller backstrap on the 45 than you have on the 9, it would feel very close to the same.

Cheers!

[The Annoyed Man]

OP: When you say you don't like the trigger, is it because it's too heavy,
a reset issue, or something else?

Does anyone know the trigger pounds on a stock M & P trigger?

Am I reading correctly that the Apex trigger job will reduce this to 4.5 pounds?

TIA.

SIA

Mine came stock with about a 6-8 pound pull, but it was kind of gritty. After botching my own trigger job, I sent the pistol back to the factory, and the Custom Shop did a very nice trigger job on it. It now breaks at about 4.5-5 lb, measured on my RCBS trigger scale, and is nice and crisp.

[williamkevin]

OP: When you say you don't like the trigger, is it because it's too heavy,
a reset issue, or something else?

Does anyone know the trigger pounds on a stock M & P trigger?

Am I reading correctly that the Apex trigger job will reduce this to 4.5 pounds?

TIA.

SIA

I believe the stock trigger (not on the pro models) come in at around 6-7 lbs. I don't really mind that so much, it was the slight "catch" just before the break that was really bothering me. I installed the Apex Tactical hard sear (it is a completely drop-in part) and that lightened the trigger pull to about 5 lbs. The "catch" is actually the trigger bar contacting the striker block. Apex has a replacement striker block (also drop-in) that is polished and has slightly different geometry than the stock one. as I understand it, it smooths it out considerably and also makes the trigger feel lighter as well, although I don't think it actually lightens the trigger pull any. The reset on this pistol is almost non-existent. Again, Apex has a drop-in part called the Reset Assist Mechanism. It greatly improves the audible and tactile reset of the trigger. I've ordered one for my M&P 9 and will report after I've shot with it for a bit.

Cheers!

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.

SIA

[A-R]

I am a 1911 and Glock fan. I purchased an M&P Pro 9 just B4 Christmas and have been very impressed with it so far, 1000 rounds. No problems with the Pro trigger, around 4 1/2 lbs and breaks clean.

Thinking about the same pistol that you just bought for a carry weapon, the 45 Compact. Since you also have a full sized 9 can you tell me if the 45 slide is thicker than the 9? Grip the same? The specs on the web page do not tell me much.

Thanks-

I just measured the slide thickness of both pistols. I measured them near the top edge just forward of the ejection port. The 9 is 1.02" and the 45 is 1.04". I'll tell you that the 45 fits just perfect in both my Blackhawk SERPA and Bladetech holsters that I originally bought for my 9mm. The grip front to rear is slightly thicker than the 9, but the ergonomics feel virtually identical. I believe if you would put the next size smaller backstrap on the 45 than you have on the 9, it would feel very close to the same.

Cheers!

wk's measurements are right on. And my M&P9 and M&P45 both fit in both my Safariland OWB kydex holster that I use occassionally for IDPA shooting (though .45 is a bit tight), and both fit perfectly in my Comp Tac M-TAC. I was actually measuring grip-to-trigger distance just the other day (grip where webbing between thumb and index finger sits; trigger in middle of blade when fully forward). No surprise my M&P9 at 2.6" measured shorter than my Glock 17 at 2.8" and even the M&P45 is shorter at 2.7" .... this plus the more rounded, ergonomic shape of the grip itself is what sets M&P apart from Glock and why I now own two M&Ps.

[A-R]

OP: When you say you don't like the trigger, is it because it's too heavy,
a reset issue, or something else?

Does anyone know the trigger pounds on a stock M & P trigger?

Am I reading correctly that the Apex trigger job will reduce this to 4.5 pounds?

TIA.

SIA

basically agree with other two replies about stock M&P trigger feel, but I'll just add that it overall feels "sloppy" compared to even a stock Glock trigger (which ain't exactly the best stock trigger feel in the world). My Walther PPS trigger was "grittier" than my M&Ps, but both of my M&Ps were purchased used so some of the initial grittiness may have worked itself out already. My biggest complaint about stock M&P trigger is the poor reset - sorta feels like there are two reset points - similar to what wk mentined as two break points on initial trigger squeeze, but in reverse. The Apex hard sear and improved striker block greatly improve the reset, as well as making the break point lighter and crisper. Haven't tried the Apex RAM part yet - haven't felt the need, with just the two parts the trigger break and reset work for me .... only problem left (which I hope Apex will have available soon) is the LONG initial take up/slack in the trigger pull.

[A-R]

WK, that's a great lookin' gun. Curious why you went with the 4-inch instead of the "full size" 4.5-inch? I didn't even realize until recently they offered a 4-inch .45 with full-size grip (great idea by S&W). I picked my M&P9 with 4-inch barrel instead of the "Pro" or "L" with longer barrel/slide because I figured it would be more comfortable for carry. But my .45 with 4.5-inch barrel is just about as comfortable. Not really a huge difference either way - though my .45 does seem to be just a frog's hair more accurate so far. Next forum day I'd love to shoot your 4-inch side by side with my 4.5-inch to see if either of us notices a difference.

[LTUME1978]

Another option on the trigger is to send it to Dan Burwell. The shipping is on the expensive side unless you are sending several pistols at one time (gets the shipping cost per gun down). I have several M&P 45s (both full size and compact) that Dan has worked over and they are really nice. I have dry fired one with the Apex parts and it is not as nice as what Dan does.

[rremt_p]

Love mine,
Wouldn't think of leaving home without it.