Which Conceal Carry .45 ACP?

[dlh]

Currently EDC is a Glock 26 but thinking about "upgrading" to a conceal-carry .45 ACP.

Have narrowed it down to a Glock 30SF or a Springfield XD MOD 2.

Seeking opinions from those who have experience with both of those handguns and which one they would recommend.

Thanks!

[Soccerdad1995]

I don't have experience with either of the guns you mentioned, but I have had a good experience with the Glock 36. It is a single stack, so it is really easy to conceal. Definitely one that you might want to consider.

[carlson1]

The Glock 30sf is a great gun. The G30S is the combination of the G30 and G36. It also fits most G19 holstered. You might look at the Shield .45. It is a terrific striker fired .45.

[philbo]

Owned and carried both in the past. The 30sf gets the nod for me all things being equal. I prefer the grip on the XD, but the weak point for the XD in my experience is the trigger. Springfield has done nothing to improve their mushy trigger (and it may actually be worse now than it was in years past) and it is much easier and cheaper to improve the Glock than it is the XD. I still carry an XD9 subcompact (with a trigger job) on occasion, but only because I have an investment in holsters/mags that would be expensive to replace at this time. Unless you can obtain the XD for a substantial savings, the Glock gets the nod at this point.... but as was mentioned above, the S&W Shield in 45 deserves to be considered.

[C-dub]

The 30SF is a great, big little gun. I carried one for a few years and still have it. My BIL has a Shield .45 and it is also very nice. His Shield is a little thinner and easier to conceal, but at the expense of rounds. The advantage the 30SF has over the Shield is rounds and compatibility with larger mags. When I carried it I still carried two 13 round mags as spares. That, AFAIK, is not an option for the Shield.

The only reason I don't still still carry my 30SF is because, after shooting a few night matches, came to the undeniable conclusion that I shoot better in low or now light situations with a mounted light rather than a hand held flashlight in the opposite hand. Therefore, I needed a holster that would also hold a mounted light. The only holster I could find that I liked was a Safariland 7TS and they do not even make one for a 30 yet with or without a light. So, I've been carrying my 21SF with TLR-1 mounted since the holster arrived in May. If and when Safariland makes one for the 30 I'll have to decide whether or not to get it with or without a light. At this time, I'm not sure which way I'll go.

[AF-Odin]

Recently aquired the .45 Shield and it is absolutely GREAT. Only slightly larger than the 9mm brother, mine is scarily accurate out to 15 yards (the farthest I have fired it so far). I can pocket carry as long as I wear fairly loose slacks. Concealment is better than my Glock 26. I have fired my BIL's compact XD 45 and did not care for it.

[Smokey613]

Recently aquired the .45 Shield and it is absolutely GREAT. Only slightly larger than the 9mm brother, mine is scarily accurate out to 15 yards (the farthest I have fired it so far). I can pocket carry as long as I wear fairly loose slacks. Concealment is better than my Glock 26. I have fired my BIL's compact XD 45 and did not care for it.

I too recently aquired a Shield 45 and it is now my off duty gun of choice. I really like it and it fits my hand way better than any Glock.

[Soccerdad1995]

I'd be remiss if I didn't suggest a couple of good 1911 options. Either an Officers or CCO model would fit the bill, I believe. Both are much easier to conceal than your current G26, IMHO, and you get the advantage of it being a 1911

[jrs_diesel]

I don't have the XD Mod 2, but I do carry its predecessor, a 4" Compact XD45. The compact just had the grip 3/4 inch shorter, so it will take either a 10 round mag, or the standard capacity 13 round mag.

I carry mine in a Triple T, IWB holster. Very comfy and I've had little problems carrying it. I imagine the Mod 2 would be very similar.

[rentz]

Recently aquired the .45 Shield and it is absolutely GREAT. Only slightly larger than the 9mm brother, mine is scarily accurate out to 15 yards (the farthest I have fired it so far). I can pocket carry as long as I wear fairly loose slacks. Concealment is better than my Glock 26. I have fired my BIL's compact XD 45 and did not care for it.

i think the shield 45 will be my next carry purchase, i love my shield so much. its super easy to carry and way more accurate than anything else its size that ive shot

[Teamless]

shield 45 will be my next carry purchase,

Shield 45 is a great shooting pistol.
Much easier than the XDs 45 in the recoil, not to mention the stippling on the XDs is more harsh than on the Shield 45.

[twjones]

I don't have experience with either of the guns you mentioned, but I have had a good experience with the Glock 36. It is a single stack, so it is really easy to conceal. Definitely one that you might want to consider.

I'll echo this about the G36. I've carried both the G30 and G36. Can't go wrong with either one - G30 has a 10rd mag, while the G36 is 6rd mag.

First time I carried the G36 I couldn't believe how comfortable it was.

[cmgee67]

I have a hard time with this subject. I have carried 9mm since I got my lTC and have carried several guns. The only non 9mm was a glock 30. That was a sweet gun. For the size and capacity of 45 I was very impressed and was amazed just how accurate it was but it weighed the same as my glock 19. Now, I have shot the shield 45 and i did not like it. I have not liked any shield I have shot. Mushy trigger and seen to many fail from friends of mine. That being said there are guys who have had them and never had an issue. While they are slim they feel top heavy like it's going to tip over if i lean my hand over too much. As you can tell I'm not a S&W striker fired junkie but do like their revolvers. I carry glock and sig i have never shot an XD tho I would like to.

What I have a hard time with is for the weight of a sub com 45 that holds 7-10 rounds you can carry almost a full size 9mm with 15+1 capacity. But to each his own. Good luck

[rentz]

shield 45 will be my next carry purchase,

Shield 45 is a great shooting pistol.
Much easier than the XDs 45 in the recoil, not to mention the stippling on the XDs is more harsh than on the Shield 45.

I haven't shot it yet but I will likely just buy before trying, I got the rubber talon grips on my shield 9 and it just sucks your hand in super comfortable

[TresHuevos]

I have and carry both the G26 and the G30. I find myself carrying the G26 much more even though I feel I shoot the G30 better.