Need a new .45...M&P .45?

General Firearms Handguns - Semi Auto
1

I’m in the market for a new .45. There are a few things that it will have to have. Light rail, manual safety and 10 rnd cap at least. I plan to use this for a number of different types of shooting. It will be a plinker, truck gun at times, go to a couple of classes and get carried.

I have owned about every type of handgun, 1911’s, Hi-Powers, Sigs, Glocks, H&K, S&W’s of all sorts, CZ’s, and a few other I can’t remember. I had planned to go with either a USP .45(Tactical or Expert) or an HK .45 although the Kimber Warrior keeps callin me.:slight_smile: I’ve had 2 that were trouble free. One a buddy bought and has got 2,500+ rnds down it after he got it from me.

However, after reading a number of threads here and other forums I got thinking about the M&P .45. It has all that I’m looking for and it is at least $400 cheaper or more than the HK.45, never mind the cost of mags. Also, the M&P has a 14rnd mag avialable. What really impressed me in the other threads were the number guys that basically said, “HK .45 or M&P.45”.

Also, I read Larry Vickers thoughts on the 1911. I have shot 1911’s alot but I have been lucky and not had any really problematic ones. I really at this point have no interest in owning a Harley.:laugh:

So here is the question, how good is the M&P .45? What I am primarily intersted in is the durability. I know that the HK’s are about as close to bomb proof as you can get. How close to the HK is the M&P? I know that there have been some issues with it, have they been ironed out?

Any input you guys have would be appreciated.

Thanks!

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Have you considered the FNP 45? It goes for about the same as the M&P. I have an FNP 45 Tactical and I am in love with it. I’d had it for a while with no malfunctione and still very accurate. The FNP exceeds all of your requirements.

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If you have any intentions of carrying it then get the M&P45m (or mid-size). That particular model will do everything you posted, including CCW. The other 45s that I would put on the short list are the HK45 and the HK45c. However, I think the full sized 45 is too big for concealed carry (for most people) and I’m not sure I’d want to shoot the compact full time.

If you’re looking for a do it all 45 ACP then the M&P45 (middy) is what I highly recommend you look at.

Check out this post by C4iGrant: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=45724

That post got me thinking about the M&P45m as an option to the G19 and after fondling one at GotM4’s shop I’m convinced they are probably the most versatile 45ACP on the market today

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So far all signs point to the M&P .45 being a pretty good bet. They are, generally speaking, pretty reliable, pretty accurate, and they seem to hold up pretty well.

What I am primarily intersted in is the durability. I know that the HK’s are about as close to bomb proof as you can get. How close to the HK is the M&P?

If you want to put 100,000 rounds downrange with it, the HK probably has a better shot of getting to 100K than the S&W…but the size of the margin between them isn’t something I think anyone can predict with specificity. Either will go through enough ammo to clean out your retirement account…unless you somehow convince people to just give you tens of thousands of rounds of free ammo.

Short of a fortuitous unlimited ammo supply, both weapons are likely to stand up to anything you can throw at them with little trouble. They both have a reputation for excellent accuracy. The M&P is less expensive and more widely supported in the aftermarket.

I would probably give an edge to the M&P if for no other reason than the availability of CT laser grips for the M&P. Having spent some trigger time on both the H&K and the M&P, it’s really a tossup in my mind that comes down to what you intend to do with the gun and how much you’ve got to spend up front.

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Another vote for the M&P45 middy. If it had been available when it first was introduced, I would have gone that route. I got the full size instead and after 5K Problem free rounds, I’m still very please with it. I’ve taken it to a couple of 500 round one day pistol classes, and it was a complete pleasure to shoot, with no soar extremities after the fact. It is the most controllable and pleasant .45 I’ve ever fired.

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I’ve had a full size M&P45 for several years now and have put it through a couple of courses with 0 problems. It is more than accurate and rans like a top. With that being said; I’d go with the mid-size variant. The mid-size handles much better and you lose nothing in capacity.

A good comparison between the full and mid size M&P45 is the comparison between the fullsize M9 and the Centurion variant.

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I own 3 HK’s all in 9mm so, I really can’t compare Hk’s to a .45M&P…I also have 2 M&P’s a FS 9 and a Midsize .45, The .45 is’nt exactly stock… So far, I’ve removed the thumb saftey levers and plugged the frame, installed a Apex DCAEK kit,had Heinie straight 8’s installed, relieved the triggerguard,and stippled it, All of the work, except the orginial installation of the Heinies, was done by myself. It was bought new in '08 and now has 3000 rnds through it, with 1 FTF… Most of the ammo ran through it were my reloads 200gr LSWC’s with a smattering of JHP’s and some FMJ’s. It is one of the most reliable pistols I own, Accuracy seems to have improved after I relieved the triggerguard and stippled the front and back straps,(I’m now running the small bckstrap) While I have no doubt a HK45 would probably shoot better, the M&P is’nt exactly a slouch either, Before I relieved the triggerguard and stippled I’d usually get 7-8 out of 10 into a 3x5 rectangle at 7yds, after stippling, etc, 10 out of 10 in the 3x5… For the money you can’t go wrong, So far I haven’t had any parts break, Even if I did, S&W’s customer service will send a prepaid shipping label, so you can ship to them They’ll fix and return to you, My only experience with HK’s CS was with my P-2000, bought new, it had what felt like a broken spring in the LEM trigger system. It came this way from the factory. I called HK, explained the problem, got switched to another person explained again,Over the phone, they acted like they did’nt believe me at first. They gave me a RA# and I was told I’d have to ship to them…on my dime! I shipped, and they fixed,Turns out it was a broken spring. To their credit, they must have went through the whole pistol looking for problems, as they also replaced the firing pin spring, they said it was "out of spec"on the invoice…I got it back within 2 wks…It just kinda chaps my ass I had to pay shipping to them(HK) so they could fix their mistake.They could have at least thrown a mag in or something… I myself like the midsize .45, IMO it’s a good choice for CCW, not impossible to hide, something to consider about the HK45, (I’d go with a HK45c for a CCW if I were going with HK’s) The HK45 is’nt exactly small, I’ve only handled one, and it reminded me of a S&W 645 I used to have, size wise,(huge) I guess the best thing you could do is try them both if you can. I like HK’s and M&P’s I’d like to have a HK45, but, I can’t justify the cost…The M&P.45 does a great job, and I’m happy with it…It’s a keeper.

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I own a M&P 45 FS, My buddy owns a HK 45c LEM. I love my M&P, but for CCW I’d rather have the shorter grip of the Compact. The LEM trigger in the HK is very nice but has a much longer reset than the M&P, but that is the nature of the beast.

I would recommend ether one. Personally If I were to purchase again I would have gotten the compact. Cant go wrong with ether. Ive got the Apex kit in my M&P and I love it. Stippled it and Its perfect. But, the new M&P45s do have a much cleaner brake than the older ones like mine did. I actually like the trigger in the new MP. Anyway. Kind of a personal Choice. I would get the LEM trigger in the HK tho as It is a consistent trigger pull from first shot to last, but that is a personal choice also.

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They are nice but they seem to still have a few teething issues. I have read a number of reports of mag/FCG problems.

I had not seen that thread…very interesting. Thanks for hte link. I will carry it part of the time but I think my USPc 9 will still see more time. I did happen to handle the middie at a shop today but spent more time with full size.

The hk45c is too small in the grip for a general purpose handgun at least for me. I really wanted the HK45 when I read the article in Shotgun News w/LAV. The production version doesn’t really work for me…dang finger grooves are in the wrong spot.

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Edited by me

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The reports about FCG problems are rather old since it is no longer an issue.

Only mag issues I know of are because of out of spec ammo that have longer than SAMMI specified OAL, causing some to bind inside the magazine. Using quality ammo, checking OAL, or reloading your own rounds negate this problem.

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Love my M&P Middy I just wish the holster industry would support the platform better.

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I was in the same boat you were in, going back and forth between which 45 to get. In my case, I was leaning towards a 1911, but came to the realization that I don’t have the time to tinker around with the gun and wouldn’t give it the attention that it needs. The 1911 is a professional’s gun, which means you gotta tend to it like its one of your vital organs. Reality hit me and I knew that my gut wanted something thats good out of the box and required little modification and maintenance. In the end, I chose the M&P 45 FS for several reasons. Ergonomics, cost, and reliability. As far as the HK 45 is concerned, ask yourself…will that price tag yield such an improvement/performance vs the M&P 45 to justify it? You can save the money and use it to buy 45 ammo!

I won’t lie, after reading the M&P problem thread and the Apex Tactical thread really sold me on my choice, which I think was a very informed decision thanks the the M4 community.

On a side note, when I went to buy my gun yesterday, the salesman tried to sell me on a CZ 97B…

P.S. Apex Hard Sear just shipped today. :smiley:

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The M&P45 w/Apex duty kit installed is the way to go. Personally, I find the M&P45 midsize to be equivalent to carrying a G19.

M&P45 mid-size compared to a G19:

Here is a G19 on top of a M&P45 mid-size:

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A Glock 17, or 19 being my favorite to carry I must admit I can’t give a true answer.

But I prefer the H&K to the M&P, but I like both a lot.

In 9x19mm (my caliber of choice) I’d run an H&K P2000 (more likely), or USP-C (still awesome). Both with V3 trigger - DA/SA + Decocker.

In .45 ACP HK .45C (more likely), or USP-C. Both with V3 trigger.

At some point for carry I’d love to own a H&K P2000. :slight_smile:

My favorite pistol in the H&K line-up beside the standard USP.

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I have a FS 45 M&P and plan on getting another, probably a mid size. I also own a HK45C and recently sold an HK45. The HK line is incredible. However, for the money, the M&P is a solid choice, especially with APEX gear installed. The M&P, for me at least, points and generally handles better than the HK. For inherent accuracy at longer distances, however, the HK beats it, at least with my two samples.

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Seriously. If Glock ever screws up Gaston’s design. I’m going to be an H&K guy.

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If you bought a M&P45 Compact, you could run the top end of the compact on the frame of your FS and create a mid size.

This way, you would have the ability to configure the two pistols to create any of the three sizes. Pretty cool!