Question - .45 ACP compact for CC?

Handguns
1

Thinking about getting a carry permit
I’m on the side of big hunk of lead at slow speed over little bit of lead at high speed. Plus I have enough .45 reloading supplies to last a decade, I’d have to start from scratch with 9

Smith & Wesson M&P Shield M2.0 (Performance Center if I can find one)
Or
Springfield XD-S Mod.2 OSP XDSG93345BOSP
or
something completely different that I probably don’t even know exists?

2

May I Suggest Kimber Ultra Carry II, I have the XDS love the gun hate the trigger

3

I have a Shield .45 PC, but the original, not the 2.0.

It shoots pretty well, but is still a tiny gun for the .45ACP cartridge. You only get 6 in a mag.

The porting does make a difference. I have shot it side-by-side with a non-ported one and I prefer the PC model.

I carry a 9mm with Hornady Critical Duty in it. Not quite a flying ashtray, but not really any less capable so long as you accept that any pistol round is not really a one shot stop unless you get really lucky with a CNS hit.

4

First generation ?
I read that they fixed that in the second generation

5

Very pretty gun but a bit more than I want to spend

6

Yes 1st gen

7

Never got my hands on a Gen 2

8

I really like my SA XD-S. It’s the original Mod 1. I test fired a few comparable size guns before settling on that, as I found it the most accurate of the small 9 mms. More than accurate enough to shoot perfect scores on the HQC-1 course that used to be required for the NJ carry permit. And the gun runs flawlessly with any ammo I’ve ever tried in it.

That said, I’ve never fired the .45 cal model. I’d imagine controllability might be considerably more challenging. You might be able to find one to rent before you buy.

9

Glock still makes the G36, which is a Single Stack .45.

10

I have the Shield 9 2.0 Performance Center. I can tell you what I have found out about carrying a gun. I got the Shield(not the plus)3.1" because it is SMALL. I got MagGuts springs for the 7 rounder making it 8+1 with the standard baseplate for everyday carry. I carry the extra 8 round with the MagGuts +2 making it 10+1. I put the Hi Vis Day/Night sights on there. In my opinion it is WAY good enough in every category. In the cold months I wear it with Upper Hand Holsters OWB and it just disappears from 3 to 4 o’clock. I tried carrying a thicker gun but I like this one better. I know where you are coming from when you say you want to carry a .45. I do too.

11

I carry the Shield 45, not the 2.0, in a Crossbreed iwb mini-tuck holster. I think the only difference between the 1 and 2 is the grip texture and the trigger. I did install the Apex enhanced trigger in mine. I was surprised at how smooth and accurately it shoots, and it conceals very well. I carry 7 rounds of Critical Defense in the mag and 1 in the chamber, as well as a spare 7 round mag.

12

I have Glock 30 Gen 4 that’s not bad for .45 out of a small frame but its a thick brick. My favorite sub-compact in .45 is my Springfield Mod2 SC. That shoot’s 45acp soft and accurate.

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13

And therein lies my issue - I have accuracy problems with short fingers and thick double stack .45 grips. Single stack I’m fine.

14

I concealed carried a bunch of different 45’s over the years. I carried a Springfield Champion ( too big and heavy) , Para Ordnance Companion ( easy to conceal but heavy), XDM 45 Compact ( close in size & weight to Glock 19) and the 1st Gen XDS. The XDS was the best one that I carried. It was accurate and reliable. It concealed great in IWB, ankle, or pocket holster. I sold a coupld of years ago because I picked up a P365. My XDS 45 was also easy to control. I have experience with the Glock 30 also, but I think that the XDM grip is a hair longer which for me made all the difference as I felt that the G30 was not as pleasant to shoot.

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