So after looking all over the Island for a Shield .45 with no thumb safety and no mag disconnect I took my search to GunBroker.com. I put in a low ball bid and to my surprise and luck nobody else bid! It should be at PJ Army & Navy this week. If it is everything I am hoping for then the 9mm Shield will be going up for sale. Will post pics and initial impressions this week. I am very curious to see if it fits into my Crossbreed Super Tuck. I have heard mixed feedback on holster Compatability.
I also want to say that PJ A&N was super responsive to my emails. The seller received a copy of the FFL minutes after they opened for business. That's pretty impressive!
Edit to add review to the OP:
I never got around to doing a full review so here are some impressions after a couple of range sessions. So far I have put 300 total rounds of 230gr ball, (WWB and UMC) along with another 120 rounds that was a mix of Win PDX-1 230 gr, HST 230gr and Speer Gold Dot 230gr. There were zero failures of any kind. The pistol hit point of aim with all ammo. Recoil was very manageable for a .45 of this size. Double taps felt almost as quick as with my 9mm shield. If I had a quiet range I would have timed my shots and will do so if I get the chance. The texture on the grip allows for excellent control. The length of the grip even with the compact mag allows for almost a full grip. My Medium Large (Golf Glove size) hands enabled my pinky to remain mostly on the grip. The extended mag should suit any hand size short of Sasquatch. I shot approximately 200 rounds each session and did not feel at all beat up by the gun. I only shot at 7 and 12 yards and at both distances accuracy was exceptional, but then again it better be. This slide is not a chore to rack and the standard sights are typical 3-dot. Not my favorite but they will get swapped for my go-to Ameriglo Pro-iDot sights.
The trigger breaks cleanly at 5.5lbs. Take up was a little gritty initially. This is from the sharp angle of the striker block and a little roughness on it and the trigger bar surface that engages the striker block. I removed the striker block and chucked it in a drill and hit it with some 600 grit wet/dry followed by some Flitz. It shines like a mirror now. I then hit the the trigger bar with Flits and a felt cone on the dremel until the candy cane shined like the striker block. I used a fine stone and Flitz on the part of the trigger bar the engages the striker block. Take-up is nice and smoooothe now. The trigger moves through the initial take-up with almost no perception of the striker block until you come to the wall that is created by the sear. The break is crisp with a little over travel. This is a very easy trigger to shoot well with. Reset is short enough and both tactile and audible. I have Apex parts in my 9mn and yes that trigger is better in every way but for a factory trigger with minimal polishing (Which would have occurred through break-in to a large extent) this trigger is very good.
I had two negative experiences that can easily be dealt with:
First, carrying iwb with no undershirt in a Crossbreed Supertuck worn at 4:30 left my skin a bit sore. This is due to the aggressive grip texture. This is easily fixed by wearing an undershirt. The other option would be to hit the grip lightly with some sandpaper to take some of the bite off. I would prefer leave the texture alone as it is such huge aide to control and accuracy.
Second was when slamming home the mags I managed to pinch the palm of my strong hand between the end of the grip and the mag base. This only happened once and is easily trained away.
In all aspects I am very pleased and may end up selling off the 9mm shield. I should also note that the .45 fits my 9mm Supertuck "almost good enough" but I will be ordering a dedicated holster for the .45. I think I may to try something from T.Rex Arms.
I also want to say that PJ A&N was super responsive to my emails. The seller received a copy of the FFL minutes after they opened for business. That's pretty impressive!
Edit to add review to the OP:
I never got around to doing a full review so here are some impressions after a couple of range sessions. So far I have put 300 total rounds of 230gr ball, (WWB and UMC) along with another 120 rounds that was a mix of Win PDX-1 230 gr, HST 230gr and Speer Gold Dot 230gr. There were zero failures of any kind. The pistol hit point of aim with all ammo. Recoil was very manageable for a .45 of this size. Double taps felt almost as quick as with my 9mm shield. If I had a quiet range I would have timed my shots and will do so if I get the chance. The texture on the grip allows for excellent control. The length of the grip even with the compact mag allows for almost a full grip. My Medium Large (Golf Glove size) hands enabled my pinky to remain mostly on the grip. The extended mag should suit any hand size short of Sasquatch. I shot approximately 200 rounds each session and did not feel at all beat up by the gun. I only shot at 7 and 12 yards and at both distances accuracy was exceptional, but then again it better be. This slide is not a chore to rack and the standard sights are typical 3-dot. Not my favorite but they will get swapped for my go-to Ameriglo Pro-iDot sights.
The trigger breaks cleanly at 5.5lbs. Take up was a little gritty initially. This is from the sharp angle of the striker block and a little roughness on it and the trigger bar surface that engages the striker block. I removed the striker block and chucked it in a drill and hit it with some 600 grit wet/dry followed by some Flitz. It shines like a mirror now. I then hit the the trigger bar with Flits and a felt cone on the dremel until the candy cane shined like the striker block. I used a fine stone and Flitz on the part of the trigger bar the engages the striker block. Take-up is nice and smoooothe now. The trigger moves through the initial take-up with almost no perception of the striker block until you come to the wall that is created by the sear. The break is crisp with a little over travel. This is a very easy trigger to shoot well with. Reset is short enough and both tactile and audible. I have Apex parts in my 9mn and yes that trigger is better in every way but for a factory trigger with minimal polishing (Which would have occurred through break-in to a large extent) this trigger is very good.
I had two negative experiences that can easily be dealt with:
First, carrying iwb with no undershirt in a Crossbreed Supertuck worn at 4:30 left my skin a bit sore. This is due to the aggressive grip texture. This is easily fixed by wearing an undershirt. The other option would be to hit the grip lightly with some sandpaper to take some of the bite off. I would prefer leave the texture alone as it is such huge aide to control and accuracy.
Second was when slamming home the mags I managed to pinch the palm of my strong hand between the end of the grip and the mag base. This only happened once and is easily trained away.
In all aspects I am very pleased and may end up selling off the 9mm shield. I should also note that the .45 fits my 9mm Supertuck "almost good enough" but I will be ordering a dedicated holster for the .45. I think I may to try something from T.Rex Arms.
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