Some years back, I tried to get the M&P45 "Mid-Size" for a magazine article. Due to a miscommunication, I received an M&P45C – the Compact variant of the M&P45 – for T&E. That turned out to be a good thing. I've had considerable experience with the M&P line of pistols, a couple of the newer M&P revolvers and the M&P15 rifle line but had never handled the M&P45C. At first glance, I considered the gripping surface of the frame too short for good control while the 4" barrel-slide combination of the M&P45 "Mid-Size" seemed too long for the "Compact" version of the .45. I was mistaken. As I removed the new gun from the box, I immediately realized how well the M&P45C fit my hand with the flat-floorplate magazine in place. No wasted space, but no part of my hand was hanging off in space. The apparently over-long slide/barrel was not over-long in terms of handling. It was just right. An eight-shot capacity, legal nearly everywhere but that people's utopia of New York, actually exceeds the capacity of the century-long world standard of service autopistols, the M1911 – originally and for many years thereafter issued with 7-round magazines. Trying a ten-round spare, grabbed from my Apex Tactical Limited M&P45, I found the magazine locked up just fine with no hint of a propensity to over-travel if I was in a hurry. Brownell's, supplier of tools and parts to the gunsmith trades and to citizens like me, sent along a couple of M&P45 magazines, including the long 14-round units. Likewise, that "high" capacity magazine locked up perfectly. Shooting would determine the reliability of the set-up. The Galco COP leather pancake-style holster, a Blade-Tech slide-type paddle holster, Blade-Tech Eclipse, Blade-Tech IWB and a Cross-Breed SuperTuck Deluxe all fit the compact service pistol. Randi Rogers, at Comp-Tac, sent along a pair of their current production single mag pouches. While I'd likely carry only one at a time – concealed – I had some latitude to add the second easy-on pouch in a moment if needed. Not being joined, it'd be easier to sort around on the belt. The M&P is shipped with the size Medium grip attached. A pair of extras ship with the gun, a large and a small. I put the small grip on the gun. Like the other M&Ps, the 45C ships with a pair of magazines. They are rated for eight rounds, but it's a tight fit when you try an in-battery reload. One magazine has the flat floorplate for concealment and the other has an extension floorplate, making a place for the small finger to rest.

Extended magazines worked fine in the M&P45 Compact.

I wore the M&P45C for a month, in inside the waist holsters like the Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe and the Blade-Tech IWB. The flat floorplate magazine was in the gun, backed by the other magazine. I have ten-round M&P45 magazines but I started out with the issued magazines like most new purchasers would. The action of this, like other, M&P pistols is a modern striker-fired design. The gun is narrow, less than an inch and a quarter wide and the M&P45C fits most M&P holsters I tried. I took the M&P45C to the range with an assortment of ammunition. I shot the FBI Bulls-eye course (used to get into -- and remain in -- the FBI sponsored Firearms Instructor courses). The course is shot on the FBI's own target and involves two five-round strings of slowfire from 25 yards, followed by two 5-shot strings each of timed and rapid fire from 15 yards. Using the standard FBI-1P bull's-eye target, I shot a score of 276/300 (92%) using Federal Gold Medal Match 185 SWC. A few issues arose. I experienced a few stoppages with this load in the M&P45C. Remarkably, it occurred only with long (10 and 14-round magazines) in the M&P45C. Standard 8-round magazines with a hundred rounds of that load worked just fine. It is not a combat load, has a short overall length and it's tough to get any .45 ACP pistol to run with that load. I fired the Gunsite 250 School Drill, using the Gunsite Option target. I used a vintage Blade-Tech paddle holster worn without cover garment. Using Gunsite Instructor Ed Head's "lazy man" method (no prone at the end), I fired it according to Hoyle. The School Drill is all done from the holster. You begin with firing a head shot at three yards in 1.5 seconds. Do that twice. At seven yards, it's a pair to the "upper chest" in 1.5 seconds. Ten yards is the same with the time limit at two seconds. Standing to kneeling for a pair at fifteen yards in 3.5 seconds and a pair from prone at 25 yards in seven seconds finishes the exercise. Five points are awarded for hits in the 8" chest circle, outside the circle counts for two unless you were going for a required head shot. If you pull a required headshot outside the scoring box, it's a miss. As the required headshots in the box and chest hits in the circle count for five each, 50 points are possible. I shot 47 out of fifty numerically, but had to subtract five points for the over-time shot at seven yards -- which could have been measured by hourglass – and I was down to 42/50. It wasn't the gun's fault, clearly I need to go back to work. I wore the M&P45C through July. On a road trip, it split its time between a Blade-Tech Eclipse and the Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe, under an untucked shirt. I backed up the standard 8-shot magazine with flat floorplate in the gun with the M&P45 10-shot magazine in a Comp-Tac magazine pouch. It doesn't hurt to have a few more rounds accessible. Smith and Wesson couldn't have done better with this gun. If it had been mine, I'd likely contact Apex Tactical for their great action parts – though it's smoothed up with use -- and I'd likely get a tritium sight up front, keeping the rear sight that's on the gun and blacking-out the white dots. If you must have a .45, the M&P45C more than fits the bill. I'd have been happy to have it in plainclothes – or even in uniform – when I was on the job. I'm vastly impressed with this pistol. The form factor plus the caliber – even though I'm an unabashed fan of the 9mm – makes this the gun to beat. Specifications Model: M&P45c Caliber: .45ACP Capacity: 8 Rounds Barrel Length: 4" Action: Striker Fired Weight (No Mag): 26.2 oz. Overall Length: 7.55" / 19.2 cm Overall Height: 4.8" Width: 1.2" Grip: 3 Interchangeable Palm-swell Grip Sizes Weight: 27.3 oz / 773.9g Barrel Material: Stainless Steel Slide Material: Stainless Steel Frame Material: Polymer Slide Finish: Armornite® Front Sight: White Dot Dovetail Rear Sight: Steel Low Profile Carry Suggested Retail: $599 For more information, see: Smith & Wesson -- Rich Grassi