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Rost Martin R1MF comes to Califnoria

Glock or Smith?

bcj68 said:
Man -it’s very heavy in favor of the Smith. It also seems the consensus is toward the Shield Plus.
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Yes.

The main off-the-shelf benefit of Glock over the modern polymer strikers is the flatter shooting due to the grip angle. For example, the 19 feels softer and shoots flatter than the M&P 2.0 compact (even though ergonomics, grip texture, etc. is better on the M&P). The 43X is an exception to that rule. Not sure why, but it's exceedingly snappy and provides a comparatively unpleasant shooting experience to the standard micro competitors (Shield, Hellcat, CC9, and all but the smallest P365).

Shield Plus over X mostly because of capacity limits. The grip on the Plus is wider, but shorter, so it conceals better. The pinky extension is all you need. The X grip has wasted space in CA because it's designed around a 13-round mag. I will say the X barrel length (3.6") is just about perfect over the 3.1" of the Plus, but if you have to keep them in their factory configurations (i.e., if you're not open to swapping slides), I would still stick with the Plus over the X.
 
doggman61 said:
correct! the plus is on the list to get before march when I renew my permit.
Just bought a bodyguard 2.0 which has good grip texture for a lil guy. figured it will be the summer shorts carry.
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I hate it when they change the name’s of firearms. The original Bodyguard was the S&W .38 cal 5 shot handgun. Which I have several of them as back ups. It’s kind of hard to draw a firearm from a holster when you are in moving vehicle. So I have handguns mounted around the driver’s area. The S&W I hated the most was the, if I remember right was the 5900 series semi autos which were double action only.
 
Alfa_1048 said:
I hate it when they change the name’s of firearms. The original Bodyguard was the S&W .38 cal 5 shot handgun. Which I have several of them as back ups. It’s kind of hard to draw a firearm from a holster when you are in moving vehicle. So I have handguns mounted around the driver’s area. The S&W I hated the most was the, if I remember right was the 5900 series semi autos which were double action only.
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CHP?
 
Alfa_1048 said:
I hate it when they change the name’s of firearms. The original Bodyguard was the S&W .38 cal 5 shot handgun. Which I have several of them as back ups. It’s kind of hard to draw a firearm from a holster when you are in moving vehicle. So I have handguns mounted around the driver’s area. The S&W I hated the most was the, if I remember right was the 5900 series semi autos which were double action only.
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5946 probably. I shot the 5906 a few times (DA/SA) when my buddy would bring his out. They were not bad in SA but the DA was heavy and long. Pistol was also just heavy too. They are kind of cool looking now though.
 
Darqhelmet said:
5946 probably. I shot the 5906 a few times (DA/SA) when my buddy would bring his out. They were not bad in SA but the DA was heavy and long. Pistol was also just heavy too. They are kind of cool looking now though.
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These were double action only, the hammer couldn’t be locked back. It was just a semi auto that was a revolver. For whatever reason they wouldn’t let us carry Glocks. Long trigger pull, like I said I hated it. We purchased them directly from Smith at their costs. When I left that agency I traded it to a guy in exchange for working on my house he thought it was a great deal since I had used it in LE.
 
bcj68 said:
For a CCW slimline pistol, which do you prefer / have better experiences with?

Glock 43X or S&W Shield (Shield Plus, Shield X)...
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Man oh man.

I'm a long time Glock guy, but that Shield X texture is phenomenal.

If I weren't a long time Glock guy that already owns a 43X, I might be inclined to lean towards the Shield X, TBH. The 43X texture is almost nothing, whereas the Shield X texture is nice and grippy. Not abrasive, just really easy to keep ahold of.
 
Alfa_1048 said:
These were double action only, the hammer couldn’t be locked back. It was just a semi auto that was a revolver. For whatever reason they wouldn’t let us carry Glocks. Long trigger pull, like I said I hated it. We purchased them directly from Smith at their costs. When I left that agency I traded it to a guy in exchange for working on my house he thought it was a great deal since I had used it in LE.
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5946 would be that model in the 59xx generation
 
Basically everyone I know IRL carries a Shield Plus, meaning I’ve shot them way more than you’d expect for someone who doesn't care for polymer striker guns. While I don’t have any experience specifically with the Glock 43X, the Shield Plus’ trigger is miles better than any other Glock I’ve ever tried. I think a good trigger is critical in a small pistol because they are already hard enough to shoot well.
 
I started with a shield in 2022 and that gun did not fit my hand well. I bought it because someone said that’s the best for concealment. Then I got a Glock 26 gen 3 and use a 19 mag with an extension. Last year I got hot and bothered by the p365 mania and got the macro comp. Purely from a shooting perspective and where the bullets land, I shoot the glock the best. I sold the shield. The morale of the story find what works and stick with it. It works for a reason.
 
I dont carry any “slim guns” but i would like to recommend a g26 if one can find one via ppt. Its my go to for “tighter/slim clothing” and it shoots like a full size gun in my opinion even with a flush mag
 
Few folks are recommending the 26, so it's fair to flag the Glock 26 and 43X experiences are very different.
  • 26 is wider and shorter, as it's basically a chopped down G19. With the shorter grip, it conceals better. With a pinky extension it shoots better than the 43X because the added width gives you more control.
  • 43X is taller but noticeably thinner and lighter. This means it carries more comfortably, even though it doesn't conceal as well. The lighter weight also means you feel the explosions more than with the 26.

Still, I'd say the Shield Plus or X are a better options than the 26 or the 43X.
  • The 26 has the shortest grip of any option, but that also means you won't get more than a 2-finger grip unless you use a pinky extension. Once you're there, a Shield Plus gives you similar shooting experience but thinner and with better ergos and trigger, optics ready and a lighter frame. That said, you can run a G19 or G17 mag in the G26, so there's added versatility that the Shield doesn't have (if that moves the needle for you).
  • The 43X form factor is nearly identical to the Shield X, but the Shield has better ergos, trigger, optics ready. I can't think of any objective reason to get a 43X over a Shield X, unless you're just a Glock guy, which is fine.
 
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