greg_r
07-31-2016, 05:36 AM
The gun store had S&W day yesterday. Rep was there and they had a drawing for a 9 Shield. I WON! Well, no I didn't, but a person can dream can't they!
Anyway I got to the handle the 45 Shield. I will say I was impressed. A couple of obvious changes from the 9 and 40 Shield, it had front slide serrations and the grip was fully stippled. Not much different in size to its 9 and 40 brethren. It sits well in the hand and has a low bore axis.
I once owned a 40 Shield. Like the the gun, but I was not a fan of the 40 S&W. I honestly bought it during the late ammunition drought when 40 was the only thing that was abundantly available. Once the drought was over I decided to trade it for the 9 Shield. That's when I met Kahr. I was sold on the Kahr mostly because it was chambered in 45acp. Had the 45 Shield been available then, I would have purchased it and never looked back.
Just some personal observations/opinions comparing the CW45 and the 45 Shield. I he a Kahr just feels better in the hand to me, it's just enough wider in the grip area to better fill my hand, but the Shield is not bad. 2 finger grip on the Shield with the flush magazine, I can get all my fingers on the grip of the Kahr, another plus for the Kahr. I can get all 3 fingers on the Smith using the extended magazine, but I really don't like using the magazine as part of the grip. The Kahr is 6+ 1, the Smith is 6+1 with the flush fit, 7 + 1 with the extended. The Smith has a better trigger with a better reset, but at the expense of a cocked striker, the Kahr trigger is good, just not as good as the Smith, but the striker is at rest, another plus for me. The Smith gets the clear win in the disassembly and ease of reassembly department, making cleaning easier. I still have to use a tool (normally a car key since I always have one on me) to push out the catch on the Kahr, plus I have to line up the notches and fight with the recoil spring to put it back together. The Smith you simply lock the slide back and twist a lever. The looks department is another where the Smith has it all over the Kahr, but this is purely personal. I just have never liked silver guns, preferring a good bluing job or just black. Silver to me just has an unfinished look to it. Again, purely personal.
Will I run out and trade my CW45 for a S&W Shield? No, I'm keeping the Kahr. Which one would I recommend a friend to purchase? Either, they are both 5 star rated as far as I'm concerned. I think the biggest difference is do you want a safety or not, the Smith gives you a choice, the Kahr does not. Nor does the Kahr need one, the uncocked striker and DAO trigger is inherently safe, I personally do not like a safety on a gun selected for Social work. But I'm not fond of the action being cooked and not having one either.
Anyway I got to the handle the 45 Shield. I will say I was impressed. A couple of obvious changes from the 9 and 40 Shield, it had front slide serrations and the grip was fully stippled. Not much different in size to its 9 and 40 brethren. It sits well in the hand and has a low bore axis.
I once owned a 40 Shield. Like the the gun, but I was not a fan of the 40 S&W. I honestly bought it during the late ammunition drought when 40 was the only thing that was abundantly available. Once the drought was over I decided to trade it for the 9 Shield. That's when I met Kahr. I was sold on the Kahr mostly because it was chambered in 45acp. Had the 45 Shield been available then, I would have purchased it and never looked back.
Just some personal observations/opinions comparing the CW45 and the 45 Shield. I he a Kahr just feels better in the hand to me, it's just enough wider in the grip area to better fill my hand, but the Shield is not bad. 2 finger grip on the Shield with the flush magazine, I can get all my fingers on the grip of the Kahr, another plus for the Kahr. I can get all 3 fingers on the Smith using the extended magazine, but I really don't like using the magazine as part of the grip. The Kahr is 6+ 1, the Smith is 6+1 with the flush fit, 7 + 1 with the extended. The Smith has a better trigger with a better reset, but at the expense of a cocked striker, the Kahr trigger is good, just not as good as the Smith, but the striker is at rest, another plus for me. The Smith gets the clear win in the disassembly and ease of reassembly department, making cleaning easier. I still have to use a tool (normally a car key since I always have one on me) to push out the catch on the Kahr, plus I have to line up the notches and fight with the recoil spring to put it back together. The Smith you simply lock the slide back and twist a lever. The looks department is another where the Smith has it all over the Kahr, but this is purely personal. I just have never liked silver guns, preferring a good bluing job or just black. Silver to me just has an unfinished look to it. Again, purely personal.
Will I run out and trade my CW45 for a S&W Shield? No, I'm keeping the Kahr. Which one would I recommend a friend to purchase? Either, they are both 5 star rated as far as I'm concerned. I think the biggest difference is do you want a safety or not, the Smith gives you a choice, the Kahr does not. Nor does the Kahr need one, the uncocked striker and DAO trigger is inherently safe, I personally do not like a safety on a gun selected for Social work. But I'm not fond of the action being cooked and not having one either.