Mike Pannone on Micro compact options

[GJM]

I think more choices are a good thing, but the 365 family has become the Glock 19 of slimline pistols, in terms of accessories support (OEM and after market), shootability, and reliability.

[G19Fan]

Initially, I was pretty intrigued by his experiences with the hellcat RDP. At this point I think I’m most interested in a comped 43x. My g48 hangs up upon returning to battery, but when it works well it’s a pretty great shooting little gun. For some, the shorter slide of the 43x seems to work better than the g48 slide, so maybe it’s worth experimenting with.

Interesting I had the opposite experiences! G48 had way less issues than g43x which often had issues back into battery

[G19Fan]

I got a Rost Martin for amusement

Linked is trigger break and reset. Size vs a p365xl macro chop and weight before and after cramming backstrap full of tungsten putty

https://imgur.com/a/6IZLMer

Will be shooting this next week. In hand feel great, prefer it to a g48 or g43x or cr920 (before shooting it)

Will not replace a p365 for me but got bored only shooting p365

[Coal Train]

I think more choices are a good thing, but the 365 family has become the Glock 19 of slimline pistols, in terms of accessories support (OEM and after market), shootability, and reliability.

The thing that keeps me away from the 365 line is that there is currently not a SCD available for it. Yes, it is available with a manual safety. But in my handling of a P365, the safety design ergonomics are not great. And I'm not willing at the current time to upgrade my software to incorporate manual safety use into a carry gun.

[TOTS]

Someone needs to compare the Rogue barrel/comp system he’s raving about for accuracy. It may be a budget option (wrt the PMM comp) and allow Macro users to keep the factory 3.7 slides.
@GJM !!

[NETim]

Opening salvo: IF I knew I was going to gun fight, I'd stay home. IF I had to go, I'd bring a rifle... with friends... who have rifles.

Being a retired bum, living in the relatively quiet social atmosphere of flyover country, i.e., the sticks, I think I'll stick with my current choice for carry, a G17.

Since I don't work, I can pretty much choose where I go. Hence no need for deep concealment and tiny guns. Street crime is a very, very rare event here. My primary concern, as remote as the odds are, are whack job mass killers, either the domestic or imported fundamentalist types. I want a bigger gun with more ammo. IF I ever have to engage, (and that's a big IF) odds are it will be at longer distances than typical defensive scenarios. That's my take.

I can conceal a G17 under an unbuttoned shirt relatively well. Typical geezer fashion statement.

[G19Fan]

The thing that keeps me away from the 365 line is that there is currently not a SCD available for it. Yes, it is available with a manual safety. But in my handling of a P365, the safety design ergonomics are not great. And I'm not willing at the current time to upgrade my software to incorporate manual safety use into a carry gun.

I get why people love the SCD but never personally had them as a must have. Have been in an accident while aiwb a p365 where out car was totalled. No issues with gun.

Agreed on p365 safety

[G19Fan]

Opening salvo: IF I knew I was going to gun fight, I'd stay home. IF I had to go, I'd bring a rifle... with friends... who have rifles.

Being a retired bum, living in the relatively quiet social atmosphere of flyover country, i.e., the sticks, I think I'll stick with my current choice for carry, a G17.

Since I don't work, I can pretty much choose where I go. Hence no need for deep concealment and tiny guns. Street crime is a very, very rare event here. My primary concern, as remote as the odds are, are whack job mass killers, either the domestic or imported fundamentalist types. I want a bigger gun with more ammo. IF I ever have to engage, (and that's a big IF) odds are it will be at longer distances than typical defensive scenarios. That's my take.

I can conceal a G17 under an unbuttoned shirt relatively well. Typical geezer fashion statement.

Good logic. I do think the small guns can be shot to any reasonable engagement distant with a dot. Haven't had issues with an xl hitting b/c steel at 150.

I can't do it with irons

[psalms144.1]

Good logic. I do think the small guns can be shot to any reasonable engagement distant with a dot. Haven't had issues with an xl hitting b/c steel at 150.

I can't do it with irons

Agreed. I recently re-acquired a G19 as a "just in case" pistol for my closet, since (a) in the event of a REAL emergency, I'd rather have the extra shootability and slight increase in capacity, and (b) it's the only pistol my wife ever "took" to (besides a 9mm 1911). BUT, it sits in a light-equipped ALS holster on a "battle belt" with several extra mags, and doesn't get "carried." Conversely, I'm about 45-50% hit rate on IPSC steel at 100 yards with my iron-sighted P365, and about 80-90% with a dot-equipped XL. I'll take that performance reduction, given the dramatic improvement in "carry" convenience the smaller pistols give.

[mmc45414]

Interesting that there's no mention of the Shield Plus.

I asked him about this in an IG comment. He said he just wasn’t a fan of the design or ergonomics of the shield plus, at which point several others agreed and complained about the bore axis.
Bore axis aside, I found the shield plus to shoot as soft as a g48 or near enough.

I tend to agree. I can shoot a Shield Plus very well compared to the other micros, but something about the ergos are weird - they look similar to a full size M&P but the proportions and/or something else is just a little off.

Just seems like the M&P and Shield Plus are just like the last kid that gets picked for the dodgeball team, maybe that is why I identify with them?
I shoot one of my M&Ps almost every week. In the past I had Shields in all three cartridges (not at the same time) but it seemed like they got shot and carried very little, I either had the M&P Compact or a J-frame. But I decided to try the Shield Plus and am very glad I did, I am very pleased with how well I can hit with it, and how much easier it is to pack. I carry it with the 10rnd mag (with a Pearce pinky perch) in a JMCK IWB-3 (I think I have one for every pistol I own?...) and have a 15rnd spare mag (in a JMCK AIWB), and what a great combination. I think all of these pistols are just big enough to be very capable of getting good hits.

When I decided to get a slimline I just bought the S&W, at this point I am probably just the M&P Guy, they are the only striker guns I have (oops, I still have one Kahr). I am tempted by the 365, with the easy ability to create a long barrel-short grip combo I prefer. I did briefly own one I won in a raffle, but the timing was wrong and I sold it (rather than spending another couple hundred to accessorize the free pistol...) to help fund my direct milled M&P with the SRO. At this point I will probably take a Shield Plus (have two, so far) and maybe add a comp. Or get one of the 4in guns. Or both, I really like the things.

I just sold off my last Shield Plus. For me, the lack of a direct mount optic and the marginal safety were significant downsides. I also found it "bigger" enough than a P365 to be just chonky enough to be unfun in shorts pocket. Most importantly for me, I find they just don't "point" naturally, leading to lots of time "hunting for the dot" on optics-equipped versions. Lastly, I found the design of 13-round magazine and the "spacer" to be questionable, my friends and I have broken several of those during normal range use.

Having said all that, of all the micros, I find the Shield Plus to have the least felt recoil of any of the micros, think the trigger is arguably the "best" of the options, and found them to be inherently more accurate than most of the other options. And, since my several versions were all 100% reliable, if you have one and mesh with it, I say rock on with it!

I have not tried one with a RDO, sounds like I will someday but sooooo many projects to fund (I recently dove back into defensive shotguns. With optics...).
I am not all that large, and I think pant pockets are scaled accordingly, and I do little pocket carry, mostly when doing some kind of home improvement wearing a overall or coverall with no belt and I need to run to the big box (pro tip: start every home improvement project with a full tank of gas). But every morning starts with me out behind the house (no fence, wooded area) with the dogs and the SP rides in the coverall or coat pocket better than the 4in Compact did.

ETA: Also seems like the Shield Plus is typically a bargain, though the 365 is not as much more as it used to be. Goofy logic but part of the reason I sold the 365 is because of all of the money I wanted to spend on the thing. I would have replaced the grip frame with a Wilson and changed all of the magazines to mesh with the larger grip frame, and it added up.