OK, so not really a fair comparison....

I've been carrying the 442 for a while now, but I do find myself wanting more sometimes.  And I know a Shield would probably be the most optimum gun for that, but these were both my Step Father's who passed away last year.  And I bought these from my Mom so she could have the money.  And then I get guns.  

Anyways....  It's hard to actually post these because a little less than a decade ago I used to shoot a lot more and was a better shot.  But for reasons, as everyone has them, I don't shoot as much and it is what it is.  I'm hoping to go more in the future, but we'll see.  

However, I do still want to have a gun around for defense and these are the two that are going to be my main carry pieces.  I do carry my M9 from time to time but it's a bit bigger than the M&P and I'll probably carry the M&P when I am wanting "more".   But the 442 is my every day carry.  

It's only the second time I shot the 442 and I have some impressions.  I brought a couple different kinds of ammo.  I shot the 135 grain Gold Dot's by Speer, plus p.  I only shot like 8 rounds of that and really, that's enough.  I do have them in my gun right now, but I'm not crazy about shooting a whole heck of a lot of them at one time.  And I shot 10 rounds of wadcutters, and some Hornady American Gunner with the 125 grain FTX bullet.  

What I thought was strange was that the  Hornady stuff felt really hot.  It seemed only a bit lighter than the Speer +p stuff.  And then the wadcutters were butter.  I did actually cut my right thumb from the takedown lever and drew blood.  But that was from the Hornady.  I didn't shoot any other range ammo to compare a standard pressure ammo, but my last range session with the 442, I shot a lot of 132 grain PMC Gold and it was not as hot as the Hornady.  I guess that's probably a good thing.  

I kept all of the shots within 8" at 7 yards.  I know I know, it's not that good, but it's just going to have to do for now.  More dry firing and range time is in order.  I could use a lot of excuses like I was overheated and blah blah blah but whatever....   I think that was 28 rounds...  



Then there is the M&P .45.  And all I can say is that thing is a joy to shoot.  I need to do a side by side comparison with my M9 to see which I think is softer (I'm assuming the M9 will be).  But it was certainly more pleasant to shoot than the 442.  Well maybe not with the wadcutters.  I kept all shots within 6" at 7 yards.  And here again I can probably do better.

I shot 50 rounds of magtech 230 grain FMJ and 10 rounds of federal guard dog and like 3 rounds of federal low recoil 165 grain.  Strangely enough, I didn't feel there was a whole lot of difference between the magtech and the other two rounds.  A slight difference but not much.  Is Magtech known for being lightly loaded?  I wasn't sure.  



So, I'm looking forward to spending more time with both guns.  As I think they are both very capable in the right hands to do the job they need to do.  

One more side note.  I'm 43 and my eyes are starting to go.  This was the first time I have shot indoors in a long time.  And I think the lower light levels made getting the front sight crisp even more of a challenge in outdoor conditions.  But it's getting harder and harder to see the front sight as crisp as I want.  I tried but it was difficult.  I think for real world shooting, focusing on the target at closer ranges is probably what will happen anyways...  So.....

Thanks for listening.

It's all about getting anitquated back again with shooting. If I skip a month then I know I'm only going to be about 90% as hot as I was when I trained last. The same goes for shooting cardboard bad guys in IDPA...

You did pretty good for just getting back in the game. I absolutely love my M&P40's, (mid and compact) models. They absolutely (M&P's) saved the .40 caliber round for me... as .40 anything sucks to shoot out of Glocks. M&P 40's shoot what I compare akin to an M9 loaded with Nato ball ammo, (pussy cat). I can only imagine how soft the full size M&P shoots. Stick with the one you end up shooting the best. Then get a good comfortable concealment holster, (carry permit too of course), and start hitting the range regularly. Get your eyes checked out and corrected also is paramount...

Last time I shot was in winter.  I think it was March maybe....   Or February.  But yeah, it would be nice to go more.

I carry an M&P45 fairly regularly, in either a Bravo Concealment or a Crossbreed holster.  It's fairly comfortable in either of those holsters for concealed carry.  Like you, I had the debate of carrying a smaller gun like a snubbie, or a larger, full size gun.  I typically find myself carrying full size guns, because I feel more comfortable and confident when shooting them.  Like anything, carrying a handgun is a compromise.  You may have to change the way you dress to carry a larger gun with more capacity and range, or you may want something more concealable without changing the way you dress, so you sacrifice capacity and range for a smaller gun.  

Ultimately, the decision is yours to live with.  I always recommend that people carry what they are comfortable with, and can shoot well.  If you have a .22 revolver that you hit everything you aim at, and a.500 S&W that you can't hit anything with, the .22 is going to do you more good.

Anyway, enough rambling.  Shoot them both, and enjoy them.

J-Frames are great little guns and can be surprisingly accurate.  They do require a higher degree of practice, patience and pain tolerance compared to a semiauto however.  

I shoot my 637 about every other week and each time, I get progressively better with it.  I usually fire off a couple cylinders of my carry ammo (135gr +P GD's), then blast away with whatever range ammo I have on hand.  All in all, I can usually shoot 75-100 rounds through it before my hand gets tired.

I'm not really "back in the game"  Lets just say I'm trying to maintain my challenging life and not shooting nearly as much as I'd like to.  Sounds like a lousy excuse, but oh well.  It would be good to shoot more though.

Do you wear glasses?  I got no-line bifocals in my 40s.  If I raise my head and look through the lower part of the lens, the front sight is sharp.  Much more accurate at plinking and bulls-eye shooting.

For defensive practice and IDPA, I don't take the time for the perfect sight picture, but still accurate enough to make the crowd in their 20s respect me.

Next pair I get I think will have to be bifocals.   Grrrrrrrrrr.....