I seem to favor pistols with a 4" or so barrel.

Agree with you.

I love the P365 family and own five of different flavors, but the Shield Plus is a perfect example of a company (S&W) continuing to update and improve a product. I had one of the earliest Shields and did not keep it long. Terrible trigger and shot patterns instead of groups no matter who was behind the trigger. Reading good things about the Shield Plus I bought one of the Optics Ready versions. Wow, what a difference. The night sights,  highly improved trigger and the subtle but effective texturing over the entire frame is a real game changer for the Shield. I love it as does everyone I let shoot it. After one range trip with my shooting buddy who lives next door immediately bought one just like mine. When Bass Pro put one of the Shield Plus models on a good sale I bought a second one with FDE frame. My adult son was home on a visit and I took him and several of  my guns to the range. He liked the Shield Plus best. He now has one himself.

Glad you enjoy your Shield Plus. May you shoot it in good health.

shield plus perfect for me, for carry.  then, for in the car door or whatever i like hk mk 23, glock 34/17l type...

It does (in general)boil down to hand size. What I have seen in all the classes, and with individuals I teach, the smaller the hand the more comfortable a smaller grip (tends) to be. There are always outliers that prefer and shoot better with opposite sizing. Just have to spend a bunch of time with different sized guns, and action/calibers. Also many people change over time as well. There is not one perfect formula for everyone. I can only start people with what I've seen that works the best typically...

Most every day a 365XL or now an X-Macro AIWB sometimes with a snub in my pocket,
I'm at my desk at work now with an X-Macro appendix and LCP in my pocket.

I say I like full size pistols over compacts/micros, but I shoot my Shield 1.0 45 better than any other handgun I own.   It's like some crazy voodoo magic how well it shoots and manages recoil.

Grew up in the Commie lands of Illinois where we couldn't carry, and little pistols suck to shoot, so I only had large pistols when I moved to Indiana and started carrying. I never changed because little pistols still suck to shoot.

Previous carry setups:
Springfield 5" 1911A1 GI
S&W 4.25" M&P9
Glock G21G4
Glock G19G4
Glock G19MOSG5 w/RMR/X300
Glock G17MOSG5 w/RMR/X300

And my current carry is a 4.25" Springfield Prodigy 1911DS with RMR and X300

They're fun and easy to shoot and my 6'1" frame hides anything I want.

Compact aka 4-5" ish barrel pistols for me. I don't normally find fullsize pistols to feel comfortable in my hands.

Glock guy and I own most of their line.

At work as plainclothes LE I carry a G17.5 with 509T and X300U in Tenicor OWB and a spare mag

Off duty in colder months a G45 or G19 with optic

Warmer months a G48 or G43X with optic

BUG would be a G43 or J frame.

The trick is to actually go out and train with all of them.

Attached File