Check out Honest Outlaw You Tubes. He carries the 43, shoots it nearly as good as the 48. Doesn't like the Shield magazines. You can get a lot of pro advice from him.

 

appreciate the info, will check that out. thank you.

 

I have both, carry both regularly. They are both really nice, though mine are heavily modded so not exactly apples to apples. I also shoot hotter ammo than most on a regular basis. My 43X is comp'ed while the 48 is not. 48 seems to have a smoother recoil impulse even with the 43X being comp'ed, but I enjoy shooting both. Both feel great and I'd say I shoot them equivalently, unfortunately I haven't been able to take them out to 150 yards yet (yeah, 150 yards). Time will tell if they can do as well as some of my other 9mm guns do.

I do use the Shield mags and so far haven't had a problem. I've seen where the early gens did have some issues, but I carry the 15-round in the gun and the 15+5 (20 rounds) as a backup.

I don't think you'll go wrong with either. If they both feel good to you, I'd base the decision on how you plan to carry. I don't carry IWB so the barrel/slide length is less important to me. With OWB carry, my cover shirts are long enough to cover the extra little bit of barrel/slide length.

Oh, I should also add, I would ABSOLUTELY spend the extra few bucks and get the MOS version even if you don't plan on putting optics on because the MOS version has the railed frame. I've only see the railed frames on the optics and the TLR-7Sub SMOKES the TLR-6. I hate the TLR-6 light, but one of my guns wasn't an MOS and I'm stuck with that crappy light for a time now.

Haywire is right, HO is a great resource, but as always, YMMV.

 

I have both, carry both regularly. They are both really nice, though mine are heavily modded so not exactly apples to apples. I also shoot hotter ammo than most on a regular basis. My 43X is comp'ed while the 48 is not. 48 seems to have a smoother recoil impulse even with the 43X being comp'ed, but I enjoy shooting both. Both feel great and I'd say I shoot them equivalently, unfortunately I haven't been able to take them out to 150 yards yet (yeah, 150 yards). Time will tell if they can do as well as some of my other 9mm guns do.

I do use the Shield mags and so far haven't had a problem. I've seen where the early gens did have some issues, but I carry the 15-round in the gun and the 15+5 (20 rounds) as a backup.

I don't think you'll go wrong with either. If they both feel good to you, I'd base the decision on how you plan to carry. I don't carry IWB so the barrel/slide length is less important to me. With OWB carry, my cover shirts are long enough to cover the extra little bit of barrel/slide length.

Oh, I should also add, I would ABSOLUTELY spend the extra few bucks and get the MOS version even if you don't plan on putting optics on because the MOS version has the railed frame. I've only see the railed frames on the optics and the TLR-7Sub SMOKES the TLR-6. I hate the TLR-6 light, but one of my guns wasn't an MOS and I'm stuck with that crappy light for a time now.

Haywire is right, HO is a great resource, but as always, YMMV.

hey appreciate all the info. will definitely consider all that was said. thank you.

 

Not to muddy the water too much in your search. But...! There are a lot more advanced designs to consider tody, basically higher capacity, better trigger, better sights. I picked up the M&P Shield Plus myself. Here is what I like: Good size grip for my paws. 14 rounds. Great trigger for a striker. Accuracy! Accurate as can be. Easy to shoot and very simple take down. This one is optic ready with night sights. That came in the package deal with 3 or 4 extra mags and a dopey "bugout bag." for under $600 which seemed like a deal on the one hand but high on the other. There are cheaper versions. The mag deal swayed me. Not big on night siights personally but do appreciate them more now. See what Outlaw has to say about this entire range of pistols. He's impartial. Canic Elite SC is an awfully attractive option for much less money. Glock deserves respect but not for the price in my opinion.

 

hmmm, i will have to consider this now in my search. will look further into m&p shield plus before choosing. thanks for this.

 

I have carried both. I have traded the 48 and now carry the 43x. I really like it. It's about an inch shorter than the 48. Usually you can get the 43x for a very reasonable price.

 

Shot/carried the 43x, m&p, Walther and sig. they’ve all got pluses and minuses. Pick one you like and then the biggest thing that will make the difference is to go out and actually train with it.