Old Dog

Just back from the range where I shot my new Springfield XDs.45 ACP for the first time. Figured that I would write this while still fresh in my mind. I had 50 rounds of PMC Bronze, 10 rounds of Rem Golden Saber 230 JHP and the same amount in 185 grain. I shot the GS 230 first with a firm two handed grip. They all grouped around the bulls-eye at 7 yards, shooting one round per 1-2 seconds. Recoil was stout but not painful or uncomfortable in any way. The gun seems to dissipate it very well but my hand did look like a hand grenade due to the imprint of the XDs' grip design. They are aggressive but not painful as they do not come to points but rather little rectangles. I was very pleased to see that I did not lose my grip after each shot which made follow-up shots much easier. However after 50 rounds my hand looked a little red with all weird rectangular marks on it but it returned to normal in a few minutes with no harm done. So the gun is very accurate and easy to shoot accurately. Reminds me of the Glock 30 in that I was shooting it more accurately than some of my smaller caliber guns. Gun shoots to point of aim, reliable, controllable, not painful and accurate so what is there not to like for a carry gun? I put it in my bag to exercise my HK P2000SK whose job is to sit in a gun safe next to my desk in my man cave protecting me into the wee hours of the night as that is where I spend most of my time working and playing. Put 100 rounds of 9mm FMJ through it flawlessly as usual but think I drifted the sights over too far to the right which I will take care of as soon as I finish this review. The problems started when I decided to shoot the last 20 rounds of .45 that I had. I had read a few posts about the XDs having light primer strikes and not returning all the way to battery even though it looks like it did and subsequently being returned to Springfield only to be returned with a statement that they could not find anything wrong or a courtesy recoil spring change or some such work. In one vide I saw the guy had his wife shoot it using only 1 brand of ammo and said it was terrible and returned it to Springfield. A more experienced shooter would have done a few tests first but as we know, owning a gun does not make you a shootist anymore than owning a guitar does, even if you can play a few songs you memorized on it. Anyway, the gun came back to this guy and he shoots it this time and it is fine. Gives it to his wife and it keeps jamming. Problem is the shooter and their hand strength. So many men are either too macho or not experienced enough to recognize the symptoms of limp wristing. After a lifetime of shooting large guns with big grips I learned this first hand when I bought my first LCP. The sucker jammed like crazy on me but I had enough gun experience to have others try it and to shoot it on another day when my wrist and hand were strong again. Too many try to solve the problem without resting their hands not realizing that even though they are trying to hold it firmer, they may not really be doing so despite how it feels to them due to the effects of the previous rounds. This is what happened to me. After shooting the XDs and then 100 rounds of 9mm I decided that I might as well finish off the last 20 rounds of .45 I had. That was a mistake. I have arthritis and nerve damage in my hands and know that they cannot take as much pounding as they used to. Just a year ago I could shoot .44 mags for an hour with no problem but now by the end of 50 round of anything above a 9mm, my hands start shaking. Might just be due to weak muscles as I have not exercised or engaged in shooting as much as I did last summer but nonetheless the problem is there in extended range session. Knowing that my hand was weak after shooting so much (for me at least) I was curious about the problems that others post about and wanted to see if I would experience them myself. Sure enough I had three jams in a row but I knew that my hands were weak, so weak that they were shaking and at this point I was just shooting to break in the gun and finish the box of ammo. I reloaded the rounds, took a break and with a very firm and deliberate hold on the gun, shot them with no problems as I did with the next 5 rounds. So I have learned that this is a gun that requires a very firm grip and upper body strength. It is not going to work for those with poor shooting technique who may get away with it shooting lesser calibers. It is not for those with weak hands or hands that cannot get a good firm grip on the gun. I am convinced that many of the complaints about this gun are due to not holding it firm enough. No matter how big and macho we may be when it comes to small guns we can limp wrist them due to our normal shooting technique not working well with the small gun. For me the problem was very obvious because the gun did not return all the way to battery although it looked like it did but more telling was that the trigger did not reset and that is a dead giveaway that the slide did not cycle properly. As I said, some rest for my hand and a very firm grip solved the problem. I want to mention that when I first started shooting it I shot about 15 rounds one handed with no problem. I will not keep a gun that I cannot shoot one handed having used a handgun in combat and competition. The other thing my guns must have is the ability to point well. I always practice point shooting without the use of sights as that is what most of us resort to when it hits the fan for real despite what we think we will do in practice. Been there and done that and got the medals to prove it. This gun points well for me. I think this is a great carry gun. Not a gun for fun range shooting but more for carrying a lot and shooting a little. I am comforted by the big holes it makes. I did not notice a difference between the 185 and 230 grain ammo. I am not recoil sensitive in regards to it hurting my hand (affecting my muscles is another thing) so I tend not to notice it when I shoot. I am pretty much focused on my target when I shoot . The trigger was more than good for defensive shooting where all those little things people agonize over with triggers are not noticed since you are pulling the trigger as fast as you can when your life is on the line. However how people shoot at ranges and how little that helps in self defense is a food for another post. When I got home I found the Pearce grip extension I ordered waiting for me. I did not get a chance to try it at the range but I did put it on a little while ago and it allows me to get a full fingered grip. Very comfortable but I have a lot of sub compact guns with extended mags and grips and I shoot them equally well regardless of the grip. So now I have one mag with an extended grip and one flush one. I tend to carry with the flush one and keep the extended ones for when they are used for a car or home defense gun. It would fit the bill for those who must have a full handed grip though without buying the hard to find and expensive 7 round mag Springfield makes for the XDs. I personally do not see the logic to put an extended mag on a gun designed specifically to be very small. Sort of defeats the purpose but I guess you can use the extended mag for your spare if you are the type to assume you are trained enough to survive a gun fight that requires more than 6 rounds. For me the larger mag is a pain to carry and if I want more rounds I will just get a bigger gun. I see too many 3" guns with large mags on them and do not get it. The barrel is the easiest part of the gun to conceal. It goes down your pants. The grip is the thing that prints. I learned that after buying 35 conceal carry guns. In conclusion I highly recommend the XDs to anyone wanting a concealed carry gun. I would not recommend it to those that are recoil sensitive or who only carry a few times a year when they find an excuse to drive to PA. Yeah, been that and done that too. My reason is that it is a waste of the gun because it is not something you will want to bring to the range often and put a lot of rounds through. You would be better served with a concealed carry gun that you can use for the range and home defense like a Glock 19 or my HK P2000SK. It is very thin, the slide thinner than its stated measurements which include the slide stop and takedown lever. With a good belt and holster the weight is not an issue and if you do not wear skinny jeans it will ride in a pocket well too. You can get a Pearce extension grip to fit your hand and some of those stick on grip decals for a smoother grip.

Recoil is my main concern. Up to a year ago I owned and shot .44 magnums, .357's and .45's all the time. I was a recoil junkie and did not enjoy shooting guns that did not have a kick to them. However my arthritis got worse and I found my hand started to shake after about 25 rounds making it impossible to shoot anymore that day. In frustration I sold off my Colt Defender, New Agent, Sig P220 and S&W 1911E for some revolvers and 9mm's. However I still wanted a .45 since my pocket snub nose is a .357 as is my belt revolver. I fell in love with the small size of the Colt Defender but it was a little too heavy for extended carry for me and of course I could not enjoy shooting it much. I am resigned to carrying the XDs and shooting it little. After all I can easily manage a few mags before my hands give me trouble so there really is no reason not to carry it as I will never shoot it defensively to the point where it affects my hands. I am going to try my padded shooting gloves to break it in as I want to put about 100 rounds through it tomorrow. I normally do not carry a gun until I have 200 practice rounds and at least a few mags of carry ammo. I got all the ammo I need delivered yesterday so I am ready to go. However the range has been crowded lately and I have not been able to shoot as they have no waiting room and no system in place other than to tell you to go get something to eat and try again later. They do not even have much ammo so I cannot understand why they are crowded. In any event, after Easter the snowbirds down here will be going back north and for six months I can enjoy a range where I am often the only shooter there and no more lines for restaurants or traffic lights.

Got rid of my several S&W snubbies to get the LCR in .357, .22 mag and .22 lr. Sold the .22lr one after getting a S&W 617.

Just sold mine. In fact I had traded it in and then bought it back the following week. Nothing carried better in my pocket than this gun. However with advancing arthritis practicing with this gun became a real problem even with regular .38 spl loads so I went with a .357 LCR. The extra 6 ounces really made a big difference and now I can shoot a box or two of .38 +p and a few cylinders of .357 with no problem. I like the extra weight for shooting but miss the airlite for carrying. I never see a used one for sale. People either keep them or sell them privately as you can get close to new prices for them used since they are seldom shot a lot. Right now I am carrying a XDs as it is easier to conceal and reload but I am still thinking of getting the 340PD some day.

42 years ago I lived in Texas and my first wheel gun was the Ruger SA kind which was very popular with the cowboys or cowboy wannabes there at the time. Then I started with snub nose revolvers having preferred the toy version when I was a kid. That is what all the TV and movie detectives carried and I got me a shoulder vest and Colt Detective Special and that is what I carried around for two years before I moved to NJ. I keep trying to get young shooters interested in them telling them that once they master a revolver they can shoot any other handgun made very well within a few shots. However most want instant results so opt for light triggers and laser. Give them a different gun and most cannot shoot it well without a lot of practice while I can shoot anything well. After learning trigger control with a double action every thing else is easy. These days with limited and expensive ammo I am shooting my revolvers more and more as it takes much longer to get through a box of ammo than it does with my semi autos. I take my FNX-9 to the range with 4 17 round mags and shoot if rapid fire in a few minutes.

Was not so good for that ex LAPD Cop who recently shot a few people and was killed in turn.

Thanks to all for the positive feedback. I am always apprehensive when I buy a new pistol due to more than a few being bad out of the box. No such worries with revolvers but each has its uses. The grip leaves an imprint on my hand just holding I for a small time so I can imagine what it will be like shooting it. I see that I can get Talon rubber grips for it which I may due depending on how it goes tomorrow. I am also bring my shooting gloves just in case although I had no problem with the first Glock RTF grips. I usually put skateboard tape on guns that are smooth but never tried those rubber stick on ones. Might give it a try. Once again, thanks for the info.

Most of us cannot get a lawyer after hours. I contacted the Evan Nappen of Florida who wrote the book on Florida gun laws that is used by most LEO training places down here. I told him that I work during the week so more than likely if I had to shoot someone or needed him it would be on a weekend so how do I get ahold of him. I was told to call him on Monday and not to do anything during weekends that required legal assistance. That was it. Most of us cannot afford to keep an attorney on retainer and even if we do that often does not give you 24/7 access to them; at least not at what we can afford to pay them. So I think the most valuable thing to do is just keep your mouth shut. Do not consent to anything because nothing you say will help you and more than likely, taken out of context, can be used against you. Always ask for a search warrant and then go watch TV. They are the ones who have to now work late and convince a Judge to give them a search warrant and if you know you are innocent what justifiable reason can they come up with to get one? Here is something most do not think of but there is no protection in 911 phone calls. Everything you say can and will be used against you. Some attorneys I spoke to advised not talking to 911 if you can get hold of an attorney first. Of course if someone needs medical assistance you can just say that and nothing more. The 911 operators are trained to pull information out of you and it is all recorded. Just look at how the 911 call was twisted and used against Zimmerman. The problem is that if you do not call 911 that can be viewed as acting guilty but remember that they do not grant you immunity for anything you say and this is a legal loophole that needs to be closed. As far as I am concerned, they get the basics and nothing more. I will simply say I am too distraught to gather my thoughts. If pressed by the police my LEO cousin told me to remind the officer that he gets 48 hours before he has to give a statement and doesn't he think you deserve the same chance to get over the shock. Too many people volunteer to speak hoping that it will spare them a night in jail but I have been told that cops know if they are going to arrest you pretty quickly from the physical evidence and nothing you can say is going to change that because it is just your word and you have a vested interest in saying things that put you in a good light. However, my LEO friends tall me people like to babble non stop and dig themselves into a hole by making up little pieces of the story to justify their actions which are later proven to be lies and then used to put their entire testimony in question. Having not been in this situation I cannot attest to the truthfulness of this but dealing with security for my company and catching people stealing things has shown me that they do tend to make up stories so you have to disbelieve everything you are told and go by the evidence on hand.

I used to just use the gun lock cables or trigger locks until one day. I have no kids and neither did my friends but one day some out of State friends unexpectedly dropped by on their way back from a vacation. They had two 8 year old girls. My guns were always kept individually locked in my master bedroom closet. No one goes in there but my wife and I. However during this unexpected visit, the first time we had kids in the house for a few years, I noticed that the kids were not downstairs with the rest of us. I went up the stairs looking for them and sure enough they were in the closet rummaging around. I chased them out and learned a valuable lesson then. Kids happen and they go to places they are not allowed to go to and are very inquisitive. After that I bought a 6' gun safe and moved all my guns into it and kept the door to the room where the safe was locked whenever we had company no matter what the ages were. You never know if your best friend wants to commit suicide and wants to "borrow" one of your guns to do the deed. I know that proper trigger locks and cable locks would work but I just did not like the image of kids playing with my guns and who knows if I may have not properly closed the lock or not. Plus if my house was robbed and the burglars stole my gun which were then used to kill someone it would haunt me. Heck just what I had to do in Nam messed me up for a few years afterwards and it was something that I felt was justified.

Bought the M&P 9mm Pro for use in competition last month and sold it two weeks later. Hated the trigger. Their trigger bar seems to have to move over a round protrusion to disengage the safety and you can feel it. It ruins what would otherwise be a good trigger. I understand that you can get an Apex trigger to eliminate the problem but would not recommend it without the Apex. The Glock 34 on the other hand is popular for competition for a reason. You really do not need to do much to it other than perhaps change the sights. Mine was great but I stopped competing so it went bye-bye too but not because I had problems with it. Also keep in mind that there are a lot more holster choices and accessories for the Glock 34 than the M&P. I had to have a holster made for the M&P. While the M&P line is making inroads in both competition and law enforcement, the Glock 34 remains as the most popular production model gun used in competitions and do not discount the many user installable accessories made for it. I did not miss them until I bought a different gun that was a bear to make changes on to the point that I messed up the trigger so bad that it fired a shot when I pressed against the slide release since the trigger bar runs right next to it and even touches it.

YES! Opps sorry. Force of habit to say yes.

UPDATE: I carried it today in my front pocket in a custom Mika Holster (only $30) which is the only pocket holster out of many that stays in my pocket all the time and has no hooks or other gizmos to keep it there. It was very comfortable in my shorts' pocket and it is now officially my new EDC gun for normal activities. Still have my HK P2000SK with 10 and 13 round magazines for those times where I go to a big city. Where I live I am surrounded by buffalo, cows and horses so there is not much danger to worry about. Combined with my Sig P938 and .357 LCR I have a pretty good collection of pocket guns that are also not out of place on a belt. I carried it because I went to buy new jeans. You would not believe how cheap clothes are down here. For $100 I come home with a big bag or two of shirts and pants from name companies. Anyway, when I shop for clothes I take my largest pocket gun so that I can test it out with the new pants. I find that relaxed fit jeans have big enough pockets for my guns. I also try to get pants with a little elastic in the waist, comfort fit, so that when I carry IWB I have enough room without buying a size bigger. I had a size bigger but they kept falling down when I did not have a gun under them. Now I have a size that fits me and has enough give at the waist to accommodate a single stack gun. I was going to my LGS to look at a new S&W 686 that they got in but learned that it was not a "P" version holding 7 rounds, as I had wanted. Gun store clerks are not the best source of info it appears. Anyway since I was there I looked around and spotted a big black box on the bottom shelf and bent over to take a look and sure enough it said XDs on the box. The owner of the store did not even know that he had it and the gun was not on display but still in the box. Let's just say that in Florida we have a lot of small gun stores operating like the old days using mostly manual systems. I asked to see it as I used to have a 3" Colt Defender and New Agent in .45 and ended up selling them as they were a little on the heavy side for EDC and ammo fussy. I will say right up front that although most of my handguns are 9mm, my preference is for either .357 magnum or .45 ACP. My carry revolvers are .357 mag but did not have anything above a 9mm for in a semi auto. I am also a big fan of pocket carry because it is very comfortable and when I go out I am mostly standing in stores or just walking around taking in the sights and like the ability to put my hand in my pocket and grab my gun and look perfectly natural standing there with a hand in my pocket. For those who think drawing from a pocket is slow let me assure you it is not if you buy the proper pants. We have demonstrated it in our local gun club where one member beat out everyone else in speed of draw using a pocket holster versus IWB and OWB used by all others. Plus nothing says you cannot also carry a gun on your belt. So here I was hold what is claimed to be the smallest .45 made and loving its size and how it felt in my hand. I tried the trigger a few times and it was better than the normal XD triggers and had a decent reset too. At 21 oz. empty it was not as light as my Sig P938 but not too bad either. I usually wear Perry suspenders anyway as I am losing weight and my pants are all big. It is also a good size for all of my bags, pouches and packs as well as fitting nicely into the built in holsters in my coat, jacket and two vests. Everything I own has holsters in them and none of them look tactical either. Always wore vest and fanny packs for over 35 years no one asked me if I had a gun in them despite what is said on the internet. Sometimes calling them shoot me first vest make me laugh. Logically most guns are carried on a belt or pocket so if you wanted to shoot someone first your odds of getting the guy with the gun would be much greater if you shot everyone wearing pants. Anyway, the gun is small and well built and I like the grip safety that does not require anything of me. In over 40 years, some of them using a 1911 in combat, I have never had a problem with the safety grip. Too many people confuse anything that is possible with something to worry about. Getting hit with a meteorite is possible and yet no one wears helmets outdoors. Today I got my IWB and OWB holsters and the gun conceals as well as a gun can. Went out with a light shirt and even when I bent over nothing showed as the grip is small. The gun fit a pocket holster I had for another gun just fine so I am good to go. Tomorrow I test it out with some boxes of 230 and 185 grain .45 APC FMJ and JHP ammo I bought locally cheaper than they it sells for online. I fully expect it to function flawlessly as it has for most that bought it. I think that Springfield has a winner with this gun and am looking forward to the 9mm version coming out soon. I normally carry a Sip P938 and Ruger LCR in .357 so I have no problem carrying a very flat 6 shot .45 instead. This could become my sole carry gun and if reliable I may trade in two or three other guns for a nice expensive 1911. Will provide the range report either tomorrow or Saturday.

Last time I had to use an allen wrench I had to smack it with a small sledge hammer to get it to budge. No locktite was used either. Just very tight from the factory. I keep both hex and allen wrenches in my range bag, work bench and desk. If you have guns you need basic tools. Also a punch set is often useful as well as a plastic tipped hammer for drifting sights. I find that the Glock punch works for most any gun I need to work on with a punch.

This is right. The only difference is the space between the chambers is less and as for relative strength, the cylinder on the 686+ is actually STRONGER that the one on its six-round sybling. The reason: the cylinder stop slots on the six-shooter are directly above the chambers; the slots on the seven-shooter are BETWEEN the chambers. This means a 686+ has more metal between the chambers and the cylinder circumference than a 686.

Ammo, what ammo? We don't need no stinkin' ammo.

Based on my career in making sure our facilities meet Federal Security requirements and my own personal experience, I put little trust in dogs and alarms, having seen how easily they are both overcome by more than the casual thief. Most homes have the illusion of security as few are willing to pay for complete security or put up with the inconvenience of having to shut down the system every time they get up to go to the bathroom at night. No matter how many security companies told me that dogs would net set off motion or infra red detectors, they always managed to do so. Trained professionals have demonstrated several times the difference between a trained guard dog and a pet. I have entered my home on a few occasions unknown to my dogs and they will bark if a bird lands on the fence. I have seen facilities and homes where the windows are protected by alarms that will only sound if the window is opened. Motion detectors are needed to prevent someone from simply breaking the glass to enter but high winds tend to set them off so most do not get them or turn them on if they have them. Infra red is a pain, especially if you have pets. Maybe because it is my job to find weaknesses in security I notice such things but most people do not seem to realize that any security system is as good as its weakest link and most have weak links. Anyway, good looking dogs and keep the gun handy and get good homeowners insurance. I know that when I lived in NJ I ended up tearing my alarm system out as the police response time was about 20-30 minutes and was told that residential alarms are a very low priority. That and the fact that after a few years the alarm kept on going off and I was close to being fined. Amazing how my neighbors did not respond at all to my alarms. Now I just put the alarm company sign out front and that will deter the casual burglar as well as a simple home alarm.

.45's are so common they are what everyone else is getting. Just borrow a friend's. I know a few guys who never owned/shot a revolver and I find more people asking about my revolver than they do about my semi autos. There is a whole generation or two raised on Semi autos who would never consider a revolver. Be different. Go retro and you may learn why the revolver is still a popular gun even now.

My Ruger is a 3" barrel and weight 36 oz. Pretty close to a snubbie length.

I would think that the logical thing to do is first wait to see what happens on the Federal level. Does not make sense to expend funds on lifting the NJ Magazine capacity limit if the Feds impose one. Same goes for banning any guns. The only thing I would think is changing NJ from a May Issue to Shall Issue State or at worst to a May Issue State with self defense as a valid reason. The way NJ is set up now is that you first must survive a violent criminal encounter, or know someone in power, before they will even consider issuing you a concealed carry permit. I do not see that resolved on the State level as it seems you Northerners are very liberal and seem in favor of getting guns out of the hands of civilians if the voting record is any indication. To fight mag capacity and banned weapons while the Federal government is trying to impose its own restrictions in that area is not a good strategy right now.

Good points as I found out when I got my 7 shot 686P. Plus the L frame is just so darn big. I prefer a K frame myself for home defense and the range but after 40 years of owning and shooting S&W and Colts, I switched to Ruger. You get a lot of gun for the money and never a lick of trouble. I had a $65 trigger job done to the gun I posted and it is smooth as can be.

I went your route and bought a Glock 26, 19 and 17. Did not take me long to realize that I could make the 26 grip as big as the 19 with a mag extension so no need for the 19 and 17. Anyway, revolvers are good for the range as you go through ammo much more slowly than you would with a 15 round mag. A .357 is still top of the heap for practical sized carry guns for stopping power. Revolver reliability is great for home defense as you can store it loaded and pull it out 10 years later and it will go bang. I have been shooting revolvers for over 40 years and my various .357's have protected my home all that time. Bad guys must have heard about them because they never came around. Had two civilian encounters and all I had to do is show my .357 snub nose guns to end them right there and then with no shots fired. It is a magic round or maybe just confirmation that the studies show that in over 90% of civilian gun encounters, no shots are fired. This is what I use. A Wiley Clapp Ruger Gp100 in .357. Fiber optic front sight, Novak rear, melt job all around, tapered cylinder for easy holstering, chamfered chambers for easy reloading with speed loaders, combo wood/rubber grips so that rough part is only where it needs to be, 3" barrel with a grey satin finish that does not reflect the light. The 3" barrel is long enough to get a lot out of today's ammo while still allowing it to come onto target quickly. It is designed as a fighting gun. I had a 686P but did not like the S&W L frame at all. Too big and heavy for what it is. I am old with arthritis so holding that gun with one hand for any length of time was difficult and I do not want guns that REQUIRE 2 hands to shoot. You young guys may do better but I suggest you hold one before buying it. It is a big gun. The GP100 is smaller (and cheaper) and will handle the hottest .357 loads for a lifetime with no problem. For a .45 I use this for pocket or belt carry in summer with a light Tee shirt and shorts. Although this year we had no winter in Florida. Did not wear a jacket once so it was mostly pocket carry for me except when going to be sitting down a lot like driving or eating out. I prefer a .357 though because I can shoot .38 spl, .38 +P and .357 ammo in it. No problem with getting .38 spl ammo around here and much cheaper than .45 or .357 ammo. Very versatile gun since it will shoot 3 kinds of ammo and there is no debate about the power of a .357.

Yep. Mine are hard wired with a battery backup that gets changed every 6 months. However the problem with biometric readers is that the technology is not quite there yet. What some of these posters experienced is not uncommon. Even if it works, try using it under time and stress and see what happens. Try using it with blood on your fingers. Sure they have push buttons too but it is a waste of valuable time to try the biometric reader first and second (as most will try again) and then go to the push buttons. There have been studies done on these safes and while they may work with some people, they do not seem to work well if you are in a hurry to save your life. Odds are that you are not going to patiently stick your finger in there slowly and wait for it to be read. However I am a big believer is people doing what they feel is right for them so all I am doing is offering my experiences and what I have read in tests of these safes.

I do not know why you even want a 1911 for the two sports you mention. Have you researched what Class you have to shoot in with a 1911 style pistol in IDPA? For my money I would get a Glock 34 with a 3.5 lb. trigger and a good pair of sights and you are good to go. The Glock 34 rules the Production glass in IDPA. Just look at the number of guns used in the national matches. It is also a good gun for steel. You can even get along very well with a Glock 17 by installing a 3.5 lb. trigger, extended slide and mag release and a good pair of sights. Do not know why you want to compete with a 1911 style pistol in 9mm when you have some very fine semi autos that are used successfully in both sports. I competed with a CZ 75 and won a few purses with it. Had a friend who bought a Kimber 1911 9mm and regretted it. Was not as reliable for him as all the other guns out there for steel. The M&P line is another good choice and I had the M&P Pro which is a great gun with an Apex trigger. Long sight radius and nice trigger make it a winner. Even the FNH line is good. But if you have your heart set on a 1911 go for it. I used to have a Colt New Agent and Colt Defender in 9mm. Not as reliable as the other posters' guns so I got rid of them. Now I compete with an FNX-9 and S&W 617 (in .22 division). At least look into IDPA rules and what class you would shoot in with a 1911 SA gun. You may prefer shooting production with another type gun.

I had owned one when they first came out and sold it because I wanted a pocket 9mm at the time and ended up buying a Sig P938. However I have sub compact and full sized guns and nothing in-between. I still need a compact sized gun that I can fit my whole hand onto and the Shield was one great gun and one that I always regretted selling but the lure of the Sig had a hold on me.

Darn, I just bought an XDs Friday and was looking for a Shield as I have plenty of 9mm ammo and no .45 acp. Oh well, perhaps it is for the best as I already have 3 9mm carry guns and the XDs fits into my pocket and will be replacing my pocket Sig P938 and LCR .357. Still I almost hit the Checkout button to order it and still am tempted but my wife will get the bill in a month and there will be hell to pay. May be worth it though and not the first time I ordered two new guns days apart.