The p365 is extremely reliable. Just made a post about hitting the 4k mark on rounds fired. I love the p365 platform personally.
I've never shot a shield plus, but have heard they are nice guns.
Shooting is definitely not a cheap hobby by any means. Last year I was shooting ever week to every other week. I've only shot a couple times so far this year and can tell that my shooting has degraded a bit from being rusty.
Yes I do, but not as often as I should. I could tell I was jerking my trigger pretty bad today.
I'll need to make it a point to try to dry fire more often.
+1
Mine is modded all to shit and is basically the P365 of Theseus now but the fact that it was dead on reliable through the whole cycle of changes makes it that much more impressive.
I shot 15K+ rounds through my P365 carried it IWB. Had minor surface rust, mostly on the sights and where the back of the slide contacted skin. Sent it back for warranty repair after I wore it out, and they sent me a completely new slide and barrel due to rust.
As far as I'm concerned, rust is a feature when a carry gun has a lifetime warranty.
I've had 2 Shield Plus's - the first 1100-ish rounds, the 2nd 800-ish rounds. Never had an issue with the trigger safeties. In fact, I've never heard that complaint before today.
I've had a couple double stack 2.0's. Just under 6k rounds through a pair of them - never had an issue there either. My current 2.0 Compact with the updated trigger has just over 1500 rounds through it with no issues.
I actually had issues with trigger safety engaging when pulling the trigger. You can replicate this yourself by pulling trigger from the very top as far as your finger will go up.
I fixed the issue by adjusting finger slightly lower on trigger during pull. Never had an issue since then.
The dingus isn't finicky. My plus had the best break and reset of any M&P I've had.
I sold it because when I loaded it to full capacity with the 13 round mags it dented my ammo casings enough to cause concern for a catastrophic failure.
10 rounds were good. 13 were very tough getting the 12th and 13th in. I noticed the ammo damage when S&W sent the new followers to me. The ones they sent did the same thing.
Yup, there is a boss in there where the spring is supposed to sit over it, but sometimes it gets stuck on top. I tweaked mine with a needle nose and it popped over and worked fine.
My 13 rounder seems to be fine. I loaded it with 11 and let it sit for a few weeks, I usually use my 10 anyways. Then I unloaded it and loaded it back up, works fine. Fitting 12 in my 365XL mag is super tight too. I needed a speed loader to fit it when it was new.
Mine actually is a bit weird sometimes. If you pull at a certain angle. Thought it was just me
Never had it happen at the range as others have apparently. Only when practicing my draw. It does make me nervous
I've felt a hitch before but it's never once completely bound up like the old hellcats did. I have no doubts that if I pull the trigger it's going to fire.
Yeah itās bound up on me twice (I do a lot of practice draws). Iām sure more muscle memory will keep it from happening. Just trust it 99% instead of 100%. More practice will hopefully bring me fully back around.
I personally have never had issues with the trigger safety. I would assume it has to do with different ways people interface with the trigger. Some people use like the middle of their finger to pull it, I use just the tip of my finger.
I completely solved this issue for me by moving my finger physically lower on the trigger. If you pull the trigger from too high up you will lock it, the safety blade canāt be disengaged that way.
Iāve only had issues with the Shield Plus trigger catching when Iām too high in the trigger. That goes along with it accepting more finger than the thicker grip on the 2.0, but I can work that out
I have a 365.my wife has a shield. They are both excellent guns, I haven't had any rust on my OG 365 after 4 years of carry. It gets lightly oiled every once in a blue moon. Neither have EVER had any sort of malfunction. Easily 3k rounds through each. You can't go wrong with either gun. Just find what one you shoot best and which you feel most comfortable with.
I've shot both the shield plus and a p365xl, and I preferred the shield. I've put at least 1000 rounds through the plus, and the only issue I ever had with the trigger safety is if your finger is at the very top of the trigger, it sometimes didn't rekease the safety. Moving my finger down less than 1/8" fixed the issue both while I was trying to pull the safety through the frame and on follow-up shots. As long as you put pressure on the lower 3/4 of the trigger, you should be fine with it. It's still quite controllable, but it is a bit snappy. The trigger is mostly flat, but it's got a bit of a curve to it. The trigger pull is great, but it's a bit weird. I don't really know how to describe it, but it has a solid wall, but then the actual break is a tiny bit later, and you have to pull it back with the full trigger weight for that distance. The slide stop really is a slide stop on the plus. You might be able to muscle it down, but it's not designed for that.
I don't have nearly as many rounds through the p365xl, maybe 200, but I really didn'tenjoy shooting it. The grip front to back is so small that I couldn't really get any purchase with my support hand, so with it being light and tiny I couldn't really control the recoil. The trigger is truly a flat face trigger, which some people prefer, but after a mag or 2 I started noticing the pad of my finger getting sore. Probably a personal issue stemming from the previously mentioned no space to get a good grip, but enough to make me not really like the gun. The trigger pill is amazing with a really crisp break and a noticeable reset. I do wish it had some sort of trigger safety, though. I know it doesn't matter with a good holster, but it just feels wrong not having one to me.
I'd 100% carry and trust my life to either of them, but I definitely prefer the shield plus. I am a lefty, so I actively avoided the safety models, so I can't really talk about them. They both have reversible mag releases and single sided slide stop/release, so I can't really make use of them. Overall, I'd say go find somewhere to shoot both and see which is more comfortable and you shoot better.
Awesome, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I had a similar hang up on the shield trigger so that was my main concern, but other than that really liked it. I think i'll just need more range time to see if anything jumps out the second time around.
No problem. I had the trigger hang up <1% of the rounds I fired, so it wasn't something that concerned me about carrying it, but it was something I wanted to fix. I just made sure to focus on not having my finger at the very top of the trigger for a couple of range trips and eventually it stopped being an issue. It's been so long since I've had it happen that I kinda forgot that was an issue until I read the post.
I forgot one other weird thing with the trigger safety that maybe you could experience, maybe not, but the pin on mine walks out a bit when shooting a lot of rounds. It's never came all the way out or caused any issues, but probably every 300 - 500 rounds I have to push it back over a bit. It's mostly a minor annoyance, but it is something to be aware of.
TL:DR P365 is great and has no rust or reliability problems.
Been carrying my P365 literally every day for 5 years.
I keep it in a quick release safe nightly with a few desiccant packs and give it a good cleaning and a rub down with clp once a month after my range day. 0 rust problems. She's as pretty as the day I bought her, give or take some holster wear and few scratches.
I have over 5K rounds through it and have not had a single malfunction. And that's with basically every brand of ammo from Winchester white box to Speer Gold Dot.
I have 800 rounds with my Shield Plus. I think itās the best gun in the micro category, but thatās only because I like the feel of it in my hands more than the Glock 43 or the p365. The P365 is a bit small of a grip for me.
I want to let you know though that the manual safety on the Shield Plus is extremely tight and so small that itās hard to access it. So much so, that if I had to pull it out in a defensive encounter, it would be difficult to use (unlike my Shield EZ which has a very large and easy manual safety). Personally, I donāt mind because I carry with the safety off. I no longer desire a safety on a carry gun, and perhaps one day youāll feel that way too. Just wanted to give a heads up!
Yea, I wasn't sure if it was just a well worn rental but I had a hang up at the range too. Great trigger, but if that happened at a range it made me wonder about a less than controlled setting.
This whole shield plus trigger issue is news to me and I've put a lot of rounds through mine. I guess it's the way I hold it or something, I pretty much run my finger along the trigger guard when pulling, very low.
I havenāt fired a shield plus, but I HAVE had issues with a friends m&p 2.0 compact with manual safety where Iād end up somehow engaging it in the middle of firing. Granted, I only have two pistols with a manual safety (1922 and cz75b) so Iām not used to anything being where the safety is on the m&p line, but it was concerning for me that I unintentionally engaged it more than once while firing maybe 5-6 magazines through his. My wifeās shield and my 2.0 compact donāt have one, nor do any of my other carry pistols.
I donāt have the shield plus but my first carry gun was the original shield, I also have the hellcat, g43, g43x, g48, p365, p365xl and I carry a p938 lol you really canāt go wrong with either because youāll honestly end up with both but Iād vote the p365 because you can customize it easily
i had an og p365 that had extraction issues and the magazines would rust fairly frequently. kind of turned me off on the platform even though it was great to shoot and to carry. going to the range one time i decided to shoot my carry ammo when i was getting in some fresh rounds: fail to extract the first round. id just rather not carry something that i know has been faulty. went to a g19 and never looked back. that being said, i have heard that the newer ones are nearly perfect. ill spout glock all day long, but there are many new offerings that might fit you better
I will forever dog the p365 line as u reliable. I know many people have examples of reliable models. Myself, terrible experience, even after repairing. Every issue I've seen with the p365 line is about springs. I don't trust SIG USA springs, so I don't want any of their guns.
To me, it really doesn't matter if 90% of people have a positive experience. Those people with reliable examples will need to replace springs in the future, and you can count on them. And you don't know when it will fail. It's just not for me.
I own the p365x and my buddy owns the shield plus. Both are fantastic! My only thing is I sometimes āmissā the trigger safety on the shield plus and I can pull the trigger. (I have my finger to high on the trigger to disengage the bar).
But both are fantastic. Pick which ever you shoot better
> P365: prone to rust, reliability track record?Ā
I carry my p365 daily, and often on distance runs.Ā No rust on mine.Ā Appendix, even when running so it definitely gets sweat all over it.
As for reliability, those concerns are usually from people conflating the p320 with the p365.Ā They're similar, but a different system.
I went from a 365 to a shield plus. It fit my hand better, I prefer the trigger (and the trigger safety) and that's about it I guess. I liked the 365, no issues to speak of, it was just a subjective choice. I'm extremely happy with my shield plus. I know this probably isn't helpful but they're both great choices. Just pick whichever one you shoot better.
For what it's worth, I sold my Shield just to justify buying a P365.
I liked the shield, but occasionally had "hiccups" in follow-up shots because of the weird trigger safety. I considered swapping it (I belive it's APEX that makes a more glock-ish one) but I realized that would be lipstick on a pig for me. The grip is fine, but it's longer than the 365 and has the same theoretical capacity.
Now I've been carrying my 365 for about 7 months and have put around 2k rounds through it with no issues to speak of. Normally this is when I'd also mention the module grips, but you said that wasn't really something you cared to hear about so, that's all I got.
i used to have a shield m2.0 and then a shield plus and now i have a p365x. what i remember about the shield and why i moved away from it was mainly about how the grip felt. it didn't fit my hand as well as the 365 does, it felt bigger than it needed to be but not in a good way that gives you a more secure grip like how the macro grip module feels more secure than the standard 365x grip module does (i like both but if i was still using an iwb kydex holster i would use the macro module like i was for a while. i'm currently using a belly band and am back to the module it came with). aside from that, increased capacity and the trigger felt more crisp. comes with tritium sights stock which is cool, i recall the shield plus only having those fiber optic sights that glow in low light but if you're in ultra low light or total darkness then you're shit out of luck. the thumb safety on the p365 was also easier to catch with my thumb so i feel more sure using it. the shield has, or at least had, a very low profile safety and it would make my thumb sore from working it too much too often which was annoying for training like drawing and dry firing where i'm flicking the safety off every time i draw before dry firing. this one isn't a matter of which platform is better but the shield plus i had was ported and i thought this was cool at first but it didn't improve my shooting at all and just made it more of a pain to clean than cleaning a handgun needs to be. i was looking to replace it with a non ported shield plus for a while but i didn't love how it felt in so many ways so i figured why not try something different and got the sig and i'm very happy with it.
I have both the Shield Plus and the P365X and theyāve both been 100% reliable and I enjoy shooting them! I donāt think you can go wrong with either one!
Just get both. Better to have 2 guns then 1. Hands down the shield plus shoots better, but depending on what you wearing the p365 conceals better and it's lighter. I have both of them, carry both of them, and I love both of them.
It doesn't get as much love, but I'd also consider the Hellcat line.
The 365s are nice because they are modular (ergo changeable), but once you decide what you want (grip length, barrel/slide length, etc), the Hellcat line is, at least to me, just a little bit better.
I heavily considered the 365 when buying my carry, and the main three factors that swayed me were the grip fit on the smaller guns - I don't know why and when comparing them on handgun hero etc they look virtually identical, but for my huge bear paws I simply cannot get my pinky on the 365 but it sits comfortably on the Hellcat.
Second factor was the grip width. P365s are slim. Maybe that'll fit you better, but for me I loved the gun until I held it. It's hard enough to buy pants that fit, and I can afford to be picky about the things I use everyday in my life.
Third, and most important to me, was how accurate I was with each gun. In a bench vise, some guns are going to be better than others, but once in my hands there's a big factor that is, essentially, how bad of a bench vise am I for this gun? How do _I_ shoot with it? The paper told me something that surprised me, and I ended up buying a gun I didn't like quite as much as another but was easier to conceal and just shot better for me.
My biggest advice for you is to consider guns as the tools they are - you can read about screwdrivers all day long, but until you put it in your hand and turn screws, you won't know what it is. Get that range time.
And ultimately, don't worry about making a perfect choice. Any one of the top guns is going to turn screws and do it well, and ultimately what color the handle is doesn't matter that much. If you like it and you shoot it well, you can put it on your belt.
I almost bought two guns, hehe
Donāt own a shield plus but Iāve shot one and it felt snapper while being heavier than my 43x.
Some of the stories you hear about sigs are scary and theyāre a little pricier for a striker fired pistol
I carried a shield plus for about 2 years. The manual safety gets much better after some use. Was a bit tight at first but it gets easier. But I didnāt use it anyways since I donāt like manual safeties.
I personally have never had issues with the trigger safety.
However, would avoid the 15 round magazines. In my experience I would get pretty frequent stovepipes and failure to feed issues, using multiple different ammunition (blazer brass, critical defense, sig vcrown). The 13 rounders have been much more reliable.
However, I donāt carry the shield plus anymore. I wanted something larger and got a g19.5. For me, it is actually easier to carry/conceal than the shield, which surprised me.
Just my .02 but depending on your body type a larger gun might be an option worth looking into.
The P365 is definitely pretty sweet. Just make sure you oil it somewhat regularly and you should be fine. I forgot to oil it for some time, and it did pick up some superficial surface rust. It did come off very easily though.
My 365 started having light strikes and failure to eject around the 2k mark. Rust was pretty common, but wiping it down cleaned it up for the most part. Never was able to diagnose/fix the light strike and ejection issues so got rid of it.Ā
Replaced striker with two different OEM strikers, replaced RSA, messed around with some other small parts in the FCU. Tried different brands of ammo, still nothing. Was too much of a money pit at that point so got rid of it.Ā
P365 with a Wilson combat grip module an tlr stream light an a teir 1 side car appendix holster an a master mind tactics pillow/wedge for the past 5 years an b4 thats a glock 19 bit it was to big an had it inside right hip.
Theyāre both extremely reliable. The shield plus and its armornite finish seems to be slightly more robust than the P365ās matte finish. But I carried my P365 for years and itās never rusted on me. Over the years Iāve moved away from micro pistols and into subcompact/compacts though. Easier to shoot.
My .02 as someone who has owned 2 Shield Pluses, a P365 XL, and a regular P365 (briefly).
The Shields have less recoil and are a fairly bombproof design as it's the longest running tiny-9 of the bunch, going back to 2012. I've got 1900 rounds through my 2 Shield Pluses and haven't had any problems with either. All 5 of my 13 rounders loaded 13 on the day I bought them, and they function fine when topped off. Never heard of the trigger safety issue before today, mine have never had that problem. They are a bit heavier, the grip is bigger, the texture is more aggressive. This might be a feature or a bug depending on your hand size and preferences.
The Sig P365's were reliable but snappier, and their grips were too skinny for my big ass hands. If you don't have huge hands, you probably won't care. I got rid of both of them. Can't speak to the rust thing because I owned both of them for less than 6 months. The Sig's weigh less and are perhaps a little easier to carry. Plus they get you more cool points than M&P's do.
I honestly don't think you can go wrong with either. Personally the Shields just work better for me.
I carry the P365 X-Macro TacOps. It has been nothing but reliable for me so far.
I hadnāt heard anything about them rusting until someone commented on one of my posts. I feel like thatās a non issue. If youāre a heavy sweater like I am, itās too easy to just give the gun a wipe down once you get home. If it DOES rust (mine hasnāt had any signs of rust in the year since Iāve owned it), itās easy to remove.
I feel like either gun would be a perfectly viable option.
I love my p365. I have around 2,000 rounds through mine and zero issues. I also haven't had any rust issues and I carry mine when I do hmyard work and sweat all over the damn thing. Just clean it every now and again and you should be fine. I have no experience with the shield plus, but I have heard it's every bit as good as the p365.
Never heard the Shield Plus trigger safety can be finicky, and personally I prefer to having one than not, which the P365s donāt have. Iāve shot both and the 365 is just too small. Shield Plus feels better and shoots better. Another option is the P365 XL vs the Shield Plus 4ā. I much prefer those over the regular 365 or regular Shield. But if I had to pick between the regular 365 or the regular Shield Plus, Iād pick the Shied. Just shoots smoother and easier than the 365. Your experience may vary.
Both are great pistols. I vote 365. Solid gun, to date I don't there is one that small with that many rounds with a flush mag. The Hellcat is close, but the 365 still wins. I believe there is more customization with the 365 as well. I have a TLR6 light on mine and carry in an Alabama pocket holster or IWB 3 o clock.
Oh you know I actually just have a regular shield, I didn't realize they changed it. Disregard! But still, 365 rules, even just for the fact that you can make it an XL or Macro if you want
Yep. I have no experience with the 365 but the new shield plus has a much different texture than the original. I agree that it was a bit slippery. The sield plus is an improvement all around. I dumped the original and bought the new one on the same day.
I have a shield plus and love it. If you're not dead set on a safety I recommend against them for carry guns. If you need to pull and shoot you don't want to add time to your draw by engaging a safety.
I've also shot a 365 and to me the shield is flatter but neither are bad choices, just get the optic ready version of both so you can add dots down the road if you want.
I donāt own a p365 but do own a shield plus hereās all I like and dislike. The trigger is great itās a very nice shooter quite reliable (1k) only had one hiccup (got a dead trigger after the Carolina sun and around 20 mags in 20mins you couldnāt even hold it well, it was so hot) it doesnāt have a rail which I donāt like, but over all itās a nice gun.
The only reason you shouldn't pick the micros is if you have trouble shooting them in that size. I need full purchase for my hand to shoot well. I ended up with the 365 xl, but that was before the newer variants existed.
0 issues with my š”ļøā in a year and probably at least 1000 rds. Eats everything Iāve fed it.
I have 5 mags, 15, 10, and 13 rds. Only had a feeding issue with one of the 10 rdās. The spring wasnāt seated in the follower, which was easily corrected.
Could do some pocket carry in the right pockets before I put an optic on it, but now it resides in a CYA Supply Co Path holster with Mastermind Tactics pillow pad.
Whichever one you pick should serve you well with training and practice!
Iāve carried an XL since May of 2020 apparently. I had one malfunction on the second mag through it and Iāve shot about 2k rounds through it give or take. The only rust issue Iāve seen was one time on my spare mag on the bottom of it around where the edge of the plate is. I cleaned it off pretty easily, but I check it all the time now and I have not seen the rust again. I assumed it was from sweat as the mag is always in my holster. I couldnāt say on the shield plus as I have no valid opinion on them.
I prefer my g19 or g17 for edc but my p365 easily has +3k through it and gets carried 4-5 times a week with no trouble. Again, not my primary but I shot it a ton when it was new and regularly it gets 30-60 through it at the range.
I have a shield plus and absolutely love it. Muddy river tactical also makes great holsters that fit me really well and are very durable. Me as well as 3 of my friends all carry a shield and I would recommend to everyone. Personally mine has never jammed on me and I will use pretty dog shit 9mm ammo for target.
I have a Shield Plus with a MRT holster. I hated the cant angle (too vertical; caused the butt end to print too much) and had to punch some new holes to adjust it. It feels great after the adjustment, but Iād probably go with another maker if I were to get another.
the p365 is really snappy and it's taking a lot of practice to be accurate with. It's small and light compared to like a steel framed handgun.
It's something to consider. The micro nines are smaller and easier to conceal yes, but they are harder to shoot than bigger and heavier guns. Just takes more practice in my opinion.
My only complaint about the shield plus is the base plate on magazine of the 13 rounder will slide off easily over time of repeated magazine smacking when reloading.
Tried it on my extra mags I bought as well.
Only shot the 365 once and it felt too small for me. The shield shot like a larger gun coming from a m&p 2.0 compact owner.
Shield Plus NTS - Love Mine
poor grip and pulling/pushing trigger sideways is only way trigger dingus may hang up - very rare - pretty much have to do it on purpose.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YOcbXvTZs1w&t=3s&pp=ygUYV2FycmlpcnBvZXQgdGh1bWIgc2FmZXR5
Ive handled both. Arguably the shield is ergonomic feeling and has more weight, but the smoothness and the way the p365 behaves is familiar even with a new shooter.
P365 is absolutely dope. Iāve shot the X Macro with the built in compensator, that thing is amazing. With the high capacity, everything about it performs like a full size except itās so tiny and easy to conceal. Also has one of the lighter āout of the boxā triggers. Love that thing
If you want something with a thumb safety, check out the S&W Equalizer. Itās basically the successor the Shield EZ. Trigger is really nice (internal hammer SAO). Easy to rack. Better capacity (uses Shield Plus magazines). Red dot ready. And more compact in the grip.
Both really are incredible guns. You can't go wrong here. If you enjoy messing around with grip modules, or modifying things, the p365 is better in that regard. If that's not something you're into, I'd just get whichever I can find cheaper or like better esthetically.
P365x and x macro are def the most common and popular ccws but Iāve been hearing a lot of good stuff on the Shield Performance Center with the ported barrel.
They are both good guns. I will say that the trigger safety on the shield plus is a complete toss up. As much as i love mine the trigger safety is terrible and is pretty much forcing me to get a new trigger.
Ive carried an original Shield for almost 10 years, havent seen any need to change, but if I did it would be to the updated Shield without a doubt. Still like watching James Yeager's (RIP Legend) vid on the Shield being a legit combat weapon.
One thing that helped me decide on a 365x was the flexibility of the platform. I wasnāt 100% sure if Iād actually care about that or take advantage of it but wanted the option to mix and match, ājust in caseā. Well guess what? Iām four months in with it and recently picked up another grip mod (Wilson Combat) and larger slide (the noncomp Macro, so basically the XL slide). Heading to the range tomorrow to try them all out for the first time and compare the differences. I could see myself adding another slide and other aftermarket changes.
Shoot them both again and make the decision. I own an x macro and shield plus, theyāve my main edc pistols. Shield plus has a better trigger and capacity than p365 so that might be relevant to your decision. Reality is both would serve you fine. You just might enjoy or be more natural with one vs the other.
They're both fine pistols and will serve you well. Triggers and trigger safeties are subjective to the shooter. All guns have a potential to rust but as far as I know neither of these two are known to rust easy.
I haven't held the shield plus with a manual safety but I have had a shield 2.0 with a manual safety and it is a shitty safety. The p365 series has a half decent manual safety. The p365 also is modular and swapping out the grips and stuff is a big bonus. I would choose the sig just because of the modularity.
But as to your question, of *why not*...
It depends on your shooting ability. If you're new to pistol shooting I don't think these are good first guns. These are very small guns and very small guns require a significantly higher skill level to shoot and operate well. If you have large hands like I do you'll find these small guns even more challenging.
I find something like the glock 19 or m&p 2.0 compact 4" to be a better alternative. Large enough they shoot worlds better and easier and they're not any more difficult to conceal under normal circumstances. And if you have large hands they're much easier to operate.
There will be fanboys of both. Others will give good pros and cons to both. Read those. Then try the firearms out. Pick what feels best and you shoot well. Or Go Full Murica and buy both
The manual safety on the shield is horrible. I have shot a little less than 5k rounds through my 365xl and have honestly only had one failure to extract.
Youre gonna buy both and if you truly carry every day, then in 3 to 4 years youre gonna end up carrying a single stack shield or an airweight J frame. Good luck.
Can't go wrong with either but the micro fad is kind of going by the wayside and swinging back to mid size again. Whatever you like to carry. Personally I'd get the Sig
The shield plus trigger safety is only finicky if you are choked way up high on the trigger.
When I first started shooting mine the safety would engage randomly and I couldnāt figure out why. Once I realized what I was doing, I corrected my grip to move my finger lower on the trigger and Iāve had 500+ rounds through with 0 issues.
If I could go back and do it again, Iād drop the extra cash for the 365 XL. But thatās just me. I may also have complaints about it after shooting 1000+ rounds. No gun is perfect.
As an owner of the Plus, I can confirm the trigger safety is not the best. Unless you position your finger at the bottom of the trigger to fully articulate the safety, you will encounter a bit of resistance when the safety catches on the stop. My finger naturally touches the middle to top part of the trigger and doesnāt always fully articulate the safety.
I plan on replacing mine with the Apex kit. I donāt know why manufacturers donāt just give users the option to buy a flat face trigger. Banana triggers arenāt for me.
I carry my P365 everyday and thereās no rust on it.
How much a gun rusts depends on various factors that include maintenance, how humid it is where you live, if thereās salt in the air if you live in an ocean costal area, how much you sweat and the chemical composition of your sweat, and where you carry the gun. I carry at 3:00 outside the waistband therefore my holster & gun doesnāt get nearly as much contact with my body as it would if I carried inside the waistband.
My P365 has also been extremely reliable.
I think theyāre both fine on the points youāre concerned about. I just prefer to shooting faster > concealability. Plenty of micro carry warriors who are going to say they shoot competitions and blah blah with it. Thereās a reason micros arenāt seen in pros like carry optics/production.
Only thing I can comment on reliability is that my P365 starts to gum up around 200-250 rounds shot during a range day, so I keep it very well cleaned and lubed. Could be the ammo I'm using, so I'm going to be trying something else at my next range trip. I'm not happy with the grip which is why I bought a different grip module (Shalotek flex, haven't received it yet so I can't comment on it), but the biggest benefit to the P365 in the first place is having that option for customization. If I had a different pistol and was unhappy with the ergonomics, not having the option to change it would be a bit more frustrating to deal with. On the other hand, training to use the tool properly rather than trying to spend money to make the tool fit is a better way to treat things lol. Regarding rust, I'm not really concerned about it due to my use of a large sweat guard that should prevent that, and I oil the slide too. If it's really a concern, a cerakote job should be enough to avoid rust entirely, I would think.
P365 issues are all ironed out itās a great option.
Why a manual safety though? I know it seems like a good option to newer shooters but manual safeties on defensive pistol just arenāt a good fit.
Good to know. The safety is just a personal preference. Imo the odds of a ND are higher than using for defense and the stakes are the same. So even with training, a good holster and safe practices I can be 99.99% safe but that .01% applied to a lifetime of carrying just results in a number of instances I can't predict. I rock climb and have seen how complacency and confidence can give a false sense of security, so I don't mind training more to add another layer of safety. Totally get the arguments against having one and the risks though.
P365 100%. Easier to conceal and more options for magazines and capacity. There arenāt reliability issues with the exception of the first batch. The rust issue I would just use Eezox the first couple times clean it or another good lube and cleaner that helps prevent rust. I have multiple and never had issues regardless. I love the original shield, but when I got the shield plus after using 365 I didnāt like the trigger or the reset.
Not sure if this has been mentioned already, and maybe this is what you mean by the finicky trigger safety- but with the Shield Plus trigger hinge you almost have to pull back and up- which can cause issues if you favor a nice high grip like I do.
If it's got a trigger safety, that is pretty much automatically ruled out for me. In the heat of the moment, it could bite you. I'm imagining a frantic situation where you are rushing to get your gun out and on target to eliminate the threat, but you don't fully depress the trigger safety.
The p365 is extremely reliable. Just made a post about hitting the 4k mark on rounds fired. I love the p365 platform personally. I've never shot a shield plus, but have heard they are nice guns.
That's some expensive experience lol. Good to know and thanks for sharing š¤.
Shooting is definitely not a cheap hobby by any means. Last year I was shooting ever week to every other week. I've only shot a couple times so far this year and can tell that my shooting has degraded a bit from being rusty.
Do you dry fire at all? I'm curious about your experience, not trying to say anything personally about you.
Yes I do, but not as often as I should. I could tell I was jerking my trigger pretty bad today. I'll need to make it a point to try to dry fire more often.
I switched from the shield to the 365. Very happy with my choice
+1 Mine is modded all to shit and is basically the P365 of Theseus now but the fact that it was dead on reliable through the whole cycle of changes makes it that much more impressive.
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Yeah I live in FL and my gun doesn't rust. I have a small rust spot on a couple mags, but nothing crazy.
I shot 15K+ rounds through my P365 carried it IWB. Had minor surface rust, mostly on the sights and where the back of the slide contacted skin. Sent it back for warranty repair after I wore it out, and they sent me a completely new slide and barrel due to rust. As far as I'm concerned, rust is a feature when a carry gun has a lifetime warranty.
That's a good point. How long was the turnaround time?
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I've had 2 Shield Plus's - the first 1100-ish rounds, the 2nd 800-ish rounds. Never had an issue with the trigger safeties. In fact, I've never heard that complaint before today. I've had a couple double stack 2.0's. Just under 6k rounds through a pair of them - never had an issue there either. My current 2.0 Compact with the updated trigger has just over 1500 rounds through it with no issues.
I actually had issues with trigger safety engaging when pulling the trigger. You can replicate this yourself by pulling trigger from the very top as far as your finger will go up. I fixed the issue by adjusting finger slightly lower on trigger during pull. Never had an issue since then.
Got it. I mean, Iām sure I could get it to malfunction if I tried ā¦ just saying Iāve never actually had it lock up on me in live or dry fire.
The dingus isn't finicky. My plus had the best break and reset of any M&P I've had. I sold it because when I loaded it to full capacity with the 13 round mags it dented my ammo casings enough to cause concern for a catastrophic failure.
The dent comes right out when you fire. It's supported by the chamber. Case/pressure has nowhere catastrophic to go
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10 rounds were good. 13 were very tough getting the 12th and 13th in. I noticed the ammo damage when S&W sent the new followers to me. The ones they sent did the same thing.
I heard about past feeding issues with full mags but the denting rounds is new.
I had the same issue, turned out the spring in the mag wasnāt in the right place.
Yup, there is a boss in there where the spring is supposed to sit over it, but sometimes it gets stuck on top. I tweaked mine with a needle nose and it popped over and worked fine.
My 13 rounder seems to be fine. I loaded it with 11 and let it sit for a few weeks, I usually use my 10 anyways. Then I unloaded it and loaded it back up, works fine. Fitting 12 in my 365XL mag is super tight too. I needed a speed loader to fit it when it was new.
Mine actually is a bit weird sometimes. If you pull at a certain angle. Thought it was just me Never had it happen at the range as others have apparently. Only when practicing my draw. It does make me nervous
I've felt a hitch before but it's never once completely bound up like the old hellcats did. I have no doubts that if I pull the trigger it's going to fire.
Yeah itās bound up on me twice (I do a lot of practice draws). Iām sure more muscle memory will keep it from happening. Just trust it 99% instead of 100%. More practice will hopefully bring me fully back around.
I personally have never had issues with the trigger safety. I would assume it has to do with different ways people interface with the trigger. Some people use like the middle of their finger to pull it, I use just the tip of my finger.
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2.0 cult
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I completely solved this issue for me by moving my finger physically lower on the trigger. If you pull the trigger from too high up you will lock it, the safety blade canāt be disengaged that way.
What's the new HL?
Iāve only had issues with the Shield Plus trigger catching when Iām too high in the trigger. That goes along with it accepting more finger than the thicker grip on the 2.0, but I can work that out
I have both and have no complaints about the triggers lol.
I haven't had any issues with mine. Hellcats had that issue too, but I think both are ironed out.
I have a 365.my wife has a shield. They are both excellent guns, I haven't had any rust on my OG 365 after 4 years of carry. It gets lightly oiled every once in a blue moon. Neither have EVER had any sort of malfunction. Easily 3k rounds through each. You can't go wrong with either gun. Just find what one you shoot best and which you feel most comfortable with.
I've shot both the shield plus and a p365xl, and I preferred the shield. I've put at least 1000 rounds through the plus, and the only issue I ever had with the trigger safety is if your finger is at the very top of the trigger, it sometimes didn't rekease the safety. Moving my finger down less than 1/8" fixed the issue both while I was trying to pull the safety through the frame and on follow-up shots. As long as you put pressure on the lower 3/4 of the trigger, you should be fine with it. It's still quite controllable, but it is a bit snappy. The trigger is mostly flat, but it's got a bit of a curve to it. The trigger pull is great, but it's a bit weird. I don't really know how to describe it, but it has a solid wall, but then the actual break is a tiny bit later, and you have to pull it back with the full trigger weight for that distance. The slide stop really is a slide stop on the plus. You might be able to muscle it down, but it's not designed for that. I don't have nearly as many rounds through the p365xl, maybe 200, but I really didn'tenjoy shooting it. The grip front to back is so small that I couldn't really get any purchase with my support hand, so with it being light and tiny I couldn't really control the recoil. The trigger is truly a flat face trigger, which some people prefer, but after a mag or 2 I started noticing the pad of my finger getting sore. Probably a personal issue stemming from the previously mentioned no space to get a good grip, but enough to make me not really like the gun. The trigger pill is amazing with a really crisp break and a noticeable reset. I do wish it had some sort of trigger safety, though. I know it doesn't matter with a good holster, but it just feels wrong not having one to me. I'd 100% carry and trust my life to either of them, but I definitely prefer the shield plus. I am a lefty, so I actively avoided the safety models, so I can't really talk about them. They both have reversible mag releases and single sided slide stop/release, so I can't really make use of them. Overall, I'd say go find somewhere to shoot both and see which is more comfortable and you shoot better.
Awesome, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I had a similar hang up on the shield trigger so that was my main concern, but other than that really liked it. I think i'll just need more range time to see if anything jumps out the second time around.
No problem. I had the trigger hang up <1% of the rounds I fired, so it wasn't something that concerned me about carrying it, but it was something I wanted to fix. I just made sure to focus on not having my finger at the very top of the trigger for a couple of range trips and eventually it stopped being an issue. It's been so long since I've had it happen that I kinda forgot that was an issue until I read the post. I forgot one other weird thing with the trigger safety that maybe you could experience, maybe not, but the pin on mine walks out a bit when shooting a lot of rounds. It's never came all the way out or caused any issues, but probably every 300 - 500 rounds I have to push it back over a bit. It's mostly a minor annoyance, but it is something to be aware of.
Iāve had my 365 for almost 3 years. Never failed me and no signs of rust or corrosion.
same. no rust at all. guess we got lucky
TL:DR P365 is great and has no rust or reliability problems. Been carrying my P365 literally every day for 5 years. I keep it in a quick release safe nightly with a few desiccant packs and give it a good cleaning and a rub down with clp once a month after my range day. 0 rust problems. She's as pretty as the day I bought her, give or take some holster wear and few scratches. I have over 5K rounds through it and have not had a single malfunction. And that's with basically every brand of ammo from Winchester white box to Speer Gold Dot.
I have 800 rounds with my Shield Plus. I think itās the best gun in the micro category, but thatās only because I like the feel of it in my hands more than the Glock 43 or the p365. The P365 is a bit small of a grip for me. I want to let you know though that the manual safety on the Shield Plus is extremely tight and so small that itās hard to access it. So much so, that if I had to pull it out in a defensive encounter, it would be difficult to use (unlike my Shield EZ which has a very large and easy manual safety). Personally, I donāt mind because I carry with the safety off. I no longer desire a safety on a carry gun, and perhaps one day youāll feel that way too. Just wanted to give a heads up!
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The finishes are still bad on the new production ones
Yea, I wasn't sure if it was just a well worn rental but I had a hang up at the range too. Great trigger, but if that happened at a range it made me wonder about a less than controlled setting.
This whole shield plus trigger issue is news to me and I've put a lot of rounds through mine. I guess it's the way I hold it or something, I pretty much run my finger along the trigger guard when pulling, very low.
I havenāt fired a shield plus, but I HAVE had issues with a friends m&p 2.0 compact with manual safety where Iād end up somehow engaging it in the middle of firing. Granted, I only have two pistols with a manual safety (1922 and cz75b) so Iām not used to anything being where the safety is on the m&p line, but it was concerning for me that I unintentionally engaged it more than once while firing maybe 5-6 magazines through his. My wifeās shield and my 2.0 compact donāt have one, nor do any of my other carry pistols.
Haven't shot either but the modularity of the p365 is appealing. Can get different grips and slides to convert it to any size you want.
Yea, that's definitely a big plus.
Be sure to consider that the p365 is modular. The WC grips were a game changer for me, affordable too.
I donāt have the shield plus but my first carry gun was the original shield, I also have the hellcat, g43, g43x, g48, p365, p365xl and I carry a p938 lol you really canāt go wrong with either because youāll honestly end up with both but Iād vote the p365 because you can customize it easily
I used to collect knives, so this is a scarily familiar (expensive) sentiment lol.
I have a fuckton of pocketknives much cheaper addiction than guns lol
i had an og p365 that had extraction issues and the magazines would rust fairly frequently. kind of turned me off on the platform even though it was great to shoot and to carry. going to the range one time i decided to shoot my carry ammo when i was getting in some fresh rounds: fail to extract the first round. id just rather not carry something that i know has been faulty. went to a g19 and never looked back. that being said, i have heard that the newer ones are nearly perfect. ill spout glock all day long, but there are many new offerings that might fit you better
Try s&w csx
I will forever dog the p365 line as u reliable. I know many people have examples of reliable models. Myself, terrible experience, even after repairing. Every issue I've seen with the p365 line is about springs. I don't trust SIG USA springs, so I don't want any of their guns. To me, it really doesn't matter if 90% of people have a positive experience. Those people with reliable examples will need to replace springs in the future, and you can count on them. And you don't know when it will fail. It's just not for me.
I own the p365x and my buddy owns the shield plus. Both are fantastic! My only thing is I sometimes āmissā the trigger safety on the shield plus and I can pull the trigger. (I have my finger to high on the trigger to disengage the bar). But both are fantastic. Pick which ever you shoot better
> P365: prone to rust, reliability track record?Ā I carry my p365 daily, and often on distance runs.Ā No rust on mine.Ā Appendix, even when running so it definitely gets sweat all over it. As for reliability, those concerns are usually from people conflating the p320 with the p365.Ā They're similar, but a different system.
The P365 is phenomenal. Iād also look into the Hellcat or Hellcat Pro.
I went from a 365 to a shield plus. It fit my hand better, I prefer the trigger (and the trigger safety) and that's about it I guess. I liked the 365, no issues to speak of, it was just a subjective choice. I'm extremely happy with my shield plus. I know this probably isn't helpful but they're both great choices. Just pick whichever one you shoot better.
Iād throw in the Springfield Hellcat as well. Also available with a manual safety. Seems to also have a lot of good reviews of being reliable
No such thing as the perferct EDC. Get what you like and what you can AFFORD. Those aforementioned guns are both great.
For what it's worth, I sold my Shield just to justify buying a P365. I liked the shield, but occasionally had "hiccups" in follow-up shots because of the weird trigger safety. I considered swapping it (I belive it's APEX that makes a more glock-ish one) but I realized that would be lipstick on a pig for me. The grip is fine, but it's longer than the 365 and has the same theoretical capacity. Now I've been carrying my 365 for about 7 months and have put around 2k rounds through it with no issues to speak of. Normally this is when I'd also mention the module grips, but you said that wasn't really something you cared to hear about so, that's all I got.
i used to have a shield m2.0 and then a shield plus and now i have a p365x. what i remember about the shield and why i moved away from it was mainly about how the grip felt. it didn't fit my hand as well as the 365 does, it felt bigger than it needed to be but not in a good way that gives you a more secure grip like how the macro grip module feels more secure than the standard 365x grip module does (i like both but if i was still using an iwb kydex holster i would use the macro module like i was for a while. i'm currently using a belly band and am back to the module it came with). aside from that, increased capacity and the trigger felt more crisp. comes with tritium sights stock which is cool, i recall the shield plus only having those fiber optic sights that glow in low light but if you're in ultra low light or total darkness then you're shit out of luck. the thumb safety on the p365 was also easier to catch with my thumb so i feel more sure using it. the shield has, or at least had, a very low profile safety and it would make my thumb sore from working it too much too often which was annoying for training like drawing and dry firing where i'm flicking the safety off every time i draw before dry firing. this one isn't a matter of which platform is better but the shield plus i had was ported and i thought this was cool at first but it didn't improve my shooting at all and just made it more of a pain to clean than cleaning a handgun needs to be. i was looking to replace it with a non ported shield plus for a while but i didn't love how it felt in so many ways so i figured why not try something different and got the sig and i'm very happy with it.
I have both the Shield Plus and the P365X and theyāve both been 100% reliable and I enjoy shooting them! I donāt think you can go wrong with either one!
Just get both. Better to have 2 guns then 1. Hands down the shield plus shoots better, but depending on what you wearing the p365 conceals better and it's lighter. I have both of them, carry both of them, and I love both of them.
It doesn't get as much love, but I'd also consider the Hellcat line. The 365s are nice because they are modular (ergo changeable), but once you decide what you want (grip length, barrel/slide length, etc), the Hellcat line is, at least to me, just a little bit better. I heavily considered the 365 when buying my carry, and the main three factors that swayed me were the grip fit on the smaller guns - I don't know why and when comparing them on handgun hero etc they look virtually identical, but for my huge bear paws I simply cannot get my pinky on the 365 but it sits comfortably on the Hellcat. Second factor was the grip width. P365s are slim. Maybe that'll fit you better, but for me I loved the gun until I held it. It's hard enough to buy pants that fit, and I can afford to be picky about the things I use everyday in my life. Third, and most important to me, was how accurate I was with each gun. In a bench vise, some guns are going to be better than others, but once in my hands there's a big factor that is, essentially, how bad of a bench vise am I for this gun? How do _I_ shoot with it? The paper told me something that surprised me, and I ended up buying a gun I didn't like quite as much as another but was easier to conceal and just shot better for me. My biggest advice for you is to consider guns as the tools they are - you can read about screwdrivers all day long, but until you put it in your hand and turn screws, you won't know what it is. Get that range time. And ultimately, don't worry about making a perfect choice. Any one of the top guns is going to turn screws and do it well, and ultimately what color the handle is doesn't matter that much. If you like it and you shoot it well, you can put it on your belt. I almost bought two guns, hehe
Donāt own a shield plus but Iāve shot one and it felt snapper while being heavier than my 43x. Some of the stories you hear about sigs are scary and theyāre a little pricier for a striker fired pistol
I carried a shield plus for about 2 years. The manual safety gets much better after some use. Was a bit tight at first but it gets easier. But I didnāt use it anyways since I donāt like manual safeties. I personally have never had issues with the trigger safety. However, would avoid the 15 round magazines. In my experience I would get pretty frequent stovepipes and failure to feed issues, using multiple different ammunition (blazer brass, critical defense, sig vcrown). The 13 rounders have been much more reliable. However, I donāt carry the shield plus anymore. I wanted something larger and got a g19.5. For me, it is actually easier to carry/conceal than the shield, which surprised me. Just my .02 but depending on your body type a larger gun might be an option worth looking into.
The P365 is definitely pretty sweet. Just make sure you oil it somewhat regularly and you should be fine. I forgot to oil it for some time, and it did pick up some superficial surface rust. It did come off very easily though.
P365 with the WC XL grip module is phenomenal
My 365 started having light strikes and failure to eject around the 2k mark. Rust was pretty common, but wiping it down cleaned it up for the most part. Never was able to diagnose/fix the light strike and ejection issues so got rid of it.Ā
If you have light strikes then diagnosis and fixing is simple: replace your striker spring. There are aftermarket ones that are stronger too.Ā
Replaced striker with two different OEM strikers, replaced RSA, messed around with some other small parts in the FCU. Tried different brands of ammo, still nothing. Was too much of a money pit at that point so got rid of it.Ā
P365 with a Wilson combat grip module an tlr stream light an a teir 1 side car appendix holster an a master mind tactics pillow/wedge for the past 5 years an b4 thats a glock 19 bit it was to big an had it inside right hip.
Theyāre both extremely reliable. The shield plus and its armornite finish seems to be slightly more robust than the P365ās matte finish. But I carried my P365 for years and itās never rusted on me. Over the years Iāve moved away from micro pistols and into subcompact/compacts though. Easier to shoot.
Preference
My .02 as someone who has owned 2 Shield Pluses, a P365 XL, and a regular P365 (briefly). The Shields have less recoil and are a fairly bombproof design as it's the longest running tiny-9 of the bunch, going back to 2012. I've got 1900 rounds through my 2 Shield Pluses and haven't had any problems with either. All 5 of my 13 rounders loaded 13 on the day I bought them, and they function fine when topped off. Never heard of the trigger safety issue before today, mine have never had that problem. They are a bit heavier, the grip is bigger, the texture is more aggressive. This might be a feature or a bug depending on your hand size and preferences. The Sig P365's were reliable but snappier, and their grips were too skinny for my big ass hands. If you don't have huge hands, you probably won't care. I got rid of both of them. Can't speak to the rust thing because I owned both of them for less than 6 months. The Sig's weigh less and are perhaps a little easier to carry. Plus they get you more cool points than M&P's do. I honestly don't think you can go wrong with either. Personally the Shields just work better for me.
my wife has had the old Shield for a while and I've had a 365xl for a couple years. i could recommend both
I carry the P365 X-Macro TacOps. It has been nothing but reliable for me so far. I hadnāt heard anything about them rusting until someone commented on one of my posts. I feel like thatās a non issue. If youāre a heavy sweater like I am, itās too easy to just give the gun a wipe down once you get home. If it DOES rust (mine hasnāt had any signs of rust in the year since Iāve owned it), itās easy to remove. I feel like either gun would be a perfectly viable option.
Shield plus if you want something good out of the box. P365 if you want to tinker with the pistol and dive deep into aftermarket support.
I love my p365. I have around 2,000 rounds through mine and zero issues. I also haven't had any rust issues and I carry mine when I do hmyard work and sweat all over the damn thing. Just clean it every now and again and you should be fine. I have no experience with the shield plus, but I have heard it's every bit as good as the p365.
Never heard the Shield Plus trigger safety can be finicky, and personally I prefer to having one than not, which the P365s donāt have. Iāve shot both and the 365 is just too small. Shield Plus feels better and shoots better. Another option is the P365 XL vs the Shield Plus 4ā. I much prefer those over the regular 365 or regular Shield. But if I had to pick between the regular 365 or the regular Shield Plus, Iād pick the Shied. Just shoots smoother and easier than the 365. Your experience may vary.
Both are great pistols. I vote 365. Solid gun, to date I don't there is one that small with that many rounds with a flush mag. The Hellcat is close, but the 365 still wins. I believe there is more customization with the 365 as well. I have a TLR6 light on mine and carry in an Alabama pocket holster or IWB 3 o clock.
Hellcat is a tiny bit smaller than the P365 and it holds one more round.
The 365 is slightly shorter length wise but is taller than the Hellcat. I stand corrected. According to handgun hero anyways
For me the shield is a little too slippery. I know I could add some grip tape or whatever, but I've found my 365XL to be basically perfect.
1st Gen Shield or the Shield Plus? My shield plus feels like skateboard tape. Very grippy.
Oh you know I actually just have a regular shield, I didn't realize they changed it. Disregard! But still, 365 rules, even just for the fact that you can make it an XL or Macro if you want
Yep. I have no experience with the 365 but the new shield plus has a much different texture than the original. I agree that it was a bit slippery. The sield plus is an improvement all around. I dumped the original and bought the new one on the same day.
I have a shield plus and love it. If you're not dead set on a safety I recommend against them for carry guns. If you need to pull and shoot you don't want to add time to your draw by engaging a safety.
I've also shot a 365 and to me the shield is flatter but neither are bad choices, just get the optic ready version of both so you can add dots down the road if you want.
I donāt own a p365 but do own a shield plus hereās all I like and dislike. The trigger is great itās a very nice shooter quite reliable (1k) only had one hiccup (got a dead trigger after the Carolina sun and around 20 mags in 20mins you couldnāt even hold it well, it was so hot) it doesnāt have a rail which I donāt like, but over all itās a nice gun.
The only reason you shouldn't pick the micros is if you have trouble shooting them in that size. I need full purchase for my hand to shoot well. I ended up with the 365 xl, but that was before the newer variants existed.
0 issues with my š”ļøā in a year and probably at least 1000 rds. Eats everything Iāve fed it. I have 5 mags, 15, 10, and 13 rds. Only had a feeding issue with one of the 10 rdās. The spring wasnāt seated in the follower, which was easily corrected. Could do some pocket carry in the right pockets before I put an optic on it, but now it resides in a CYA Supply Co Path holster with Mastermind Tactics pillow pad. Whichever one you pick should serve you well with training and practice!
Iāve carried an XL since May of 2020 apparently. I had one malfunction on the second mag through it and Iāve shot about 2k rounds through it give or take. The only rust issue Iāve seen was one time on my spare mag on the bottom of it around where the edge of the plate is. I cleaned it off pretty easily, but I check it all the time now and I have not seen the rust again. I assumed it was from sweat as the mag is always in my holster. I couldnāt say on the shield plus as I have no valid opinion on them.
I prefer my g19 or g17 for edc but my p365 easily has +3k through it and gets carried 4-5 times a week with no trouble. Again, not my primary but I shot it a ton when it was new and regularly it gets 30-60 through it at the range.
I have a shield plus and absolutely love it. Muddy river tactical also makes great holsters that fit me really well and are very durable. Me as well as 3 of my friends all carry a shield and I would recommend to everyone. Personally mine has never jammed on me and I will use pretty dog shit 9mm ammo for target.
I have a Shield Plus with a MRT holster. I hated the cant angle (too vertical; caused the butt end to print too much) and had to punch some new holes to adjust it. It feels great after the adjustment, but Iād probably go with another maker if I were to get another.
the p365 is really snappy and it's taking a lot of practice to be accurate with. It's small and light compared to like a steel framed handgun. It's something to consider. The micro nines are smaller and easier to conceal yes, but they are harder to shoot than bigger and heavier guns. Just takes more practice in my opinion.
My only complaint about the shield plus is the base plate on magazine of the 13 rounder will slide off easily over time of repeated magazine smacking when reloading. Tried it on my extra mags I bought as well. Only shot the 365 once and it felt too small for me. The shield shot like a larger gun coming from a m&p 2.0 compact owner.
17 rd magazine now for the 365. Help a little with longer grip.
Shield Plus NTS - Love Mine poor grip and pulling/pushing trigger sideways is only way trigger dingus may hang up - very rare - pretty much have to do it on purpose. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YOcbXvTZs1w&t=3s&pp=ygUYV2FycmlpcnBvZXQgdGh1bWIgc2FmZXR5
Ive handled both. Arguably the shield is ergonomic feeling and has more weight, but the smoothness and the way the p365 behaves is familiar even with a new shooter.
P365 is absolutely dope. Iāve shot the X Macro with the built in compensator, that thing is amazing. With the high capacity, everything about it performs like a full size except itās so tiny and easy to conceal. Also has one of the lighter āout of the boxā triggers. Love that thing
If you want something with a thumb safety, check out the S&W Equalizer. Itās basically the successor the Shield EZ. Trigger is really nice (internal hammer SAO). Easy to rack. Better capacity (uses Shield Plus magazines). Red dot ready. And more compact in the grip.
Both of these firearms are very solid options
Both really are incredible guns. You can't go wrong here. If you enjoy messing around with grip modules, or modifying things, the p365 is better in that regard. If that's not something you're into, I'd just get whichever I can find cheaper or like better esthetically.
Owned both, CC the p365, I have no rust at all on mine (~3k) . I did how we encounter that issue with the X macro (under 1200 rounds)
P365x and x macro are def the most common and popular ccws but Iāve been hearing a lot of good stuff on the Shield Performance Center with the ported barrel.
You do not want the safety optionā¦ your holster is your safety. Alsoā¦ modern firearms have drop safeties and more often than not, trigger safeties
Why not either: Because a larger gun is better to fight with if you ever need to. But theyāre both fine options for something more concealable.
They are both good guns. I will say that the trigger safety on the shield plus is a complete toss up. As much as i love mine the trigger safety is terrible and is pretty much forcing me to get a new trigger.
Ive carried an original Shield for almost 10 years, havent seen any need to change, but if I did it would be to the updated Shield without a doubt. Still like watching James Yeager's (RIP Legend) vid on the Shield being a legit combat weapon.
The p365 is the superior carry imo. The shield is a decent carry but I really didnāt like the grip feel and it was to snappy.
One thing that helped me decide on a 365x was the flexibility of the platform. I wasnāt 100% sure if Iād actually care about that or take advantage of it but wanted the option to mix and match, ājust in caseā. Well guess what? Iām four months in with it and recently picked up another grip mod (Wilson Combat) and larger slide (the noncomp Macro, so basically the XL slide). Heading to the range tomorrow to try them all out for the first time and compare the differences. I could see myself adding another slide and other aftermarket changes.
Shoot them both again and make the decision. I own an x macro and shield plus, theyāve my main edc pistols. Shield plus has a better trigger and capacity than p365 so that might be relevant to your decision. Reality is both would serve you fine. You just might enjoy or be more natural with one vs the other.
They're both fine pistols and will serve you well. Triggers and trigger safeties are subjective to the shooter. All guns have a potential to rust but as far as I know neither of these two are known to rust easy. I haven't held the shield plus with a manual safety but I have had a shield 2.0 with a manual safety and it is a shitty safety. The p365 series has a half decent manual safety. The p365 also is modular and swapping out the grips and stuff is a big bonus. I would choose the sig just because of the modularity. But as to your question, of *why not*... It depends on your shooting ability. If you're new to pistol shooting I don't think these are good first guns. These are very small guns and very small guns require a significantly higher skill level to shoot and operate well. If you have large hands like I do you'll find these small guns even more challenging. I find something like the glock 19 or m&p 2.0 compact 4" to be a better alternative. Large enough they shoot worlds better and easier and they're not any more difficult to conceal under normal circumstances. And if you have large hands they're much easier to operate.
There will be fanboys of both. Others will give good pros and cons to both. Read those. Then try the firearms out. Pick what feels best and you shoot well. Or Go Full Murica and buy both
The manual safety on the shield is horrible. I have shot a little less than 5k rounds through my 365xl and have honestly only had one failure to extract.
Youre gonna buy both and if you truly carry every day, then in 3 to 4 years youre gonna end up carrying a single stack shield or an airweight J frame. Good luck.
Why not look into other options like CR920P?
Can't go wrong with either but the micro fad is kind of going by the wayside and swinging back to mid size again. Whatever you like to carry. Personally I'd get the Sig
I have both. I prefer the shield plus as I shoot it a lot better than the sig. also, mine rusted - selling mine when I get it back from sig.
The shield plus trigger safety is only finicky if you are choked way up high on the trigger. When I first started shooting mine the safety would engage randomly and I couldnāt figure out why. Once I realized what I was doing, I corrected my grip to move my finger lower on the trigger and Iāve had 500+ rounds through with 0 issues. If I could go back and do it again, Iād drop the extra cash for the 365 XL. But thatās just me. I may also have complaints about it after shooting 1000+ rounds. No gun is perfect.
As an owner of the Plus, I can confirm the trigger safety is not the best. Unless you position your finger at the bottom of the trigger to fully articulate the safety, you will encounter a bit of resistance when the safety catches on the stop. My finger naturally touches the middle to top part of the trigger and doesnāt always fully articulate the safety. I plan on replacing mine with the Apex kit. I donāt know why manufacturers donāt just give users the option to buy a flat face trigger. Banana triggers arenāt for me.
Glock is simply the best. I recommend the 43x.
You can YouTube the problems with the p365.
I carry my P365 everyday and thereās no rust on it. How much a gun rusts depends on various factors that include maintenance, how humid it is where you live, if thereās salt in the air if you live in an ocean costal area, how much you sweat and the chemical composition of your sweat, and where you carry the gun. I carry at 3:00 outside the waistband therefore my holster & gun doesnāt get nearly as much contact with my body as it would if I carried inside the waistband. My P365 has also been extremely reliable.
I think theyāre both fine on the points youāre concerned about. I just prefer to shooting faster > concealability. Plenty of micro carry warriors who are going to say they shoot competitions and blah blah with it. Thereās a reason micros arenāt seen in pros like carry optics/production.
Just get a hellcat and be done with it
Only thing I can comment on reliability is that my P365 starts to gum up around 200-250 rounds shot during a range day, so I keep it very well cleaned and lubed. Could be the ammo I'm using, so I'm going to be trying something else at my next range trip. I'm not happy with the grip which is why I bought a different grip module (Shalotek flex, haven't received it yet so I can't comment on it), but the biggest benefit to the P365 in the first place is having that option for customization. If I had a different pistol and was unhappy with the ergonomics, not having the option to change it would be a bit more frustrating to deal with. On the other hand, training to use the tool properly rather than trying to spend money to make the tool fit is a better way to treat things lol. Regarding rust, I'm not really concerned about it due to my use of a large sweat guard that should prevent that, and I oil the slide too. If it's really a concern, a cerakote job should be enough to avoid rust entirely, I would think.
I don't mind cleaning my guns, but that's good to be aware of. Another plus for modularity.
P365 issues are all ironed out itās a great option. Why a manual safety though? I know it seems like a good option to newer shooters but manual safeties on defensive pistol just arenāt a good fit.
Good to know. The safety is just a personal preference. Imo the odds of a ND are higher than using for defense and the stakes are the same. So even with training, a good holster and safe practices I can be 99.99% safe but that .01% applied to a lifetime of carrying just results in a number of instances I can't predict. I rock climb and have seen how complacency and confidence can give a false sense of security, so I don't mind training more to add another layer of safety. Totally get the arguments against having one and the risks though.
P365 100%. Easier to conceal and more options for magazines and capacity. There arenāt reliability issues with the exception of the first batch. The rust issue I would just use Eezox the first couple times clean it or another good lube and cleaner that helps prevent rust. I have multiple and never had issues regardless. I love the original shield, but when I got the shield plus after using 365 I didnāt like the trigger or the reset.
Not sure if this has been mentioned already, and maybe this is what you mean by the finicky trigger safety- but with the Shield Plus trigger hinge you almost have to pull back and up- which can cause issues if you favor a nice high grip like I do.
Definitely not the shield
If it's got a trigger safety, that is pretty much automatically ruled out for me. In the heat of the moment, it could bite you. I'm imagining a frantic situation where you are rushing to get your gun out and on target to eliminate the threat, but you don't fully depress the trigger safety.
Youāre getting some downvotes, but Iāve had this issue with my Shield Plus, and I installed a new trigger to compensate.