Long Ridge Camp's Shortest Two gun Review...

 This review is one of the shortest, and most disappointing I have done. I had great hopes for it, as I have dropped (as you know) my new romance for the decidedly outmoded 1911  platform. I still am interested in the 45 ACP however, and wanted to find a high capacity striker fired 45. I am a staunch fan of the S&W M&P line of pistols, believing that the M&P 9 and 9c2.0 are the finest battle pistols ever developed. But...I did not have the M&P 45, so decided to get one even though it is marginally a high capacity pistol (11 rounds). Then Remington released the RP45 in January...15 in the magazine, + one. Who could beat THAT in 45 with a striker fired piece? No one. So, I bought one of each. The Remington you see below, and just below that, the S&W 45 2.0

											RP45 Specs Order Number 96464 – RP45 96257 – Trigger Pull 5.5 – 7 lbs. 5.5 – 7 lbs. Grip Material Polymer Polymer Mass Weight 26.4 ounces 26.4 ounces
											Cap.                     15 + 1
											Grip circumference 5 5/8       Price paid : 279.00

 The Smith only hold 10+1 but does offer 14 round magazines so I purchased two of these before shooting either.

14 rounders below

 

Specifications

SKU: 11523

Model: M&P®45 M2.0™

Caliber: 45 AUTO

Capacity: 10+1

Barrel Length: 4.6" / 11.7 cm

Overall Length: 7.9"

Front Sight: Steel - White Dot

Rear Sight: Steel - White Two Dot

Action: Striker Fire

Grip: Polymer

Weight: 27.0 oz / 765.4g

Barrel Material: Stainless Steel - Armornite® Finish

Slide Material: Stainless Steel - Armornite® Finish

Frame Material: Polymer

Purpose: Home Protection, Personal Protection, L.E.

Price paid: $450. 

 As is my habit, when both came in, I cleaned and wet lubed both with the best. Slip 2000. (No, I do not get any money from them, don't want or need any, and have never communicated with them. They simply make the best lube out there). Now, before I get into the targets below, let me tell you a story. After measuring grip circumference 5 5/8ths on both with the small back strap installed, and finding virtually all handgun measurements and specs ( width, length, weight, etc) the same, and trigger pull a matching 6.25 oz...I could find no advantage to either except the Remington's higher capacity. I spent a week dry firing both to gain familiarity with the feel of the guns, and trigger. I am intimately familiar with the Smith's so that was a no brainer, but I must say, the Remington felt GOOD and I was excited. So, off to the range. The first exercise I do with a new pistol, is  shoot it at a 2 inch dot at 7 yards to see where it prints. Then I do a 50 round Dot Torture Test. I started with the Remington, and it seemed exceedingly accurate! Then I started the weak hand (I know, I KNOW, it should be stated 'off hand' so we won't think we have a weak hand ha ha) and as I searched for the trigger with my weak hand index, the gun fired. I had not even found the trigger. This obviously startled me. I tried it again, slowly, and as my finger came against the side of the trigger, the gun fired. I had NOT depressed the trigger safety. Unload, dismount, examine. I discover that if you attempt to pull the Remington's trigger from the right side, without depressing the

 trigger safety the gun will not fire. But I find that if you pull the trigger back without depressing the trigger safety from the left side, the gun fires every time. I had also noted that when slow firing, the Remington dumped brass exactly as it should, 5-8 feet to the right. But when rapid firing, the shell casings caught in the crook of my right arm, or hammered me right in the forehead. That to me, spells 'barrel dwell time' big time. Pack it all up, go home, call the techs at Remington. They are very helpful, ask that I enclose a detailed letter for the smiths, and send me a Fed EX free mailer, for at my home pick-up. Service like Smith and Wesson!. I do this. Ten days later I get the gun back, and excitedly open the package. I read a terse letter from the smith stating that the trigger safety works as it should, test fired and all OK. Try the trigger from the left side, and find that the problem has not been corrected. NOTHING was fixed. Get on the phone. Talk to tech. Get another label. Enclose same detailed letter with a big READ IT sheet on top. 12 days later get the gun back. Note from smith states defective trigger safety assembly replaced, test fired and all is well. I check the pistol 20 ways to Sunday, and it is fixed Yayyyy! 

So, off to the range.

Decided to see where each poi for these pistols is at 10 yards. Both are accurate. Remington feels really good, except the safety on the trigger has a very strong spring, and is uncomfortable to depress.

On to the Dot Torture at 3 yards. Remington beats S&W by two points. These are both extremely manageable pistols for 45 acp.

Below, ten yard rapid fire 2 and one drills. The Smith is faster on target, and easier on the hands because of the 2.0 stippling. The Remington is slippery because it was in the high nineties and my hands are sweaty. But still, the Remington shows great accuracy as does the Smith. Incidentally I did the 5x5 drill, timed at 6 yards, and these guns both easily shot it under 5 seconds, about 3 seconds from a draw for each. I pasted over the targets forgetting to photograph them, but essentially the 5x5 was a draw. If the Remington had the grip texture of the S&W I think it could have beat it on this.

The last two targets below are cadence fire from 25 yards. The Remington target at the top has less rounds, you'll hear about that in a minute. My trigger finger actually aches on the 1st pad because of the sharp and stiff trigger safety. The trigger pull itself is decent as is the reset.

Smith is right on. Easy.

These 25 yard targets ended the shoot off. Here is why. I had been using ball ammo until these targets. Wolf, Magtec, Fiocci and some CCI.  The Remington had three light strikes on the Wolf ammo. Each of these I tried a second time without success. I then put them through the S&W and they fired. Then for the 25 yard cadence I decided to try some Fiocchi 200 grain hollow points. They fed and functioned fine in the S&W but in the RP45 it suddenly locked up and would not fire. I could NOT retract the slide no matter what I did. I pulled the trigger multiple times. I pounded this gun, but to no avail. So with a live round in the chamber I had to box it up. Test over. Already back to the factory twice, and now a complete failure with under 200 rounds. I played around with the S&W for another 150 rounds with zero problems or malfunctions. Utterly controllable and nearly as easy to shoot as my M&PC 2.0 (as an aside I have finally surpassed 10,000 rounds through my 1.0 M&P9 with zero malfunctions. Zero. The M&P45 2.0 is a keeper. Anyone wants the Remington for 200.00 have at it. A plinker and accurate shooter, but I would never trust it in a violent situation. I did get it home, and with a brass hammer did get the slide open and pull out the HP round. Brass appears scratched so I'll be cleaning this up, but NOT carrying it or keeping it. 

Buy the M&P45 2.0 . Moderately priced, great 6 pound trigger, a grip that does NOT move in your hand, and reliable as a John Deere. Steel plates, here we come. And last, more rounds and much easier to control than my S&W 1911 Sc that I reviewed in the past. Comments and insults are welcome!

jackzeller@myfairpoint.net