It takes time to form opinions, and more to change them.

I recently decided that my shooting performance using Mod Weaver was steadily degrading, and so I finally took the advice of Doug Tollen.

Doug owns Oregon Security Training, and is one of the best instructors I've ever worked with. Over the years, he saw me favoring the shoulder I injured overseas, and suggested using a Modified Isosceles stance.

Today, I finally gave in, and just to put a fine spin on it, I used two .45's: A Smith Military and Police 2.0, and the Shield in the same caliber.

I ran both pistols for the DPSST qualifier, and I noticed two things: One, I was getting dramatically better accuracy, and secondly, my raw scores with both pistols was pretty much identical. The results became all the more glaring when I considered that my last qualifier was run with a service size 9mm, and I was still getting better and faster hits with the .45's.

Are the .45's inherently more accurate? Perhaps, but the inference is clear: The Shield in .45 is supposed to be hard to control, and yet, it proved moreso than a service size 9mm, just by virtue of using a different stance.

I find that I shoot the gun I have the most muscle memory with best- caliber is irrelevant. I shoot my P220 a bit better than my P226 .40, despite noticeably lighter recoil with the .40. I carry the P220 more and shoot it more often.

As for stance, it certainly makes a difference. I shoot thumbs forward, and see degradation when I start getting fatigued or lazy/sloppy.

I wonder if perhaps your improvement is attributable to the change in stance and possibly your being even more alert/vigilant to shooting technique given the new stance, versus the .45 having much to do with it? Most folks would say the recoil is easier to control with the 9mm vs .45 ACP, though I think that depends heavily on the load and grains used...

I think it had everything to do with the injured shoulder being jarred less.

I find the .45 Shield with 230 grain HST to be about the same level as the 9mm Shield with +P loads, though that is subjective.