I prefer to keep the triggers of my carry guns as close to factory stock as possible for reliability and liability reasons, so I requested that Jim smooth it out a bit but to leave the weight within factory spec.

I was disappointed that the sights Smith & Wesson chose were of a smooth, sloped design, which does not allow for one-handed racking of the slide on a belt or other object. To rectify that issue and to add tritium for low-light shooting (my test gun came without the optional tritium sights), I turned to AmeriGlo (ameriglo.net, 770-390-0554) for its newly designed M&P night sights.

Available in a target model with a serrated front sight and rear blade or in a combat version with white outlined tritium inserts, all AmeriGlo sights are CNC machined from steel and finished with a matte black oxide for glare reduction.

Front sights are available in three heights to provide point of impact adjustment, and the factory height is available in two different widths. The tritium front sights glow green; the rear green or yellow. I chose yellow to provide contrast.

I occasionally get jaded from handling so many guns in my line of work, but not so with this gun. The reworked M&P is visually stunning. The trigger, sights, slide endcap, barrel and guide rod retain the factory black color and contrast beautifully with the Flat Dark Earth of the frame and slide.

Beauty aside, the purpose of the modifications was to make the gun fit my hand better, so picking up and gripping the gun was the first order of business. The shape was comfortable, and I was able to get a better reach on the trigger.

Racking the slide back a few times, I tested the trigger. The difference was not dramatic--not that I expected it to be with the marching orders I gave Jim--but the front sight shimmy that I often experience when pulling the M&P trigger was gone.

At the range, I definitely noticed that the smaller, modified grip helped me control recoil for faster follow-up shots. I also had a markedly easier time pulling the trigger back smoothly due to the shorter trigger reach. The benefit of the smoother action could not be discounted either.

To get a true sense of how a gun feels, I prefer to do it by drawing from a holster. I used a Blade-Tech holster with SR belt loops for this article. I was impressed--the holster held the gun firmly and its cantable design gives great versatility.

You may be inclined to think that the smaller grip would make the gun comfortable only for people with small hands, but that isn't the case. Several people with medium-size hands tried my modified .45 and preferred the custom grip shape. With this in mind, I would suggest that the grip modification would be worthwhile for shooters with either small- or medium-size hands.

I ran a few hundred rounds through the gun and experienced no failures, and I think I'm going to like this gun as well as I like my M&P40--and so will you if you're looking for great ergonomics, adaptability and reliability in a .45 pistol. And thanks to Predator Custom Shop, it's a beauty to boot.