m&p pistols, really that bad?
- Thread starter m1978
- Start date
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
No complaints with mine, had trouble at first with where my point of aim was but after taking a handgun class I quickly realized it was me and not the gun lol. It shoots better than I do, have a couple thousand rounds through it in without any hicups. I don't mind the trigger, other guns I've shot are nicer but it's not as bad as some make it out to be. Learn to shoot it in stock trim before you upgrade the trigger.
Hi everyone. Retired after 25 yrs of carrying an all metal pistol and owning nothing but, in terms of handguns, I fine myself in the same delema as the OP. Was at the local gun shop on several occasions and was sizing up a few polymer framed guns, one of which is a M&P. It will be my first polymer handgun so I am taking some time to decide. I guess you can say, I am a polymer virgin. I liked the M&P better than the Glock and the price point is better than the PX4.
The M&P that I was eyeing comes with a range kit which includes 3 magazines, a holster, a lock and gun case with in my opinion brings it in line with its cousin the S&W SD9VE which is $200 less. The SD9VE has good reviews and if I wanted to go cheap or if I already had all the gear, it might be an option... I mention the M&P range kit because the SD9VE comes with 2 magazines and that's it. No case, no lock, no holster. The fit and finish is good and the slide and barrel is in stainless... A big fan of the M&P but I am trying not to cheap out. Lol. Chime in guys, on the M&P range kit vs SD9VE! Do I really need a holster when all I am doing is going to the range... do I really need a gun case with I could use one of the one from my other pistols or I could chuck it into a lockable tool box. Sorry OP, didn't mean to high jack your thread but I am really considering an M&P.
The M&P that I was eyeing comes with a range kit which includes 3 magazines, a holster, a lock and gun case with in my opinion brings it in line with its cousin the S&W SD9VE which is $200 less. The SD9VE has good reviews and if I wanted to go cheap or if I already had all the gear, it might be an option... I mention the M&P range kit because the SD9VE comes with 2 magazines and that's it. No case, no lock, no holster. The fit and finish is good and the slide and barrel is in stainless... A big fan of the M&P but I am trying not to cheap out. Lol. Chime in guys, on the M&P range kit vs SD9VE! Do I really need a holster when all I am doing is going to the range... do I really need a gun case with I could use one of the one from my other pistols or I could chuck it into a lockable tool box. Sorry OP, didn't mean to high jack your thread but I am really considering an M&P.
yes
I find them reliable but some - particularly some 9mm versions - have had fairly significant issues relating largely to inconsistent meloniting.
But then Glock has had some fairly significant reliability issues in the past couple of years.
I think the thing that frustrates me about the M&P is that they SHOULD have been the next generation of striker-fired polymers. But S&W kept doing their usual "save 0.7 cents per unit" thing and putting bad extractors in, and botching the meloniting, and so on. And the mags are meh.
And that's largely annoying because otherwise they would have eaten Glock's lunch. The ergos are vastly superior and the availability of the thumb safety is awesome. They were almost the replacement for Glock.
But then they weren't.
Zero problems with mine. The only complaint I have with my Pro Series is the trigger. There is zero tactile reset and zero audible reset. Changing out the slide stop to a Gen 3 and adding the Apex RAM when I get around to it should fix it. Also bought a 1:10 twist barrel as an upgrade and should give better accuracy when using 147 gr ammo.
I have one since 2010. I have the M&P9L.
So far I had 0 stoppages. One of the "duty pistol" I have I can group the best with.
Trigger is terrible. But APEX did fix that. No over travel and very short reset. Reset is still not very audible/tactile to my taste but I can live with that.
Love the grip.
I had to trim down my mags follower legs a little so I can fit the 10th round in there.
I would recommend this pistol to anyone.
So far I had 0 stoppages. One of the "duty pistol" I have I can group the best with.
Trigger is terrible. But APEX did fix that. No over travel and very short reset. Reset is still not very audible/tactile to my taste but I can live with that.
Love the grip.
I had to trim down my mags follower legs a little so I can fit the 10th round in there.
I would recommend this pistol to anyone.
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As far as a comparison is concerned, the M&P is a bit more refined out of the box. If you didnt like the trigger on the M&P you will find the SDVE to be even worse, but its built that way on purpose. If you are an old revolver guy or used to a heavy pull on a semiauto, then its no big deal. It is a consistent 8# pull with a very long reset. Keep in mind it is built as a SD or Self Defense gun which means nothing to us up here. I bought one when they first came available as they were supposed to be very close in function to a Glock. I had to see for myself and indeed the upper is almost a clone while the big difference is in the lower internals(probably a lesson learned from the suit filed as a result of the Sigma). The frame has a great fit. I chose to change out the painted 3dot sights with Fiber Optics and changed the trigger over to the Apex system which made a huge difference. Now if we factor in the cost of the upgrades, you are at the pricing level of the M&P. Replacement mags are overpriced and not easy to locate but there are other solutions to that as well. Now, I am no stranger to the M&Ps, the Glocks and now the SD9VE. I have been a Glock guy since '90 and also own M&Ps and have numerous of each. As a beginner, using the SD9VE will require some real trigger dicipline due to the hard pull but if u can master that, you will be very pleased with the performance. I found mine to be a real tack driver in stock configuration, right out of the box.
Do yourself a favor and actually get a feel of the SD and ask to try the trigger before buying. It may be okay for you but u need to be aware before making the purchase if u go that route. On a side note, the M&P holster works with the SD, and I used the M&P FO sights with great success.
Cheers
dB
Do yourself a favor and actually get a feel of the SD and ask to try the trigger before buying. It may be okay for you but u need to be aware before making the purchase if u go that route. On a side note, the M&P holster works with the SD, and I used the M&P FO sights with great success.
Cheers
dB
andrew3081
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vancouver, BC
I know one local government agency carrying it and a few private companies using M&P pistols. No complaints from them.
I personally owned 2 M&P pistols and they function perfectly.
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As already pointed out it was my and possibly every shooters poor fundamentals that can be the root cause. This became more apparent this past weekend at the TDSA day at the range where the coaching pointed out some of my flaws and suggested corrective actions. I was pleasantly surprised that when holding this gun properly, by the way made it feel more uncomfortable, allowed me to be more constant at hitting the target and properly feeling this trigger.
I will say that as the day went on and with hundreds of rounds through the gun that made me tired I resorted back to my old bad habits. Once that happened my performance began suffer so I decided to just put the gun down and called it a day. Practice and Practice is the name of any shooting game.
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I initially had issues with my new mags when trying to insert all 10 rounds at first. A little bit of increased pressure to the easy loader on the last round and constant usage the 10 round capacity can now be easily achieved.
- Location
- Fraser Valley BC
Great pistol.
The 10 rd mags kind of suck though.
The 10 rd mags kind of suck though.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
BC Sheriff's dept are using the m&p now, at least the one I was chatting with last month was carrying a m&p9. I commented on it and he was more than happy to talk about it, especially after I said I shoot one. He really seemed to like it, especially the hi capacity mag he gets to use lol.
I found leaving my 10rd mags loaded for a couple weeks helped in being able to load 10rds by hand, I don't need to use the loader if I don't want to even on the 10th round. Before I would give up on the third round...
I have four of them. Two FS, one in 9mm and one in 40cal. Two PROS , 9MM & 40cal.
The FS 9mm was bought the year they came into Canada. After 15K+ rds the gun suffered a broken striker which was not unexpected as the original strikers were prone to breakage and mine did not disappoint. The gun has all PRO internals not because I bought...A new striker cost me under $5.00
a 9MM PRO and filled it with APREX parts. After 10K rds gun has performed flawlessly. Neither gun has had a FTF or FTF except of course when the striker broke. The PRO got a 1 - 10 twist barrel to improve accuracy with 124gr and 147 gr bullets. Cost $85. approx.
The 40 cal FS is the product of mating a 40cal upper obtained from a police buy back out of the US with a 9MM frame bought off the EE. Total in it $350. ($250 for the frame and $100US for the upper). It is stock and is my gun safe protector. I have only put 1k through it with no issues. The 40 Cal PRO obtained in a trade has the FSS and trigger from APEX and a magwell. I have put 2K through it with no issues.
If you are on a budget replace the striker block with an Apex version and put a lighter trigger return spring in the gun and you will find the trigger to be decent.
I am not so sure what value hearing the reset is unless you like listening to the click while watching TV in your family room. I have more than a few models of various makes and have yet to ever hear the reset on any of them while shooting a match or just out practicing drills. I must admit the Glock reset click is noticeable when the TV is on mute but when watching my Eskimos or Oilers play I never notice the reset. The RAM for the M&P might be louder but the one I installed made no difference in the sound of the reset. Maybe I should turn the TV down.
To the guy who asked about the holster in the range kit. It is worth it. You will have all you need to play IDPA, a sport I can recommend. The 9MM M&P works great in that sport in two divisions. Sorry guys I could not resist.
Take Care
Bob
The FS 9mm was bought the year they came into Canada. After 15K+ rds the gun suffered a broken striker which was not unexpected as the original strikers were prone to breakage and mine did not disappoint. The gun has all PRO internals not because I bought...A new striker cost me under $5.00
a 9MM PRO and filled it with APREX parts. After 10K rds gun has performed flawlessly. Neither gun has had a FTF or FTF except of course when the striker broke. The PRO got a 1 - 10 twist barrel to improve accuracy with 124gr and 147 gr bullets. Cost $85. approx.
The 40 cal FS is the product of mating a 40cal upper obtained from a police buy back out of the US with a 9MM frame bought off the EE. Total in it $350. ($250 for the frame and $100US for the upper). It is stock and is my gun safe protector. I have only put 1k through it with no issues. The 40 Cal PRO obtained in a trade has the FSS and trigger from APEX and a magwell. I have put 2K through it with no issues.
If you are on a budget replace the striker block with an Apex version and put a lighter trigger return spring in the gun and you will find the trigger to be decent.
I am not so sure what value hearing the reset is unless you like listening to the click while watching TV in your family room. I have more than a few models of various makes and have yet to ever hear the reset on any of them while shooting a match or just out practicing drills. I must admit the Glock reset click is noticeable when the TV is on mute but when watching my Eskimos or Oilers play I never notice the reset. The RAM for the M&P might be louder but the one I installed made no difference in the sound of the reset. Maybe I should turn the TV down.
To the guy who asked about the holster in the range kit. It is worth it. You will have all you need to play IDPA, a sport I can recommend. The 9MM M&P works great in that sport in two divisions. Sorry guys I could not resist.
Take Care
Bob
I have researched the M&P and the Pro versions online only.
Seems that premature wear of finish is a fact and that most if not all target shooters choose to upgrade the trigger with Apex parts. This seems like an acceptable given by those who enjoy shooting it.
So how much does one have to invest in an off the shelf target gun to make it acceptable, even if no real task with acquiring and installing replacement parts?
Seems that premature wear of finish is a fact and that most if not all target shooters choose to upgrade the trigger with Apex parts. This seems like an acceptable given by those who enjoy shooting it.
So how much does one have to invest in an off the shelf target gun to make it acceptable, even if no real task with acquiring and installing replacement parts?
I am going to make an admission here. Had I left all the parts stock in my PRO my scores would have been no worse nor my performance be any better. In short as far as enhancing the results none of the parts had a material affect on how the gun shot or performed. The PRO as it comes shoots better and is more capable of performing substantially better than I can wring out of it. Proof might be found in the fact my scores using the FS with the PRO parts is no better or worse than my scores with all the Apex parts installed. So to answer your question directly ..nothing.
Just bear in mind the M&P is made for the LEO, Military, Armour Guard market they are not designed as a target gun and the PRO version is not a target gun. The gun has some civilian applications. In Canada they are really limited to Collecting, Range Plinking and playing some of the handgun games where reliability is paramount.
We all talk about the fact one gun has a shorter reset over another but most shooters, me included, derive little to no benefit from a shorter reset because of our modest, truth be known, ability to shoot a handgun with less than stellar reflexs. Ego, pride in ownership, aesthetics, following the mob, are far more important drivers when discussing any particular aspect of parts replacement than a guns mechanical function.
About the only thing that really has enhanced my performance with my handguns are decent competition sights. The PRO comes with those. Now some sports do require longer shots on small targets and lighter trigger pull can certainly help but so would decent instruction and practice. The stock PROs trigger pull is around five pounds which is quite adequate for what I do with a gun. The 3 pound pull I have obtained via the Apex parts is 2 lbs lighter. My scores did not improve 40%.
Top end shooters will get small advantages in part replacements that will differentiate them from other top shooters but, from the matches I have shot, most shooters who perform less than the top shooter would get more out of their money by paying for quality instruction from quality instructors for the discipline they want to participate in, than replacing a host of parts. Some might not improve at all from the instruction but they can say they attended xyz class.
I an however, a parts whore. If an ad says a new sight will turn me into another Vogel I am all over it. Alas about the only thing I often gain is a small amount of buyers remorse. John R still out shoots me by minutes and Troy H by seconds.
If you must replace parts and you are talking the FS my suggestion would be to get the Apex striker block and a lighter trigger return spring. Neither is very expensive. The trigger feel will improve. If you are buying the PRO spend the money on ammunition, practice and some instruction.
Premature wear on the finish is not a fact just the experience of some folks. My original M&P has some rub areas on the front edge of the slide from drawing thousands of times out of a kydex holster but that is to be expected. The slide is made of stainless steel. Not sure what the issue would be. The frame is polymer.
Take Care
Bob
ps A new shooter who works for the Sheriffs department shot his first IDPA Classifier last week. First time out using his duty gear (Triple retention holster and duty mag holders) and duty pistol shot Sharpshooter and almost made Expert. His pistol was an off the shelf 9MM M&P FS with a stock trigger. He served three tours in Afghanistan before leaving the Army. The gun or the shooter you decide.
