IIRC it was 6.
Smith and Wesson FPC Range Report and 250 round Review
- Thread starter Ipscshooters
- Start date
IIRC it was 6.
- Location
- Vancouver Island
Left hand modification of the safety button......
Do you anticipate any aftermarket component, or a S&W part, to do this, become available?
Do you anticipate any aftermarket component, or a S&W part, to do this, become available?
hannibal.black98
CGN frequent flyer
Try a good epoxy for the grip extender…which is why they are good to keep on, they give your a proper, full hand grip…needed as the grip/magazine well is set up to also the the M&P compact mags (a very popular and affordable carry gun in the USA) and have them sit flush
Also blow back guns do not like steel/aluminum cased ammo…most manuals tell you to not use that type of ammo
Also blow back guns do not like steel/aluminum cased ammo…most manuals tell you to not use that type of ammo
hannibal.black98
CGN frequent flyer
There will be a good aftermarket…gun hasn’t been out long enough yet…give it another 6 months to a year
I like how even in the stock photo the mag spacers are loose :/
So far I'm very happy with my FPC. Have about 1000 rounds through it with various types of practice ammo, no failures so far. It's super accurate out to 50 yards with a Holosun 510C. Coming from mostly shooting pistols I had to get used to using the charging handle for dropping the bolt into the battery, but getting used to it now. Safety is a little too far forward for my stubby fingers, hoping for an aftermarket solution to come. As mentioned by other members the mags are hard to load past about 8 rounds but a mag loader helps with that.
The only quirk I have noticed is that I have to crank my rear BUIS really far left to get an accurate sight picture. I tried 2 different rear BUIS but same deal with both. Has anyone else experienced this? My red dot seams to be fine, just minor tweaking was needed for it.
The only quirk I have noticed is that I have to crank my rear BUIS really far left to get an accurate sight picture. I tried 2 different rear BUIS but same deal with both. Has anyone else experienced this? My red dot seams to be fine, just minor tweaking was needed for it.
It's just a polymer clamshell forend directly mounted on the barrel, right? So, there's going to be some variation at the very least. The question is if the molds for the forend pieces were out of true, or if it's just installation "noise" from the assembly process. I'll be interested to hear if other people have the same issue.
If it's just random noise, you might be able to get the forend in better alignment with the barrel by removing it and reinstalling it. Unless it's really bad, I'd probably just use BUIS that have windage adjustable bases.
Ah good idea, re: removing and reinstalling the handguard. I did get my BUIS to shoot somewhat accurately by cranking the windage way over, so will probably leave it for now. But if for any reason I have to take off my accessories will try the reinstall.
Cheers,
P.
I used to shoot M&P pistols, and the mag followers were always the culprit for me. The magazine "legs" bottom out before the spring does, if that makes sense. It was a consistent problem that I found in every single factory 10-rd magazine. Maybe they were trying to make them lawyer-proof.
If you remove just the right amount of material from the bottoms of the follower legs you can get the correct amount of usable space in the magazine. I just used sandpaper, keeping the bottom square and even, and going super slow, checking often to make sure you don't remove too much material. I trust you understand what happens if you remove too much material.
Ideally, with a magazine loader or very strong thumbs, you will be able to fit exactly 10.5 cartridges in the magazine, and there will be a nice "hard stop" at the bottom preventing that 11th round from going in. It makes the fully loaded magazines much easier to insert on a closed slide (or bolt, as with the FPC) as well.
Roger that.
Thanks for the suggestion. Looks like I have a new activity to do when I watch football next weekend
The mag springs for the 10 rd mags are the same as those found in the 17 rd mags you find in the US. That is the reason they are so hard to load. I found it easier to sand down the legs of the follower and use a loading device. The metal mag bodies for the 10 rd FS frames are the same for the Compact and sub contact models. All Smith does is use different mag bases.
Note FS mag on the left and the two Compact mags on the right. The metal portion of all three mags are the same length, only the polymer. base is different.
Take Care
Bob
Note FS mag on the left and the two Compact mags on the right. The metal portion of all three mags are the same length, only the polymer. base is different.
Take Care
Bob
Last edited:
- Location
- Vancouver Island
Thanks for chiming in with the corrective action that has worked, allowing for 10 rounds to fit into the M&P mags.
I would like to do this mod.
Does one take the same amount of "length" off each corner of the follower?
Have you done, or needed to shorten the spring length too?
I read a few posts on this topic, from various sources, and some shorten the springs, some shorten the legs on the mag follower, and some perform both mods on the same magazine.
SPOKERIDER just shave each leg flush to the base of the follower. It helps but they still are a ##### to load. Get a loading tool makes life easier. Given the springs work with 17 rd bases I think you could safely cut a coil or two off the spring as well.
Take Care
Bob
Take Care
Bob
If the gun is really for back packing buy the Smith. The ruger weighs a ton compared to the Smith.
Take Care
Bob
Personally I think it's an easy choice. Unless you want the folding feature, more rail space, or really want to use M&P magazines, the Ruger Backpacker is better for most people. But lots of guys seem to really like the FPC, so see if you can handle them side by side, they feel really different. Personally I couldn't wait to hand the FPC back to the guy at the counter, there were so many problems I had with it.
But as far as objective differences go:
As Bob says, the Ruger is relatively heavy. Even the "backpacker" version of the Ruger is quite a bit heavier - According to the manufacturers, about 1.2lb more than the FPC. But that might not be the most important factor.
When packed up, the Ruger Backpacker is much more streamlined and compact than the FPC when it is folded. Sometimes size and shape is more important than weight for packing. When assembled, the Ruger is ~5" longer than the FPC, but much slimmer (the hinge and the buttstock on the FPC are pretty wide).
The Ruger has pretty nice iron sights, with the option for an optic on an aluminum picatinny rail. The FPC really needs an optic, and it's a polymer rail (it's really not designed for irons, or QD mounts if that matters to you).
Magazines for the Ruger are much cheaper, easier to find, and easier to use (stick with Magpul GL9 mags). The FPC is designed to be used with mag sleeves/spacers on standard length mags (can be hard to find the spacers, too).
Much more aftermarket support for the Ruger (no that it needs it, but it's an option). The FPC has a proprietary buttstock that you'll be stuck with even if you don't like it.
I think most people agree that the Ruger has been proven the most reliable on the market. The S&W might be just as reliable or more, we just don't know yet.
