M&P Compact Impressions

[CZF]

I'm posting this on a few boards to get responses in regard to the
M&P. A gun that attracted my attention and that of my better half.


While on vacation in northern Idaho and Spokane last week and
over the weekend.

We had a chance to stop by the fairly new Cabela's, in Post Falls, Idaho.

Our first but very memorable trip to a Cabelas. Even on saturday evening the place was full of people, especially looking or buying guns.

I spotted a RAMI P (polymer frame) model for the low price of $449.

Upon checking out out, I found it to be much like my carry gun, a regular alloy framed RAMI, but the trigger pulls in both DA and SA
strongly reminded me of a stock 75B.

Something that would improve with use, but still not as nice as my
gun when new or especially now around the 1,000 round mark.
Sights were basic CZ glow sights, and not the tritium kind as reported on the RAMI BD models that have shipped in recent months.

All in all. As a decicated RAMI fan and owner. I'd buy the RAMI P
if I was in the market for a replacement.

I also looked at the SIG P250 and was impressed how well my hand fit, as opposed to the P226 DAK that I handled next, which felt fat and
bulky/clumsy compared to the light and slim P250 wonder gun.

The 250 DAO pull was acceptable to me and the nites were very nice, too. However, I thought that the DAK was heavy and even sluggish.

I then explored other parts of the store and products such a G.Loomis rods. Was nice to see all the neat stuff, but wanted to get back to the Hunting section.

With Nancy in tow. We handled a Glock 19..and then I took a chance and asked to check out the S&W Military/Police Compact in 9mm.

Myself, having handled the full sized version at Gunshows before.
Had never dry-fired one.

With permission, I was expecting the trigger to be exactly or worse than a SIGMA's.

Wow!, Was I ever wrong!

Steady, smooth travel rearward until it broke crisply.

The I rest the gun and tried it again. Same excellent results.

Nancy was curious and asked to try it.

She liked the light weight, and the ergonomics, but Loved that
short and light trigger!

Commenting on well the gun pointed for her and how much easier the
trigger was than on a Glock 19.

I'd have to agree, but wonder if this display gun has any work to it, or had been dry fired alot?


In any event. I can see a M&PC doing duty as an optional carry gun for me in the future. Probably another one for my also impressed wife
unit!

I think that it would also be good to buy an American made auto
for once!

 

[burningsquirrels]

nice blurb.

we tried the M&P but the commander general liked the XD better.

 

[Navy87Guy]

I use an M&P 9 full-size for USPSA and an M&P 9C for my carry gun. I actually bought the 9C first, and I liked it so much that I went and got the full-size.

For my spare mag, I carry a full-size mag (17-rds) with a spacer so it fits perfectly in the gun. That's 29 rounds of ammo in a very convenient, accurate and comfortable package.

The 9C would be an excellent choice!

Jim

 

[TonyB]

I just bought the m and pc in9mm..the trigger is way fast.....I actually shoot it better than my glock 17 that I have had for years.the changable back straps is another selling point...especially those like me w/ smaller hands.I have 350 rnd of assorted ammo thru it w/ only 1 FTF in the 2nd mag.considering that smith says 500 rounds for break in,I figure I am ahead of the curve....I recommend the m and p compact whole heartedly.

 

[dbshabo]

I did the same thing that Navy87 did. I bought the 9c first and then got the full size 9 to use in IDPA matches. I really like both guns and the fact that they're made in the USA makes them even more better.

Shabo

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I shot a full-size 9mm as a rental and was quite thoroughly impressed with it. I purchased a 9mm compact shortly thereafter, feeling it would be a more realistic CCW gun. My one "beef" with it is its "chunkiness." The height and length is OK, but the slide is unnecessarily (IMO) wide, about the same as a Glock 30. This is probably necessary in a .40 or .357, but a dedicated 9mm could be slimmer and be a little easier and more comfortable to conceal. BUT - this is just a minor nitpick. It is hard to argue with a gun that has fed, fired and shucked 100% perfectly from the very first round.

 

[TonyB]

Lone:I am a revolver carrier,so the M and P doesn't seem too fat for me,I'm used to a cylinder bulge.I'm gonna use the compact for ccw and idpa.I have no gripes so far.Your right,it does shuck everything so far.It fits in a high noon holster I have for a glock 26,but I did open the tension screw all the way,so it IS thicker than the 26 for sure.But the trade off of a grip that actualy fits my hand is worth it.

 

[19-3Ben]

I got the full size first. Was so impressed I bought the C. I love them both. Been carrying the C around a good deal lately actually as my CCW gun.

 

[rob45]

I bought one of the 9's when they first came out and while the trigger felt good in the store it didn't feel so good while trying to watch a front sight and get a clean break. As soon as it would break the muzzle of the gun would dip hard. I dry fired it a couple gazillion times, tried polishing on the internals some and while it would be a VERY simple gun to do a full blown trigger job too, I felt a bit uncomfortable about lightening the trigger much on a gun with no safety. The triggers feel better to the touch than the Glock with the doo-hicky in the middle that is worthless for a safety (since anything that can pull the trigger is likely going to pull the doo-hicky as well) but the Glock triggers break much cleaner in my opinion. So far, I've talked to several people that own them and I'm the only one who seems to have this problem with the Smith M&P's. Maybe I just got a bad one. I REALLY liked the gun though and it fit my hand well. In the end I just did what I always seem to do after branching out and trying something new...I went back to the good old 1911. Had that trigger released without so much backlash though I would still have that gun and be quite happy with it. The only other issue it had from day one is every time I'd slam home a fully loaded mag it would jar the slide stop loose. It didn't bother me as that was just one less step to getting the gun into action

 

[jocko]

big version

I have the standard size M & P 9 and when I got it, the trigger was horrible, IMO one of the worst I have ever seen. Loved the gun though, so spent some bucks and let Dave Bowie at Bowie tactical do his thing to it. Action job, grip reduction etc, . anyway, this gun is day and nite over original. Never felt a better smoother, liter trigger. Just super. his stippling work and reduction was outstanding, attached with some good Novak adjustable sites. This gun now is my most accurt handgun I have ever owned. It is my range gun totally and home also. I hav eclenaed it but a few times, as it just goes bang every time. I have nothad one malfucntion out of it. I woud higly recommend that M & P 9. Many have also told me that the more you shoot it the better the trigger will even get. I didn't give mine the chance to get really broken in before letting Bowie have it, so maybe I rushed to judgement to soon. but this is one super handgun indeed..

 

[rob45]

I failed to mention it but mine was a full size 9MM with night sights and no safety lock on the side. The only way (at least at the time) to order the gun with those two options it had to come with a magazine safety. I don't know if that hurt the trigger or not. I did like the gun and thought long and hard about having it done because the guns are very tough, good shooters and about as corrosion resistant as a Glock and fit my hand perfectly. Every time I gravitate away from that which keeps my life simple I end up eventually going back and keeping my live all about 1911's makes it easy The M&P's are great guns though.

 

[ilsrwy27]

I loved my M&P9c... until my wife tried it. Now it's her M&P9c...

 

[Trope]

My wife has a M&P9c. The trigger was gritty at first but smoothed out after a few hundred rounds. Most of the issue was that the tab on the trigger bar that pushed the firing in safety had a rough edge. I think if S&W would clean this up before shipping them out, that it would increase their sales because the gritty feeling when new is less than awe-inspiring.

It fits my wife's small hands well. She has trouble getting a proper grip on my G19 because her fingers aren't long enough. It's a little harder for her to operate the slide on the M&P, though, but hers doesn't have nearly as many rounds on the recoil spring as mine does.

Her M&P has never had a malfunction in about 1000 rounds.