Full Size 9mm: XDm or M&P or ?

I like the M&P a lot. Its probably my favorite striker fired gun. I've put around 12,000 rounds through mine now and its been very good. Accuracy in mine has been fine, though I am having a Storm Lake barrel fitted to the slide by G&R Tactical just for grins.

Glocks - don't believe what you've read. They work fine with reloads. I've got about 1,500 rounds of ammo through my Glock - of which about 1,300 were reloads. Its not recommended that you shoot LEAD reloads through them but I've given up on lead reloads anyways (I don't like the smoke they produce - it slows down followup shots).

The Ruger SR9/9E also shouldn't be overlooked. It's got the thumb safety which is unavoidable, but other than that they work great.

As to the XD series. Honestly I've never shot one. I'm sure they're probably fine as they have a good reputation, but I don't have enough info to form my own opinion on them.

The owners manual advises against using reloads in every gun I've ever owned, not just Glocks. Because of the type of barrels they use Glock advises against using unjacketed lead. Jacketed bullets are just fine, and lots of guys shoot straight lead. The danger is in letting lead build up in the barrels. As long as they are cleaned pretty regularly even lead should be fine.

I like the Glocks best, but M&P would be my 2nd choice in a plastic framed striker fired gun.

I've never cared for the feel of the XD family and the M&P trigger is pretty awful. I own a VP9 and a G17; of the two I prefer the H&K for its vastly superior ergonomics and trigger. The Walther PPQ is also very well regarded in those categories.

Guns I'd consider

FNS-9
HK VP9
P30
XDm 9
CZ of some flavor
PX4

There's a lot of good ones. M&Ps and GLOCKS are not on my personal like list. Good luck!

Thanks. The Glock reload issue (in theory) goes beyond Glock not recommending them. The two issues I've heard are 1) a SLIGHTLY oversized chamber so the brass gets worked more and consequently more brittle and 2) the full circumfurence of the chamber is not supported due to the feed ramp I think.

Click to expand...

1. Not true.
2. Somewhat true, but it's not really an issue. The brass "bulges" ever so slightly when firing but That happens with factory ammo too. And Glock isn't the only gun that does this. The S&W SD40 does it too.

That said, issue #2 is ONLY an "issue" for .40S&W guns. It's completely non-existent on 9mm's.

I beleive it is a matter of what feels best in your hand and how it runs for you . That said , why would you deny yourself trying a Glock . Yes I have a few , and some other makes as well so I'm not pushing Glocks . I reload for all my handguns and have put a lot of those reloads ( a couple thousand at least ) through my G26 , G 19 , G17 and now loading for G42 .
There are a lot of polymer guns out there , would be nice if you could try them out before purchasing .

Just went through a similar experience. Went to my LGS last week and looked at the M&P 9mm, Glock 17 and the H&K VP9. The Glock just didn't feel as right in my hand as the other two. In addition, it felt "blocky" to me. I have an M&P shield but want a full size range gun, similar to what you are thinking. I did like the H&K but it was quite a bit more money. Just ordered the M&P last night.

A range gun with excellent accuracy and trigger??

Be sure to check out the Walther PPQ with the 5 inch barrel.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/07/joe-grine/walther-ppq-m2-5-inch-slide/

Any reason you are only considering something striker fired? Strikers certainly have their merrits, but if it were me, I'd want something capable of a true single action for a range gun.

I really really like my CZ75. Very good trigger stock. It becomes outstanding with one or two mods. Since you desire a polymer frame, my recommendation would be one of poly offerings from CZ.

If it just has to have a striker, I would suggest the SR9. It feels good in hand and has about the best striker fired trigger you are gonna find.

I think the CZ 75B, or one of the full size 9mm 1911's with an adjustable rear sight, both make excellent range guns.

I had an XD 9 service model and it was one of the nicest shooting pistols I have ever shot. It was just too big for carry. The XD subcompact is a nice shooter as well just not as good as the bigger one.

Walther PPQ ...

The Walther PPQ line is highly rated. The 5" barrel target model has a lot of + buzz.
The FN America FNS line in standard or 5" style could do well too. You can choose the version with or w/o the ambi frame safety.

If you want to have a modular design where you can convert it quickly from a sub compact up to a full length version, the new SIG P320 could be worth the $.

You can carry it in .40 or .357sig then change it into a 9x19mm full size range gun. P320 pistols can have factory night sights or you can add a white light(Sure Fire, Stream Light, etc) or laser aiming unit.

For a range gun, consider a Beretta 92FS. That fixed barrel makes them quite accurate. Oh, polymer. Never mind.

Lots of good suggestions above.....

I shoot my Xdm very well and would recommend it. I love my VP9 and agree with comments above about the ergonomics. But I think the best kept secret out there is the CZ. Amazing craftsmanship at a reasonable price. Also very fond of my Sigs. I personally would not consider Glock either. Been there, done that, not for me.

XDm has a better trigger than the M&P in my opinion.

I like the Springfield mags better.

M&P offers full ambi controls.

You might also consider the Sig 2022 based on your parameters.

To a degree popularity maybe ascertained by the aftermarket venues for a particular firearm. In that regard it would indicate that Glock and the S&W MP are the two leaders in the market place thus the most popular in use.

I'm shocked the Sig P320 isn't mentioned yet. It's one of the best polymer pistols out there to date:

1. It's trigger is one of the best I've used in a striker. Tied with the VP9 and far superior to the Glock. Plus Sig has learned how to make a Polymer Striker trigger without needing a trigger safety. That alone is a huge bonus!

2. Ergonomics are awesome. Grips are Sig grips, similar to those found on their other handguns (except they're polymer). Feels great in hand and points super well. I can close my eyes, bring the gun up to aim, open them, and be lined up. I always have trouble with my Glocks doing this. Slide release is ambidextrous as well.

3. It's modular as hell. Honestly, if you buy a P320 Compact or P320 Carry you can size it down to a Subcompact. Heck, buy a Full size and pair down to the carry grip and you have a full length slide and a shorter grip. You can even go from S/M/L in grip size to see what suits you. But Medium seems to be most common.

4. Speaking of modularity... lets say you want to try something different, or maybe 45ACP has become cheaper... slide the fire control group out and pop it in a new frame/slide and bam! 45ACP handgun. Sure, you can buy a whole new gun, but thats still more expensive than a caliber exchange kit.

5. Most models come stock with pretty good night sights

6. Like to stipple your grips and screwed up? A new grip/frame can be had for $30. No biggie.

7. Has a standoff capability which Glock sorta lacks (no comment on VP9 or M&P). You can push on the front of the gun and it will stay in battery.

8. It's not expensive. Can be had for around $550 if you know where to look.

I used to be a huge Glock user (own a 17, 19, 21SF, 30SF), but the P320 is converting me over. Massad Ayoob has great things to say about it as well.

Post #14 ....

I suggested the SIG Sauer P320 line in post #14.

I agree with post #19, if you want a lot of choices & sizes, the SIG P320 offers a lot.
I'm left handed and shot a S-A XD series 9x19mm for a security re-qual in 2008. It worked well(94% score, 228/240) but if I had to choose, Id buy a M&P 9mm over a XDm model. I've seen NIB M&Ps as low as $399.00 USD, with free extra pistol mags . That's a great offer.
The HK VP9 model has a few new fans too but I'm not trilled with the lever style magazine release.
The Walther value brand PPX pistol seems good on the surface but I don't think its a smart choice. It looks like a hair dryer IMO and I read a few reviews saying it has misfire/malfunction problems . The PPX does offer huge 3 dot sights that are easy to use. It comes in .40S&W too.

How I would pick:

1. Are you a lefty? Of so then you may prefer XDm or M&P over others.
2. Do you want a RDS? If so, M&P CORE.
3. What fits your hand best?
4. What looks best?
5. What is cheapest?
6. Do you want a manual or grip safety?

If you go with any of these you should be alright (and others I'm forgetting)
Springfield
S&W
Ruger
Glock
FNS

They are all going to do well. Get what you like.

Given the choice the OP said XD or M&P, it is really up to what feels best to you. Both will be more accurate than the shooter, but how the shooter uses it will dictate which one is most accurate for him.

After 3.5 years of insisting I can shoot the M&P just as good with the stock trigger as I would had I bought the Apex FSS kit, I finally bought the kit and ate my words. I now do shoot much more consistently better with the Apex FSS kit than with the stock action parts. That added $160 to the price tag of the gun (even though it was a newer M&P, S&W shipped it with the old 1/16" sear block housing so I had to buy the newer one in order to use the Apex sear).

I agree with what Plan2live said. I would strongly suggest you consider the Sig SP2022. Yes, it's DA/SA and hammer fired and very inexpensive, but the trigger in SA mode is incredible. It sits at the back of the trigger guard and breaks immediately with no overtravel. Since it's a range gun, you'd be shooting it just like a 1911 anyway so you don't even have to consider the DA mode (smooth, but very long and heavy and breaks at the same point as in SA, virtually at the grip). Don't let the low price fool you, the top notch Sig quality is there just like it is with their all metal guns, it's just that the French Law enforcement agencies paid for all the R&D and you are simply paying for the manufacturing costs+profit.

I would say that the M&P has been a work in progress to get it to where it's at for me, but a Sig SP2022 would have been a better choice if I wanted a straight "out of the box" great gun with nothing else needed (except more magazines).

My friend has a XDm9 & loves it.
very reliable & takes anything we've ran through it with ease.

I've fired some of the same brass 6+ times in my Glock 19. I don't believe at all that shooting reloads in a 9mm Glock is a problem.

In my are the XDM run about the same price as the HK VP9 and a little more than the Walther PPQ. I'd like to try an XDM, but I would probably pick up a VP9 or PPQ before an XDM.

At one time the FNS-9 was pushing $600+ also, but I believe FN dropped the price...although I don't think that price drop has been realized at my local shops.

Just note, the VP9 has polygonal rifling like the Glocks, which is what concerns people shooting bare lead....I shoot copper plated in my Glock and there is no problem at all.

Lots of winners in this group, the Glock 34 and longer bbl'ed versions of the M&P and XDM are really nice. As above Ive not shot the PPQ, but it's got excellent reviewes for this exact purpose. I can't see any of those being bad choice.