I am not a pistol expert, my experience with them is fairly limited, but here are my observations.
I was set on getting 9mm firearm, primarily for concealed carry.
I went to the local gun store and checked out what they have. I didn't give Glocks a shot at all; their reliability may be flawless but I all the hoopla I've read of their ergonomics being surpassed by newer models killed off my interest.
I have alot of prior experience with the sig p226 with the DAK trigger system. I loved that gun, but the price tags on their sigs were all $900-$1100, and with much-cheaper options before me I figured I could serve myself better.
I had a pre-existing strong interest in the Springfield XD and S&W M&P guns, based wholly on internet research. Striker-fired's consistency in trigger pull was very alluring to me.
I held the CZ-PO1 and felt some lust, but DA/SA? not my thing.
I picked up the XD.... wow I did not like that grip safety. I held the M&P subcompact, did not like the unsupported pinky.
M&P Fullsize, concealment would be the primary issue. But I sure liked the feel of the gun in my hand, and I dryfired it... a very short trigger pull! Sweet. All their m&p's had trigger safeties, I was and still remain very mixed on whether I want a trigger safety or not.
Based off online m&p reviews, the m&p's stock trigger could be improved. I guess I just do not have enough gun experience under my belt to know better; to me that trigger felt just fine, it was short and crisp to me. Not as crisp and slick as my dad's S&W 5906, but close enough and just as short. The pull length is nothing compared to the looooooooong pull of the sig p226 in DAK.
I bought the m&p fullsize for $629. I knew the tag would be considered quite high, but what the heck, its new and fun! Prior knowledge of other local gunshops told me I wasnt going to get a better deal (El Paso, TX, fyi). I didn't want to wait days/weeks for an internet purchase.
Regardless, I would have had no qualms about sending my gun in for the much-lauded m&p trigger jobs if I thought the gun needed it. I don't though; I am not a gun range junkie.
I asked the gunstore lady-- who seemed very knowledgeable and straightforward regarding pistols, and who took the time to thoroughly teach me how to strip the weapon-- if I needed to clean the gun prior to firing it at the range. She said I didn't, it was ready to fire out of the box... btw, the box the m&p comes in is laptop-pc-case size. Enormous.
My dad and I bought 200 FMJs, and about 40 rounds of Federal Hydrashock JHP before departing.
The m&p demonstrated substantially more kick than a S&W 5906. The trigger, as I've said before, is somewhat inferior (but still good, in my newbish opinion) to the 5906 as well. But on the m&p, the sights are much bigger, the magazine capacity is greater (17 vs 15), and the thing just feels great in the hand!
We had two fail-to-fires, one occured with FMJ and the other occurred with the JHP. I should have stopped to investigate why the failure occurred, but I absent-mindedly racked the unfired rounds out of the slide without further investigation.
The failures certainly disappointed me, but I figured I should go home and oil the gun up. I did, and have put another 150 round of FMJ and 34 rounds of Federal JHP through the gun since then, without any misfires.
Barring any future failures, I remain satisfied with my purchase and am going to fill out the form to get my 2 free magazines. I will be putting alot more rounds downrange to ensure that my initial failures were due only to oil.
I was set on getting 9mm firearm, primarily for concealed carry.
I went to the local gun store and checked out what they have. I didn't give Glocks a shot at all; their reliability may be flawless but I all the hoopla I've read of their ergonomics being surpassed by newer models killed off my interest.
I have alot of prior experience with the sig p226 with the DAK trigger system. I loved that gun, but the price tags on their sigs were all $900-$1100, and with much-cheaper options before me I figured I could serve myself better.
I had a pre-existing strong interest in the Springfield XD and S&W M&P guns, based wholly on internet research. Striker-fired's consistency in trigger pull was very alluring to me.
I held the CZ-PO1 and felt some lust, but DA/SA? not my thing.
I picked up the XD.... wow I did not like that grip safety. I held the M&P subcompact, did not like the unsupported pinky.
M&P Fullsize, concealment would be the primary issue. But I sure liked the feel of the gun in my hand, and I dryfired it... a very short trigger pull! Sweet. All their m&p's had trigger safeties, I was and still remain very mixed on whether I want a trigger safety or not.
Based off online m&p reviews, the m&p's stock trigger could be improved. I guess I just do not have enough gun experience under my belt to know better; to me that trigger felt just fine, it was short and crisp to me. Not as crisp and slick as my dad's S&W 5906, but close enough and just as short. The pull length is nothing compared to the looooooooong pull of the sig p226 in DAK.
I bought the m&p fullsize for $629. I knew the tag would be considered quite high, but what the heck, its new and fun! Prior knowledge of other local gunshops told me I wasnt going to get a better deal (El Paso, TX, fyi). I didn't want to wait days/weeks for an internet purchase.
Regardless, I would have had no qualms about sending my gun in for the much-lauded m&p trigger jobs if I thought the gun needed it. I don't though; I am not a gun range junkie.
I asked the gunstore lady-- who seemed very knowledgeable and straightforward regarding pistols, and who took the time to thoroughly teach me how to strip the weapon-- if I needed to clean the gun prior to firing it at the range. She said I didn't, it was ready to fire out of the box... btw, the box the m&p comes in is laptop-pc-case size. Enormous.
My dad and I bought 200 FMJs, and about 40 rounds of Federal Hydrashock JHP before departing.
The m&p demonstrated substantially more kick than a S&W 5906. The trigger, as I've said before, is somewhat inferior (but still good, in my newbish opinion) to the 5906 as well. But on the m&p, the sights are much bigger, the magazine capacity is greater (17 vs 15), and the thing just feels great in the hand!
We had two fail-to-fires, one occured with FMJ and the other occurred with the JHP. I should have stopped to investigate why the failure occurred, but I absent-mindedly racked the unfired rounds out of the slide without further investigation.
The failures certainly disappointed me, but I figured I should go home and oil the gun up. I did, and have put another 150 round of FMJ and 34 rounds of Federal JHP through the gun since then, without any misfires.
Barring any future failures, I remain satisfied with my purchase and am going to fill out the form to get my 2 free magazines. I will be putting alot more rounds downrange to ensure that my initial failures were due only to oil.
