M&P final thoughts..

[gohsty]

Hello,

This is my first post on this great forum. There is more info than I know what to do with!

I am currently looking at buying my first pistol here shortly. I will be taking my concealed carry classes soon after that. Ive looked as well as shot many pistols to try to figure out which pistol Ill be taking home..I've shot the Glock 23, a few CZs, as well as the M&P40c. I really like the idea of buying an American product but at the range I could not get the M&P to be reliable. Through almost three boxes of Winchester white boxes I had 8 FTF and a few FTEs.

The guy at the shop was telling me that it was having issues due to it being "dirty". I wasn't convinced. I know the M&Ps had issues but do they still have problems? There are MANY threads on this topic but it seems almost 50/50 - half work amazingly, half leave much to be desired..

Opinions?

Thanks.

-Gohsty

 

[Slimbo]

I own and carry an M&P9c that I've had since shortly after they were released, I can honestly say I have never had any issues with the gun whatsoever. I've run a good mix of FMJ, HP and powerball thru it and its been 100%. Mine has seen 500+ rounds between cleanings so I will go ahead and call BS on it being dirty.

 

[Jackal1]

Some of the early M&P's had reliability issues when dirty. I personally fired a range gun M&P45 that jammed....

S&W has taken care of it though and the M&P's are very reliable now.

That being said, you should take care of and clean every gun though regardless of make/manufacture.

 

[clutch]

I have a M&P .40c, likely newer manufacture. It works fine with whitebox.

If you like the M&P I suggest you buy a current production one.

Clutch

 

[Tommy B]

I own a full size M&P 9mm that I bought new in 2007 when I retired from law enforcement. So far I've not had any problems with it and have at least 3000 rounds through it. I'm not quite as accurate with it as I am with my Glock 17 or CZ 75 but it is still my carry weapon. Tom

 

[HKGuns]

I wouldn't base any reliability concerns on what is likely a poorly cared for range gun. Use the range to determine if you like how it shoots and if it fits you.

My M&P 9c has been 100%.

 

[Skylerbone]

gohsty, what you're describing likely has less to do with the pistol than with the shooter. Realize the pistol has a spring that is compressed when fired to slow the slide as it moves rearward. In order to eject the spent casing the slide must move a specific distance, ditto to pick up and feed the next round.

If a shooter (no offense) limp wrists the pistol or allows their wrist to "break" they can essentially nullify a portion of that movement causing the two problems you described. In the 40c that spring weight must be even higher to keep the gun from battering itself to death.

My suggestion would be to search the archives here for information on grip or send a PM to a mod requesting pics. 9mmepiphany has some excellent pics of proper two handed positioning and a description of what each hand is doing.

 

[hawkeye10]

Thumbs up to what Skylerbone said. Don

 

[gohsty]

Thanks everyone for the help!

While I am not claiming to be anywhere near an expert, the reason I was concerned about the M&P was the Glock I was firing did not jam. Also, while this will be the first pistol I own, I have shot many in the past as my father used to compete competitively and I was raised around firearms. However, that is not to say it still wasn't a problem between the trigger and my elbow...

A M&P45c will soon be my newest purchase..

 

[Jackal1]

I have shot glocks tha jammed due to being dirty. No firearm is exempt from needing to be cleaned.

Enjoy your M&P

 

[M1key]

^^^dirty or dry?

Any pistol can jam due to worn or defective parts, operator error, defective ammunition.

BTW, I have never had a Glock malfunction simply because it was dirty. Dry maybe, but not dirty.


M

 

[Skylerbone]

If you run into any stoppages with the new compact don't hesitate to post for help. I think the M&P series is great and have considered adding a .45 ACP to the three I already own but I'll be buying a S&W 1911 first.

 

[goon]

I had an M&P that also didn't like Winchester ammo. I'd get probably 10% failures to eject with that ammo. It was perfectly reliable with other ammuntion brands though. I measured the case rims with calipers and found that the Winchester stuff was a different size, but still within spec according to my reloading manuals.
I didn't like having a picky gun, so I sold it with full disclosure.
Last week, I put another M&P9 on layaway. Not all of them are like that and if this one is picky with ammo, it's going back to S&W until it isn't.

 

[41magsnub]

I haven't found a factory round my m&p 40 full size does not like. WWB in all of the offered grains, several factory premium JHP loads, Georgia Arms reloads, Rem UMC, and HSM reloads. I had one stove piped round very early on and it has been flawless since.

 

[Samson7]

Over 1000 through my .45... not even a glimmer of a problem.

 

[cgarofalo]

Try Fiocchi FMJ 170 Gr Truncated and tell me after.

 

[gga357]

Wife got me an M&P40c for Christmas and I just put 300 rounds of truncated cone and 30 rounds of PDX1. Not a single problem. I have had an M&P40 for a few years and probably 2000 rounds through it with not a single issue. They have replaced my Glocks, they are now backup/house guns.

 

[Ben86]

I wouldn't be discouraged, you are using what is most likely a neglected range gun. My M&P9C and M&P45 have been flawless for hundreds of rounds of various types of ammo, including WWB. If that's the gun you like and shoot the best I say get it. IMO it's right on par with Glock.

CZs are also great guns, but a little on the heavy side for CC IMO.

 

[Ascot500]

I don't own and have never fired an M&P

But I have seen Winchester White Box ammo cause an otherwise reliable pistol to choke.

 

[HoosierQ]

My M&P .45 is a total champ...never missed a beat with any ammo, clean or dirty, FMJ or JHP. I haven't shot lead through it and won't likely do so...can't speak to lead.

Mine's a champ.

 

[Lucas_Y]

I've had zero issues with my M&P 40. Ran 400 rounds of UMC and Tula through it the first trip to the range in early October of 2010, and have put another 750 rounds of various ammo through it since. The gun is sort of boring, in that it works every time.

 

[wristtwister]

Working in the gun store has taught me a lot about shooters. Like Lucas said, some guns are so reliable they're boring... and some shooters have to be "fixing" some non-existant problem in guns or they're just not happy.

Probably 90 percent of the "this gun sucks" routines on the boards are just one person's opinion, and the "XXX brand guns jam all the time" more often have to do with the care and maintenance of them than the brand name. I've probably read 100 posts about how bad Llama pistols are, but I've owned three of them, and have never had a problem unless the gun needed maintenance... which was my fault, not the gun's. The same for others, and on the reverse side, I fail to see the waters part when somebody walks up to the shoreline wearing a Glock or a Sig... They're great guns, but they aren't the only ones that work and work well.

I personally own S&W's, Llama, Ruger, Para-Ordinance, IWI, FN, Springfield, Rock Island Armory, Beretta, and probably a few more. Every one of them works fine as long as I keep them in good condition and follow the lube information supplied with the gun. I've had a few that had some problems, but for the most part, if they're kept clean and oiled, they function fine. Yes, some are particular about the ammo they like, but for the most part, they all feed and shoot whatever I buy and run through them.

Making generic statements about one particular firearms company's products is like saying every car made by a company is exactly the same. They all have different options, are designed differently, and aren't necessarily designed with your particular shooting needs in mind. Glocks, for instance, have 152 different configurations available from our distributor. H&K has 32... Kahr has 51... Kel-Tec 17... Sig 136... so what you're shooting might not be exactly what somebody else is shooting, even though you're shooting the same gun with similar options.

M&P's seem to be solid guns, and the customers that have bought them have for the most part been well satisfied with them. We don't get many of them back as trade in's, if that's an indication of anything, but I see people trade in guns they're perfectly satisfied with, for guns that "everybody says it's the best gun out there"... and then turn THAT gun back in for another one just like the one they bought in the first place. The most recent case that comes to mind was a security officer that turned in an M&P and bought a Glock... they could use either one, but "everybody else has a Glock", so he turned in an almost new M&P, I would guess "just to fit in"... Now, he's back with a new M&P, and out about half the cost of a new gun because of the trades.

WT

 

[MattDFW]

My MP9 compact I purchased in August of 2010 was less than satisfactory. Despite wiping it down daily, it would consistently rust. S&W responded promptly to my problem and replaced the slide with one that looked like it had been run through the garbage disposal. Sent them pictures. They again paid for return shipping for replacement. S&W customer service replaced the slide with one that had brand new night sights. When I took it to the range...it was an absolute disappointment. The MP9c suffered repeated FTEs. At this point I was extremely disappointed. Returned once again. S&W supposedly fixed FTE issue. When my MP was returned I went straight to gun store and traded it toward my HK P30.

To their credit, Smith & Wesson has great customer service. Unfortunately, I have no confidence in their product. I hope if you purchase one your experience is better than mine. Good Luck.

 

[Ben86]

Now, he's back with a new M&P, and out about half the cost of a new gun because of the trades.

Sounds like somebody I know...ahem. Indecisiveness is a killer of my wallet. To stay decisive I stick to the tried and true: if it fits my hand, fits my purpose and works right: it's for me, in order to stay on the right track and not be a dogmatic Glocker.

 

[LiveLife]

Mine you, I am a Glock fan and won't give up my G22s for match shooting/HD and G27s for SD/HD.

But now days, I describe M&P as "enhanced" Glocks with better ergonomics and "ambi" features that Glocks (and many other semis) lack.

I am a happy camper with M&P40 and M&P45. Although I like trigger jobs/APEX triggers in M&Ps, but that's me.

Buying USA made adds to the M&P experience as Gen4 Glocks will never be drop tested in California. Go S&W! Go Ruger! Hooah!