S&W M&P 9C vs 4th Gen Glock 19 9mm for CCW?

[MrRob]

I've been looking at getting either a M&P 9C or a Glock 19 for CCW and am having trouble deciding which one to go with and am looking for thoughts and suggestions.

I don't know any place around here where I can rent or shoot either gun, so about all I can do is handle both and see what I like better. Ive shot other glocks before, and I generally like them. I own an old surplus police Glock 22 second gen, which I like, but seems tough to conceal well with that big grip, especialy in summer months in the Deep South where I live.

I had a Glock 23 before, and I liked the size overall fairly well, but it seemed pretty snappy with full strength .40 self defense loads, so I sold it. I didnt carry it much anyways because it just seemed a bit too boxy for easy concealed carry, but then I probably didnt have the best holster for it and that may have been alot of the problem.

Meanwhile, I was at a shooting match yesterday, turning in a mediocre marksman performance with my old second generation Glock 22 and lamenting the fact that the best concealed carry pistol I own these days is probably my trust J frame smith and wesson .38 revolver. I love my little J frame, it conceals great, I just want more than 5 shots.

Then at the match yesterday I saw a suprisingly fine looking woman shooting the M&P 9C and making it look good. Although her shapely legs were part of the attraction too, I couldnt keep my eyes off that M&P 9C when she was shooting it. I would have tried to work up the nerve to ask her if she'd let me handle and shoot her pistol, but she and her husband (an intimidating master class 1911 guy) had to leave before I had the balls to ask her. Fortunate for me, my dimwitted double cousin Lary was there with his full size M&P .40 for me to shoot as a poor consolation - but I found that I liked shooting the M&P better than my Glock 22 and actually shot it better too.
(FWIW, I say double cousin because Lary's beautiful mother, my first cousin Sara, whose just a few years older than me, ended up getting pregnant with him when she was barely sixteen by our older idiot cousin Mack who I think was thirtysomething at the time. Mack made poor Sara into the chainsmoking nervous wreck she is today, then he ended up dying in a drunk driving accident a few years later; so Ive often times ended up spending time with little Lary like hes my kid brother, since hes only about twelve years younger than me. Now Lary is in his early twenties and working as an armed security guard and issued the M&P .40 that he let me shoot yesterday)

Double cousin drama asside, I was really impressed with that full sized M&P .40 and how well it shot, and would imagine the M&P 9C would be a good shooter too.

Ive heard there are reliability issues with 4th Gen 9mm Glocks - extractor issues, recoil spring issues, etc - and thats sorta disconcerting. I can't seem to find any 3rd Gen Glock 19s around here to buy, just 4th Gen and I think I rather like the slightly smaller size of the M&P 9C for concealment purposes.

But I don't know which way to go and would love to hear recomendations from people who have shot or owned either a Glock 19 4th Generation or the M&P 9C. Thanks.

 

[tydephan]

I own both. Shoot both. Love both.

Don't let reports of extractor issues, etc deter you from the Glock. Both S&W and Glock have top-notch customer service and they can repair and return within 2 weeks in most cases.

The Glock 19, to me, is one of the best pistols ever created. But I also love the M&P series, and I've owned just about every conceivable size/caliber combo. The M&P9c was definitely one of my favorite.

Keep in mind that you're talking about two different sized pistols. Since you're concerned with concealed carry, the size of the gun should play a factor in your decision making. The M&P9c (subcompact) will obviously be easier to conceal than the G19. However, that's not to say the G19 is terribly difficult to conceal.

You can read yourself to death on the internets. Countless people will bloviate and pontificate the pros and cons of each gun.

In the end, you will make the best decision by following this process --> Shoot both. See what you like better. Purchase. Save up money. Buy the other one later.

Good luck.

 

[PabloJ]

I would get the Glock which is choice of many elite military & police units throughout the world. There is zero reason to pick S&W M&P over the Glock.

 

[Skribs]

There is zero reason to pick S&W M&P over the Glock.

Actually, there are a few reasons, if you ask me. 1) the slide serrations on the M&P are the first ones I've actually thought looked like art, and function better than any other auto I've fondled. 2) The M&P has more ambi features than Glock, which is nice for someone like me.

OP: The M&P 9C is more comparable to a Glock 26, IMO, than a Glock 19. They are roughly the same size (M&Pc and G26), but the S&W holds 2 more rounds. Personally, the only thing about Glock that I like better than M&P is the lever trigger as opposed to the hinge trigger, but APEX makes an aftermarket part to fix that.

 

[tydephan]

There is zero reason to pick S&W M&P over the Glock.

I try not to work in absolutes. So instead of an absolute, I will regard this as your opinion.

As noted by Skribs, there are actually lots of reasons, IMO.

- The M&P stock sights work better for me over the Glock stock sights.
- The M&P points more naturally for me.
- The M&P has 3 differently contoured backstraps that allow me to customize the palm swell
- The M&P mag release can be switched to configure for a lefty, of which I am.
- The M&P has an ambi slide stop, which is nice for a lefty, of which I am.

So see, there ARE actually reasons. Whether these reasons are important enough for the original poster to consider in his analysis is up to him.

 

[Skribs]

- The M&P has 3 differently contoured backstraps that allow me to customize the palm swell
- The M&P mag release can be switched to configure for a lefty, of which I am.

4Gen glocks have reversible mag release and different sized backstraps.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I have shot the G19, Gen2, Gen3 and Gen4, extensively, as well as the M&P9 and 9c. I currently own a Gen2 G19 and a M&P9 FS.

S&W sized their M&P pistols to fit between the Glock model sizes. The M&P9 is between the G17 and G19, while the M&P9c is between the G19 and G26.

Out of the box, the Glocks generally have better feeling triggers, but their sight set isn't as nice...I don't mind plastic, just not for sights. The late model Gen3 and the Gen4 G19 have documented issues with their ejection. There is a new ejector, but the extractor is still an issue. There is an after market fix in the works to replace the MIM part...I don't object to MIM either, just when they aren't applied correctly.

S&W seems to have addressed most of the M&P's early issues with the exception of the trigger. Apex Tactical Specialties offers the definitive after market action kit for the M&P which addresses the issue beautifully.

It really comes down to which fits your hand better...with the M&P offering three choices with each gun. I don't have a problem with the G19, but then I'm using the large backstrap on the M&P also

 

[Rob G]

Personally I'd vote for the M&P 9c. I've shot the Glock 19 quite a bit and while I like it I think it's just a little large for concealed carry. The M&P 9c is a smaller overall gun and is roughly equivalent, size wise, to a G26, which is Glock's smallest 9mm.

I'm also a big fan of the ambidextreous controls and just the overall feel of the weapon. The Glock feels good in my hand but the M&P feels great. I actually own an M&P 40c which I dropped a 357 Sig barrel in and even with that caliber recoil is more than manageable and small groups are the norm. I'd imagine in 9mm it's even easier to shoot.

Also consider the price. The cheapest Gen4 G19's I've seen recently were around $550 NIB. I see the M&P's popping up around $460 pretty regularly and I actually scored mine for $420 NIB.

S&W seems to have addressed most of the M&P's early issues with the exception of the trigger. Apex Tactical Specialties offers the definitive after market action kit for the M&P which addresses the issue beautifully.

9mmepiphany: From what I've heard very recently S&W has redesigned the trigger and it will be possible to retrofit an older pistol with it. I'm really looking forward to it myself.

 

[Teachu2]

Take a box of factory 9mm to the range and ask owners of the two guns politely - 95% will be happy to let you try theirs. When you have shot both, you will know.

My wife shot both the G19 and the M&P 9c, and found the 9c to fit her much better. Others prefer the G19.

Both are excellent guns. Buy what fits YOU.

 

[Bobson]

Both are excellent guns. Buy what fits YOU.

Agreed. Also, to the OP, keep in mind that if you select the G19, it will be identical in size to the G23 you had "but was a bit bulky for carry." Like you said, it may very well have been a holster issue; and if that's a route you want to consider, by all means do it up. Just be mindful of it.

 

[Skribs]

Epiphany, the M&P is a midway between G17 and G19? How then is it that the M&P holds the same amount of rounds as the G17?

 

[9mmepiphany]

Epiphany, the M&P is a midway between G17 and G19? How then is it that the M&P holds the same amount of rounds as the G17?

"The M&P9 is between the G17 and G19" isn't the same as mid-way

The M&P9 FS has the barrel length of the G19 with the grip length of the G17

 

[ForumSurfer]

Epiphany, the M&P is a midway between G17 and G19? How then is it that the M&P holds the same amount of rounds as the G17?

I've got to agree with 9mmE. I've owned the 26, 19, 17 and 34...all gen4's. I've also owned the m&p 9 pro 5". It did feel slightly smaller in the grip than the 17. The 9c's I've shot all left more pinky room (disregarding finger extensions...using the standard mags) than the 26 and seemed slightly larger, but not as large as a 19.

If you look at the overall dimensions, they fly in the case of what he said and my agreement with him. But spend some time shooting each, and that's what they feel like. In terms of size and feel IMHO it goes from smallest to largest: g26 - m&p 9c - g19 - m&p full size/5" - glock 17/34.

Liked them all, no faults with any of them...just my impression after wringing them all out a little. There's no wrong choice in the op's question.

And since the OP mentioned CCW, I carry a 19 or a 26. If I carry the 26 anywhere other than appendix carry, I can just as easily carry the 19.

 

[briang2ad]

With a compact gun think about manipulation AND concealment. The 19 is VERY concealable. While the MP Compact is smaller, does it do something the 19 does not do? Like pocket carry, or IWB? If you CANNOT do it nearly as well with a 19, then go Compact. If not, then consider a 16 shot LIGHTWEIGHT package - likely optimal for what it is.

Also, some compacts are tough to drop mags from - the bottom of the web can hinder free fall.

If you want a real pocket carry, you have to look smaller - like a Kahr PM or MAYBE PPS.

 

[Skribs]

I can carry a XDm compact pocket carry, and that's bigger than a M&P 9c.

 

[WaterH]

Have you tried a Glock 26? It will conceal a little better than the 19 and you can carry a 15 or 17 round mag as a backup.

 

[Skribs]

Have you tried a Glock 26? It will conceal a little better than the 19 and you can carry a 15 or 17 round mag as a backup.

I think the M&P C would do the same thing. About the same size as 26, but with an accessory rail, and you carry 12 standard, 17 optional.

 

[ATLDave]

There is zero reason to pick S&W M&P over the Glock.

The fact that the M&P is available with a reliable factory (external) safety is a reason to some of us.

 

[Skribs]

The fact that the M&P is available with a reliable factory (external) safety is a reason to some of us.

The fact that the safety is an optional model means it's still an option for others

 

[Carter]

If you didn't like carrying the G23 you wont like the g19, they are the same size. You can change holsters all day, but you can't change body shape/size to make it more comfortable.

That said I'd pick the m&p over a glock. I like the grip, sights (way better), aesthetics, and even the trigger better than the glock. They only thing I didn't really like about the trigger was the reset, but it just takes some getting used too. I still managed to shoot way better with it than any glock. Plus it IMO handled the .40 a lot better.

 

[ATLDave]

The fact that the safety is an optional model means it's still an option for others

Sure. I was just responding to the idea that there is no reason to chose an M&P over a Glock. Others had already covered various things, including ergonomic and aesthetic preference.

I very recently acquired an M&P, my first polymer/striker gun. Glocks were never in the running, because they don't have a(n external) safety. Some people don't like thumb safeties; I won't have an autoloader without one. So, for me, being able to get a safety-equipped M&P was a very strong reason to get one over a Glock.

 

[Skribs]

I knew what you were saying, that's why I added the winky face. However, while you were contrasting with a Glock, I was contrasting with other pistols, such as Ruger SR or FN FNS, which only come with manual safeties (FN has a non-safety model, but they don't cell that model to civilians. Which means they lost a potential sale to me, because I would have chosen FNS if it didn't have a safety).

 

[FMF Doc]

An other factor will be availability and accessories. Where I live, the LOEs all used to carry Glcok 31, 32. About 4 years ago they switched to M&P in .40, but with .357Sig barrrels to use up the old ammo. So, around here, it is now easier to find M&P accessories than Glock in may stores. If the LEO community does the most business, they are the ones the LGSs will cater to. It may be idfferent where you are. M&Ps are starting to get a whole lot of business in the LEO community, so the accessories and holsters are comming along too. To me, that is a big deal. While I know that I can always order online, I like to hold and inspect what I am buying, expecially for my CCW. Just my thoughts, some thing you may want to consider though.

 

[nathan]

I started with Sig 228 but after a year i traded it for a G 23 which fits my hands well. I like the feel of the M and P full size, not the compact .

 

[michiganfan]

I carry a 19 everyday. Have to say the cousin story is the most entertaining material I have read in along time.