Tried out some different Autos today

[sleepyone]

I went to my LGS and rented some of their autos to get some comparisons. I'm looking at a M&P 9mm, .40 SW or .45 ACP full-size. I brought my XD9 Subcompact to compare. I also shot the XD-40 4" and the Sig 229.

What I learned. I love the ambi features of the M&P. I am a lefty when shooting only. The reversible mag release and ambi slide release and safety are HUGE for me. I like the sights and grip as well. I actually shot my XD9 a little better, which is to be expected as I have had it three years and put several hundred rounds through it. The XD felt a little heavier. The slide and barrel seem to be a bit more substantial than the M&P. Plastic guns are not beautiful by any measure, but the M&P is a better looking gun than the XD

They did not have an M&P in .40 SW for rental, so I had to shoot the 9mm version and compare it with the XD40. The M&P 40 is built on the same frame as the 9mm so everything is the same except for the recoil, which did not seem as bad as I remember it when I shot a .40 cal. about three years ago.

At the time, I had just gone through open carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, so the .40 recoil was painful. It has a hard snap to it versus the slow push of the .45 or the slight snap of the 9mm. I am told this is because the .40 SW is a very high pressure round which causes the slide to move back much faster with more energy thus increasing recoil.

I did not care for the Sig 229. I shot about six inches low with it and with the exposed hammer I seemed to get hit with residue. I did not care for the looks of it or the exposed hammer. I shot it like crap.

I never got around to shooting any .45s because of time and money contraints. This LGS makes you buy their ammo when shooting their guns, so I was already at $70 in rental, ammo and range time after I shot their .40 and 9mm guns. I also just ordered a Colt 1911, so that would be my carry gun if I go .45ACP. I did hold the M&P .45; however, and the grip is too thick for my hand. Felt like I was holding a club.

Conclusion:

I will probably get the M&P 4.25" barrel with the manual safety. It is just too lefty friendly. I wish I could have shot the .40SW version to get an accurate recoil comparison to the XD-40. However, unless someone on this forum can convince me otherwise, I will still get the .40 instead of the 9mm.

 

[meanmrmustard]

I like the M&P 45. Light enough to be comfy, but soaks up the push of the .45.

 

[justice06rr]

I have owned both the M&P9 and M&P40 fullsize (both with the safeties), as well as an XD40subcompact.

From my experience, the recoil of the M&P40 is not too bad if you have shot a 40cal before. Its just slightly more kick than the M&P9, but very manageable. The M&P line is one of the finest pistols I've owned, very reliable, and well made compared to XD's and Glocks. Being ambidextrous is a big plus for lefties. My only regret is selling them both to fund an AR15.

compared to the XD's which feel "top-heavy" due to their thick slide, the M&P's are very well balanced and slim which makes for easier handling and CCW.

Buy the M&P with confidence!

 

[Ala Tom]

You can get M&P's with a variety of safeties. I prefer no thumb safety, just the magazine safety. That's a feature I have been able to get on all my guns so I know a gun is safe if its magazine has been removed. (A load in the chamber will not fire.) Everybody is different on this. To get the combination you like you may have to special order the gun.

 

[sleepyone]

I prefer no thumb safety, just the magazine safety.

Interesting. I have never seen that feature and would not have known if one of my guns had that safety because I never tried to fire a gun without the magazine and a round in the chamber. Just out of curiosity, why would you want that kind of safety from a carry prospective?

 

[sleepyone]

compared to the XD's which feel "top-heavy" due to their thick slide, the M&P's are very well balanced and slim which makes for easier handling and CCW.

that is what I was experiencing but did not attribute it to the slimmer slide of the M&P until you said that. Too bad you had to sell them. I have been there before except I had to sell a Les Baer 1911, two ARs and a new FN Model 70 30.06. I finally have been able to start replacing some of them but not to the degree I had before; such as a Colt 1911 instead of a Les Baer. I have vowed to never sell another gun for any reason. They are just too darned expensive to replace. I'll sell blood or body parts first!

 

[Plan2Live]

I did not care for the Sig 229. I shot about six inches low with it

Same thing happened to me when I rented a 239. Did yours have the "Dot the I" Sites?

 

[allaroundhunter]

I did not care for the Sig 229. I shot about six inches low with it

Same thing happened to me when I rented a 239

This is because Sigs use a combat hold (12 o'clock), as opposed to a 6 o'clock hold that most handguns use. It is not the gun that is the problem, it is shooting right where it is supposed to. The gun is designed so that POI is what the front dot is covering, not what is above the front slight blade.

 

[sleepyone]

Quote:
I did not care for the Sig 229. I shot about six inches low with it
Quote:
Same thing happened to me when I rented a 239
This is because Sigs use a combat hold (12 o'clock), as opposed to a 6 o'clock hold that most handguns use. It is not the gun that is the problem, it is shooting right where it is supposed to. The gun is designed so that POI is what the front dot is covering, not what is above the front slight blade.

Doh! I should have checked that. For some reason, the gun did not appeal to me apart from my low shooting. Something about it just turned me off.

 

[sleepyone]

Same thing happened to me when I rented a 239. Did yours have the "Dot the I" Sites?

I believe so.

 

[Skylerbone]

The principle behind the magazine safety is two-fold. First it prevents unauthorized usage by prying hands (children and their friends). Second, in the event of a struggle for retention one can hit the magazine release button to prevent being shot either when drawn or if lost in the struggle.

The magazine disconnect should not be looked at as a sure thing. A simple spring (which can break or be removed) is all that stands in the way of it failing.

I own the 40 full size and 9c, my wife has the 9L. I'm not recoil sensitive but the 40 does buck a bit more than my 1911s. Most likely changing out the recoil spring and guide rod to an aftermarket set-up with lighter weight spring would control the excess muzzle climb. If I were doing it over I'd have bought myself a 9L too and had three in the same caliber.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Just out of curiosity, why would you want that kind of safety from a carry prospective?

There have been situations in which a police officer got into a struggle with a suspect over his duty weapon. When the officer felt like he was going to lose control of the gun, he ejected the magazine thereby making the gun unable to fire.

From a civilian standpoint, the same principle could apply, but I would assume that magazine releases are accidentally depressed when firing more than they are when trying to wrestle with a criminal. That makes a magazine disconnect a no-go for me.