XD Vs. M&P: Comparison?

[Radjxf]

I'd like any and all input from those who have owned and/or spent time behind an XD and M&P, esp the 9mm and 45acp models.
I currently own an XD45 Compact, and have only handled the M&P's in stores.
I've found the XD's to be outstanding guns after some drop-in trigger parts, i.e. Springer Precision, etc.
Are the current M&P's reliable? Have they worked out most of the bugs, such as mag release issues, etc? Can anyone compare/contrast any accuracy and trigger differences amongst the two?
Thanks in advance for any input.

*edit* Let's PLEASE leave Glock out of this comparison, thank you.

 

[skwab]

I've had my M&P .40 for over a year now and it's been a great pistol. Ergos are nice, not too snappy for a .40 but a little snappier than my Sig. I haven't had a single failure or issue, has fired everything from WWB to premium defensive loads - it has run flawless out of the box. In fact I just picked up an M&P 9c for a ccw.

There is a pretty good M&P only board with some good info, but if you decide to take the plunge I don't think you'll be disappointed.

http://mp-pistol.com/boards/


Good luck!

 

[Radjxf]

Thanks skwab:

I thought I'd keep the discussion here for neutrality reasons.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Both are excellent pistols. It's all about which one feels best. The M&P, IMO, is more ergonomic. S&W put a great deal of effort into making the gun comfortable and sacrificed some magazine capacity in the process. The lower bore axis of the M&P made it balance better for me, with a much more natural POA.

Another deciding for me was that the S&W is American made.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I shot both a XD (albeit in .40 because it was what they had) and a M&P 9mm as rentals before purchasing a 9mm M&P compact. The XD underwhelmed me - not bad, but nothing stood out either - but the M&P impressed me greatly. It had a better hand fit and trigger action and I shot much better with it. I purchased the compact feeling it would be a more realistic EDC.

 

[19-3Ben]

Well, I held and handled both, and I went with the M&P. In my mind, the XD felt very top-heavy. It just did NOT balance well for me at all. I admired the craftsmanship of the gun, and think it was a fine pistol. but the balance didn't work for me. I picked up an M&P with a medium grip in it, and said..."ah...that's the one"

 

[CatsEye]

I have an XD40 and a M&P9 Pro and both are fine weapons. I have never had a single problem with either. The ergonomics on the M&P are better but the XD has a more natural POA for me. The XD seems to be a little more robust in its construction. I shoot the M&P in IDPA but if the "stuff hit the fan" I would grab the XD. You won't go wrong with either.

 

[danweasel]

I have shot both .45acp models. I bought the XD and a friend bought the M&P the same day. I love my XD and it has had one malfunction ever in about 5000 rounds. It stove piped a week ago but it was pretty dirty and it was around 0 degrees outside.

The M&P is more smooth and ergonomic I think. Feels ultra-modern. If that is even a word. The XD though is so amazingly accurate. That is probably because I shoot it more though. The XD also has excellent safety features, much better than the M&P in the safety category. If you care about that kind of thing.

M&P=Cadillac

XD=GTO (and not one of the new, lame ones)

 

[Oncefiredbrass.net]

I shoot the M&P 9L. I love the grip all models are the same except the compact. I am just as accurate with that as I am my STI at 7-15 yards. There are three different grip straps for the large small and medium hands so you can have the grip you want. I did not mind shooting the XDm was the best model so far.

 

[magnumman44]

I have owned the XD40 Tactical model, and I now own an XD45 Tactical and my wife owns a XD9 Tactical Custom(by SA) to include the chroming of the slide and external parts, a trigger job, the enhanced grip, and fiber optic front sight, as well as the match barrel. I wouldn't trade my XDs for anything, not even the M&P...They are fun, reliable, and dependable. POA is right on, and they group real well.

 

[Radjxf]

Well, I've got an XD9 Bi-tone on the way (before the ban!!).
I handled and dry-fired an M&P9 at my local gun shop. Like someone else posted, it seemed less "robust", kind of cheap.
It did however have better ergos than the XD, but the trigger was horrendous. Very heavy, although I here they can be smithed down, not sure if drop-in parts are available yet.
I might trade my G17 for an M&P9 if I can find one locally.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[Radjxf]

Update: Sold my G17 FTF, got an M&P 9 on the way from Bud's. Should have the XD9 and M&P9 soon. I'll try to provide a comparative review with pics in the near future.

 

[MechAg94]

The M&P 40 is a great pistol for me and feels good. IMO, the snappy recoil on it is too hard for it to be enjoyable, but 9mm or 45 ought to be fine. I could trade my M&P for a 9mm or 45 M&P, I probably would.

The XD45 tactical I have shot is very accurate for me and shoot real good.

Magazines are both good quality.

The M&P I think will have a slimmer, smaller feel. I think I shoot the wider grip guns better so the XD wins. My other most accurate pistol is a ParaOrdnance P14.

 

[evan price]

I shot a M&P 9 but I really didn't like the feel of it, the trigger wasn't that good (Even by polymer pistol standards) and it just didn't fit me right. The XD, I pick it up and it puts lead precisely where I point it. It is a bit more top heavy when empty but balances perfectly with a full mag. I didn't used to like the grip safety but now I'm used to it. I like my XD better than my Glock.

 

[jon_in_wv]

I've shot both and fore me there was no comparison. I shoot so much better with the M&P than I do with the XD. I like the XDs but they just don't fit me like the M&P does.

 

[Phonetic Diabetic]

You might want to look at the FN Herstal P9 also. I think it closely falls into the category you mentioned, and is a great gun that (in my opinion) goes a little unseen.

 

[skoro]

I haven't shot an XD, but I keep hearing nothing but positive reports from those who have.

I own two M&Ps; a compact 9mm and a full size .45 and I can say that both are outstanding handguns that I'd enthusiastically recommend.

 

[texaspunk]

Love my XD-9 SC, no mod's but still a pleasure to shoot. It's the only semi-auto pistol I've owned that has been 100% reliable. zero problems for me.

 

[hags]

This should be of some interest.

http://pistol-training.com/archives/900

 

[TG13]

i own an XD .45ACP Service, my brother in law owns an M&P .45..

the M&P is very comfortable, the feel is really nice.. it just sits in your hand very well.. but.. the trigger is horrible.. cleaned, lubricated, it feels like there is sand in it.. very gritty.. it does have a distinct break.. it has a somewhat heavy pull (it may not actually be very heavy, but it just seems that way to me)..

i don't like the take down lever to strip it.. nor, the mag disconnect.. nor the 10 round capacity mags.. the higher capacity mags are horrible looking, and a really bad after thought..

i do like the finish, and the slide serrations.. the adjustable backstrap.. and the grip's slightly rubbery feel.. it's a very positive grip.. the sights are nice on it..

as for the XD45..

it has a better trigger.. regardless of the long travel and reset.. it's smoother, and only gets more so after use.. it's easier to strip than the M&P (considering the take down lever).. 13+1.. the sights are very rudimentary.. they work.. i feel the barrel of the XD is of a much higher quality than the M&P..

the cons?? the grip is not as comfortable as the M&P.. it's a problem for people with smaller hands.. the slide release is easy to touch, causing the slide to go forward on the last round, or to catch in the middle of firing.. most people have a hard time at first getting used to the trigger.. usually pulling shots low and to the left.. there's an issue of when you reinstall the recoil spring rod, that if it's not dead center that you can lock your slide..

i know about the cons more on the XD than the M&P, due to owning one..

the XD is so accurate that you end up forgiving the short comings of it..

Springfield has the best customer service and they warranty the XDs without question..

yes, there is a lack of parts for the XD, but SA has recently allowed parts for sale.. so, it's not that hard to get parts.. i'm not sure about parts availability for the M&P.. i would figure it's about the same..

i prefer the XD.. because it's the one i have.. the M&P feels good.. but, in shooting my BILs M&P, i couldn't hit anything with it.. that's just me, and i'm sure that others have much better experiences with the M&P than i have..

 

[ZeBool]

This was a tough choice for me also. I think the M&P looks better, hands down, and I like the idea of the interchangeable palmswells. However, upon handling, the gun felt absolutely horrible in my hand, even worse than a glock. I ended up going with the XD9 service, as it felt very similar to a 1911 and had many other features over the M&P that I loved, such as the indicators and grip safety. I have put many rounds through the gun with no malfunctions. It is my carry gun.

 

[Blank Stare 73]

Originally Posted BY MechAg94

The M&P 40 is a great pistol for me and feels good. IMO, the snappy recoil on it is too hard for it to be enjoyable, but 9mm or 45 ought to be fine. I could trade my M&P for a 9mm or 45 M&P, I probably would.

I am curious about this comment. I am seriously considering purchasing the M&P 40. Does the 40 have a harder recoil than the 45? This will be my first semi-auto pistol and I know very little about the differences in these rounds.

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread, I just felt it was related.

 

[ristmo]

Are the current M&P's reliable? Have they worked out most of the bugs, such as mag release issues, etc?

I was deciding between the XD-40 sc and the M&P 40 compact, about two weeks ago. It kinda hit me, why go with the company that's fixing it's issues when, far as I can tell, the XD plain doesn't have any. From what I've researched, S&W just seems to have a hard time getting it perfect when it comes to autoloaders. Then again, lots of LEO's trust their lives to them. I went with the XD-40 sc, and I love it.

I agree the M&P fits wonderfully in my hand. But the XD has additional safety features. I also have an XD-9 that's simply wonderful, and FWIW, first thing I noticed on the range was recoil felt a lot lighter than the Glock I'd been shooting. I'd love to try out an M&P one of these days, but when it comes to trusting my life to 100% accuracy, the last thing I want to worry about is drawing only to watch the magazine drop out .

I am curious about this comment. I am seriously considering purchasing the M&P 40. Does the 40 have a harder recoil than the 45? This will be my first semi-auto pistol and I know very little about the differences in these rounds.

Before narrowing my choices down to the XD or the M&P, I had to decide between .45ACP and .40 S&W. From what I read, the .40 has more pressure and a faster velocity upon leaving the barrel. It was described as the 45 feeling like a shove and the 40 feeling like a slap. Maybe someone who's actually shot a 45 could verify this . Still sounded like a cool way to put it, to me :-D.

If it's important to you, the recoil on both of my XD's is quite minimal. You want to at least feel something when the gun fires, right? ;-)

 

[Blank Stare 73]

Originally posted by ristmo

If it's important to you, the recoil on both of my XD's is quite minimal. You want to at least feel something when the gun fires, right? ;-)

Oh yes of course! I guess I should clarify my point. I just recently joined the D.O.C and our duty weapon for towers and hospital trips and such is the M&P 40. I fired it for the first time today and did quite well with it. I was just thinking if the 45 had less recoil I might look into getting on of those instead of the 40.

 

[loneviking]

I've shot the XD's, and the XD 45 is a gun I would highly suggest you try before buying. Like the XD9, the gun is very reliable, very easy to clear jams from and is the most accurate semi-auto I've ever fired. The accuracy is so good, it's almost spooky.

But, as noted by someone else, the XD 45 is top heavy. The grips have knobs on 'em that hurt my hands and the grip is very large for someone with small hands. The XD 45 is one of the most awkward guns to draw quickly I've been around due to the grip and the weight in the top of the gun. Then again, the draw problem may be due to me being a wheelgunner!