Your experience with the Smith and Wesson M&P series

[Glock22]

I am seriously considering a Smith and Wesson M&P 9 compact, it seems to be a very nice handgun. I really like the grip a lot more than a Glock 26 or a Glock 27.

What I want to know is your experience, how durable and reliable are they?

 

[Kingofthehill]

Love em'

I like my glocks, i love my M&P's... Carry is a M&P .40c which is the same size as the Glock 27 and it feels thinner and smoothed over.

can't go wrong either way mechanically or rep wise but IMO the M&P is the more refined gun.

JOe

 

[c919]

+1 Love Em'.

They are great. I like Glocks and all, but to me the M&P takes the Glock style does all the things I wish Glock did. As you mentioned, ergonomics are far superior. Also, once folks get used to it, many of us like the trigger on the M&P's alot more. Plus, they are down right accurate for what they are. Mine has digested anything I've fed it and never hiccuped.

I would recommend M&Ps to anyone. They're just awesome guns all in all.

 

[Manco]

My experience has been nothing but positive. As others have said, the M&P is like a Glock but more refined in some ways (and maybe less in others, such as the stock trigger, but that can be easily remedied). To me, it feels more natural to hold, point, as well as shoot, and I haven't found another pistol that I like better, at least for defensive purposes. As for reliability, my M&P40 has been perfect so far with well over 1000 rounds from various sources having been put through it. It also tolerates limp-wristing extremely well--I never could get mine or any other to jam this way. As for durability, I've never put it through a Glock-like torture test, but it has some of the same design features that keep Glocks running when not pristine, such as small, self-clearing slide guides and openings for crud to get blown out during shooting. No M&P that I've rented in the past has ever failed to fire, and some of those were absolutely filthy and had well-worn magazines.

 

[KDS]

I have both the full size and compact in 9mm. I carry my compact nearly everyday and it gets pretty heavy use at the range. I have not had one problem with it and it fits my hand better than the Glock. As another poster said, can't go wrong either way, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy an M&P.

 

[TeamPrecisionIT]

I have an M&P 9 full size, no mag disconnect or locking mechanism and it has been flawless even when filthy with crud, dirt, water, etc. The only gripe I have with it is the difficulty to remove/replace the extractor claw. On Glocks it is a much easier proces with a detailed strip of the slide, but the M&P is in there with a pin that will not come out with some serious force (like hydraulic press force). Other than that, the detail strip is very similar to the Glock family.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

I had an M&P .40 full-size. No malfunctions, soft shooter, pretty accurate (At least as accurate as I can be, which isn't all that fantastic).

I have an M&P 9c that I picked up for carry yesterday and put some XS Big Dot sights on. I won't get to shoot it till this evening, so I'm not sure how it shoots yet.

The ergonomics on these guns is amazing.

The only thing that's truly bad about them is the metal finish. My 9c is ALREADY showing holster wear, and it's been in and out of a holster all of ten times. On the other hand, the slides are stainless, but a long-term project will be sending my M&P slides to Robar.

 

[41magsnub]

M&P 40 full size here. The only issue I have ever had out of at least 2000 rounds was a single FTE at the end of a really long range session firing Wolf where the gun was exceptionally dirty. I am the most accurate with this pistol over all the other pistols I have ever fired.

The trigger on mine was really stiff when I got it (as in my trigger finger would quiver a bit before it broke because I was pulling so hard, as in >12#). I somewhat broke it in, but it was still too stiff so I sent it off to Burwell for a trigger job. Apparently there is a wide range of trigger weights from the factory, mine was on the extra stiff end.

I also decided I did not care for the magazine disconnect safety so I removed it. I have the parts so if I ever sell this gun (very unlikely) I can put it back in.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I shot a full-sized 9mm as a rental and was very impressed with it. I purchased a 9mm compact in Dec. 2006. It was 100% reliable from the very first round, never even a hint of a malfunction. The ergonomics are indeed superior to the Glock, as you noted. Unfortunately, I was forced to sell it in early 2009 , so I cannot comment on its durability, but it is quite robustly built, e.g., actually having larger frame rail inserts than the Glock, and well fitted and finished, and I see no reason why it would not hold up over the long haul. My sole criticism of it is its slide width/thickness, which is probably necessary for the more powerful .40 but is a bit excessive for the 9mm. A slimmer slide would make it a little more comfortable for IWB carry.

 

[Oscar 14]

My every day carry is an M&P9c. Best auto I've ever owned. Accurate, easy to shoot, no malfunctions with FMJ or HP rounds. I carry with Hornady Critical Defense. I've read on here and other forums that some people don't like the triggers, but I don't honestly know why. Mine has no external safety or mag disconnect and I like it that way. Before summer is over I plan to have an M&P45c.You just can't go wrong. My $.02.

 

[Manco]

I've read on here and other forums that some people don't like the triggers, but I don't honestly know why.

M&P triggers are often gritty when new, although they improve with use. Looking inside, it's easy to see why (the sharp edge on the firing pin block plunger) and also easy to fix if you're so inclined. Some people complain about the uptake and some about the reset, but the relatively long displacements were intentionally designed for more of a safety margin than you'd get with stock Glock triggers, while the latter sort of walks the fine line (which most people prefer, if anything). The good news is that with the right replacement parts (e.g. Apex Tactical) or trigger job, the M&P's trigger can be made to feel like that of the Glock or even something quite close to the 1911's. The basic design is that versatile, or so I've heard ; looking at it, I don't see why not because the trigger doesn't have to pull the striker part of the way back like in some other designs. My M&P40's stock trigger isn't overly heavy and I'm pretty happy with it now that it's broken in, so I'm in no hurry to try to improve it (I might never bother to, as it seems perfectly fine to me).

 

[LiveLife]

+1 for M&P 40 full size. Although I am a fan of Glocks, I really like the ergonomics of M&P much better (one of few semi-auto with ambi slide lock for both right/left handed shooting!).

Good grip angle (similar to 1911/Sig), good/tight grip due to shape and 3 palm inserts, easily reachable slide lock/mag release.

 

[Hangingrock]

I have the full size MP9. It was returned to S&W for warranty service. They corrected the noted discrepancy. Of the three back strap inserts the medium size suited me best. I replaced the factory sights. The front sight is a Novak night sight and the rear sight a plain 10-8 “U” notch. Having more experience with the Glock the MP9 trigger is nettlesome. Range time I take both the Glock 17 and MP9 for the same session. In rapid fire the Glock has the edge in trigger control compared to the MP9. Both have approximately the same accuracy potential.
At this point I prefer the Glock but I’m still getting to know the MP9.

 

[bad4dr]

+1 on the M&P 9c. Got one for the missus, and it's just a fun gun to shoot. I've raved about it on THR before, so I'll just leave it at this: you can't miss with the M&P 9c (see what I did there?)

 

[m2steven]

My supervisor has one in 40 and he loves it. It's been nothing but reliable, and is a very nice looking pistol to boot. Better in person than in photos.

 

[pingpingping]

100 percent so far. Carry my 40c everyday...recently converted 1911 guy.

 

[HighStrung]

I'm a very happy 40c owner. Though I havn't got a lot of rounds thru mine yet (approx 200 so far) there have been zero problems in the two months that I've owned it. It has became my daily carry weapon. I too felt that the M&P is a natural pointer and just felt better in my hands than the Glocks do. That being said, I'm not a Glock owner, never fired one, don't plan on purchasing one either, but that's just me. Glock has to be doing something right to have the fan following that they have. Glocks just don't feel as good to me. I carry my 40c daily, IWB for as many as 12+ hrs at a time and often forget that it's on my side. Very managable recoil for a .40 in my opinion. I did have a very very minimal grittyness to the trigger that has all but dissapeared with a few hundred rounds and as many dry firings. I'm considering the Apex Duty/Carry Kit to smooth it out a little without reducing trigger pull weight, but I really don't even know if my gun needs it. Overall, I'm completly satisfied with this purchase.

 

[2ndamd]

I like Glock but, the M&P9 fits my hand so much better.

I plan to replace the sear with an APEX after market sear. This will help the trigger. The stock trigger really isn't that bad. It is a heck of alot better than a sigma But, it does have a little over travel.

Now, having said the trigger could use just a little something extra, the accuracy of the M&P? Outstanding! My sig 226 and CZ 75 are more accurate but, the M&P9 I have beats the XD, XDM, Glock and Px4 storm in the accuracy department.

I loved the M&P9 full size so much, I went back to the lgs, the same day, and bought the M&P9c. I still can not get over how comfortable the grip is and it's polymer!

Good guns. I am seeing replacement parts pop up more and more. Which is why I always liked Glock. Something breaks? Just order the part and change it out in a matter of minutes. These M&Ps are keepers.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

Just shot my M&P 9 c, ran about 200 rounds through it.

Love it even more than I loved my .40 full-size.

 

[samurai]

I have a 9 FS and 9c and am very happy with both of them. I sold my Glock 23 after buying the 9FS and traded my 27 for the 9c. They both fit my hand better , so I feel that I am more accurate with them ( i was using LW 9mm conversion barrels with the Glocks, so it was not a 40 to 9mm comparison)

 

[LeonCarr]

I carry a full size M&P .45 everyday. 2500 trouble free rounds so far, no malfunctions.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[CubJ3]

M&P 9C Love this gun. I installed Bowie night sights and replaced the sear and the firing pin block with Apex parts. Cured the gritty trigger, made for a better reset and but a mere 5.5 lb trigger pull. Like butta! The Apex sear and the FPB are inexpensive and easy to install yourself. Never any trouble and is not a fussy eater!

 

[skoro]

I've had the M&P9c for two years now. Excellent compact semiauto. Very good handling and easy to shoot accurately. I've never had a single misfeed. Highly recommended.

 

[kd7nqb]

My M&P .40 is my carry gun and I love it, the only thing I would have changed is for EDC I would have gotten the compact instead but I really like this gun and my next carry gun will likely be a M&P compact although I might get that one in 9mm just for the hell of it.

The only issue I ever had since I bought mine very early in the production was that some of the early guns had an issue with their mag release were it would drop the mag under the force of recoil. My gun came up with this problem about 100rnds into it. S&W promptly sent me a new mag catch as well as few free mags.

 

[2ac]

I had one in 9mm not long after they came out. Shot straight from the box, never had a malfunction in 1000+ rounds of all kinds. Felt great in my hands and was accurate enough. I only had one problem with it and it was a deal breaker. Apparently I have rather toxic sweat. I couldn't rub enough oil into that thing to stop the slide from rusting. Sold it.