Smith & Wesson M&P Reviews

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UWYoteHunter

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Hey all, I'm looking at getting my first handgun and the S&W M&P has caught my eye. This gun will mostly be used for target shooting and taking care of pesky rodents around the house. I'm also looking at getting my conceal and carry, and this would more than likely be the tool. I've read a ton of reviews and they seem to rate pretty high, but what I'm curious about are the different models. So my question is, who has the M&P, what model did you get and why? And most importantly, knowning what you know now, would you get the same model again?

Thanks for your input,

Brad
 
I have a 5" M&P 9mm Pro Series and it has been fantastic. I have the small back strap on it and it fits my small/medium hand size like a glove. The M&P has a very low bore and sits very low in the hand; the felt recoil is like a .22 LR target pistol to me. The Pro Series trigger is pretty nice for a striker fired gun and the reset is crisp and short on my pistol. I have 1,250 assorted rounds through mine of various hardball and hollowpoint and it has been 100% reliable. I cannot make it choke, even when I tried with some very weak/limp wrist holds and grips, it just refuses to malfunction. My son has the same M&P Pro Series gun with the 4 ¼” barrel and hasn’t cleaned his for over 1,500 rounds and it chugs right along with zero issues.

Accuracy in my gun with 147 gr. ammo surprised me – sub 1 ½” groups at 25 yards handheld from a seated rest. My last range session with some Federal and Winchester 147 gr. flat point FMJ’s produced several groups of 1” right at point of aim. I have replicated this several times during various range sessions since buying this pistol so it isn't a fluke single group. Tin cans and clay pigeons get torn up pretty easily out at the 50 yard berm on our handgun range. Again, the accuracy surprised me! The only negative comment I can make is that this gun is strongly oriented toward the heavier 147 gr. bullet weight. It shoots very low with 115’s and just a bit better with 124 grain bullets. But those 147’s cluster so nicely right on the green fiber optic dot that it is hardly worth mentioning the other bullet weights. Since the new age 147's performance is superb that suits me just fine.

While my son’s gun has been reliable it isn’t quite as accurate, nor is the trigger quite as good as mine. His gun sights are regulated a bit closer for the other bullet weights and will shoot to point of aim with 124 gr. bullets. Accuracy with his gun seems to average about 2 ½” - 3" with the better loads. For me the M&P is an easy pistol to like and I prefer it to the others for a poly frame striker fired gun. I have shot about 500 rounds through a Springfield XDm and packed a Glock 22 on duty and had well over 6,000 rounds through that particular platform so I have some experience to base my choice on.
 
My son and I have a matching pair of M&P40's, Both guns are 4" with the thumb safety. We have run over 500 rounds through each gun and they work flawlessly, we both carry the guns in Black Hawk serpa shoulder rigs of serpa belt holsters. We have had great luck with both guns and plan on each buying a second pistol for our wivies. I do recommend these guns to all my friends. We both had Springfield XD40's when they first came out, and just did not like the feel of the XD's and sold them a year later. We will NOT be selling the M&P's ever
 
I have 4" guns in 9MM .40 and 45 and really like them all. The 9MM is probably my favorite because of its accuracy and affordability to shoot. I really like the fullsize guns and this model fits my hands well. If I had the chance yes I would buy them again.
 
Hey thanks guys, I think you just cemented my decision.

GC, do you feel the fullsize is a bit bulky to wear around all day or is it more of a personal preference?

Riflemann, what rounds have you found work best for your 40?

Thanks again guys, really appreciate the input.
 
Originally Posted By: UWYoteHunterHey thanks guys, I think you just cemented my decision.

GC, do you feel the fullsize is a bit bulky to wear around all day or is it more of a personal preference?

Riflemann, what rounds have you found work best for your 40?

Thanks again guys, really appreciate the input.

I don't have to hide mine all day so CCW isn't a concern but yea, I'd not try to CCW my 5" shooter. I think the 4 ¼” M&P would be about as large as I would want to try to conceal and that probably only in the winter months. I pack a Kahr K9 9mm quite a bit, an S&W Airweight J-frame .38 Special, S&W K-frame 3" .357 Magnum, or sometimes a 4" 1911 Lightweight Commander size .45 ACP. I carry all sorts of hardware depending upon my mood and needs. However, I do have my eye on the new M&P Shield 9mm. That seems a very attractive package for all around CCW use.
 
I have a FS 9MM , 9C and Compact .45 All shoot great .I sold all my but 2 of my Glocks to buy em . Point better for me in my opinion.Love the sights on them better then the Glock sights. You wont be disappointed. Cheaper than the Glock and Springfields around here.
 
I have a full size 40 and my father in law has the compact 40 only a 1/2" shorter barrel IIRC. I love my full size and really want to get the compact as well. I have a Taurus 740 slim as a carry gun and he has a Kahr CW40 for his carry gun and the M&P 40 compact will out shoot all of them by a long shot.

Fodder for thought is S&W just came out with the M&P Shield which is a single stack and has a 3" barrel instead of the 3.5" on the Compact. I have not had any personal experience with these, but if they are anything like the other lines they will be fantastic.
 
I have a MP 40 compact and love it. It has functioned flawlessly with about 300 rounds thru it to date. I have always been a wheel gun guy but have come very comfortable packing this one. I have a full sized Barreta and the compact MP easily out groups it. Its light weight makes it easy to carry and I hand load 180 grn hornady XTP's in it. I feel it will stop any critter human or otherwise I might run into hiking in the southwest. I have owned numerous other Simi auto's and usually don't hang on to them very long, just don't like them. This one has found a home and is my goto carry gun.

drscott
 
I have the .45 compact. I replaced the sights with a fiber optic/tritium combo. I also did the trigger upgrades from Apex tactical. Both were nice improvements although the original is not bad. Very dependable. A bit clunky for true deep cover, but with a high ride holster it fits under a sweater or sweatshirt pretty well. I bought the .45 because it makes a bigger hole than a .40 or a 9mm. I already had a 3" 1911 and a PPK so my deep cover stuff was covered. If I could only buy one handgun primarily for concealed carry, I would look long and hard at the new M&P Shield in .40. Seems to be a good balance of power and concealability. I use both an IWB and an OWB depending on the weather and what I am wearing. The IWB is just uncomfortable enough not to want to wear it if I don't have to. I also have a Smart Carry rig http://www.smartcarry.com/ that is wierd getting used to, but really does a nice job of hiding a carry gun when nothing else will do.

Fast Ed
 
Hey guys, thanks for the input. I was looking at the m&p40 in both full size and compact, and I saw that the compact comes in both the 3 1/2" barrel, and the 4 1/4". My question is, if the full sized (not pro model) has a 4 1/4" barrel already, is there any real advantage to getting it in compact? Is the compact really worth it with the longer barrel, or would I be better off just getting the full sized at that point?

Thanks again guys.
 
If it has a 4 ¼” barrel it would no longer be a Compact in my mind. I wasn’t aware of any of the Compact models with anything other than a 3 ½” barrel.
 
Concealability is affected more by the length and width of the grip and not the barrel length. My 4" M&P .45c conceals well with a high ride holster except for the end of the butt that prints to a certain extent. This is especially true with an IWB as the barrel in inside your pants and could be 8" long and still be hidden.

Fast Ed
 
I am aware of that Ed, however; that was not my point. I guess I failed to communicate my point well. I was curious if there was actually a Compact model with the longer barrel length?

Edit: Ed that sounded snarky - that wasn't my intention. The flat screen doesn't always convey the inflection, ect. we need to communicate our mood and intention. Hopefully you didn't read too much into that reply. I still can't find a Compact M&P with a barrel longer than 3 ½” inches.
 
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I have and M&P .40, standard size. LOVE it. I like the feel of it over the Glock and XD. I don't like the grip safety on the XD and the Glock is too uncomfortable for my hand. I have put around 3000 rounds through mine over the last year. I wouldn't use it to carry, however. I'd get a sub-compact for that. So far I have had zero malfunctions. I use 100% hand loads. Great gun. You won't be sorry.
 
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