For those who've made the switch from the Glock to the S&W

[RyanS]

How has it worked out? I have always been a Glock guy, not so much by choice but simply because I could never find anything out there that did a better job. In my quest, I've tried the 1911, SIG, HK, Beretta, etc. and I've always come back to the Glock. However, for some reason, I never really gave the M&P much thought. After having a chance to shoot my dad's M&P40, I was really blown away by just how good it felt and how well it shot. Needless to say, I went out and picked up a M&P9 and a number of magazines. Money being tight with a new baby, I had to trade my Glock 17 and sell off some accessories in the process.

It's too soon to tell and I'm going to give it some time before I render a verdict as to whether I've finally found a better mouse trap. Be that as it may, I was just wondering, for those who've made the switch, how has it worked out for you? Are you sticking with the M&P? Have you gone back to the Glock? What are your reasons?

And, truthfully, I am not trying to start any arguments here.

[BillBond]

I would like to know this also since I have thought about trying a M&P also.
I know of several people that switched from Glock to XD and will not go back.
While I have not considered the XD for several reasons, I do like the idea of a S&W.

:cool:

[PLCedeno]

Since having gotten my M&P 40 my Glock 22 has been relagated the duty of patrolling the main house safe. Im not waiting to give it up yet since i never had any problems with it whether with light attached or not or factory or reloaded ammo. I am also able to use it with my Advantage Arms converter.

The M&P just feels better. The trigger is really the achilles heel for me. I have not yet found it to be where i want to settle down. The lack of a positive reset for me is problematic.

An M&P with a Glock trigger-now that would be nice. How about a Glock with the feel of an M&P?

[Beat Trash]

I work for a Department of around 1,100 officers (minus any pending layoff!). We have had the 9mm M&P in the field for going on 4 years. As a whole, there have been no issues worth speaking of. No pattern or design issues so far. As it relates to durability, I'd rate the 9mm M&P with the 9mm Glocks.

For the Glock fanatics out there, calm down after reading this last sentence please...

I still like the Glock. Especially the G19. Carry one off duty most days.

The full size M&P's seem to develop a nice trigger pull. It doesn't take much work on the sear to smooth things up greatly in this area. It has been our experience that around the 3K mark, the trigger pull goes down .25 - .5 lbs, then stays there. I've personally shot guns with over 20K documented rounds through them, great trigger pulls.

One of our range staff bought two of the original T&E guns to be used for CCW classes he teaches on the side. These guns are at or over the 60K mark with no issues.

Where the Glock shines in comparison to the M&P, in my opinion, is two major areas.

The trigger reset on the Glock is very pronounced. The trigger reset on the M&P is not nearly so. I can still shoot my M&P at speed, and my shot to shot split times are not affected, so for me this has not been an issue. If I had to guess why, I'd say due to training/trigger time with the system.

The Glock is stupid easy to detail strip. Even I can do it! The M&P is easy, but not as easy. There exists a tiny spring within the trigger group that is such a bitch to reinstall, that most armors just replace the entire group.

I did a comparison test one day just to satisfy my own curiosity. I took a Glock 19, a Glock 26, a M&P full size, and a M&P9c (compact). I would shoot the G19, then set it down and immediately shoot the M&P at the same stage (two different targets of course). I did the same thing for the G26 vs. the M&P9c.

I was surprised to find that my accuracy with both M&P's was slightly better than with the Glocks. I was shocked to learn that my speed and split times were slightly better with the M&P's. The M&P9c shot a tad faster for me than the Glock 19 did!

While the difference was not that much, it was there. I actually went in thinking the Glock 19 would be faster for me as it relates to my shot to shot splits.

With all of this, I still carry my Glock 19 off duty, mostly out of habit. Have ben carrying it for almost 10 years. This will mostly likely change when I get around to ordering a raven holster for the M&P.

The M&P9c is a unique animal for me. It's between the G19 and the G26 in size. It doesn't seem to full fill the needs of my G26, as it's a bit too big, and I can't warm up to it as much as the G19, due to it feeling too small. But I do like it enough that I can't bring myself to sell it off.

Hope this helps. The caffeine is starting to wear off, so I'll stop now...

[RAM Engineer]

I now only own G-19s and an M&P9. If they made a 19-sized M&P I'd be all over that!

[RogerinTPA]

I had a 1st Gen G23 for around 15years, that I didn't shoot very much, because of the uncomfortable grip. A year or so ago, I traded it for an M&P40. It has become my favorite, then the M&P.45 running a very close second. It's very comfortable in either hand, recoil management is outstanding. I ended up trading in all my other pistols for the M&P line. The trigger reset is not as pronounced as other pistols out there, but it isn't much of a concern to me. I actually like the stock trigger and it appears that they do lightened up a bit after the 3K as BeatTrash has mentioned. The only down side is that I enjoy shooting them 10x more than I ever had with the G23 or other pistols owned, so it will put a dent in your wallet if you're not careful. ;)

[Business_Casual]

How about a Glock with the feel of an M&P?

SHOT Show 2010, baby!

M_P

[87GN]

I've owned a M&P9 Pro and an M&P45c.

Glocks - 19, 21SF, 22, 26, 34 (x2).

Currently only own the 26 and a 34. If I had it to do over again I'd still have the 21SF.

I sold the M&Ps after S&W refused to sell certain parts to me - I inquired in person at the NRA show. I like servicing my own pistols - hey, I own 1911s and shoot them a lot, it's a requirement.

They were pretty assholeish about it too. Their attitude was that civilians weren't to be trusted with replacing parts in the M&P.

I went to the Glock booth at the same show and talked to them about problems with my 22 - they were concerned and wanted it taken care of.

That settled it for me. I know, assholes are everywhere in this business.

As for the weapons themselves, I can shoot the M&Ps well, I can shoot the Glocks well.

Just depends on the platform that I want to dedicate myself to, that's the platform that I'll do better with.

[zen_grasshopper]

Traitor!

Hope you enjoy it. It sure did surprise me when you called me and said you shot your M&P better then you did your old Glock. You are supposed to call me when you buy a new gun. Not later, but right away!

Jon

[ARJJ]

After carrying a G22 at work for over two years, I switched agencies and carried an M&P40. I like the simplicity and durability of the Glock, but the grip is just not the best fit with my girlishly-small hands. My accuracy with the G22 was too hit-or-miss (pun intended).

I've shot about 400 rds through the M&P40 so far, and I absolutely love it. The only downside (as others have pointed out) is the trigger reset. Still, I am consistently more accurate, and I can maintain a good grip on the M&P vs. the Glock. It's a bit ironic that I find the large grip insert on the M&P to be the most comfortable and natural, although the medium works well, too.

In those 400 rds, I've had no malfunctions or hiccups with both PMC 180-gr ball and UMC 180-gr HP. I also find it is as easy (or easier) to clean than the G22. I've read on the M&P forum that some have had issues with rust and mag catches, but I've had no issues.

I still have a mint G22 "just in case," but it's sat in the safe since I bought it. I would probably sell it, but I've invested hundreds of $$$ in spare mags and holsters.

I also have a G27 that I daily carry, but having never shot an M&Pc, I can;t compare those two.

[RyanS]

Haha! Don't get too worked up there Jon. I've decided to keep my G19....for now. But I do like the M&P a lot.



Traitor!

Hope you enjoy it. It sure did surprise me when you called me and said you shot your M&P better then you did your old Glock. You are supposed to call me when you buy a new gun. Not later, but right away!

Jon

[RyanS]

Anyone know of an online resource with instructions on how to detail strip the M&P?

[SW-Shooter]

I purchased a brand new M&P 45 and a .45c, The first time out to the range they performed great, I was very pleased with my decision. The second time was not so spectacular, FTF's with the big .45 out the yin yang. I was shooting the same batch of ammo, had plenty of mags and and the .45c was shooting great. I took the full size apart, lubed wiped it down and lubed it up again. Still FTF's over and over. The round seemed to nose dive into the feedramp.

Called S&W up and after a few weeks they send it back. They didn't fix it, sent it back and again the same problem. I sold it at a loss, because of the disclosure of the problem.

I replaced them both with Glocks, a 21SF and 30SF. I've never regretted that decision. The best thing you can do with the M&P is send it out to have the trigger done by Burwell, and replace the magazine springs.

This was just my experience and I am pretty sure others may have an opposite opinion.

[mattjmcd]

I've made the emotional switch. I am not ditching my Glocks, but the M&P just works better for me. Ergos are better, it's more accurate, better OEM sights, better mags (IMO) and the mag release doesn't need a LAV mod right off the bat.

They are great guns.

[williejc]

About Glock parts, my guess is that their widespread availability is part of the same marketing strategy that made the brand so popular with agencies and civilians.

S&W may be restrained here by liability concerns as defined by their board of directors.

I'm curious. Which parts are restricted in the M&P line?

[Ian111]

I bought an M&P 9mm for my wife to shoot since it fits her hands better. I shoot the M&P now and again but I simply do not shoot it as well as either my G17 or even the G26. Its almost frustrating how I can't seem to shoot it to a degree that I'm satisfied (I had the same experience with the Beretta 92FS when I shot DA/SA guns. I simply shot the P226 better) I'm convinced its an individual thing. There will be people who prefer Glocks and there will be people who prefer M&P's. Its hard to prove or quantify which would be "better" for any one individual.

I would recommend 9mm Glocks or M&P's to almost anyone and let them decide which is better for them.

[Dirty McCurdy]

I have a M&P9 and G17, I took them both to the range yesterday on the M&P's christining and shot about 500rds out of both of them. They both are fine weapons and I shoot them both the same. There are subtle diferences like the M&P's trigger, I didnt mind it but I liked the G17s better. The M&P is more ergonomical, but the Glocks isnt uncomfortable for me.

I dont think you can go wrong with either pistol, I just have to decided what compact model I am going to buy (first?)

[Beat Trash]

I'm convinced its an individual thing. There will be people who prefer Glocks and there will be people who prefer M&P's. Its hard to prove or quantify which would be "better" for any one individual.

I would recommend 9mm Glocks or M&P's to almost anyone and let them decide which is better for them.


I agree. I think the two guns are close enough in quality and performance that it really cones up to a matter of personal preference. Once this point is reached, then years will be spent arguing personal preference by some on the internet.

It's kind of like asking an individual which type of woman they prefer, blond or red head. Personal choice. But some will always want to argue why their choice should be preferred by all. Fortunately those types of arguments are rare on this site.

[jhs1969]

Some very good points here. I hope I am in no way seen as knocking the M&P, that was not my intention. The OP asked for reasons why some of us have switched back to the Glock after going with the M&P, this was my only intention. I don't think I left this impression but after reading a little more on this thread I just wanted everyone to understand this. If I could no longer own a Glock there are several other designs that would fill my needs, and the M&P would be at the top of that list. Some people get butt hurt when their choice is not everyone's choice. I think the OP did a good job phrasing his post, asking why we switched to the Glock from the M&P, not that one design was better than the other. I just read a thread that got out of hand and thought I would inject this just to remind ourselves not to take these things personal.

After going back and rereading the OP I see I misread just a bit but I hope I was still able to add to this thread's purpose.

Keep up the good work everyone.

[MarshallDodge]

I have shot quite a few Glocks but have never owned one so my experience is limited.

Recently I picked up a used M&P40 and here are some differences I saw between it and a Glock:
Trigger:
Being a 1911 guy, it has taken some time with the trigger to get familiar with it but I still like it better than a Glock. It feels smoother to me and after I shoot a mag or two through a Glock my trigger finger feels sore.

Feeding:
I like the fact that the M&P40 has a fully supported chamber. This can be a good and a bad thing because the gaping chamber on a Glock can aid in reliability but create problems with reloads. My M&P40 will not feed semi-wadcutter profile bullets that feed fine in a Glock so I have switched to all truncated bullets and no longer have issues.

Ergonomics:
This is where the M&P shines. People before me have raved about how soft the M&P40 shoots and I can only agree. I have had issues with the slide failing to lock back because my thumb bumps the slide release. I never saw this when shooting a Glock but it can be overcome with a little training.

The top of the slide on the Glock is way too square for me. I like a tapered slide because I find it easier to use in aquiring the front sight.

Accuracy:
I assume the Glock is accurate enough but I have never been able to master the gun in that department. The M&P has proven to be much easier to shoot even though I am still learning the trigger.

Six shot groups:
http://home.comcast.net/~fun2shoot/MP/mptarget4.jpg

[cougar_guy04]

I would like to know this also since I have thought about trying a M&P also.
I know of several people that switched from Glock to XD and will not go back.
While I have not considered the XD for several reasons, I do like the idea of a S&W.

:cool:
I can say I went the opposite way. I thought I'd never go to Glock from my XD. I proved myself wrong there. I only have the remaining XD left for sentimental value (was my first handgun).

I would also be interested in giving an M&P9 a whirl someday. Don't know if I'd completely make the switch as heavily invested as I've become in the Glock but I definitely would give it some thought if it was as good as everyone says.

[ToddG]

I've seen several reports touting several thousand rounds through a Glock but never with any time lines.

That was my only point. Putting 100k through a pistol over 15 years isn't as abusive as putting 50k through it in six months. Repeated heating and cooling, fouling, etc. all have a much greater impact on the performance, especially durability and accuracy, of a gun when it is run that hard so frequently in a short period of time.


I didn't recount any of these earlier mainly because I had zero first hand knowledge of any of these. Even though these accounts can be found in print I still wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket just because of a couple of printed stories.

And that is why I don't put much stock in those stories. There usually isn't any scientific record keeping. It's more like "Well, I shot 1,000 rounds in a week once, so multiply the number of weeks I've owned the gun by a thousand and you get..."

I met a guy once who claimed he'd put over 100,000 through his Glock 21. This was a devout 1911 guy who'd never been seen in public shooting anything but a 1911. And he sucked. Sorry, show me some proof or it's all just stories ...


However, the Glock has gathered a reputation that I don't feel has yet been matched by any other pistol design.

Just my opinion, but I think that's a fair statement. My comments above notwithstanding, most people would agree that Glocks -- especially in 9mm -- have proven themselves to be very reliable and durable in huge quantities over many years around the globe.


I read of a second M&P that had cracked it's slide somewhere in the 50-60k range but I don't remember many details about this one.

I've seen guns from other "tier 1" manufacturers crack their frames or slides within 20k, sometimes in less than 10k. When a major component fails, the questions need to be:

How was the gun being treated?
What ammo was used?
How many guns have failed?


S&W has produced about half a million M&Ps. If fifty of them have cracked their slides, I'd say that's not even a blip on a radar screen.


I had thought of asking you if you had ever done a test like this on a Glock or if you would ever consider one. It would be intresting if a Glock's reputation could be verified from time to time. I hope you continue these tests regardless of the make/model, it has been very insightful. Keep up the good work.

I'd love to test the upcoming adjustable/ambi version of the G19. Whether Glock feels the same way or not is the question. :cool:

[Business_Casual]

I agree. I think the two guns are close enough in quality and performance that it really cones up to a matter of personal preference. Once this point is reached, then years will be spent arguing personal preference by some on the internet.

It's kind of like asking an individual which type of woman they prefer, blond or red head. Personal choice. But some will always want to argue why their choice should be preferred by all. Fortunately those types of arguments are rare on this site.

That could be the case - but I do have to disagree. There are some actual, qualitative benefits in the M&P design. The chassis, for instance means no problems with mounted lights. The metal magazines eject easily and hold their shape when loaded. The ability to change the back-strap with a simple tool and finally, to be able to field strip it without pulling the trigger are all factual things that are better than Glock.

That said, I am a true-blue Glock guy.

M_P

[John_Wayne777]

Did you just say something nice about a pistol other than a Glock?

Dude....it's....it's like I don't even know you anymore.

[SecretNY]

I purchased a brand new M&P 45 and a .45c, The first time out to the range they performed great, I was very pleased with my decision. The second time was not so spectacular, FTF's with the big .45 out the yin yang. I was shooting the same batch of ammo, had plenty of mags and and the .45c was shooting great. I took the full size apart, lubed wiped it down and lubed it up again. Still FTF's over and over. The round seemed to nose dive into the feedramp.

Called S&W up and after a few weeks they send it back. They didn't fix it, sent it back and again the same problem. I sold it at a loss, because of the disclosure of the problem.

I replaced them both with Glocks, a 21SF and 30SF. I've never regretted that decision. The best thing you can do with the M&P is send it out to have the trigger done by Burwell, and replace the magazine springs.

This was just my experience and I am pretty sure others may have an opposite opinion.

I had the same problem with my .45 Mid-size. After I got it back from the Performance Center (I had the action package done) it was much better. I had maybe three more FTF but then it went away. I believe it was related to the chamber. It needs to be polished. I would send it back to S&W again. They have top notch customer service. I would also get the performance package while you are at it.

I just transitioned from the G17 duty gun to the .45 M&P. I've never shot the .45 so well (just as good as the G17). I was not happy the gun didn't run for me straight out of the box like the Glocks did. I'm still glad I switched. Now if the adjustable backstrap 21sf comes out....

[Business_Casual]

Did you just say something nice about a pistol other than a Glock?

Dude....it's....it's like I don't even know you anymore.

Objective facts are facts.

:mad:

:D

M_P

[variablebinary]

I like the M&P, but I went back to Glock.

I just have more faith in Glock pistols.

[M4arc]

I'd love to test the upcoming adjustable/ambi version of the G19.

YES!!!

Should I put in a good word with Gaston?

[mattpittinger]

I made the switch back in March, and have never looked back. I am faster and more accurate with the M&P. My only complaint is the trigger reset.