View Full Version : question re: M&P manufacture. Who makes what?
First things first- this is not in any way a bash on the M&P. I've heard lots of good things and I have had my own very good experience with my M&P.
That said, my local gunshop guy suggested that the M&P is assembled by Smith but that the various parts are pretty much all manufactured by third parties. I don't look at that as a knock against Smith and Wesson per se, it's just that I'd never heard that before. Any truth to this? I've seen nothing very definitive on the googlesphere.
variablebinary
07-14-08, 19:15
First things first- this is not in any way a bash on the M&P. I've heard lots of good things and I have had my own very good experience with my M&P.
That said, my local gunshop guy suggested that the M&P is assembled by Smith but that the various parts are pretty much all manufactured by third parties. I don't look at that as a knock against Smith and Wesson per se, it's just that I'd never heard that before. Any truth to this? I've seen nothing very definitive on the googlesphere.
Who knows, but what does it matter really. Very few companies take on 100% of the manufacturing and fabrication burden anymore.
It's not where the parts come from, its what S&W does with the parts that matters the most.
Don't believe much of what the "experts" at the gun shops tell you. A lot of it comes from rumor, uninformed opinions, other "experts", and of course the BS.net sites. Ask S&W directly, and then decide if their story rings true.
Very true, but...
This particular fellow is not the typical gunshop commando, though. He has been in the biz for some time on the manufacturing side, iand n at least 1 case his employer was one of those fancy shotgun outfits that will sell/make you a firearm for an amount in the low 6 figures.
I'll keep poking around, but I just wondered if anybody here had heard anything like this in the past.
FWIW- I am genuinely curious about the question, but it certainly occurs to me that this whole thread might be taken as rumor-mongering. If the site management feels it appropriate, I would have no hard feelings if the topic were deleted. I value the just-the-facts nature of this site.
I don't know if Smith makes 100% of every single part they put in the M&P, but they certainly are making the major components and probably most of the smaller ones.
Most of the magazines are sourced from M-G, like just about everyone else in the industry (except H&K, which was still making its own mags last I knew).
SinnFéinM1911
07-15-08, 05:00
The last I knew the majority of it is in house now. When the program first started there, all of the components were farmed out, but it was because their tooling was not ready yet.
Almost small parts are sourced out by large Manufacturers, parts that do not as much attention to detail or do not have critical tolerances’ as per a TDP. That being said, it does not mean the parts are any less of quality, just saves time and money.
The last I knew the majority of it is in house now. When the program first started there, all of the components were farmed out, but it was because their tooling was not ready yet.
(emphasis mine)
For the M&P pistol?
There was a video on another board that showed inside S&W, showing how they make the M&P handguns. All major components were shown being made in-house. If I can find the vid, I'll post it.
John_Wayne777
07-15-08, 16:16
There was a video on another board that showed inside S&W, showing how they make the M&P handguns. All major components were shown being made in-house. If I can find the vid, I'll post it.
Shooting USA did an entire episode on the production of the M&P and they showed all the major components being made in-house.
I think that the gunshop guy was confusing the pistol with the rifle.
Don't believe anything a guy in a gun shop tells you.
WOW! 2 Sigforum guys in the same thread.
I knew VB was on here, but not mattjmcd. Kinda neat!
I knew there were some folks on that board who would be savvy enough to leave the "Bushmasters are better" behind. Good to see.
Hmmm, where's Para :D
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