tire iron
03-26-07, 22:06
Alright - I finally got one of these for myself. After shooting many rounds through the M&P series - through six different M&P handguns - I have taken the plunge.
With my own personal M&P I have shot it one handed, limp wristed, sideways, upside down, in every position I could think of - and I haven't been able to get it to malf. I can't say that about my Glocks - as anyone who has ever been around Glocks is well aware of Glock's inability to properly function if one doesn't have a firm wrist. Especially when teaching new shooters on the Glock - particularly females and small statured males.
When my 8 year old son shoots a Glock - it will malf at least once or twice per mag. He is not big/strong enough to hold it more firm. He ALWAYS uses a firm two hand hold with the Glock. EVERYTIME he tries one handed - the Glock malfs. EVERYTIME.
OTOH - he can shoot the M&P one handed with ZERO malfunctions.
What this means to me is if my hand/arm is hurt/partially disabled - I *KNOW* my M&P will run. I have doubts about the Glock in circumstances like that.
The M&P seems to be immune from limp wristing. That is good.
I have only put 500 training rounds through my own personal M&P - as well as a 100 of my carry rounds (Win Ranger RA40T). My M&P is SCARY accurate. More accurate than ANY of my Glocks - no matter the barrel length. My M&P is almost as accurate as an match tuned 1911.
Trigger pull is heavier/longer than I really like - the good thing with the M&P is the trigger is able to be adjusted by a smith to create a shorter length of pull and a shorter reset as well as a lighter trigger pull. I will send mine off to get a trigger job in the next few months.
Having said that - the trigger pull is not excessively long nor hard. The reset on my M&P is discernible - although I have shot a few M&P's whose reset was less discernible than mine - and I have shot M&P's that have had a more discernible reset than mine.
Recoil *seems * to be less than that of the Glock series. I shot my M&P with my Glock 23, G22 and G35 - and the M&P has less muzzle flip than either the G23 and G22 - it was about on par with the G35. I was able to get faster splits with my M&P than the G23 or G22.
I *REALLY* like the fact that the trigger doesn't stay back after pulling it in dry fire mode like the Glock does. This allows me to practice multiple trigger pulls during dry fire practice. Yeah - it will only drop the striker once - and after that the trigger is pulled without any sound - but that is OK with me! I don't need to hear the striker fall with every trigger pull - I just need my finger to pull the trigger without moving the sights. So the M&P makes it easier to dry fire than the Glock.
The M&P *feels* better in my hand. It is more ergonomic for me.
Another point that is important to me is that S&W doesn't have the elitist attitude Springfield Armory and Ruger do about spare parts.
Every spare part for the S&W M&P is available through Brownells and others - so stocking up on spares is no problem.
Glocks are 100% reliable.
M&P's are 100% reliable.
Glock's chambers in .40 are not fully supported (while in 9mm and .45 they are)
M&P's chambers in .40 ARE fully supported (as well as in 9mm and .45)
Glock spare parts are available.
M&P spare parts are available.
Glock has excellent customer service.
M&P has excellent customer service.
Glock's has one frame/grip style.
M&P comes with three interchangable backstraps to fit to the shooter.
The only thing I didn't like about my M&P was the "beavertail".
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/tire_iron/Smith/209000_large.jpg
Here is picture of a M&P as it comes from the factory.
Well - after a few minutes with Mr. Dremel tool - followed by a fine file - I have removed the "beavertail" from my M&P.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/tire_iron/Smith/SWMPsmall.jpg
My hand isn't delicate - it is more on the "beefy" side - but after holding the M&P it was clear to me that my hand would never contact the end of the beavertail. Also - S&W removed the beavertail from the compact model - so I used a picture of the compact model as a guide and removed the beavertail. Now it "prints" less for CCW.
I have been singing the praises of Glock since my first 1st Gen G17 back in 1987 - it has been my "go to" type pistol for twenty years. However - for my needs - the S&W M&P is simply a better a pistol. It has all the assets of the Glock - plus none of the liabilities.
So - my Glocks have now been titled as "safe queens" - that I will hand down to my children as they get old enough to get CCW permits.
I will be acquiring a Compact M&P 40 next month - and full size and compact M&P 9 in the months following - and I will sell my custom Springfield 1911 to get the M&P .45 too.
The assimilation has begun.
As a closing note - it does feel odd singing the praises of S&W (their previous attempts at auto’s has been less than stellar) - but it also feels GOOD to sing the praises of one of the oldest American firearm makers no only equaling but actually beating the Europeans at their own game!
cheers
tire iron
With my own personal M&P I have shot it one handed, limp wristed, sideways, upside down, in every position I could think of - and I haven't been able to get it to malf. I can't say that about my Glocks - as anyone who has ever been around Glocks is well aware of Glock's inability to properly function if one doesn't have a firm wrist. Especially when teaching new shooters on the Glock - particularly females and small statured males.
When my 8 year old son shoots a Glock - it will malf at least once or twice per mag. He is not big/strong enough to hold it more firm. He ALWAYS uses a firm two hand hold with the Glock. EVERYTIME he tries one handed - the Glock malfs. EVERYTIME.
OTOH - he can shoot the M&P one handed with ZERO malfunctions.
What this means to me is if my hand/arm is hurt/partially disabled - I *KNOW* my M&P will run. I have doubts about the Glock in circumstances like that.
The M&P seems to be immune from limp wristing. That is good.
I have only put 500 training rounds through my own personal M&P - as well as a 100 of my carry rounds (Win Ranger RA40T). My M&P is SCARY accurate. More accurate than ANY of my Glocks - no matter the barrel length. My M&P is almost as accurate as an match tuned 1911.
Trigger pull is heavier/longer than I really like - the good thing with the M&P is the trigger is able to be adjusted by a smith to create a shorter length of pull and a shorter reset as well as a lighter trigger pull. I will send mine off to get a trigger job in the next few months.
Having said that - the trigger pull is not excessively long nor hard. The reset on my M&P is discernible - although I have shot a few M&P's whose reset was less discernible than mine - and I have shot M&P's that have had a more discernible reset than mine.
Recoil *seems * to be less than that of the Glock series. I shot my M&P with my Glock 23, G22 and G35 - and the M&P has less muzzle flip than either the G23 and G22 - it was about on par with the G35. I was able to get faster splits with my M&P than the G23 or G22.
I *REALLY* like the fact that the trigger doesn't stay back after pulling it in dry fire mode like the Glock does. This allows me to practice multiple trigger pulls during dry fire practice. Yeah - it will only drop the striker once - and after that the trigger is pulled without any sound - but that is OK with me! I don't need to hear the striker fall with every trigger pull - I just need my finger to pull the trigger without moving the sights. So the M&P makes it easier to dry fire than the Glock.
The M&P *feels* better in my hand. It is more ergonomic for me.
Another point that is important to me is that S&W doesn't have the elitist attitude Springfield Armory and Ruger do about spare parts.
Every spare part for the S&W M&P is available through Brownells and others - so stocking up on spares is no problem.
Glocks are 100% reliable.
M&P's are 100% reliable.
Glock's chambers in .40 are not fully supported (while in 9mm and .45 they are)
M&P's chambers in .40 ARE fully supported (as well as in 9mm and .45)
Glock spare parts are available.
M&P spare parts are available.
Glock has excellent customer service.
M&P has excellent customer service.
Glock's has one frame/grip style.
M&P comes with three interchangable backstraps to fit to the shooter.
The only thing I didn't like about my M&P was the "beavertail".
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/tire_iron/Smith/209000_large.jpg
Here is picture of a M&P as it comes from the factory.
Well - after a few minutes with Mr. Dremel tool - followed by a fine file - I have removed the "beavertail" from my M&P.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/tire_iron/Smith/SWMPsmall.jpg
My hand isn't delicate - it is more on the "beefy" side - but after holding the M&P it was clear to me that my hand would never contact the end of the beavertail. Also - S&W removed the beavertail from the compact model - so I used a picture of the compact model as a guide and removed the beavertail. Now it "prints" less for CCW.
I have been singing the praises of Glock since my first 1st Gen G17 back in 1987 - it has been my "go to" type pistol for twenty years. However - for my needs - the S&W M&P is simply a better a pistol. It has all the assets of the Glock - plus none of the liabilities.
So - my Glocks have now been titled as "safe queens" - that I will hand down to my children as they get old enough to get CCW permits.
I will be acquiring a Compact M&P 40 next month - and full size and compact M&P 9 in the months following - and I will sell my custom Springfield 1911 to get the M&P .45 too.
The assimilation has begun.
As a closing note - it does feel odd singing the praises of S&W (their previous attempts at auto’s has been less than stellar) - but it also feels GOOD to sing the praises of one of the oldest American firearm makers no only equaling but actually beating the Europeans at their own game!
cheers
tire iron