"Fixing" the auto-forward in my m&p.

[Biggy]

Does the new Bar-Sto M&P 9mm barrels feedramp dimensions help with or eliminate the feeding problem when auto-forwarding with JHP ammo ? Also, does the Bar-Sto M&P barrels use a tighter match chamber and does the tighter fitted barrels sacrifice (any) reliability when dirty over the factory barrels ?

[JSantoro]

Not knocking S&W and I choke this reponse up to the guy blowing smoke up my butt and hope this isn't what he was told to say. It is interesting to hear from others what the Smith & Wesson phone reps have in response to the issue of 'auto-forwarding'. It seems to vary from call to call.

That's part of what can be so frustrating to folks. I know that I can usually reconcile myself to a given circumstance if I have a decent lock on the reasons behind it. Whether it's finding a work-around, sucking it up, or deciding that it's something I'm unwilling to put up with, it's nearly always better to KNOW.

You call up three different folks at S&W to ask about what the color-coding on their magazine springs means, you'll get 4 different answers, because the last cat will bother to admit he's not sure and will present you with two different possibilities, each of which differ from what the first two cats told you. Always annoying, when the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing, regardless of the subject.

Regarding the Apex/Bar-Sto collaboration, by all that's been posted, the focus of effort is to mitigate/eliminate the early-unlocking aspect that can create the accuracy quirks found in the 9mm barrels (which mine has; past 15yd, stuff gets weird). Worth re-reading; I know I'm gonna, now.

[wesprt]

We ran M&P 9's in the academy and my hatred of the pistol started there. This issue was one of many reasons I disliked it, the auto-forwarding issue when I inserted a mag with anything more than loving tenderness wouldn't have been so bad except that EVERY time it happened it induced a FTF. Like clockwork. It wasn't unique to my gun either, at least a couple other people had the same issue.

At least from what I understand now it's not as prevalent as it was in earlier models.

[WillBrink]

My experience:

Auto forward has been a rare occurrence, the gun never failed to chamber the rnd when it did, and I train at all times fully expecting the need to do it myself and practice that at all times. The rare times auto forward has occurred, I drove on and it didn't impact performance. If it happened often and or didn't chamber the rnd when it did, it would be a concern.

Some Glocks I have shot were auto forward O matics and the guys who owned them counted on it/expected it, which I pointed out could be a life costing training scar, and was generally ignored.

Guys who compete with Glocks I know seemed to prefer it for obvious reasons, and hopefully have muscle memory for it not happening on their CCW guns...

[NC12215]

I am going to mirror what Will just said.
I am a strong advocate of the seat magazine aggressively and release the slide with my support hand as I move it up and get my firing grip.
If I seat the mag and the slide falls, oh well, my hand performs the same motion and I am ready to fire. If it doesn't fall on it's own, my hand is already performing the slide releasing function via the depressing of the slide lock.
I have been known to berate, chastise and embarrass any officer I catch performing the "spank the mag". I get very bent when this happens.
If your gun is jamming because of this, send it back and have he problem fixed, try a different slide lock, or have a known gunsmith take a look.
My 2 cents.
Dave