Lior

Thanks for your input Tim. I asked S&W's support on Facebook and they said that the Gen 1.0 RMR plate would work on a Gen 2.0 slide. I procured one and used it to install the SRO after the screw stump was extracted from the slide. So far so good!

I'd buy one if I could but ITAR makes it prohibitively difficult. I can only scrounge around locally. Question: would a Gen1 RMR plate fit a Gen2 CORE?

After 3000 rounds on my CORE with plastic plate, one SRO screw broke inside the slide and the "foot" of the adapter plate sheared off and was lodged into its recess in the bottom of the SRO. Bummer! Background: the SRO and its factory screws had been fired about 12,000 times in a previous gun and another 3,000 in the CORE, mounting without using Loctite in either. When starting a 400 round shooting session, the sight was firmly in place but needed zeroing. At the end of the session, the sight was loose (wiggly), and I noticed the broken screw when I tried to tighten it, without resistance. Gun is now at the gunsmith for a timeout.

Compare here for fun: https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/smith-wesson-m-p-9-m2-0-4-0-compact-vs-smith-wesson-m-p-9-m2-0-5

So after gaining more experience on this firearm, auto-forwarding is too rare to rely upon in any match. It's a matter of not running the gun dry or having ample time to slingshot it before reaching one's next firing position.

The latter. Gun has 600 rounds through it.

One of the things I try not to do in matches is empty an M&P 2.0 in the middle of a course of fire, as it requires a slide manipulation to get it to run again after reloading. Today my CORE 2.0 autoforwarded while I was changing mags between firing positions, which to me is a huge bonus (have just transitioned from shooting a Shadow 2). It is not the first time that the gun has autoforwarded during a reload, but I haven't conducted a serious study to see whether it's consistent enough to call it a feature.

Last season I shot a Shadow 2 (with optics) and out of curiosity did a couple of matches with an M&P 2.0 compact (with optics). I was so happy shooting the M&P platform that mid-season I started competing with my M&P 2.0 5", and then got a CORE model. With Apex triggers, I enjoy shooting the M&P more than the Shadow 2 (no double action first shot, better fit to my hand, faster transitions, and very decent recovery between shots). I tried shooting a 4.25" CORE too, but found the difference in weight up front and resulting performance enough to justify investing in the 5" one, although both are great guns, at least for me. Hope this helps.

Hand fit is an important criterion for choosing a mousegun. Perhaps it will suit some people better for concealed carry, particularly those fed up with external slide stop levers. For example, I prefer a Shield 2.0 PC to a P365 due to the former's bigger arsepart.

Not sure what I'm doing right. I've got a brand new 5" Core 2.0 with a Trijicon SRO mounted on it. The bottom frame of the lens is above the dreaded loaded chamber indicator hole. 400 rounds (and one match win) later, and the lens has no fouling whatsoever on it. After shooting a season with a Shadow 2 OR, I'm beginning to like this gun!

Currently using Double Alpha PDR-II IDPA Holster. Pretty smooth!

Hi. This topic was discussed here not too long ago. Basically you've got nothing to worry about.

Hand fit is critical for high speed precision shooting. The Shadow 2 gives you lots of 3rd party grip (and trigger and spring) choices. With the X5 Legion you can use Sig frame modules of various sizes and of course improve the trigger. Whatever fits your hands better. With the Sig you only need to learn one trigger pull.

Yes. And won the match. Very satisfying!

Outside of the USA there's IPSC, and Production Optics Light Division is a thing (if it doesn't expire at the end of 2021). Similar to carry optics but 2.2 lb weight limit for gun without ammo. This helps Glock and Walther stay relevant, and there is room for Gucci guns too (Zev, Phoenix Redback Ultralight). I've raced with the M&P a fair bit, with irons and a red dot, and really enjoy the platform and think that the grip is awesome for a polymer framed gun (bit hands, P10s and niner Glocks are too skinny for me). The main downside to the M&P in Europe is poor aftermarket support. ITAR makes getting anything Apex related a chore for dealers. For some reason getting Grayguns triggers for those P320 XFives is no problem! Sig seems to be better geared for exporting than Smith is, for reasons unbeknownst, but I trust both companies know what they're doing. I usually shoot a Shadow 2 Optics Ready in Production Optics Division but in regional matches I race a M&P 2.0 longslide with a red dot. The gun ain't holding me back! Added to this is its amazing reliability. But with the current demands for guns and ammo in the States, getting anything across the Pond to Europe and beyond is very hard.

All good still?

Both guns are very good despite having very different design philosophies. To answer your question on which one will suit a beginner better, I have no idea. I've shot both and compete with the Shadow 2 because I was already heavily invested in CZ guns. But I'd be quite content with a P320 Legion too.

Thanks for asking Sir. I felt no need for either, and neither are available in my country. For IPSC shooting my accuracy is limited by me, not the gun, and I have no problems with light strikes involving factory ammunition (we can't reload), so the extended firing pin offers no benefit. I have no complaints about the gun's reliability either, and it feeds all the factory ammo types available domestically without a glitch.

Variety being the spice of life, there are many ways of doing minor mods on the Shadow 2 (and what a lovely gun it is). In my case, I'm a tall guy, so I removed the factory grips and immediately installed fatter ones (first Lok palm bogies, then M-Arms Presidential grips). For springs, I shoot only factory niner ammo, so I installed an 11 lb mainspring, a soft firing pin spring and a 10 lb recoil spring with buffer. I don't want to go lower on the recoil spring because it would trash my red dots. With iron sights you can get away with it. No other mods, and I'm content and doing well in my division. YMMV.

Finished at 83% shooting my last match with a 6MOA Vortex Venom. The one after that was my first match with a 2.5MOA Trijicon SRO. Finished with 95%. The red dot may have something to do with it.

M-Arms 3D President grips on mine

They are just offering this series of three different guns to prepare us for the cost of the CzechMate 2!

Haven't owned a P01 yet, but my favorite type of IWB holster is the Comp-Tac MTAC. I've used the same leather backing but different Kydex shells with lots of different antipersonnel guns, and one dual purpose gun (5" M&P). https://comp-tac.com/mtac-premier-iwb-hybrid-holster-comp-tac/

As far as safety records go, our sport has a good one. I'm pretty sure that more competition shooters have died in motor accidents on the way to the firing range than by dropped firearms during matches and training.

Thanks all for your reassuring responses!