M1A4ME

Had my P09 9MM done several years ago. Liked it so well I sent the P07 off for the same work about a week later. Then I had them refinish a pretty ragged looking Pre B CZ85 a few months after that (two tone cerakote on that one).

Pistol brass - sort it. Drop it in the vibratory cleaners with crushed walnut shell media for about 4 hours. Pull it out, look it over, and if it's not clean those pieces go back for another 4 hrs. or to the water/lemishine/SS pin cleaning set up if it's just nasty). If it was wet cleaned it gets dried before going back into the jugs with the already cleaned brass. Then I resize it with a carbide die - no lube used. Bell/flare the case mouth, prime it, load it. Rifle brass - sort it. Drop it in the vibratory cleaners with crushed walnut shell media for about 4 hours. Pull it out, look it over, and if it's not clean those pieces go back for another 4 hrs. or to the water/lemishine/SS pin cleaning set up if it's just nasty). If it was wet cleaned it gets dried before going back into the jugs with the already cleaned brass. Then I resize it with lube and drop it back in the vibratory cleaner with crushed walnut shell to remove the remaining case lube (takes about 30 minutes or so). Bell/flare the case mouth, prime it, load it. When I remember to put a cap of Nufinish car wax into the crushed walnut shell media I can really tell the difference in how shiny/bright the brass coming out of the vibratory cleaner is vs. no wax. Really makes a difference.

If dropping them on the bullet nose did that to the case neck tension/crimping must be impressive. No bullet tip damage? The only time I've seen that happen is when case length is inconstant and the seating die is set up so close to the case mouth that the crimp force pushed the case mouth back/down enough to bulge the shoulder. I normally don't crimp rifle rounds but with a single stage press I've used a short case to set up the seating die and then later hit a longer case and the crimp forced the shoulder to bulge like that. Will something bulged that bad even go into a resizing die? 4,000? Darn, that would bug me, too.

Can't say it's identical to my problem a few years back. I tried the stronger striker spring - installed Glock striker springs in mine (the one that was showing the failure to fire issue and the other one that worked great) but it didn't help The problem was the striker block. The Apex striker block has a more radiused/polished corner/edge that the trigger bar loop contacts and pushes against. Due to the greater radius on the edge the striker block's rise upwards is delayed a little bit during the trigger bar rearward movement (vs. the factory striker block). If it's not out of the way when the striker is released the striker hits the edge of it and "bounces" on by it to hit the primer - but after bouncing by the striker block it has lost enough force it doesn't always set off the primer. At least that's my impression of what is happening. An adjustment to the trigger bar/loop to make the Apex striker block begin moving upwards sooner as the trigger bar moves rearward cured it. I went from two or three misfires per magazine to 350 rounds without a single misfire. Then I stopped shooting it and put it in the safe (because I'd already moved to a CZ P07 by then for carry use and the P07's accuracy was so impressive I've stuck with it for the last 8 or 9 years). But, the bottom line is the M&P was flawless, misfire wise, after the trigger bar/loop adjustment. I'm pretty sure the Apex web site has videos of how to make those adjustments. Lots of good information in their videos.

So far, on mine (2.0 9MM 5" FDE 9MM) the best "feel" thing I've done is install the Apex trigger kit. Trigger is absolutely awesome now, better than some of my hammer fired CZs. The best thing I've done to reduce groups is to install an Apex barrel. And, mine seems to like the Winchester 9MM Nato 124 grain FMJ ammo for shooting it's best groups. It doesn't do well with the Remington 115 FMJ, the Federal 115 FMJ, the 115 grain hollow point reloads that do so well in my CZ pistols, or the 147 grain Winchester hollow points. In another thread on this forum a member suggested to me to look into replacing the front locking block in my pistol. He said he did that on his and it tightened up the barrel play/movement and improved his groups. That will be my next attempt.

Not sure about the pistol sized red dots. I had several of the rifle red dots, The large model and the small model (just one of those). Replaced every one of them. They eat the batteries sitting in the case with the sight turned off. I don't want to replace batteries every 4 or 5 months on a sight I haven't used or turned on. Not sure how long a battery would last in them if you left it on all the time like I do some of the red dots (that last for years turned on.) The pistol sight might have better battery life, some of the newer red dots are made to conserve battery life.

I love those spur hammers. My Pre B CZ85 has the spur hammer. I liked it so well I bought replacement spur hammers to install on my CZ75 Compact and my CZ75B .40. Made me like both of them even more. Also put the CZ85 ambidextrous slide release levers on both of them, too.

I actually had to remove just a little bit of metal from the back of the top of the barrel hood/chamber area for the barrel to move fully upwards - before I installed the recoil spring/guide. So mines a pretty decent fit right now in that area. I hadn't thought about a different locking block. I'm no expert, but it does seem a good snug fit between the slide lock pin/shaft and the barrel lug (to force/hold the barrel fully upwards every time it locks up) would improve the accuracy.

That's it.

They've got a name/term for that with valve springs in engine heads. You call it going "solid" but I can't remember (at this moment) what they call it with valve springs but the end result is the same - it ruins the spring real fast.

Didn't keep the factory trigger long, but it wasn't too bad. The Apex trigger kits in the 2.0's are just better triggers than the Apex trigger kit in a 1.0. That's based on one 1.0 and two 2.0s. Not a big sample size, just my sample size. The longer frame steel? My 2.0 9MM 5" was no better than my 1.0 9MM 4.25". The Apex barrel I put in the 2.0 helped some but still did not move the 2.0 into CZ group size territory. Damn shame. I like the feel of it, the way it points, love that Apex trigger kit, I like the way it looks (5.0" FDE with safeties) but it just hasn't impressed me with group size. Plenty good enough for serious self defense, but then so is my P07 or P09 and they just flat out shoot better. I will say the 2.0 9MM shoots it's best with the Winchester 124 grain NATO FMJ ammo. I'll be working up 124 grain hollow point loads and trying to get around 1200 fps to mimic the Win. NATO rounds to see if the gun like the bullet weight, the velocity or both. Making the rails longer doesn't insure the barrel returns to the same spot in relation to the slide after every shot. If it's not giving you that it's not helping improve accuracy. At least that's my take on it.

The XM177 clone has a standard carbine buffer tube, buffer and spring in it with a hard polymer spacer placed at the back of the tube. As someone previously mentioned, nothing to do with function/recoil, just trying to insure the bolt does not destroy the bolt stop when forward movement is stopped after the last round is fired from the magazine. The AR 9MM pistol has a pistol buffer tube, carbine buffer and spring. It has three metal washers at the back of the buffer tube for the same purpose of not hammering the bolt catch when it stops the bolt after the last round. Both have operated 100% with either Federal 115 grain FMJ, a small amount of the dirty/nasty Winchester 115 grain FMJ, and the 115 grain hollow points I use in my 9MM pistols. I haven't tried 124's or 147's in either one. I really can't say about recoil vs. the .223's. I really don't pay much attention to the recoil of AR15 type weapons. I think even my .308 GII is pretty decent compared to the M1A/M1 Garand/12 ga. pump.

How do you keep your trigger finger from slipping around on the cloth between your trigger finger and the trigger surface? What brand spot remover do you use to get the oil off the cloth when you wash the underwear?

Had that same thing happen to mine. Finally figured I'd gotten it fixed though and no troubles with it since - but I only shot about 350 rounds through it (trouble free) before I put it away as I'd already gone to my P07 by then. The P07 was so (outrageously) accurate vs. the M&P even though the failure to fire issue was fixed it lost out to group size. That's not just a 1.0 issue. Neither of my 2.0's will shoot with the P07 or P09, though the .45 Compact is closer than the 9MM 5".

There's one more thing. Price. M&P LE trade ins are here and there on the internet for $300 or less, at times. These are the earlier 1.0 models. There are better quality barrels, sights, etc. for those, just as there is for the 2.0's, you just start out cheaper for your project.

Yes, My 1.0's (both) do that. Neither of my 2.0's do it.

My 2.0 9MM with the nice Apex trigger kit has an awesome trigger. My 1.0 .40 with the nice Apex trigger kit has a pretty decent trigger. Other than that the only thing I can think of is whether or not you like having the slide go forward and chamber the round without having to push/press the slide release - the 1.0's due that out of the box and always have. I've heard you can make the 2.0's do that but I've not explored how that's done.

Good idea. You may be amazed at what you learn and how much it helps. I've seen guys who do regular CMP/high power shoots come to an Appleseed and tell me little things they learned, or relearned, that helped them improve their rifle shooting.

It throws a pretty good fireball in the day time, too. But the groups are small on the paper at the range and the pistol runs them great, too. I've got some BE85 and AA#7 to try, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

The Alliant powder web site shows 7.9 grains of Blue Dot, under a 124 grain Speer Gold Dot hollow point reaching over 1200 fps muzzle velocity. No pressure info, just the powder charge and velocity. I'll bet that's a compressed powder charge and it's a slower burning powder. http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/powderlist.aspx?type=1&powderid=10&cartridge=23

The tab on the back end of the op rod (the part that fits into the receiver rail) can wear over time. There are guys/businesses that will repair that tab if that is the issue. They weld on it, machine it back down to the correct size and it's like new again. As others stated, call SA and tell them what is going on. The rifles have a life time guarantee but I don't know if that goes for 2nd/3rd owners or not. They'll let you know.

Only duds I've ever had with my reloads were: Three .223 rounds loaded with Tula small rifle primers. Two .45 acp rounds loaded with Tula large pistol primers. Prior to that I'd used a couple thousand, or more, without issue. I've got a lot of them to use up, with practice/range ammo.

Had light strikes on my 5" Tactical XD .45 last time I was at the range. Pistol has a PRP trigger kit in it with the springs that came from the kit. Worked fine last spring/early summer. I don't have more than 500 rounds through it and somewhere during that the PRP kit was installed. Reloads this trip were loaded with Tula LP primers. Tried the reloads in the M&P 2.0 .45 and they fired just fine. I think I need to dig out that little box with the original parts and put the factory striker spring back in mine.

Well, had some failures to fire a couple weeks back in the XD .45. Some would go off the 2nd time, some would not. Brought those 2 home to take down and look over but haven't gotten around to it yet.

How does it shoot? What kind of barrel did you install in it to get it to shoot good enough to suit you? Do you run a heavier recoil spring than what came in it from the factory? Did PM also make the compensator? Is that an Apex trigger/kit? If so, how do you like it?