Wondering if should game out my M&P compact for IDPA

[narwhal]

Hi,

Have an M&P 40 compact that I use for concealed carry and IDPA.  Am considering making it a game gun for IDPA back up gun division and just getting another compact to keep stock as a carry gun.

I was going to put a KKM .40 to 9mm conversion barrel in it, and go with the Apex forward set trigger and competition AEK.  Really unsure if I should change the sights though, as of right now it has the S&W factory trijicon night sights (3 dot).  I'm guessing a front FO setup of some kind would be better.

I go back and forth on doing this though, because I do like to use IDPA for concealed carry practice using IWB holsters, even if that does make me a bit mall ninja-ish. I usually only have to compete against one or two other shooters in BUG out of a field of 50 or so, so not really worried about where I place, although I imagine I would get my ass kicked hard shooting a stock compact .40 against someone of equivalent skill shooting a small 1911 in .380 or something.  Also I like that the stock M&P is incredibly reliable and can do things like go a few thousand rounds without cleaning if I want to, don't know how the apex would affect this.

Currently a SS and my goal is simply to make expert within a year.  Is the M&P compact with mods actually competitive BUG pistol or should I just be looking into some other type of gun.

Edited October 9, 2016 by narwhal

[zombywoof]

I love using my 9C for bug and CCP. I don't think the Forward set trigger is legal. I call my 9C the G19 killer. I think it's a great gun for those two divisions. Mine shoots great.

[carlspeed]

I love my 40c. I shoot it just as well as my larger pistols, and it conceals very nice in the waistband.

[Hi-Power Jack]

5 hours ago, narwhal said:

Currently a SS and my goal is simply to make expert within a year.

Wish you a LOT of LUCK ...

That doesn't sound so "simple" to me, but all the best.   

[narwhal]

6 hours ago, zombywoof said:

I love using my 9C for bug and CCP. I don't think the Forward set trigger is legal. I call my 9C the G19 killer. I think it's a great gun for those two divisions. Mine shoots great.

Ah, do you know if the FS trigger is legal for ESP?  If so, it should be legal for BUG, but not for CCP.  Supposedly BUG rules for modifications are the same as ESP as long as it still complies with the size and weight restrictions of BUG.

Edited October 9, 2016 by narwhal

[MemphisMechanic]

On 10/9/2016 at 11:18 AM, Hi-Power Jack said:

Wish you a LOT of LUCK ...

That doesn't sound so "simple" to me, but all the best.   

There's not much difference between an EX and a SS in IDPA. Generally, your non-trigger-pulling time gets more efficient. Draws, reloads, target transitions, and moving from point to point.

In the grand scheme of things (compared to top tier match winning shooters) an EX in IDPA still isn't an astonishingly accurate or high-speed shooter. Anyone determined to improve can hit Expert with a bit of consistent dryfire practice.

Edited October 16, 2016 by MemphisMechanic

[narwhal]

I shot the classifier with the BUG last week and was only 15 seconds from expert with the factory stock M&P 40 compact.  I'm pretty sure I can clean that up to expert eventually with a lot of practice. I can easily get about 5 seconds from my retention reload splits in stage 3 if i actually practice those (my splits on those were 5-6 seconds each, horrible haha) and by speeding up my splits on the 3rd stage @ 20 yards, which run in the 1 second range right now (even getting those down to .75 or so would save 7-8 seconds on the stage, just switching to 9mm might do it).  I can't seem to bust under 20 seconds of string 1 stage 3 without getting a LOT of points down, but if I can smooth out the reload that should go to 17-18 seconds.

Right now on stage 3 I can shoot it clean if I take about 60 seconds for all 3 strings combined, If I go balls out for speed I can shoot it in about 40 seconds but go about 30 PD.  I just need to find the accuracy at my 40 second pace.

I feel like a ton of my wasted time is waiting a half second or so on everything for that perfect sight picture and perfect trigger press, which really isn't necessary, especially on the 7 yard stuff, but the stock trigger on the M&P is ~6 pounds so the force needed to fire the shot can easily torque the gun off target if I'm not deliberate;y smooth.

Edited October 18, 2016 by narwhal

[MemphisMechanic]

On the IDPA classifier at that skill level, you can peel most of that time off with more efficient gun handling skills. There are a lot of draws, turning draws, and reloads in there that can easily account of most of that time.

 

...And dry firing on those will bring your first shot time down considerably, as that's a key element of practicing the draw.

How many points do you drop and on which stages?

You need to shoot stage 1 with only a few -1's, and stage 2 as well. 

[narwhal]

I think I was down 2 on stage 1 (1 from weak hand only and 1 from strong hand only), down 5 on stage 2 (a few from SHO and a few from the El Pres), and down about 25 on stage 3.   I'm just slow right now, mozambiques running about 3.2 and taking too much time to ensure all the hits on the headshots, etc.  Also really slow on SHO and WHO trying to ensure clean hits.  I can occasionally get a 1.5 first shot off but it's usually closer to 2.  In dry fire a trigger break at 1.2 is no problem, it's that hesitation of getting the 100% down zero the sight picture in live fire that is costing me .5-.75 seconds, but I know that will go away with practice.  Unfortunately I have a job that puts me overseas with no chance of even dryfire for about 2 weeks a month, but I try to go to the range and practice live fire about 3x per weak plus matches on weekends when I'm at home.  

 

[MemphisMechanic]

Take an IDPA target to the range and, in slow fire, experiment with just how far your sights have to be misaligned to shoot a -1 if you're indexed through them at the "0" printed in the Dead center of the target.

The results will surprise you. You can nearly have the front post out of the notch in all 4 directions at around 5-7 yards and still shoot a 0 - if you do so while pulling the trigger straight back!

The trigger press becoming a trigger yank is the actual reason most of us miss at speed. It isn't usually sight alignment - at least, not on it's own.

Edited October 25, 2016 by MemphisMechanic

[MQW]

I would build this gun for CCP division in IDPA, not bug gun; the M&P compact is best suited for that division and you can still use it for Bug-Gun also if I remember correctly; I actually carry an M&P compact 9mm daily so I'm very familiar with them; APEX has a lot of good stuff to make the gun run properly, the APEX extractor is a very important item along with the correct trigger kit that meets the class rules. That along w/ a good set of sights and some grip tape or removable grip stippling or both and you are good to go.

[colt1911]

On 10/9/2016 at 3:47 PM, narwhal said:

Ah, do you know if the FS trigger is legal for ESP?  If so, it should be legal for BUG, but not for CCP.  Supposedly BUG rules for modifications are the same as ESP as long as it still complies with the size and weight restrictions of BUG.

the FS is not legal in ESP

[RH45]

I have a bunch of M&Ps, as well as other pistols

If you handload, stick with the .40. You can get .40 minor loads to shoot a lot softer than 9mm. The only loads in 9mm that come close to being as soft as .40 is with a 160 grain bullet, but, out of all of the 160s I've tried, I can't quite get the accuracy I'd like.

If you don't handload, yes, get a conversion bbl

Also, every M&P .40 I've shot, has been more accurate than their counterpart, in 9mm.

Edited November 12, 2016 by RH45