No love for the S&W M&P in USPSA

[M1A4ME]

I absolutely loved the way they feel in my hand.  Picked one up at a gun show and couldn't put it back down till I had to sign all the paperwork and pull out my credit card.

 

Got it home, took it to the range.  Accuracy and trigger weren't good.  Got it home.  Trigger just died.  Apex CAEK made it "sweet" again.  Accuracy didn't get as good as I'd hoped and meanwhile I'd bought another one in .40 S&W along with a .357 SIG barrel.  Tumbling bullets from the SIG barrel.  Same ammo did fine (not the greatest groups in the world) out of my Glock M31 with no tumbling bullets.

 

About a  year later the 9 got back into the dead trigger/failure to fire issues.  Finally got it figured out after swapping the 9MM internals to the .40 frame and the .40 internals to the 9MM frame.  Got it fixed, finally.   Put 450 rounds through it over a couple of range trips and put it in the safe to stay.  By then I had a P07 and had the reliability, accuracy the M&P's didn't give me and it still felt good in my hand.

 

I really did like the way those M&Ps fit my hand.  They felt good.  Just takes more than that.

 

I sometimes think about an M&P FS in .45 acp, then quickly remind myself of the previous issues and the "want" goes away.

 

I did recently buy one of the new M&P .380 Shield EZ pistols.  Came home, got online to register it for the warranty purposes and found out they already had a recall out on them for safety issues.  Sometimes I don't think I'm all that smart.  Then I take a look at the girl I've been married to for 41 years and realize I've done a few things right.

[Salsantini]

7 hours ago, waktasz said:

This post is misleading. 

 

It should be " I live in PA and own two Infinities, and all I hear is why am I shooting this M&P."...

 

No.  It is not misleading.  You say that I should shoot the Infinities.    Others don't like the M&P platform

[waktasz]

I liked mine, but it was not reliable. I know other people have issues with accuracy with some of them. A new barrel and a new extractor seems to help. If yours works I guess you are doing better than most

 

[fstbandit]

I shoot one in Production and it is one of the few gen 1s that is accurate. I bought it out of the rental case at a gun store and it is bone stock.  I ran one a few times in CO it ran fine. It is definitely not as popular as the other plastic guns out there.

 

Now that I am going to shoot one in Limited and THIS is where I hear the "Why would you do that?" a lot.

 

It is a fine gun and if you get an older one with accuracy problems just get an Apex barrel for it.

[Salsantini]

13 hours ago, fstbandit said:

I shoot one in Production and it is one of the few gen 1s that is accurate. I bought it out of the rental case at a gun store and it is bone stock.  I ran one a few times in CO it ran fine. It is definitely not as popular as the other plastic guns out there.

 

Now that I am going to shoot one in Limited and THIS is where I hear the "Why would you do that?" a lot.

 

It is a fine gun and if you get an older one with accuracy problems just get an Apex barrel for it.

My pistol is also a 1st gen.  I have a Agency arms trigger kit which is basically the Apex FSS with agency's trigger.  The pistol just works.

[happygunner77]

On ‎9‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 4:24 PM, RJH said:

With plastic guns there is a new hotness that comes with a GM card that comes out every year or so.  The M&Ps turn was 7 or 8 years ago.  But as long as you don't have one of the very early models that had accuracy issues (at least i think it was only the early models, someone correct me it i am wrong), and your gun works,  they are as good as any other plastic fantastic.  Or, at least, i would have a hard time believing that any other plastic gun was provably better.

 

You're right, I have the first gen and it wasn't accurate. They've replaced the barrels and it's been dead on since. The M&P factory trigger isn't great for competition, the pro series is just doable. I got better with it and before I could really shine with it, I switched to CZ. LOL. 

 

I've shot it on carry matches as I had no mikes surprisingly. I shot a head shot target at 25yd and I hit the neck even though my sights were lined up at the forehead. I haven't really practiced my M&Ps at 25yds so that could be the culprit. 

Edited September 20, 2018 by happygunner77

[StealthyBlagga]

I own 10 M&P handguns of various vintages and configurations. It is my "go to" platform - I got off the 2011 bandwagon a long time ago. My primary uses are 3-Gun and personal defense... these days, USPSA matches are just practice for 3-Gun. When suitably modified, the M&P is exceptionally well suited to 3-Gun, being quick handling and "drop-n-run" safe. It is also hands down the most functionally reliable handgun platform I have ever used in my 35+ years of competitive handgun shooting - it just keeps going and going like the Energizer Bunny. Ergonomics are first-rate too.

 

With the above said, the M&P needs work. The triggers are atrocious out of the box, even the M2.0, so an Apex trigger kit is mandatory (the FSS is really sweet). Also, accuracy of the 1.0 9mm guns was never very good, so you need to budget for an Apex barrel. When permitted by rules, adding weight to the frame helps too (tungsten guide rod, magwell etc.).

 

Even when optimized for competition, the M&P is definitely not the best choice for USPSA, but as I said that is no longer my primary application.

[ddbrooks82]

On 9/17/2018 at 8:25 PM, crmcdm said:

Yeah.  I shoot an M&P core in CO,  3 lb Apex trigger, Apex barrel,  and I like it a lot. It is definately very accurate when I do my part (with noted investments). But P320s are a lot more common. The gun is NOT what is holding me back.

How hard was that trigger to install?  I'm looking to do just that to my M&P, but I've never done a trigger job before.

[M1A4ME]

The Apex trigger kit (the big one, the one that costs the most) will give you an awesome trigger on an M&P 2.0.  Not hard to put in.  Apex has instructional videos on their web site that you can watch/look at while you work on the pistol.

 

The Apex trigger, as nice as it is, did not make my 5" 2.0 9MM shoot any better groups.  Just didn't.  Sad surprise.

 

Now, the Apex barrel you have to fit (small amount of stoning got mine to fit, nice and snug) to your slide cut the group size in half, with one of the several brands/type of ammo I had with me.  The Winchester 9MM NATO ammo has beaten out all the rest in that pistol.

 

Pistols being pistols, yours might shoot something else better.

[gunshrink]

Substitute XDM for M&P and I am in the same boat. I started out on Glocks because that is all I really knew. The one day I picked up an XD at a gun show and it just “felt” right. I got my first, then additional, sold all my Glocks and now own about 9 or ten Springfield products. I first shot a 5” tactical through two seasons and then thought a CZ Shadow was the way to go. Did a year or so with that, had sear problems but most of all did not like the initial DA shot and well it was not my Springfield. Went to the 5.25 for production when it came out, sold the CZ and had a couple ok seasons. Then CO came out and at 70 the eyes are not what they used to be but no Springfield available so I bought a M&P custom milled for CO, put an RMR on and enjoyed the new challenge with my old eyes. Then Springfield finally came out with the OSP and bye bye M&P. Sold it with the magazines, upgraded trigger and got my money back to come home to my Springfield. Two seasons with that and then the itch for something different came up and I got caught up in the Shadow 2 press and excitement. Went to CGW and got a very sweet blaster, DPP milled, weight made and probably the nicest gun I own - but it is a nice gun but not my gun. After about 6 weeks of mixed results I went back to the XDM and for me I have come home. The point is, I am in the same minority that the thread started with regarding M&P. But when I teach shooting classes I tell my students, own what feels right for you and not what the hype or others results are saying. At my age I am now 72 and cannot match the speed of the younger shooters but my gun is very accurate, comfortable for me to use and fun. The CZ will be easy to sell, get my money back and move along. I really like CO and think that has added 5+ years to my shooting career. I got a late start but will shoot as long as my body and mind allow. Bottom line BE you SHOOT as part of you, in your own unique way.

[Matt1911]

They're confused why you're not on the newest fad bandwagon. 

Just shoot what feels right for you and ignore the rest. 

[rowdyb]

Does the gun fire every time you pull the trigger?

Does the gun stay in one piece over the course of 500 rounds?

Does every button and lever on the gun work every time they are activated?

Is the interface between you and your holster/pouches working without any hitch at all?

Can you shoot the body A zone.-0 one hundred percent of the time at 25 yards? The same for the head scoring at 10 yards?

 

If your answer to each and every question is an emphatic YES then you're just fine with whatever you're shooting. If it isn't, then you need to change something somewhere.

[admcd]

There are plenty of M&Ps at my local matches up here in MA. Granted, we're behind the iron curtain so some folks have limited selection, but it's absolutely competitive among other plastic guns in the hands of competitors of the same skill level.

[Lior]

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.