So I stumbled into my first M&P

[slodsm]

I was selling a spare/backup scope I’ve had for a while on a local gun site, got a bite from a guy and went to meet him and he also happened to be selling an M&P 2.0 5 inch 9mm with the Apex forward trigger and Dawson sights. 
 

Of course instead of coming home with money in my pocket, I accidentally came home with another pistol lol. I have been a Glock guy for a very very long time, when I shot IDPA only it was readily available, easy to work on, cheap, and fit well in SSP so I ran thousands and thousands of rounds through them and they feel/point naturally for me and I really enjoy the simplicity and reliability. 
 

Normally because of Glock shooting, if I pick up any other pistol my natural point is off and I have to consciously change my wrist angle which slows me down and I don’t want to “learn” a new gun when I’m so heavily invested in Glock/mags/tools/parts. 
 

The M&P defied that and even with a normal/proper grip it pointed perfectly for me every time I raised it. So I brought it home. 
 

I’ve got 100 hand loads plus a crap ton of factory cheap ammo I’m taking out today to run through it and see how I can do with it. It came with 6 factory mags so I’m good there, the trigger is phenomenal for a striker fired gun (better than my full zev triggered glocks which is aggravating lol) and the mags fit in my mag pouches which leaves me needing a holster. I’ve got a drop/offset from C&G that I like as well as one from Black Scorpion (one for a Glock frame, one for a P80 frame) and I’m thinking about just ordering another C&G for the M&P. They run right at 100 bucks, anyone have any other options they like in that price range I should look at before ordering the C&G? Thanks guys. 

Edited January 21, 2020 by slodsm

[BryceA]

I have no useful comments on which holster to get since I just use a safariland als which isn't the best comp holster, but congrats on the 2.0 ready-to-go. It's pretty good out of the box but Apex makes the trigger amazing for a striker fired gun. I think you can't run it in IDPA SSP with the forward set trigger shoe (it would be a visible modification), which is why I just got the apex internals myself. I have a love-hate relationship with my m&p: if I grip it right it's the flattest shooting and most precise recovering striker gun I own, but it's less forgiving of a sloppy grip than my G34. I plan to work with it a bit more in the near future and see if I can get more consistent since it's clearly a me problem and not the gun.

[optimator]

I have a Sul_tac for my 9 Pro. I like it a lot. It came with the hanger for for around $110. I too am a M&P fan. I just bought my 6th one. 

 

https://sul-tac.com/product/owb-range-competition-doh-belt-attachment/

[slodsm]

Bryce it really is the most impressive striker fired trigger I’ve ever pulled man. I ran through 150 rounds today and the first few I kept stopping and checking because I thought it failed to go into battery the reset is so short. I’m superbly impressed with this thing. 
 

I also found out it fits perfectly in a black scorpion drop offset g34 holster and actually has better retention than the g34 does in it so we will work with that for now. 
 

I didn’t get too carried away with it but I set up my chronograph to see how the speed stacked against my CMC bbl in my CO Glock, it’s about 30fps faster, partially due to the throat being about ..015 shorter than the glock Bbl and also probably the extra length, also maybe just a faster bbl. Either way, it shot the loads I run in CO to just over 136PF a so it’s safe with them anywhere for production. 
 

What I wasn’t expecting is how well I was able to shoot it. I haven’t shot heavily with a handgun for many years. I haven’t competed in 9 years and while you don’t forget, the muscle memory is still there, the speed and accuracy you picked up shooting 2-300 rounds a week with a purpose is gone. 
 

I set up 5 plates, 3 at 10 yards and 2 at 25 yards just because I didn’t feel like moving target stands around and the number of hits I was making on a 10” plate at 25 yards while trying to double tap and be fast impressed me. 
 

Quickly growing very fond of this gun and think I’ll give it a run in production Sunday. 

[M1A4ME]

I swore off M&Ps years ago due to reliability and accuracy issues.

 

Then I bought my wife a PC Shield 9MM and that little sucker shoots.  Really.

 

So, I bought a 2.0 5" FDE 9MM.  Was not impressed by the trigger or the groups.  

 

Got the Apex trigger kit first.  I use the same work the OP used.  Awesome.  What's better than awesome?  Maybe that Apex trigger kit.  Started off at 3.0 lbs., after more shooting and dry firing I happened to put the trigger pull ga. on it again to show my wife the difference between it and a couple other pistols and it was down to 2&3/4 lbs.  Great (audible and tactile) reset.  Stop forward trigger movement when you hear/feel it reset and when you start to pull the trigger rearward again it releases the striker.  That trigger is better than some of my CZ pistols for both crispness and reduced effort to make the pistol go bang.

 

If you're still not happy with the groups (I wasn't), try the Apex barrel that require a little bit of fitting.  Tightened my groups noticeably.  Oh, mine seems to shoot the Win. 124 grain FMJ NATO ammo better than anything else, so far.

 

Doing well enough, now, that I bought an M&P 2.0 .45 Compact (not really a compact as it and the full sized model both use 10 round magazines).  Put the Apex trigger kit in it and I don't think it will need anything else other than maybe an RMR.  It's shooting better groups than the 5" 9MM with the Apex barrel.

 

Good luck with yours.  They do fit darn well in your hand.

[BryceA]

18 hours ago, slodsm said:

Bryce it really is the most impressive striker fired trigger I’ve ever pulled man.

Yeah, it's arguably just a single action trigger. I know they say it's like the safe-action system where the takeup finishes cocking the striker but that is nonsense, last I checked it's less than a hundredth of an inch or something trivial.

 

If you don't mind, please post your experiences with it this weekend. Surprisingly, not a ton of people shoot them these days, at least not in my neck of the woods. I'm considering another in 40 S&W for limited major but am still trying to find one to try out before investing. I know yours is 9mm, but I'm still interested in your experience.

[slodsm]

8 hours ago, M1A4ME said:

If you're still not happy with the groups (I wasn't), try the Apex barrel that require a little bit of fitting.  Tightened my groups noticeably.  

 

I did notice it doesn’t shoot the tightest groups, but I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the greatest shot with a pistol. I can shoot the hell out of a precision rifle and hold my own in most shotgun sports but pistols have never been my strong suit. I’m fast enough and accurate enough to enjoy it but I’ll never be that guy who makes anyone raise an eyebrow hahaha. I may give that barrel a try though just because I love to buy gun parts but it probably wouldn’t actually help me as it would someone who’s a better shot. 

[M1A4ME]

Yours might shoot just fine.

 

The Shield I bought my wife outshoots the two 1.0's I have and even the 2.0 FDE with the factory barrel.  That new .45, first trip out shot better than the 5" FDE.