Ed Brown Fueled Series M&Ps?

[BobRockefeller]

Does someone here have an Ed Brown customized M&P? I have a few questions.

1. Is the magwell removable?
2. Have any changes been made to the factory 2.0 frame stippling?
3. How does the cost/performance balance stack up for you?

 

If a stock M&P Performance Series C.O.R.E. pistol costs about $650 and Ed Brown's are $2,000, the value of the customizations may be a tough balance to strike. I see these Ed Brown customizations included:

• Machined slide with lightening ports and more and better grasping grooves
• Optic mount (but for Trijicon only)
• Machined locking block
• Machined ejector
• Machined striker
• Machined rear cover plate
• Funky threaded barrel (I don't like it)
• Better than stock sights (but not my choice)
• Apex trigger
• Metal magazine baseplates
• Machined frame pins
• Improved captive guide rod

 

That's a lot of stuff, but it comes at a cost of about $1,350.

 

I've asked them if I could order a customized M&P with just the features I want, but they said not at this time. So it's "custom," but not really custom. And it "only" comes with two magazines instead of the three I would have expected.

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by BobRockefeller

[45 Raven]

I cannot answer your question, but I called and spoke with CS at Ed Brown and discussed these pistols.

 

I came away with a conclusion similar to yours . . . .  disappointed that they will not or cannot tailor the desired features to the customer's choice.  The "funky" threaded barrel is the biggest turn-off for me, too.

[BobRockefeller]

A more careful look at the Ed Brown site and I think I can answer a couple of my own questions.

 

The magwell is also sold as a separate item that appears to connect via the back strap connector. So I'd call that removable.

 

The pictures show a stipple pattern on the grip that looks just like the stock M&P grips.

 

I suppose the value is up to the buyer. I can do much of what they've done (that I'd want done) with new parts and some work with my bench-top mill. Their locking block would be near impossible to duplicate. I wonder how much that really improves accuracy?

[SteelCityShooter]

Almost all of those "enhancements" seem cosmetic to me and their functionality is questionable.   A "machined rear cover plate"?  What for?  Metal magazine base plates, machined frame pins?  Same question, other than cost what do they contribute?

[Sarge]

2 minutes ago, SteelCityShooter said:

Almost all of those "enhancements" seem cosmetic to me and their functionality is questionable. 

  Metal magazine plates? Heavier than stock plastic means drop faster. Also IIRC M&P basepads had huge front lip that made it easy to snag a second mag if too close together. Lastly  more durable when hitting floor, rocks etc

 

[BobRockefeller]

10 minutes ago, SteelCityShooter said:

Almost all of those "enhancements" seem cosmetic to me and their functionality is questionable.   A "machined rear cover plate"?  What for?  Metal magazine base plates, machined frame pins?  Same question, other than cost what do they contribute?

 

Many depend on whether you “need” it or not. Threaded barrel? More grasping grooves?

 

But the rear cover plate is just because.

[fstbandit]

IIRC the slide is completely made by them from stock. Which is why they have quite a few OEM slides for sale on the site. I havent shot one, but I have held one and they are significantly tighter than factory.

[ryan45kim]

How many bullets can you buy for $1350.00. If my goal is to improve I’d choose Bullets and training over “custom” features. 

[The Donald]

I saw the Ed Brown M&P's, I was not impressed. Rather build my own M&P with Apex barrel & trigger, Dawson sights and whatever magwell/basepads I like. I can stipple the grip myself.

[BobRockefeller]

2 minutes ago, The Donald said:

I saw the Ed Brown M&P's, I was not impressed. Rather build my own M&P with Apex barrel & trigger, Dawson sights and whatever magwell/basepads I like. I can stipple the grip myself.

 

That’s my take, too. I was hoping for some input from Ed Brown M&P owners.

 

The “only” thing Ed Brown offers that’s hard to get elsewhere is the machined locking block, and I don’t know how much real accuracy effect it has. 

[SteelCityShooter]

On 5/21/2020 at 6:18 PM, Sarge said:

Metal magazine plates? Heavier than stock plastic means drop faster. Also IIRC M&P basepads had huge front lip that made it easy to snag a second mag if too close together. Lastly  more durable when hitting floor, rocks etc

Heavier, probably but how much faster does the magazine have to eject?   Also, the plastic used for the OEM base pads is really tough and impact resistant.  I expect it will look a lot better and less scratched and dinged than the metal ones after a few falls onto a hard surface.

[Sarge]

1 hour ago, SteelCityShooter said:

Heavier, probably but how much faster does the magazine have to eject?   

For me? It wouldn’t make a bit of difference? But some live and die by the clock and a hundredth of a second means a lot.

  I ran Compact model basepads so I could get the mags a little closer together. That was in the days when Production didn’t allow even trimming the stock basepads.

[P Taylor]

I recently purchased and installed a Floyds carry mag well on a 2.0 which looks like it is the same product as the Ed Brown product.  It is made to grip the flared portion at the bottom of the front strap on the front and the rear is held with the pin that holds the grip inserts in place. The pin has a different head which keeps the length of the mag well the same as the head of the stock pin.