So, I sold the Beretta 84 and got the Compact 9 in its place. I am very pleased so far with my decision.
I really loved the Beretta's for their design and quality, and have always been leery of the polymer frame guns. But the .380 ammo was costing an arm and a leg at the range so I knew I wanted to switch to a 9. I started thinking more about the polymers and was really waiting for Beretta to release the Compact PX4 into the wild. As they took their time I started looking around.
At first the M&P line did not appeal to me at all, the Glocks were so hideous aesthetically, and the HK's were priced way beyond belief. But when the M&P compact came out and I was able to handle one in the store it just seemed right. I held the FS M&P, and then held the FS PX4 in my other hand, and the S&W just seemed like a much better gun all the way around. Feel, weight, texture, look, price...you name it.
So I have put 200 through it so far, and I am really having fun shooting this little mama. I am far more accurate with this than with the Beretta. I am still working on getting some consistency with the S&W, but it seems more user error than anything. The trigger could use some work but it has some great features.
I like being able to slam a mag, and have the slide release on its own. I like also having a slide release that I can actually get to with my thumb (with the small handstrap). I'm not crazy about the disassembly though. It seems odd to me to have to whip out a tool from the bottom of the gun to field strip it. I wish they would have made it to where you could disengage that lever with a finger or put it on the external frame. Oh well.
So onto the questions:
1. Do they/Will they make a .22 conversion kit for these for some fun and cheap plinking?
2. I think it would work but haven't tried it yet - could you have one in the chamber and not have it cocked? I imagine if you take your loaded mag and put it to the side - take a single bullet and drop it down the empty magwell with the slug facing towards the barrel - and then tilt the gun so the bullet would slide into the chamber - then load the mag - then just by moving the slide a 1/2'' back it would cock the gun when you wanted it.
I really loved the Beretta's for their design and quality, and have always been leery of the polymer frame guns. But the .380 ammo was costing an arm and a leg at the range so I knew I wanted to switch to a 9. I started thinking more about the polymers and was really waiting for Beretta to release the Compact PX4 into the wild. As they took their time I started looking around.
At first the M&P line did not appeal to me at all, the Glocks were so hideous aesthetically, and the HK's were priced way beyond belief. But when the M&P compact came out and I was able to handle one in the store it just seemed right. I held the FS M&P, and then held the FS PX4 in my other hand, and the S&W just seemed like a much better gun all the way around. Feel, weight, texture, look, price...you name it.
So I have put 200 through it so far, and I am really having fun shooting this little mama. I am far more accurate with this than with the Beretta. I am still working on getting some consistency with the S&W, but it seems more user error than anything. The trigger could use some work but it has some great features.
I like being able to slam a mag, and have the slide release on its own. I like also having a slide release that I can actually get to with my thumb (with the small handstrap). I'm not crazy about the disassembly though. It seems odd to me to have to whip out a tool from the bottom of the gun to field strip it. I wish they would have made it to where you could disengage that lever with a finger or put it on the external frame. Oh well.
So onto the questions:
1. Do they/Will they make a .22 conversion kit for these for some fun and cheap plinking?
2. I think it would work but haven't tried it yet - could you have one in the chamber and not have it cocked? I imagine if you take your loaded mag and put it to the side - take a single bullet and drop it down the empty magwell with the slug facing towards the barrel - and then tilt the gun so the bullet would slide into the chamber - then load the mag - then just by moving the slide a 1/2'' back it would cock the gun when you wanted it.