[ER_STL]

My M&P9 that I ordered from Bud's came in today. I put about 40 rounds through it while the store owner was filling out the paper work. A few casual observations:



1. The finish on the slide left a little to be desired. There's a scuff/swirl on the top that won't wipe off. Overall it leaves a little to be desired next to an NIB Glock. I'm not too worried as this gun's not going to be a safe queen but it would have been nice for it to be a little cleaner. Anyone else experience this?



2. Sellier & Bellot, 115gr. FMJ ammo was shooting low at 10 yards. Oddly enough, I almost prefer to have the front sight on my target instead of under it so it didn't matter too much. I'm not a particularly good bullseye shooter anyway. The owner put 5-10 rounds through it and had a nice, tight group that was dead-center but 3-4" low.



3. The slide has a little more play in it than my Glock. Again, not an issue if it performs as expected.



4. Gun still feels much better in my hand than my Glock.

It will probably need a small amount of grip-tape where the base of my support hand thumb contacts. It's not a problem with dry hands but may be with wet ones.



5. Overall the fit and finish of the gun is probably one step below that of a Glock but it's still acceptable for a CCW gun that will likely see thousands of draws and shots.





I'll post more after I put 100-200 rounds through it. I'm excited to finally get it and I'm looking forward to shooting the p!ss out of it.

 

[Adam5]

I bought one last week after selling my Glock 17. The M&P feels more natural in my hand and shoots exactly to the point of aim. Some friends and I ran a few hundred rounds of Remington 115gr FMJ, some 124gr Speer Gold Dots, and some 147gr Hornady TAP through it. It ran accurately and flawlessly the whole time. The slide/frame play is less that the G17 and the finish is perfect on it. As soon as I took off the medium grip and put the large on, I knew that I had the right one on it. IMO it shoot way better than my G17 did or my wife's XD-9 Tactical.

 

[ER_STL]

Yeah, I rented an M&P9 a month or so ago before buying this one:



http://mp-pistol.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=4750



Shooting wise it's an improvement over my G19. What I'm attempting to do here is give unbiased impressions as I have them. The truth is the M&P fits me like a glove and if it turns out to be as reliable as my Glock then it will be my new CCW. Fit and finish ultimately won't matter to me but it may to the next potential buyer who comes and searches the site.

 

[harrydog]

I also find the slide to frame fit to be tighter on my M&P9 than on the G23 and G17 that I sold. The finish has no flaws. Point of impact is close to perfect at 7 yards.

I'm very happy with it.

 

[lugnut]

Congrats. Wrt the shooting low. The front dot IS supposed to be over the target... they're combat sights. 6 O'Clock hold isn't appropriate.

 

[FieroCDSP]

Wrt the shooting low. The front dot IS supposed to be over the target... they're combat sights. 6 O'Clock hold isn't appropriate

I was not aware of that. Hmm...

 

[ER_STL]

After cleaning the M&P the finish is in a much more respectable condition. Also, I compared the play in the slide directly with my G19 and they're about the same. So, scratch those two observations...



The frame tool is a PITA to extract from the gun. I had to use pliers to turn it and then a screwdriver to pop it out. I was careful with the pliers and I used a terrycloth to keep from tearing anything up but when I pried under the tool to remove it I "dented" the inside. You really can't see it when it's back on the gun but of course I know it's there...lol.



Of the three palm swells the largest feels the best in my hand. I'll try and switch them at the range to see if/how each affects my shooting.

 

[coltman1985]

The flat edge of the mag basepad works well for turning the tool!! Congrats!!

 

[M&P Australia]

The frame tool is a PITA to extract from the gun. I had to use pliers to turn it and then a screwdriver to pop it out. I was careful with the pliers and I used a terrycloth to keep from tearing anything up but when I pried under the tool to remove it I "dented" the inside. You really can't see it when it's back on the gun but of course I know it's there...lol.

You'll probably notice that the grip frame tool will get easier to use every time that you change grip inserts. Mine was like that.



Stu

 

[greener]

I only use the frame tool for changing backstraps. The manual suggests using the frame tool to move the sear deactivation lever during field stripping. I use anything handy (screw driver, keys, finger, pocket knife, twigs) rather than remove the frame tool. Much easier.



Mine has fired any ammunition I've put in it flawlessly for about 3k rounds. Ergonomics are great. I bought it because it felt better than the Glocks and XD's I looked at. When I told my son-in-law I bought one, his response, excluding profanity, was worked-over Sigma with none of the mistakes removed. When he fired it, he had a much better opinion of the pistol.



My only knock is I don't shoot the M&P as accurately as I do other handguns, some I've fired for the first time. I think that's me and not the pistol. Mine is a very dependable pistol that will put rounds about where I thought they were going. I'm pleased with it overall.

 

[ER_STL]

I'm pleasantly surprised with the trigger. I've put about an additional 200 dry-fire rounds through it and the trigger is starting to break in a little. It still has a considerable amount of grit during the initial take-up but my Glock isn't very smooth there either so I'm used to it. This trigger breaks clean and predictable and the reset is noticeable enough.

You'll probably notice that the grip frame tool will get easier to use every time that you change grip inserts. Mine was like that.



Stu

Yeah, it's starting to loosen up a bit. I think I'm going to stick with the large backstrap unless it poses any CCW problems so I shouldn't have to use it anymore. I followed everything else's recommendations and used a small screwdriver for takedown.