[rswaz]

I had an opportunity to check out one of the new black M&P .45 pistols at A&S Indoor Pistol Range in Youngwood PA. Their prices were competitive and I was tempted to take one home to add it to my M&P collection, but I must admit that I was very disappointed with the quality of the pistol. The finish on the slide was not nearly as good as my other M&Ps and they have about 800 rounds each through them. I have seen other references to the quality of the magazines, but I don't have a problem with those, they are supposed to be inside the pistol and not something that needs to have a polished appearance, but both pistols (they had one with night sights as well) looked like S&W was in a hurry to rush them to market. I am not looking for a show piece, I expect my guns to be functional tools, but for $500+, I think that when they are new, they should look like like it.



What is everyone else seeing out there on the street? Did I just run into a few quality "exceptions"?

 

[DIESEL 40]

you know i was wondering the same thing. i thought the gun was being used by the employees at the range and it looked worn and beat. but i went to another store figuring it was just the gun but the finish was the same. CRAP! but i went through this when i bought my M&P 40. as soon as a got it three months later i found out they had made upgrades and fixed slight problems. so much for impulse buying. i am very happy with my 40 so i think i will wait this time and see if there are any changes made. i havent had a chance to shoot it but im sure its nice. fix the finish!

 

[m4arc]

The one that I fondled looked like the extractor came off a completely different gun. However that wouldn't have prevented me from buying one.

 

[Whisper]

The finish on the extractors on the M&P45 does seem to be a problem (although it's pretty slight). I now have two of these guns, and the finish on the extractors on both guns looked worn when the guns came out of the box. I've examined M&P 9s and .40s that did not have this problem -- the extractors were finished just as nicely as the slides.



Again, it's a minor cosmetic issue, and doesn't really concern me, but all you have to do is put the .45 next to a .40 or a 9 and you can easily see that the finish on the extractor on the .45 is not right.



Of course, if you're going to have the slide and its components refinished for a two-tone look....



Cheers,

Whisper

 

[rjhauser]

my only complaint is that the finish on the barrel wore off during the hand cycling of it....



but other than that, refinishing is cheap.



and it makes pretty ragged holes.

so looks do not bother me.

 

[4864]

I looked at the slide on my 45 the other day. On the end toward the barrel the finnish is un-even. Under the M&P logo is a spot the size of a pin hole that the finnish didn't take to. I can see the steel. Other then that the gun looks and shoots fine. I didn't notice this when I bought it. I don't know if I wouldn't have bought if I did. :?:

 

[coltman1985]

If it bothers, call S&W and ask them! You might be surprised of their response.

 

[UPSguy]

I have seen one if person at Adco before it was sold. To me, and I am a picky PITA, it looked awful compared to the 9/40s. I didn't find the finish too objectionable but found tons on machining marks on the slide. Now, this is not a customized 1911, it is a tool for serious business, so a few marks shouldn't matter. Does make on wonder though, how come the difference between the .45s and the smaller calibers? I have a .45 coming from another dealer as Steve's had the safety and I did not want that version. The other dealer said he got 10, 2 of them didn't look too good and I am not getting one of those.

 

[TXbug]

I must be going blind. I looked at the first batch to arrive at a local shop and I did not see any difference in quality between the 45 and the 40 and 9 mm next to it, They all looked good to me.

===================================================================

The can make it illegal but they can't make it unpopular.

 

[gotm4]

I'm very disappointed in the quality of the mags. I predict they won't last long. Mine aren't even welded all the way up to the top of the mag. I think the feed lips will spread out eventually. If/When this happens and S&W hasn't redesigned them, it'll be for sale.

 

[Old Navy]

My Mag's are not welded all the way to the top, but that last 3/16" never made a difference on my old S&W 915 that was 15 years old when I sold it with original mags. The thing I don't like is the mag's are a dull matt looking finish matching the rest of the gun. I like the SS or shinny blue mags of my other pistols, but for a tactical pistol I can understand the reason behind the matt finish.

 

[TAZ]

So far I have been able to handle at least 3 samples from 3 different dealers, but same serial number range (MPR I think). All threee had different levels of finish on them. The very first one I saw had piss poor "bluing" on the extractor and take down lever and had a LOT of ugly machining marks on the barrel. The second had bad "bluing" on the extractor and take down lever, but the machining marks were all but gone. The final only had issues with teh "bluing" on the extractor.



To date the finish issue is my only reason for NOT owning an MP45 and continuing to use my G21SF. Its not that I want a pretty gun, but the lack of QC about things as obvious as the finish on external components leaves doubt in my mind as to the QC of the rest of the gun. S&W warranty is great, but I'd rather not plunk down $500+ on a gun and have to send it back to factory straight off. I am still intending to buy one, but will wait till the first few runs get through the factory and things on the prdouction line settle into a more normal manner of operation. I am sure that the first runs were done in a hurry to meet demand and things got overlooked.

 

[Whisper]

The thing I don't like is the mag's are a dull matt looking finish matching the rest of the gun. I like the SS or shinny blue mags of my other pistols, but for a tactical pistol I can understand the reason behind the matt finish.

The mags for my .45 had some kind of film on them; sort of like dishes that have gone through a dishwasher without detergent in it. I wiped them down with Break-Free and they look much better. They're still not as shiny as 9mm mags, but at least now they don't look defective. Again, it looks like the .45s were rushed out the door as fast as could be, and perhaps some final cleaning and detailing was missed. Plus, the guy in charge of putting the finish on the extractors shouldn't be smoking crack on the job.



All that aside, the .45s are fantastic guns.



Cheers,

Whisper

 

[TomN]

I am very happy with the finish on my .45, however, I checked another one out today with the thumb safety and was amazed at the finish on that one. The finish on the extractor was chipping off on the top and bottom, and the pins looked silver on one side. Definately a QC issue I'd think. I would have been leery of buying it.

 

[WarEagle]

I hope S&W improves the quality of the MP45 soon. I'm planning to purchase one soon but these reports are making me think differently. If I'm going to pay $500-$600 for a firearm, I would like for it to be one without QC, finish and design problems.

 

[buckeye49]

I hope S&W improves the quality of the MP45 soon. I'm planning to purchase one soon but these reports are making me think differently. If I'm going to pay $500-$600 for a firearm, I would like for it to be one without QC, finish and design problems.

Ditto on that!

 

[Old Navy]

I hope S&W improves the quality of the MP45 soon. I'm planning to purchase one soon but these reports are making me think differently. If I'm going to pay $500-$600 for a firearm, I would like for it to be one without QC, finish and design problems.

I don't care about the looks so much for this type of firearm, I just want it to go bang when I pull the trigger and do it without fail or hic-ups. So far it does just that, but I still haven't fired this one enough to be sure of that as yet.

 

[BrokenArrow]

I have two, both are fine, look as good as the two 9s and two 40s I have. I suspect there are 9/40s out there that look worse than my 45s...



The Melonite finish on the stainless parts cannot wear off. The color can fade, but the finish is still there.



Melonite is another registered trade name for Tenifer. Another is Tufftride. Uses different chemicals in the salt baths, but the hardness, lubricity, and corrosion resistance is the same. The Tenifer/Melonite/Tufftride process is not owned by Glock. Last time I checked the rights were owned by the Durferrit division of the HEF Group through HEF USA.

 

[Out West]

What if there is another explanation? Something other than QC? I read on another board that the issues reported here on the magazines and the extractor were related to the application of a military spec. finish. While the appearance is less satisfying the utility and function are not impacted.



Maybe dumping on S&W for QC issues is premature.



Out West

 

[Old Navy]

Makes sense if you stop and think about how all the original 1911's and M92's looked and felt when they were excepted for military service. You do not want a tight fitting slide and other parts for a service pistol, if you want it to fire as soon as you pick it up out of the sand, mud or fail just because it is dirty from a firing a couple of mag's in a combat senerio.



This is the first thing I would look for in a carry pistol, reliability, not how pretty it looks and how super tight everything is fitting. If I ever have to wade a river or swamps again, carrying a tight Kimber or Para LDA is the last thing I want, I want my new M&P45 or a old 1911-A1 and the M&P would be first choice due to extra 3 rounds.