[drw2514]

It was my second time renting the 9mm version. I had rented it a while ago, and then I rented the .40 version (in which the recoil was bordering on ridiculous...it made me bleed for crying out loud...I'm not exactly recoil shy, either...I can shoot my 3" gp100 with magnum loads all day, and my old glock 23 was nowhere near as bad as the mp40...obviously, ymmv...anyway, I digress...)



Shooting the 9mm version was incredibly easy compared to the .40. I did really well with it the first time I rented it, so I rented it again

just to make sure it wasn't a fluke...



I'd say I did pretty good, and I currently have one on layaway. I don't really have the money to get one now as I'm a poor recent college grad still paying of loans...



I was just so happy with the dang thing I had to share...I went through a total of 300 rounds in about an hour with -0- malfunctions. the grip was wonderful and I felt as though I could hit anything I wanted with this gun. I shot my 1911 afterwards and was somewhat disappointed...



The picture shows the result of the first two magazines...30 rounds at 10 yards...all in one ragged hole with one 'flier.' Sorry for the quality, cameraphone...



Can't wait to get my hands on one!

 

[m4arc]

Good deal. However, you're the first person I've heard complain about the .40 cal. Everyone says how easy and soft it shoots. I wonder if there is something wrong with the one you rented?

 

[raz-0]

Good deal. However, you're the first person I've heard complain about the .40 cal. Everyone says how easy and soft it shoots. I wonder if there is something wrong with the one you rented?

ditto, at worst I'd put it on par with similar guns. Also how the heck did it make you bleed? I'm failing to see where one might come in contact with sharp edges.

 

[drw2514]

The base of my thumb on my right hand started to bleed after repeated bashing upon recoil. I adjusted my grip every which way to no avail. High grip, low grip, offset grip, tight, loose, whatever, I still got bashed and there was a significant amount of blood on the gun after each magazine. I have no idea what was happening. I thought there might be a problem with the gun itself so I had my buddy try it and he had no problems whatsoever, and he said that he thought it was recoiling pretty light as well. I guess this particular gun/caliber combination doesn't work for me. I'll stick with it in 9mm.

 

[m4arc]

Was the slide was hitting your strong hand or your support hand?



I'm confused...

 

[jtaliani]

Impressive shooting! I have the 9 as well but have shot the 40 on many ocassions and have not had a problem. I imagine it has something to do with the grip but who knows without being there. Either way, you're getting a great gun. 9 or 40 you can't go wrong.

 

[drw2514]

I shoot right handed. What was happening was that upon recoil, the beavertail portion of the frame would impact the base of my thumb on my strong (right) hand. No matter how I gripped the gun, it would still happen. I did not notice the gun flopping around in my hand or anything like that, just the blood and pain from impact. I consciously adjusted and monitored my grip after I realized what was happening and still could not figure out what the heck I was doing wrong (if anything). Oh well, I'm perfectly suited with the nine.



On a side note, I shot the .40 just as well as I did the nine.

 

[Dan Burwell]

I would guess the roll pin was sticking out just enough to bite your thumb. Sometimes they stick out just a bit and I know they will hit the first joint of my thumb just right to make it sore as well. Easy fix just beat the the roll pin into proper place and no blood.

 

[snscott]

I don't know. I watched my dad shoot an XD-9, the MP40, and an HK 45 and I actually cringed when he fired the 40 because I thought he was going to bonk himself in the head with it in recoil. It was significantly flipping up and back way more than the 9mm or 45 for him.



Note, I am not faulting the MP. I'm just saying the .40 S&W round has quite a lot of kick to it no matter what gun it comes out of.



(And yet nearly every gun review / range report I read of ANY .40 handgun invariably, almost always claims THAT particular gun being reviewed "tames the .40 snap well" or is "the softest shooting .40 I have ever shot!"

)



Makes me wonder how nasty the 10mm recoil is.

 

[Dan Burwell]

I have never cared much for the snap of the 40 the M&P I think makes it tolerable. I never thought the recoil of the 40 was worth the power when compareed to 9s or 45s. Of corse now I carry a M&P40 everyday but will certainly switch over to the M&P45 when it comes out.



FWIW I think the 10mm's feel more like the roll of the 45 rather than the snap of the 40 and would certainly buy one or two M&P 10s if they ever make one. Nothing like more power than a 45 plus the capacity of a 40.

 

[drw2514]

I'm pretty sure the pins weren't sticking out...I think I would've noticed that, but I could very well be wrong. I'll take a look at the gun next time I go to the range to see. The blood wasn't on the side near the roll pin anyway, it was on the bottom of the beavertail on the right hand side of the gun. If I held the gun in my hand, the blood spot on the gun matched up perfectly with the wound on my hand (on the last knuckle of my right thumb, almost into the web between the thumb and forefinger). And no, the wound wasn't already there before I started shooting. It developed in the course of shooting the .40. I've tried to like the .40S&W cartridge, but I just can't develop a fondness for it. I feel as though I shoot the 9mm and .45 much better (and more comfortably!) I think the recoil on the .40 just slammed the frame of the gun into my thumb so hard that it caused the problem, no matter how hard or high I gripped.



I agree about the 10mm...would love to see an MP in 10. I shot a glock 20 at the range a while ago and that thing was fun! Ammo was freakin' expensive, but the experience was worth it. That gun was no where near as bad as the MP40 was for me, much more of a push back and a little up. I'm pretty sure I wasn't shooting a pussycat load in it, either (all they had was cci blazer). I understand that 10mm loads can be quite powerful!



So anyway, it's a 9mm for now (that kind of sounds like I feel like I'm settling...I don't...I love 9mm because it's cheap, plentiful, comfortable and plenty effective). I'll most likely get a .45 when it comes out, but something about a .45ACP round out of a barrel any shorter than 5" doesn't sit right with me...anyone know how long the MP45 barrel will be?

 

[MP4ME]

Geez, I didn't know the .40 had so much flip to it. Yikes! I kind of find this a bit disconcerting since I have been looking forward to getting an M&P 40.

 

[jtaliani]

MP4ME,

I certainly wouldn't have any doubts about getting the 40, it is very much an individual thing. The second gun my 5'3"ish 100lb. girlfriend ever shot was an M&P40 and she was suprised at how little recoil it had. Don't rule it out without giving it a try.

 

[Dan Burwell]

I don't think the 40 has much flip it is just the recoil impulse is on the snappy side. you can see in this vid of me shooting the M&P40 in a match with full power loads the muzzle flip is it not bad at all.



http://www.burwellgunsmithing.com/video/Stage6.wmv

 

[m4arc]

Geez, I didn't know the .40 had so much flip to it. Yikes! I kind of find this a bit disconcerting since I have been looking forward to getting an M&P 40.

While I don't mean any ill-will towards drw2514 but he's the first person I've heard (out of dozens) that has thought this about the M&P40. Everyone has said it feels more like a 9mm.

 

[snscott]

This made me remember, back when I first got the MP40 (my first and only .40), we took it to the range for an initial test run and my wife barely managed to fire, maybe, nine rounds out of it before she gave up and said it was hurting her hand too much to continue. She is prone to limp-wristing, though. She has not had this pain problem with .38 +P, 9mm, or .45.



So make sure the web of your hand is up hard, good and tight, against the beavertail on the MP.



I don't find its recoil painful, but it does seem to buck UP a bit more than my 9mm or 45. I am getting better at controlling that, though.



I got an XD45 Service model for Christmas and I am finding it much easier to get back on target for follow-up shots with it (feels like less muzzle flip than even on my nose-heavy full size HK USP 45). So I am really looking forward to the MP platform in .45.

 

[snscott]

Wow, Dan, you've certain got the flip well under control in that video. If you had not told me that was a .40, I would have assumed it was a 9mm!

Excellent.

 

[drw2514]

I had read what everybody had said about the recoil of the .40 before I tried it, so maybe my expectations were too high to begin with. For me, personally, it wasn't what I expected it to be. Oh well, in my opinion, I'm better suited with the nine because I don't ccw and it won't be my first choice for home defense (marine magnum gets the nod in that instance). Odds are it'll be relegated to range duty and provide immense amusement in that role!

 

[m4arc]

No worries drw2514, I'm not a big fan of the .40 S&W either.

 

[MP4ME]

[quote name='MP4ME']Geez, I didn't know the .40 had so much flip to it. Yikes! I kind of find this a bit disconcerting since I have been looking forward to getting an M&P 40.

While I don't mean any ill-will towards drw2514 but he's the first person I've heard (out of dozens) that has thought this about the M&P40. Everyone has said it feels more like a 9mm.[/quote]



That's what I thought. Thanks.