[machgt]

I had a good time with it. I've been going back and forth on which one I want to purchase. I plan to sell my sigma to my brother and upgrade to something a bit nicer. (my only complaint of the sigma is the heavy trigger, but that has taught me to keep my hands more still during the trigger pull)



Honestly, both guns shot pretty much the same for me. I shot from about 10 and 20 yards and my groups were a touch better with the M&P but a few fliers from jerking the trigger early on. I'm pretty new to shooting handguns yet so I don't claim to have a lot of skill there.



My only complaint of the M&P was the small slide lock tab. I like to flip it down with my thumb after loading a fresh mag but this was almost impossible. My understanding is that this was an early model M&P and the newer ones have a larger slide release so I need to see how that feels



My overall impressions were that the triggers felt identical but the ergonomics of the M&P were better. I believe it had the biggest back strap and I would like to try the medium out. I'm leaning towards the M&P still and if the new slide stop is in fact easier to operate then I will definitely pick one up come January!

 

[G56]

Welcome!

I also looked at the XD, and I had shot one and liked it, at the time I hadn't seen a new MP yet, but when I was finally ready to buy the MP's had come in, and they were in the same price range, but the MP has better ergonomics than the XD, the XD is good, but the MP is better. The slide on the MP is stainless with a black Melonite finish, the previous finish on the XD wasn't very good, but the new XD's have the Melonite finish, but over carbon steel not stainless. The MP holds more ammo in the magazine than the XD, another advantage, and frankly the MP is better looking!

As far as the slide release goes, I was always taught to load a new mag and then retract the slide to put one in the chamber, about the only time I use the slide release is when I'm cleaning it.

 

[machgt]

Maybe that is a bad habit that I have developed. It is easy to flip the mag catch on my sigma so that's how I have always done it. I haven't taken any handgun coarses but have general experience with firearms and like to think that I am very safety concious with them.

 

[Captain Ray]

I own an XD9, and an XD .45 acp. I love them both! I also love my M&P!



I have an earlier model M&P.. MPAxxx and just got around to replacing the slide stop this evening. It's still kind of a chore to release the slide using the slide stop... but like G56, it's not a feature I use very often.



One advantage the M&P has over the XD is the ability to change backstraps... If the feel is better with the smaller backstraps, then that is a luxury the XD does not offer. As far as reliablility goes.. You can't go wrong either way...



Oh.. one last thing... The M&P is a MUCH more attractive gun... no matter how much I love my XD's, I have to give Smith & Wesson the nod on the looks.



Raymond

 

[999]

I was in the same boat you're in about a month ago. I went for the M&P .40 over the XD after spending weeks researching both guns. I felt the ergonomics of the M&P edged out the XD. I like the ambidextrous slide stop and mag release of the M&P.



I am finding the more I shoot the M&P, the more I like it. I am very happy with my M&P.



Oh, and I will say the folks at the MP-Pistol forum have a lot of nice tips to offer. I am looking forward to this one...



http://mp-pistol.com/boards/viewtopic.php?...light=range+bag

 

[TAZ]

I was in the same boat a while back and went the XD route simply cause it came in 45ACP and I had no desire for the 40 or 9mm. Ergonomically the MP40 felt better in my hand, but of the polymer 45's out there the XD was it. With the new MP45 out soon, my wallet is going to take a hurting as its in the lead among the many new models coming to market.



I would stick with the gun whose ergonomics felt the best. It will be more comfortable to shoot, which will translate into a more plesent range experiences which in turn will translate in to better shooting over the long run.



As for the slide stop; from a defensive standpoint it is unwise to practice using it to drop the slide during a reload/load. In a stressfull situation one of the first things to do out the window is fine motor control. Finding that little tab with your thumb is easy during a range session where nobody is shooting back, but can be next to impossible when youre scared ****less trying to stay alive. Also, as has been noted on this forum quite a few times, the MP really likes a HIGH hold. If you put a HUGE slide stop lever in place, it may interfere with the grip or visa versa your grip may interfere with it locking open properly after the last round.

 

[matt7184]

As for the slide stop; from a defensive standpoint it is unwise to practice using it to drop the slide during a reload/load. In a stressfull situation one of the first things to do out the window is fine motor control. Finding that little tab with your thumb is easy during a range session where nobody is shooting back, but can be next to impossible when youre scared ****less trying to stay alive. Also, as has been noted on this forum quite a few times, the MP really likes a HIGH hold. If you put a HUGE slide stop lever in place, it may interfere with the grip or visa versa your grip may interfere with it locking open properly after the last round.

Not the fine motor skill argument again... :roll:



What is pulling the trigger, reloading a magazine, pressing a magazine button, flipping a safety to fire?



And you don't need an extended slide stop to use the slide release. That is what left thumbs are for (same way as I practice on a 1911).



The key is training.....



Enjoy the read through all 5 pages:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&...f=4&t=36530

 

[rmsmith2004]

Slide stop

During the handgun training at our local Sheriff's Office range, we went through single-handed shooting drills with both strong hand only and weak hand only. This included reloading. It was to simulate having one or the other disabled during combat. We were trained to drop the slide using the slide stop lever with the shooting hand.

 

[TAZ]

What is pulling the trigger, reloading a magazine, pressing a magazine button, flipping a safety to fire?

The key is training.....

Excellent points, especially on the training. However, the other fine motor skills that are involved, mag release, reload are all necessary evils with no way around them using our current firearms technologies. Safeties have been eliminated in many popular gun designs for this reason. If there is away around having to manipulate small things, it is better in a stressfull situation.



I guess my point was that if there was a way to eliminate as many of the "fine motor" tasks as possible, we should be doing them.



In the long run, though, you are absolutely correct in that proper training will minimize the issue of missing the slide stop. The key is proper training, which has to involve stress.

 

[999]

Even though this almost a diversion from the initial posting on this thread, I am with Matt7184 on the slide stop issue.



I also feel that the 15+1 capacity of the MP .40 is probably enough to handle most situations. And that brings us back to comparing the MP to the XD. The XD .40 holds 12+1.

 

[Stupidman]

I have both the M&P9 and the XD9. And there both nice but I am not going to keep the XD. Ever since I've got my M&P and the new Sig p226 I just can't justify keeping the XD.

 

[dlgoldston]

XD and M&P

Before I purchased my M&P my husband had me play with the XD also, and I liked the way the M&P felt. After buying it and shooting it I LOVE IT but the slide stop was also an issue for me. At the placed I purchased mine they told me to call Smith and Wesson and they will upgrade that slide stop for you at no charge. So I am mailing mine out today to have that done. Being a female for me that slide stop was very hard to push down and it took alot of strength to do it basically for me both hands which I know is not the way it's suppose to be.

 

[Zerwas]

Yeah, I'm in the camp of those that believe the little tab is a slide stop not a slide release. I like it just the way it is. i have no issues with prematurely locking the slide to the rear, which is very important with my high thumb hold.



Celebrate diversity

 

[machgt]

I'd love an M&P but they seem to be extremely rare in Iowa right now. I've called around a bit and there is one about an hour and a half from here for around $530 though. I may have to find an FFL and see if I can get one from buds

 

[raz-0]

I'd love an M&P but they seem to be extremely rare in Iowa right now. I've called around a bit and there is one about an hour and a half from here for around $530 though. I may have to find an FFL and see if I can get one from buds

Unless you get in on the $369/$399 deal, which varies, the $530 price isn't bad. Normal going price is like $440+ plus about $35 to ship it, plus probably $25 for a transfer fee. $30 isn't too bad of a gotta have it now tax, especially since buds seems to be out of the plain jane variety in 40.

 

[machgt]

I just ordered one of the last ones that Bud's has in stock for $399

gonna cost a total of $459.97 with transfer fee/shipping/tax





I'm a bit giddy here

if my FFL gets all the paperwork faxed right away, it should ship out in the morning!

 

[buckeye49]

I have had several XDs. I should have kept at least the first one, 4" black in 40S&W, but didn't. I also bought a 4" with a stainless slide in 40 S&W and should have kept it too, but didn't. I also had the 5" tactical in black in 40, but didnt' keep it either. I now have the 4" in black in 9mm (the older finish) but it has night sights, which I really like, so it is a keeper. I also bought an XD Sub-Compact, 3" barrel, in 40 S&W with the new melonite finish (and will keep cause I just ordered a new leather IWB holster for it). I also have the S&W M&P 40, which I sent back to S&W to have the slide stop/slide release replaced. The new slide stop/release is the same size as the original one, only the replacement one is slightly slanted, so you can actually get some leverage with your thumb on it to release it. I can release the slide both ways, using the slide stop, or by using my weak hand to retract the slide fully to chamber a round. I like both ways. I also bought an M&P 40 in 9mm. I saw the new M&P Compact and held it, but could not see spenidng the extra money for it, so I bought the full size M&P 9 instead. There are only 2 things that I wish the M&P had, like the XD has: (1) I wish the loaded chamber indicator on the M&P was like the XD's (which protrudes up so you can feel that there is a round chambered, even in the dark). (2) I wish the striker would stick out the basck of the gun on the M&P like the XD does, so you could feel if the gun was cocked, even in the dark. I think these two changes, especially the loaded chamber indicator is a design modifification that S&W should make, and I would think it should't be that costly to modify. I also would not mind having a manual safety for the M&P, although I could do without the magazine- removed safety and could care less about the internal lock. My M&P 40 does not have the internal lock, but the M&P 9 does.

 

[Wilsoncreek]

I have an M&P9 and an XD9. While I am a fan of the XD I'm thinking I'll hang on to the XD long enough to trade it for an M&P45.

 

[machgt]

I picked up my M&P-9 today

it's 2AM so I'm not gonna bother taking pictures and posting them now :q