Archive for January, 2010

Smith and Wesson M&P Fullsize 9mm Review
SN: MPJ (left factory around 10/26)

All photos taken on my LG 8300 Camera Phone (sorry for poor quality)

Well, on the recommendations of those on various forums, I purchased an M&P Full Size 9mm without magazine disconnect or internal lock. For $369 from Bud’s Gun Shop, how could I go wrong?

Box and Package
First thought when I saw the box was how big it was. The box is a standard two clasp big plastic box with foam inside. A nice touch was the foam was cut out for the gun, magazines, and different backstraps.

Aesthetics
The gun isn’t the prettiest gun, but I find it more attractive than a Glock. The fishscale slide serrations are nice and have more grip than straight cut serrations. I like the contoured nose of the slide which makes holstering smoother.

Feel and Ergonomics
If you thought 1911s feel awesome in the hand, you have to try an M&P. The interchangeable backstraps are very well thought out. The gun has the medium on it when you take it out of the box. The small backstrap is very small with the large filling out my hand very nicely. The frontstrap is curved (not squareish like a Glock) so it does not have a 2×4 feel to it. Bravo to S&W to realizing people’s hands are different sizes. This gun allows mass adoption by large organizations and the ability to tailor the firearm to different hands.

The only complaint I have is I wish that the trigger guard was undercut more. After hundreds of draws and shooting the gun, it starts to rub my middle finger raw. This may be due to using the Medium grips instead of larger for my hands however. I keep the medium ones on since it is thinner and seems to help it conceal better.

One major complaint you will hear about Glocks is the grip angle. It is good news to many (including myself) that the M&P points like a 1911. I find myself faster, more comfortable, and more accurate with this grip angle.

Sights
Thankfully, S&W put Novak type sights on the gun. They give a clear sight picture compared to the Glock stock sights. However, the sight picture is not as crisp as a set of Heinie sights of the Warren Tactical Sights. Both companies plan on making M&P sights and the sights are in the prototype stages currently. I am not a fan of dots on the rear so I used the only thing I had near me and tried to black it out. I have found I shoot faster and more accurately with a front dot only set up.

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