I just bought a new M&P 40 cal and i was told by the guns at the gun shop told me that i should just shoot factory ammo thru it for the first 500 round than i can use reloads is that true?

That's a new one for me, everything I shoot are my reloads except .22. Glock 23 .40, Colt 1911A1 .45, XP .40 Subcompact. I have shot a dozen or so factory .40's that were included with the XP when I got it from a private party. My other S&W's & Rugers haven't seen factory ammo for years.

Like flyfisher, most of what I shoot are reloads. I have no qualms about shooting my handloads in new guns. About the only time I shoot factory stuff is when I shoot rentals and the range operators who rent the guns only want factory stuff run though them. I totally understand their concerns and am happy to comply.

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Andy

good idea to run factory ammo through gun first 500-1,000
make sure gun is sound before trying potentially troublesome reloads.
shooting reloads tends to void warranty of a number of manufactured guns.

IMO that would be the only reason not to use reloads during the break-in period, not knowing if a potential problem is the ammo or the gun. BUT, what's to say factory ammo won't be problematic either?

If you have a proven load I would go ahead and shoot it in your new pistol. And as for reloads voiding the warranty, they have to know you're shooting reloads for them to void anything...

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

This is just my opinion, but I'd start out with some decent .40 S&W practice ammunition. I've had very good results with Winchester and Federal. I've been reloading since about 1982. As to reloads in a pistol, I've fired many thousands in the last 30 years with complete satisfaction in a wide variety of pistols and revolvers. I have purchased reloaded ammunition from companies like Georgia Arms. This ammunition has given 100% perfect results in my handguns. I've loaded my own ammunition for my handguns. Load I have worked up and developed have been equally useful. In fact, some of the most accurate and powerful loads I've ever used have been my own handloads. If one uses care with due diligence to the correct procedures in reloading, handloaded ammunition will allow one to have ammunition tailored to the specific handgun and situation/need with which you are dealing. JMHO. Sincerely. brucev.

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<><

The gun is designed to function with factory-spec ammo. That doesn't mean it won't do fine with reloads, but it does mean that a thorough wringing-out with factory ammo is the way to verify that it is functioning properly. I have known several instances of folks trying out new guns with their own ammo only to run in to problems -- failure to fire, eject, etc.-- then sending it back to the factory, only to be frustrated and angered when told it is fine. 500 rounds may be excessive, but it represents a good long break-in, and if it then malfunctions with your reloads you know it is the ammo and not the gun.

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Pisgah

All of my centerfire pistols shoot my reloads. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to shoot nothing but that in any new firearm. I'm not trying to be rude to anyone by saying this but sounds like the guys at your LGS are trying to sell ammo as well and if you know what you're doing reloaded ammunition will be more consistent than any factory loading. If the gun won't function with your properly loaded ammo then it probably will have issues with factory.

My Ruger 44Spl and my Model 624 have never seen any factory ammo at all. My Ruger 45 convertible has never seen 45Colt factory ammo,only some factory 45acp at times.

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U.S.A.F---E-7--Retired

For the most part, I only shoot reloads. Yet, I managed to get a bit inattentive and produced a batch of .45 ACPs with a few very slightly high primers. When I took my brand new M&P .45 to the range late last year, I had several light hits and failures to fire. Initially blaming the gun, I was getting ready to contact S&W when I decided to fire some factory loads that worked perfectly, with nice, healthy primer indents. Back tracking, I discovered the high primers.

So, by all means use reloads but, if you have any stoppages of any kind, go to factory ammunition to better ascertain where the problem lies. Also, at last with my M&P which is indeed a small sample, these guns are sensitive to high primers. I bought a Sinclair primer pocket uniformer and I've run several hundred reloads since without any stoppages.