I have the standard M&P 40 with C.T. laser grips. I know that the the difference between it and the L and Pro series is the trigger and the sights but what exactly is the difference. Is the trigger pull lighter, shorter, more smooth, crisp or all of the above? And exactly what sights are on the L & Pro Series?

The L is the standard package on a longer barrel.

The Pro pkg is the special sights and factory trigger job. Night sights on the 4", FO sights on the 5".
Opinions on the trigger vary. For me, the Pro trigger is just fine for USPSA Production and IDPA.
If the Pro trigger is not good enough for you and you don't like the factory Pro sights, the L is a cheaper start for you to add the APEX trigger parts and your choice of sights. Not much point in paying extra for the Pro package just to take it off.

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Science plus Art

I have two M&P Pro 9mm pistols. The 5" and the 4.25". I like the trigger except I prefer a click I can feel when the trigger resets and the M&P does not have that. I replaced the red fiber optic in my front sight and installed a bright green piece of fiber optic tubing. If your local gun shop stocks then pull the trigger on a Pro Series, trap the trigger back, cycle the slide then release the trigger until it resets and pull it again. You will feel the difference.

I have 3 dif. S&W's my 45 has had the trigger job my Pro is stock and they are relitivly close in comperison in my oppinion.

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1911Pro9 M&P9 40 45c 686.357

Is there a M&P40L?

I have never seen a M&P 40L, but I did run across some 5" night sighted 40s' that were suppose to be a LE overrun.

Go with the Pro. The L comes with the standard sights ad the Pro with the fiber optic front and plain rear.

Below is my response to a member who posted this question a few weeks ago. I will add that the front sight on the Pro is pretty much a throw-away. The F/O rod is too short and doesn't gather enough light. Because the ends are rounded, it doesn't appear as the bright dot that it should.



I have the 9 Pro which has a bit better factory trigger and fiber front sight with a Novak rear.

The trigger in the pro and the sights are not reason enough for the extra money it costs, but the longer barrel and sight radius is enough to notice.

If I had a shot at the 9L for a good price, I would buy it and install an Apex kit.

To ME the L is better. I am, in my own opinion, a little bit of an above-average shot but not the best in the club.

With my 9 Pro I can make 5 rounds touch about 9 out of 10 times at 15 yards at a decent cadence. 80% of that is trigger control but the speed with which I can do it is owed to the gun itself and that says alot to me.

I have plenty of time behind the 4.25 (full size) and still I confidently recommend the 9L over the 4.25" and the Pro.

-Coupla pennies there; spend em how ya please.

what are the differences between a MA compliant M&P9 and a Non-compliant M&P9?

If the trigger isn't ALL that different between the two guns (your opinion may vary) and the FO sights aren't all that great, considering the extra premium you're paying for FO sights and the trigger in the 'Pro' version, I'd be more inclined to to just get the standard M&P long version and add the sights I would be wishing I had gotten from the start--Truglo Tritium Fiber Optics. (TFOs) --or some brand of better TFOs anyway--there are several.

So for a few bucks more, I'd have a gun that has highly visible (Tritium) sights on it 24x7--for on the side of a dark road late at night, or in my bedside drawer at 4AM if something goes 'bump' in the night. Never forget that by and far, most self defense shootings happen at night and/or under low light conditions--are you ready? Do you keep a magazine of defensive ammo loaded up at home and other magazine/s of round points for swapping out at the range?

If I wanted a trigger job and unless the gun I got just happened to come with a trigger that wasn't 98% or better than what I've seen on the M&P's I've fired, I doubt if I would, and ony then would I do the APEX trigger job. I know some folks really feel a nice difference, but I mainly compete against my self or casually with a few buddys at the range--I'm not into hard core competition. Some of the Ranger Battalion guys I shoot with could nail the coin slot on a coke machine from 75 yards--I'm not going to embarass myself!

The difference in smoothness, pull/creep between all but the most extreme trigger jobs and most quality pistols isn't significant to me. On my Sigs--I couldn't imagine them being any better than 'stock'. On just about any gun, I can empty a magazine plenty fast already. if I could do so any faster, I'd be paying even more for ammo!. I don't feel that at least for me, that a 2.5 or 3 pound trigger is necessary or safe. A couple cups of coffee and I'd be downright dangerous!

More importantly, I don't think that God forbid a 'crisis moment' came about, that with my adrenalin pumping, that the possiblity of a nano second faster trigger would matter significantly. However being able, with top notch night sights, to squeeze off an acurate shot/s without needing that bit of extra time the typical standard issue three dot or Glock sights require for me, could make all the difference.

I haven't crunched the numbers, but I can't imagine there being a big difference in price between the M&P Pro versus getting the L and modding the sights as soon as you get it and if you really want, the trigger. I wouldn't care that it doesn't say 'Pro' on the slide. ( I do have someone engraving the Bill of Right's 2nd Amendment on one of my gun's slide though)

Instead, I would be happy that I got the gun I wanted from the start, instead of thinking "I coulda--I shoulda" and thinking about later on, having to pay extra $$ and time to get the gun I should've gottten from the start. Even if you buy the 'L' and swap out the sights and trigger to the setting you want (not what the factory that sets the Pro version trigger decides on) and find you've paid a few extra $$$ versus the 'Pro'--you've most likely got a better gun, something better suited for YOUR tastes and customized accordingly. Dare to be diferent!

I might 'tweak' a gun a while after I've ordered it the way I wanted, maybe changing the grips more than anything else (simple) but generally, if I can't order it just the way I like it from the 'git go', I like to have any modifications done ASAP, so that everytime I grab it and go, I'm not thinking 'One of these days, I still need to do this or that to it and then it'll be what I really want.' Life and money's too short these days for that. Hopefully, we can think it through and get it right the first time!

New to this site but very interested in this conversation. I just looked at S&W website and they list M&P9L for $758 vs $669 for the M&P9 Pro. Thought the Pro would be more expensive...seems odd.

I too want to buy the Pro - but because I have fired several hundred rounds through it on the range (rented). Compared to the G17/19 and SIG P226. I carry a G23 daily (CHL).

Question - is there a distributor out there who offers to MIL/LEO discounts?

Thanks, great to be here...sorry to hijack but it is along similar lines.

I bought a M&P 40 Pro Series (5" barrel). My neighbor bought a M&P 9L (5" barrel also). He immediately went out and spent $150 on a trigger job. Now his trigger feels pretty much like mine except he opted for a 2.5 lbs trigger pull. I bought my M&P 40 Pro for $569, he bought his M&P 9L for $464 at the same store. He's now spent $50 more than I did & we both still need night sights. It will pretty much end up costing us about the same...Except I went out and bought a 9mm conversion barrel with 2 9mm mags. I also bought a 357sig barrel. So now I can shoot 9mm, 40s&w or 357sig from my M&P, where as he can only shoot 9mm. I think I did quite well if anyone asks, thank you!!!

I shot both the M&P 9L & the M&P 40 Pro out of the box. Not only is the Pro trigger lighter & smoother than the standard M&P trigger, but the gun just feels better. I think they work on more than just the trigger when they send it to their Comp. Div. I can't prove it, but I felt the difference between the two guns. I didn't mention it to my neighbor, but when he shot my gun, he commented on how different it felt than his. He said that if he had shot those two before he bought his gun that he would have bought the Pro Series over the 9L.

Take it with a grain of salt because I'm just one guy out here amongst many, many posters, but I am sold on the Pro Series as a better all around gun. The Pro trigger alone was worth the $100 extra to me, but in my mind I got much more. Just remember that this might just all be in my mind to begin with. But that alone would be worth it because after all isn't the percieved value of something all in our minds to begin with? If I think I got a good deal then I got a good deal & I'm happier for it. If I'm happier for it then it was worht it. Make sense?

I just pulled the trigger, so to speak, on a Longslide yesterday. Seemed to be a pretty good price. The same dealer was around $100 more for the Pro.

I bought knowing that I expect to replace the sights, and probably end up with an Apex trigger. The trigger on the Pro just didn't seem like it was that much of a difference.

ET says above that he has a 40 cal smith auto and went out and bought a 357 barrel. i know that will work since the mags are he same and so is the breechface and the extractor.
But he say he also bought a 9mm barrel which is a skinnier case at the back end so how can it work in the slide made for the 40.? I would think the extractor would not work. any answers would be appreciated.

I use a Storm Lake 9mm conversion barrel in my M&P 40 that has exactly the same outside dimisions as the 40s&w barrel. The chamber & the interior of the barrel have been milled to 9mm specifications. These barrels do require that you use the proper 9mm mags with them. I also use 9mm conversion barrels in my 40s&w Glocks (Lone Wolf) and have never had a feed/ejection problem through approx. 5000 total rounds in these barrels. The worry about ejectors & extractors is blown way out of proportion. The oem 40s&w ejectors & extractors seem to work extremely well with the 9mm conversion barrels. The problems that I have heard about with these barrels are usually fixed when the barrel is returned to the manufacturer for repair/remilling.

There is another thread where a member has installed a standard OEM 9mm M&P barrel into his 40s&w M&P. He is stating that it is working great for him. I had a local gun shop take a 5" M&P barrel out of a 9mm M&P (long slide) & install it into a M&P 40 (long slide). It did not work at the store. The 9mm barrel kept jambing the slide each time they racked it. They deduced that the OEM 9mm barrel does not fit the 40 M&P, yet this member is shooting his with no problems. That is baffling to me. I guess I am going to investigate this phenomenom further since the oem 9mm barrels are cheaper than the Storm Lake barrels that I bought at the Storm Lake website.

I am going to get the M&P9 Pro once one of my local dealers can get it in stock. Problem is that nobody online or local can get this gun! Going to pay $580 delivered (on post) or I could have gotten it for $581 local (not counting tax!).

Looking forward to eventually getting this gun. Also need to get a 9mm Lone Wolf conversion barrel for my Glock 23 but they TOO are out of stock wherever I go online/in person. Isn't it always like this - money but nothing to buy!

Streakpi, PM me if you want the online dealer I went with. It's gonna be $525 after shipping and transfer fees. Of course, it's my luck that the pistol comes with 10rd mags, but I'm buying the high caps from 44mag.com

Thanks brother, I will send note later today!

Found a gently used M&P Pro 9mm at Cabelas in KC today- put it on layaway for a look and hopeful buy tomorrow! Totally psyched...hope it is great, guy at counter on the phone says it is in mint condition. Wish me luck!! (Oh yeah, price is $550 before tax).

Thats almost exactly what ive done. I have the .40pro (5" model) and soon after I got it I put the night sights on it..very pleased with it now!

I bought the M&P Pro. Trigger was BAD! Paid that extra for nothing. Had a gunsmith install an
apex trigger. Finally called S&W to tell them what I thought about the trigger. They said I should have sent it back. I told them that they should have done it right the first time. Very disappointed in S&W.

I had the exact same issue with mine and also installed an Apex competition sear set in mine. Pull went from 6.5lbs to just under 3lbs.

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NRA R.S.O. & Life Member