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  #1  
Old 07-07-2011, 09:56 PM
elwoodyh elwoodyh is offline
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I am new to the Forum and am interested in buying a MP Compact. Is it true that if I buy a .40 I can use the same frame with a 9mm barrel/spring and a 9mm magazine to do range sessions? I also seem to have read that if this is true that a user can not go to a 40 with a MP 9C. Please advise ur experience with this process. Thanx in advance.
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Old 07-07-2011, 11:18 PM
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You can go down in caliber but not up. Meaning you can make a 40 shoot 9mm but not the other way around. Just need new bbl and mags.hope this helps.
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Old 07-08-2011, 04:36 AM
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Elwood:

Welcome aboard!

JustAnotherGunGuy's post is correct, AFAIK....

It's recommended that you use a Storm Lake barrel rather than ordering an S&W OEM 9mm barrel. Something about the Storm Lake fitting the .40 slide better. This appears to be a YMMV thing, though, so don't buy anything you can't return ....

I kinda did the same thing the hard way - I bought a 40C for myself about a year ago, and then decided to get a 9C for my daughter. The 9C came through with a thumb safety, and being a 1911 guy, being able to practice with the thumb safety seemed like a good idea. (The 40C is for "grubbies" - around the house, etc.) Since she didn't want the thumb safety anyway, I swapped the frame portions - the original 9mm slide & barrel now sit on what was the frame of the 40C, and vice versa. 'Course, a magazine swap was in order, too .... Works fine....

You can just pop out the sear block (the thumb safety is mounted on that, and the thumb safety version is different from the standard), but swapping tops is a lot easier ....

IAC, I've got a 40C and a 9C (and a 40FS). I still prefer a small 1911 "outside", but the little ones are great around the house, and the big 40's a fine range gun.

(FWIW, 'round the house, I carry a 40FS magazine as a spare - it works in both the Compact and the Full Size - but not the 9C, which I don't carry anyway. A little bit of bulk, but one less thing to look for if I get the itch to carry the full size....)

Naturally, the kid decided to move to New York City, and didn't want the 9C. She shifted to TX instead, good, but is staying with my very anti-2A sister, so the 9C is still here....

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Old 07-14-2011, 12:01 AM
elwoodyh elwoodyh is offline
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to SMMAssoc.:
Thanks for the heads up on the Storm Lake barrel being a better fit.
Another Question: is should I order a MP40C with the thumb safety or w/o the thumb safety... Pros vs Cons. I will use 40C for CCW at times but mostly for home defense and range. Where is best vendor to purchase 9mm mags. Thanks in advance
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Old 07-14-2011, 01:56 AM
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elwood:

You can always remove a thumb safety if you decide you don't want it. But it uses a different sear block that precludes the Hilary Lock (like you'd want one ). It also precludes the Apex RAM kit, which isn't a bad idea. (You should at least look at the DCAEK kit from Apex.)

(It's considered a bad idea to remove a manufacturer-supplied safety device from a gun, but the thumb safety or the Hilary Lock are sort of "who needs 'em" anyway....)

If you're used to guns with thumb safeties (bear in mind that the M&P thumb safety is "down to fire", like the 1911), then there's not much question - within the constraints mentioned above, you probably should get 'em. If you're not used to thumb safeties, and don't really have plans to get used to them, I can't see any plus. The M&P design doesn't really need it.

The thumb safety blocks the trigger bar, which keeps it from tripping the sear. However, unless you're used to having one, you really can't just expect to keep it turned off - it's just too easy to turn it on. You need to practice flipping it off with presentation. (Not as you draw, but as you move the gun into firing position.)

A Hilary Lock makes some kind of sense if you have small children, within the constraint of always unlocking the thing when you're depending on it. No way you'll get it unlocked in time otherwise....

Can't say much about magazines. I like to have four - two for "social use", and two for the range. I can't remember whether I got 'em from a rebate deal, or just bought them from S&W.... YMMV, but I got a couple for my 40FS from Andean a couple years ago. Saved a few bucks. But it was a blind deal - they said they had 'em in stock, and did.... Others have reported CS issues with them....

Really good choice, IMHO, for Concealed Carry and the like. The little guy's great on the range, too, but don't expect minute-of-nothing accuracy out past 30' or so ....

(Oddly, my 40C was a touch more accurate than my 40FS until I swapped the Compact's sights. It's now pretty awful .... However, we're talking about putting six or so rounds into a six-inch circle at 30', and it'll still do that all day....)

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Old 07-14-2011, 02:15 AM
Rangel Rangel is offline
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Anybody know if with the Storm Lake 'convert your M&P 40c model from 40mm to a 9mm' barrel, if it is necessary to swap out the spring as well?

Perhaps not--but advisable? Anybody with info--I'd appreciate it. The standard 40c barrel is right at 3.5 inches, while the 9mm conversion that they say works, comes in at 3.58.

STORM LAKE BARRELS S&W M&P COMPACT 40SW TO 9MM CONVERSION BARREL KIT - SLBSWMPC9C358

Also curious if it's 'typically' as easy as with the Glock, where it drops in quite easily? From what I've read--even according to the manufacturer, it varies from barrel to barrel, which doesn't make me feel great, as it seems to me that the build and tolerances on the 9mm conversion barrel must not be as uniform as I'd like, especially for what they call a 'match grade' barrel--hmmm.

Anybody swapped out barrels on the 40c? My gunsmith said he might have to do some millwork to make it fit 'just right' and that doesn't 'make my day'...

I wonder if it's a 'pick of litter' kind of scenario, where some of these 40 to 9mm conversion barrels 'plop' right in and others need some metal shaved off?--At probably an extra $50+ at a gun smith, who has all the right tools, I'd obviously prefer one I can 'plop right in, w/o any extra hassle.

Anybody been thru this? if so, how did it proceed, please?


Anyway I just ordered the S&W M&P 40c with ambidextrous thumb safeties. I am sometimes climbing over fences, in bush thickets and such and I'd rather have the safety there. Actually, I'd rather have it and not need it than vice versa and it's pretty snug into the slide--I don't think it compromises C&C usage.


On most of the M&Ps, they're holding their price at $439--no tax outside of Kentucky and free shipping no extra 3% for credit cards. For less than I could buy them w/o them even being installed, they're adding Truglo Tritium Fiber Optics 'in house' and not charging for the installation. I decided on the green dot on the front and the two in the back in bright yellow.

I'll call in the AM and ask that they send the orginal white dot sights they take off to swap out, although I'd like to think they probably do that anyway. We've all heard about sights on some M&P's flying off, and even w/o that happening, in a resale situation, it'd be nice to have the originals in the box too. I'll also ask if they'll whole sale me an extra magazine or two--should've thought of all that before!

I ordered right at the end of today (Wednesday, 7/13), and they said my local dealer should have it in his hands by Monday, which sounds reasonable to me.

Oh--they said they might be offering the M&P15 .223 tactical rifle at $699 again in the near future--I regret missing that--it was a good deal and they have some deals with the few BG380's they have in stock, although they don't have them listed on-line. The S&W M&P15-22 22 LR 16" 25 Round, at $394 is a fair price--that'd make a dandy gift to hide until Xmas for a responsible, older teen for sure. The S&W M&P15-22 22LR 16.5" 25-round A1 Style Comp.is $429.

Once again--if anybody has some experience and info on converting a 40c down to a 9mm barrel, I'd appreciate it and I'll share what I've (we've) leaned.

I'll try and get some pics up when it comes in with the Truglo TFOs and with and w/o the subcompact Veridian (green) laser--tactical light mounted. I'm hoping it looks and shoots as sweet as I'm expecting, based on prior experience!

"Torn between two lovers"--Glock and S&W M&Ps...
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Old 07-20-2011, 10:30 PM
LOBONCA LOBONCA is offline
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Following up on this thread, has anyone converted their M&P 40c to a 9mm? I am also looking at the Storm Lake Barrel conversion kit.

Is all there is to this conversion just plopping in the new 9mm barrel and using 9mm mags? Is there anything more to do to make this work?
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1911, 223, 22lr, ambidextrous, bg380, ccw, concealed, glock, gunsmith, mp40c, presentation, subcompact, tactical, tritium

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