Good morning and Happy Fathers day!

I am an LEO of 12 years and I have been carrying a sig p226 for the last 12 years. My department has recently offered to let us carry a gun from an approved list. After shooting a bunch of guns on the list I decided on the M&P 2.0.

I only have a few hundred rounds through mine and so far really enjoy it. I have added a taran tactical base plate and some XR sights. Other than that I have left it stock. I tested another officers 1.0 with the fitted apex barrel and the apex flat trigger and that gun was awesome.

I am not a gun expert by any means and was wondering what the potential downsides were on getting those same upgrades on my 2.0 for duty carry? My department will allow them.

I was also looking at having some slide milling done. Looks like Atei has just the top seration available, and jagerwerks has a ton of options.

Thanks guys.

I don't see any downsides, on the contrary more pros than cons. I don't have a 2.0 but had plenty of M&P's with different apex trigger configurations, they all perform excellent, no issues, and the trigger improvement is unbelievable. IMO I don't think an aftermarket barrel is needed.

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M&P 9, Shield9.

I have heard the same, but I know the 2.0 is different and the upgrades may be marginal on the 2.0, but I am not sure. I just really liked my partners set up.

Happy Fathers Day to you also.

Apex has the duty carry kit figured out for the 2.0 the only trigger kit they
have not released is the forward set trigger kit for the competition
shooters. Which you would not want anyway.

You should be good give them a call Monday and let them guide you thru it.

Apex's new number (623)0322-0200

Thank you! Any thoughts on the apex fitted barrel?

I think that you have made a good choice in a duty sidearm. I have recently (last week) changed to the 2.0 M&P 9mm full size with the 5" barrel. Changed from a Beretta 92FS. Really like that gun but wanted a sidearm that had one trigger pull weight. Did not want a Glock. Felt that the new 2.0 trigger was the best compromise and will not get the Apex trigger system, although it is a fabulous system that I am planning on acquiring for my 1.0 9mm and 45 full size guns. They are simply the best trigger systems for the M&P line. I can't think of anything that I would change. My reasonings are based on the requirement for me that my duty gun not have anything other than factory stock components. Don't want to have to explain "custom" things in case of on-duty incidents.
But am going for the Apex for my other M&P guns, as noted.

It's funny. I really wanted to NOT like the M&P. I was a glock fan and partial to my sig that i've carried forever. But I fell in live with the M&P. Totally blew me away. Another officer shot the stock out of the box MP just as well as his taran tactical glock 34, having never fired an M&P before.

I am debating changing the trigger and barrel, just because I like to tinker with things and have a little case of gun envy, but I would like to put a few hundred more rounds through it before I make a decision. My department would just need to approve the modifications which it sounds like they will.

...Hound Dawg Happy Father's Day Howdy to you!

The barrel is easy. Just pick the best one. You'll still have the stock barrel if you don't like it, but I don't see where you could go wrong.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

The Apex duty trigger would be a nice improvement. The trigger is so important and its the final piece missing from your setup! Go for it!

If I were a cop I wouldn't do upgrades till I thoroughly tested the gun. Several thousand rounds, several classes. Before making changes and then after. Swapping parts out and then running into a problem will make it a bigger headache. We depend on our guns for protection​, police even more so!


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I think a lot of departments have a no modifications that aren't "stock" or manufacturer original parts for a good reason. Modifications give attorneys more to try to use to show you were using an unsafe weapon, trigger happy, blood thirsty, etc. No offense to anyone, but those expensive after-market triggers are nice and slicker but under stress I just don't see them making enough difference to matter. YMMV.

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Who watches the watchers?

I agree you should wait to swap out the barrel until you know how accurate your gun is with the OEM barrel.

I put a Storm Lake Barrel in an older Gen 1 9mm and it improved accuracy a little. I liked the extended threaded feature even though I do not yet have a suppressor but plan to soon. So for me, the threaded characteristic was the deciding factor.

On another Gen 1 I had Apex fit one of their threaded barrels. Now THAT has resulted in a noticeable improvement in accuracy--from a rest, under an inch @ 20 yards. That was very expensive.

The third Full Size M&P 9 I bought I decided I didn't really need a third pistol with an extended, threaded barrel. I broke the gun in for function, then did some rested accuracy testing at 20 yards. It was about 2", better than I can shoot. I have left it stock and am very pleased with it.

I understand there are some accuracy improvements to the stock 2.0 including better fitting of the barrel and a more rigid forward frame. For a duty gun, you might not get enough of an accuracy improvement to justify the expense and potential hassles with your department or "the law".

I am all for having your gun shoot the way you want and do many mods to my personal guns. However, starting with a 2.0 is different than starting with a 1.0, and for a duty gun (not having shot a 2.0) I would follow others' suggestion that you shoot it a while before deciding on upgrades. The stock trigger will smooth out and lighten up a bit.

I love Apex triggers and usually recommend them, but . . . wait.

Definitely put a lot more rounds through it to ensure that ANY modifications are needed to have a reliable, safe gun.

I have the 2.0 5" and have put approximately 2500 rounds through it, mostly in training classes. Both of my instructors are LEO's and have distaste for anything not Glock. However, both of them shot my 2.0 and declared they would consider purchasing and carrying it.

Only change I've made to mine is replacing the stock sights with TruGlo TFX Pro night sights.

Your PD allows you to modify your duty sidearm?



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Wow, this thread really surprises me. One guy swapping a SIG P226 and another swapping a Beretta 92FS for M&P 2.0. I'm gonna have to try one of these out. But, the M&P 2.0 is gonna have to walk the walk to convince me they're better than 2 of my favs.

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NRA Benefactor

What does the tactical base plate do? I Googled the product and it sounds like it just adds weight to the magazine, I've never heard of any situation where that would be helpful. If I wanted to use my firearm as an impact tool I would use the barrel end for that.

I picked up the L/E package sku 11519 night sights , 3 mags in 40 and I think its good to go the way it is .

One comment on fitted aftermarket barrels from an IDPA competition point of view regarding accuracy and functional reliability with standard ammo.
One fellow competitor had a Bar Sto barrel custom fitted to his IDPA M&P, with a noticeable improvement to the bench-rest target accuracy and long-range competition accuracy when he took time to slow fire a target. However, since the barrel was oversized to start with and hand fitted to minimum tolerances in all respects, it became ammunition sensitive to the point he had to use top-quality ammo and test each round in a custom small chamber gauge.
The competitor is OCD, but not enough to put up with that, so the barrel was chamber reamed and clearance relieved until quality rounds of once-fired brass and standard bullets through a Dillon would run 100%. Same with Speer or Federal factory ammo. LOTS of custom money for, in the end, virtually no change in the IDPA scores except for rare long-range slow fire shots.


The point is that I think a fitted APEX barrel is an OK idea as long as the fitting is done with functional reliability in mind, and you test run it hot and hard in something like IDPA to make sure it is 100% running dirty, hot, and high round count with issue service ammo.

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Science plus Art

I'm somewhat certain that the 2.0 was S&W's entry into the Army MHS trials. One of the requirements was that the pistol be capable of putting nine out of ten shots into a four inch target at fifty meters.

My 2.0 is very accurate and I can't see any reason outside of serious bullseye competition to replace the barrel. My particular 2.0 is noticeably more accurate than the last original M&P that I owned.

As far as do-dads and whatnots for the fire control group, if you want them because you like them or feel they make you a better shooter by having them then go for it.

My main requirement for a trigger is that it needs to have a crisp, well defined break. My 2.0 is perfectly acceptable to me so I don't feel any need to upgrade it.

I'm a recently retired 28 year LEO and have both the P226 and M&P line. I had a Apex Semi drop in barrel in my 1.0 M&P 9mm. Absolutely amazing accuracy. That said I picked up a M2.0 9mm. I did my usual and put in an Apex duty kit and polymer trigger. This was the downside for me. The M 2.0 trigger is already out of the box lighter than the 1.0. It also has a great reset and break. In fact my M 2.0 was 5 to 5.5 pounds. The Apex sear dropped it to about 4 pounds and was much to light for me. I added the Apex trigger return spring to increase the weight back a pound and took out the sear. I left the USB and also went back to the stock trigger. Bottom line, the M2.0 really does not require a lot if any aftermarket parts, especially for duty purposes. Mine pulls 1 1/2 inch groups at 15 yards. I have thought about the Apex barrel too for my M2.0, but really can't justify the expense with the accuracy my gun is pulling. In fact it's the same within 1/4 inch as my Sig P320 in my hands. I'll say this, it will eat any ammo, no issues at all. I love the new metal mag release and grip texture. Good luck with your choice and stay safe.

To the OP: Can I have your old P226?

I can't add much to what others have said here other than I have a gun that AETi did some custom work on. Absolutely first rate work and great company to deal with.

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America First

I bought a 2.0 9mm. Once I have my TFX Pro sights, put some rounds through it, and qualify with it, it is replacing my P220 Elite Dark.

I'm in the camp that doesn't believes duty guns should be modified beyond tailoring the sights and grips to the shooter's preference and benefit. don't have a 2.0 as of yet, but have put more than my share of rounds thru my 1.0s. Unless there was something seriously wrong with the gun before it left the factory, a stock gun is going to run as it was intended. I can see how a flat trigger could be of some benefit to some shooters, but the factory trigger mechanisms of the M&P are more than adequate for duty (unless you are in MA). As far as the barrel, I don't know that you would get a significant enough improvement over the factory to justify the expense. I was taking a class a couple of years back and got to shoot the instructor 's $3000 custom Glock. It shot nice, but I discovered I could miss just as fast as I could with my stock pistols if I failed to line up the sights or jerk the much improved trigger. I'm for carrying and shooting it in its present configuration.


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I own a MP 2.0 .40 cal. and a Detroit PD MP 1.0 .40 cal, night sights, APEX springs and an aluminum trigger. I also own several SW-SD-SDVE series guns. I have one SD9 with an APEX trigger and spring kit that I will put up against your instructors $3K 2X4, I mean Glock.

Good topic.

My edc is a Beretta 92FS. I will not be giving it up anytime soon. I really, really don't like plastic frame striker fired pistols. I really dislike the factory trigger.

However The Lady has the M&P 1.0. Her gun has the APEX trigger kit and Tru-Go fiber optic sights. What can I say? The APEX trigger and trigger kit has made her M&P feel like a totally different gun. The Tru-Go fiber optic sights are large and easy to see but they do give a coarser sight picture which is fine for self-defense.

As for the O.P. I would also hold off on the APEX barrel and try whatever different ammunition the department allows. The Lady M&P seems to really like Winchester Silvertips.

As for modifying your gun I see no disadvantage or increased liability using department approved parts.

Hey guys,

Just read through all these and ill give you an update. Apex is sending our department some triggers to test out for or M&P's, but the more I shoot this thing the more I DO NOT want to mess with it. I love it! I will try the trigger and see how I like it, Apex has been super cool with us.

Yes our PD allows us t modify guns as long as its approved by our range master.

No I won't sell my p226. Its been a good duty gun for the last 12 years, and will be added to some sort of shadow box at some point.

I just purchased a second 2.0 . I can't say enough about this gun. Our guys and girls shot a ton of guns and have the opportunity to carry whatever they like (Except 1911's) and nearly everyone is picking up the 2.0's. A few rogue glock guys here and there, and 1 or 2 guys are keeping the sig.