I titled this M&P 2.0 9mm Compact questions, since I am considering one, but these may apply to any 2.0 pistol. Anyway, here they are:

1) I have read in various threads that it is necessary to remove the rear sight to take out the striker assembly (which I like to do for occasional cleaning.) I have also read that it is not necessary. It wasn't necessary on other S&W pistols, like the 1.0 series and the SDVE series, so I wonder if in fact that is true. Has anyone actually removed the striker without taking off the rear sight? I don't have a manual since I don't yet own the pistol, and I doubt that it is addressed therein anyway, since S&W doesn't consider the striker to be a user accessible part.

2) Do the magazines interchange between the 1.0 series? Do the magazines from the full size (17 round) work in the Compact (perhaps with a spacer) ?

3) This isn't a 9mm question, but do the magazines for the 2.0 40 models have the rattle? I've never owned a 1.0 40, but I did have a SDVE model, and it had the rattle. I'm sort of considering the 40, but I'm more focused on the 9mm model, so that's really just curiosity for now.

4) Are the sights user replaceable without a sight pusher? I would like to eventually put night sights on it.

5) How is the thumb safety on the 9mm compact? I know it's the same style as the 1.0 models, but those (IMO) were rather mushy. I looked at a 9mm Compact in a LGS, but they didn't have a thumb safety model. The trigger was wonderful, but pretty light...which is good, but also make me wonder if a thumb safety might be a good idea on this model. Your thoughts?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

Regarding item 2...yes, completely interchangeable. The NIB gun includes 2 spacers for the 17 round magazines.

I have a 9c 1.0 and 2.0 with thumb safeties. There is a difference in my safeties -the 2.0 seems a bit better, but not by much. Having said that, my 1.0 has never been mushy.

With my grip I ride the thumb safety and it's always off while holstered so doesn't get used much.

I like the grip I get riding the safety (good sized hands), but wouldn't hesitate buying one without a manual safety. The 2.0 trigger is better than the 1.0, but I think it's cleaner not so much lighter. Either way it's not such a light pull that it would influence my decision.

Yes you can remove the striker assembly without removing the sight. You remove the rear slide plate as per other models. The sight is removed to take out the striker safety (the little button you see on the inside of the slide towards the rear).

Yes you can remove the sights yourself. Vise, brass punch, hammer and hex wrench.

I don't know about the rattle...

I see NewtoGuns17 beat me to it.

There may be some confusion with the striker assembly and striker block. You can remove the striker without removing the rear sight.

You can not remove the striker block without removing the rear sight, unless you have a CORE.

I had two different 1.0 pistols (45 compact and full size) and the TS on both were almost loose feeling. I guess I should have sent them in at the time to have them addressed, but I didn't. Anyway, I looked at a 2.0 9mm compact today with the thumb safety, and it felt very positive to engage and take off. I will probably end up going with the TS, since I don't have to use it if I don't want to, but I can if I want...and it's positive enough so that I don't worry about it engaging or disengaging inadvertently.

Not arguing with you; if yours came off this way, good on you, but all 4 of my M&Ps did indedd need a sight pusher to change sights.

I secured the slide between two pieces of composite wood and had the sights just over the jaws to keep the center of gravity down. Hit them with penetrating oil before hand. I used a brass punch the size of the dovetail and hit with a large hammer. If you don't care about the old sights, use a steel punch. It'll transfer the energy better.

I dented the side of the stock front sight with a brass punch so I am by no means saying it's easy. I changed the ones on my 1.0 shield and 2.0 full size with that method. Both rear sights came out with a nylon punch but the sights took brass.

I changed the rear sights on a couple of SDVEs with a dowel rod and a small hammer...they may have been a looser fit, because they moved pretty easily. I replaced them with a metal M&P rear sight.

When I buy one, I might just take the slide to a gun smith and have them do the sights. Where we used to live, the LGS I used most often had a gun smith on staff, and they would do sights for free if you bought the sights from them. Their prices were competitive with online retailers, so I had them do a couple of Glocks I used to own. The only problem is, that shop is about 300 miles from me now...not really feasible to go there. I guess I'll have to check out what local gun smiths there may be around here. Where we used to live was about 30 miles outside of Dallas, so there were a number of gun shops and independent gun smiths in the area...as long as you didn't mind driving in the metroplex traffic!

Regarding item 1, as others have stated you do not need to remove the rear sight to take out the striker. You do need to remove it if you want to remove the spring for the firing pin block.

I sometimes like to occasionally remove the striker and make sure there is no accumulated gunk on it or the channel that could cause a light strike. But I have never felt the need to remove the firing pin block. That last step goes from borderline OCD to full blown OCD.

I change most of my sights myself. If you're going to change sights often, invest in a universal sight pusher. It'll save you time and frustration, and if you change more than 4 sights over your lifetime it will pay for itself (my LGS charges $40 to change sights).

I have a 5" 2.0 with a manual safety. Although I like "riding the safety," when I really grip how I should, the ambi safety (on the right side of the gun looking downrage) digs into my pointer finger knuckle. This is causes blisters/pain after a few rounds, so I'm probably going to remove the thumb safety. I only use this gun for training/competition, so I'm not worried about any legal concerns from removing the safety.

You could mail the slide only to your gunsmith. It’s not necessary to send the whole pistol.

Regarding the thumb safety, I removed the right side paddle on mine, and deepened the notch to make the safety more positive.

Well, duh... If I'd only stopped to think for a minute, I've even done that before! When the Springfield RO first came out, I bought one, intending to have the adjustable rear sight changed out to a fixed sight. Turns out they have (or had, then) an unusual sight cut, and most sights wouldn't fit. I ended up finding a sight that would fit and mailed it and the slide to Springfield to have it installed. When I got it back and put the slide on the frame, it jammed and wouldn't move...nothing I did could make it go on or come off. Springfield set me a mailing label and I sent the whole gun to them...turns out that when they installed the new sight, it was pressing down on the slide stop plate, and it bound on the frame. They had to mill it enough to clear.

Well, that non sequitur aside, I could send it to my (former) LGS and they'd install it for free if I bought the sight from them. Thanks for the reminder.

That's certainly a thought!

Well, you still have a safety on the gun...

I've always removed (or actually, had a gun smith remove) the ambi safety on any 1911s that came so equipped, and installed a LH only thumb safety. I find the ambi safety annoying, personally. I didn't realize that the M&P ambi safety could be converted to a LH only. I knew they could be removed.

Yes, you need to remove the sight to remove the striker. Yes, the magazines are interchangeable, they are the same part number. Yes, they still rattle.

Why on earth would you buy a model with a safety? It's not necessary.

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And YES! You will most CERTAINLY need a sight pusher to remove the sights. It's best to order a model with factory night sights and no thumb safety.

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It CAN be done with a vise, hammer, and a brass punch, but I wouldn't do it. You need to be so careful with it. One slip and you have a marred up, ugly looking slide.

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"Because I want one" is probably the best answer. I guess that's why S&W offers some with and some without...so people can choose their preference.

Update: my LGS had two compacts in 9mm...one with a thumb safety and one without. Same price. I bought the one with a thumb safety. It felt very positive on engaging and disengaging. I do wish it had the same style safety as the one on the Shield, though.

My first goal is to shoot it and see how it works, before I do anything else like adding night sights, etc. That will probably be a while, though, as I currently am having a lot of trouble with my back, and until I get that sorted out, I can't stand for any length of time. At least I can clean it and dry fire it, although the trigger seems very good out of the box. A lot better than the 1.0 models I've owned.