I have a couple full size 45acp M&P probably 7 years old or so. I found a Gen 3 slide stop assy. ambi out for sale. This is supposed to improve functioning and offer a better reset feel. My first question is I do not know which Gen I have. Secondly, does the Gen 3 really improve performance? I will be putting the Apex Forward set sear in one of them this weekend. Would the addition of the Apex trigger make enough of an improvement without the newer slide stop?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

Take the slide off and look at the slide stop, right side, next to the trigger bar. You may see a "bump" like the pic below. No bump, early slide stop.

As for "performance", I'd say not really. When you pull the trigger and keep holding, the track in the slide pushes the trigger bar outward and out from underneath the sear. Once the sear no longer rests on the loop, it pops back and catches the striker. As you release the trigger, the trigger bar slides forward until the loop can pass back under the sear. The trigger is now reset. With the trigger still held back, the bend in the trigger bar is the only force applied. Adding the bump bends the trigger bar a bit more. More bend, more snap.

Some folks take their trigger bar out and simply bend it a bit more. Some will bend the tab on the slide stop to apply more pressure. Others simply glob a bit of JB Weld to build up their own bump.

I added the new slide stop to my FS and Compact (both 9mm) when I found them on sale a while back. Personally, I prefer to have OEM parts.

xl_940001046_6.jpg

I forgot to add. It does not affect trigger pull weight, creep, takeup, overtravel or even reset distance. It only affects the tactile and audible aspects of the reset.

The APEX trigger does improve these areas. Since you need to take the slide stop out anyway for the APEX upgrade, might as well swap it out too.

Thanks for the information, I'll look to see which one I have when I tear it down.