IMHO I SAY AGAIN.....IMHO.....The M&P is a glorified version of the SD series. The only differences I can find after close examination and firing of both is the following:

* SD has basically the same sights as the M&P minus the ****** tridium (spl.) front sight.

* M&P has a big ole fat ***** butt the SD is more refined 18 degree rasked out grip.

* The M&P is about $90 to $100 dollars more in price.

* The M&P is more ergonomic as far as ambi. controls and adjustable grips ( SD should have done the same. Us lefties always get screwed )

* The M&P trigger breaks at less poundage.

.......just to name a few. I'm sure there is more .

To keep this short The M&P and the SD both shot exactly the same for me at 10, 15 and 25 yards...dead on! with Walley World WWB 9mm 115 gr. ammo, with only one exception there was only two FTE's with the M&P out of 400 rounds. and no FTE or FTF with 400 rounds though the SD.

Bottom line is you get all the extra bells and whistles if you have the extra bucks ,but the extras are just a marketing ploy. Both M&P $500 and SD $400 both were dead on shooters no matter what the cost. Don't get sucked in by bling and BS from marketing do the research by old fashion range work if possible to do so.

One last thing! Don't condem the SD series because of the Sigma line. S&W may have repackaged the Sigma some what, but the SD 9 and 40 are really good bangs for the buck. Basicall the are all just like chevy's buicks and caddys some just have more bling than the other.....The SD is what it is at Aprox. $400 bucks. I would not hesitate to carry it for CCW. The SD is more sleek and best suited for CCW. The M&P 9 is more of a duty carry weapon as it should be with its heavier weight and big ole butt, and is a good shooter just the same.

There's no SD in .45
There's no SD compact model

Those two things will keep me on the M&P side for the time being.

So you are saying the M&P is just a dressed up SD, well then while your at it you might as well say the SD is a dressed up Sigma. There is only a small difference in the sear block with the tacticool slide, the only real improvement is the steel sights.

My Sigma has seen over 1000 rds with no FTF so does that make it a better gun than the M&P? Not really hell my HiPoint C9 has well into 2000 rds with no FTF after the first 200-300 rds.

They created 3 different levels which was a good idea as some people wish to spend as much as they can because they feel the more you spend the better quality you get. Truth be told they are all fine guns backed by S&W's long history in firearms

Wasn't the M&P out before the SD?

Several years before

I have been testing M&Ps for the last 2-3 weeks and find it a better shooter then the SD.The SD is just a modified Sigma,even tho I own 2 Sigmas and like them very much.That's why I chose to put the M&P on my next gun list; I already have an SD in my Sigmas,now I want the much improved and better SD,the M&P!

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How many guns are too many?

Don't put down the M&P just to justify your choice of cheaper, lower quality alternatives.

No I'm not putting down the M&P its a fine weapon. Actually I have one on order. Oh and I might have misconveyed something...The SD is a dressed down version of the M&P...IMHO. The M&P was here first not the other way around.

i thought that the SD's was more of a replacement for the sigma line and that they were going to quit making the sigma ? am i mis informed ?

With the volume of sales of the Sigma I doubt they will ever stop making them. There would be little point the SD was offered as a renamed Sigma to kick start sales as it has been some time since they offered a new product. As soon as people here the name Sigma they think junk are unwilling to give it a fair shake.

The M&P is a totally different market than the Sigma and SD. Not so much because of quality but because of the options offered.

The SD is so close to the Sigma I passed on it, is the trigger better not really is it lighter yes. Once you practice with the Sigma it shoots very well the trigger is heavy yes but there is no stacking and breaks clean.

Just buy what you want and shoot well with, my collection includes high end and low end firearms because I enjoy collecting and shooting.

I've got two SD's and three M&P's. I have installed Apex kits in the M&P's. All are 100% reliable... I surprise myself how much I like the SDs, for their thin profile and good handling. I don't disagree with the statements in this thread -- each person has valid perceptions -- but mine are a little different: I don't see the two series of pistols competing with each other, both are good at where they fit, and I have room in my safe for all of them...

Can't wait for the new S&W single-stack 9mm to come out at the SHOT Show.

I took a minute at my local gun store and tried on a NIB Sigma 9mm for a spell.

My thoughts on it are thisf all the poly frame guns ive tried and shot not one of them had a good trigger.Not the Glock 23 I shot, not the M&P 40 I tried, and not the SR9 I owned.

Judging by the money Ghost and Apex are making with poly-frame trigger kits it appears I am not alone in that thought.

The Sigma is better than the M&P to my trigger finger.Stiff and plasticky (Sigma) is a step above soft and plasticky (M&P).

I use to have both Sigmas but now only the .40 cal.I have gotten use to the triggers but I disagree with you on the M&P trigger and Glock trigger.Ah well,opinions are like *********s; everyone has one!

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How many guns are too many?

Including the Brady People, unfortunately.

Tomato, Tomato, as long as you hit the 10 ring .

I just want to put in my 2 cents. I actually own a sd9. I've put over 1000 trouble free rounds through it and I have really warmed up to the trigger. It is very very smooth and has lightened up too. Maybe if I paid too much for a m&p I would be bashing it, but I didn't. I carry it also and it is light and slim. I love the front night sight too. So why should I get a m&p?

I too am on the band wagon of the SDs being a bit better than the M&P. The SD fits better and have a small profile. Perfect for a CCW holder. Only thing that the M&P have on the SD is the trigger.....

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

I own both, an SD9 and a fullsize M&P40 and can tell you that as much as I like the M&P, for the money the SD is a great deal. Depending on where you buy it is around $100 less and for some that means $100 more ammo to practice with, or a holster or a quality light.

The trigger on my SD has improved a lot with dry and live fire, and I was a beta tester for the SD apex kit so that would be an option once its available. Frankly the stock trigger on mine is perfect for a carry gun, at least for me.

When I went to the gun store to buy a new carry gun I intended to buy a G19. They had a new SD9 in stock and I had never heard of them. Handled it a bit, did some research on the net and went back the next day and put money down on it. Better than the sigma as it has a standard rail on the dustcover, improved trigger and a tritium front site standard.

Ditto! When through the same process.

i was looking to get an m&p but the external safety was just a beast to undo. in a self defense situation i dont trust it.

i have a sd40VE, and it was so awesome i went and got a sd9 ( not VE and academy sports exclusive with hi-viz sights)

SD series is very good for the money.

Resurrection of an old thread, LOL. I now own both SD/VE 9 & 40, 3-FS M&P's 9, 40 & 45 and now 3-Shields 9, 40 & 45. Love them all-shoot them all! Every one is stock and no issues from any of them. No complaints here, and I carried my SD9VE as CC (replaced my FS 1911) until I got my Shield. I can carry any of my handguns, and do rotate them occasionally. But then, I used to carry a 4" 686 357 mag in a shoulder holster, "back in the day" too! LOL (I was a sales rep at the time).

There is one common factor for all firearms that are not liked by everyone except the owner that likes it.......it is called Personal Choice!

The SD9VE was my very first handgun. It's accurate, reliable, the ergonomics are perfect for me and it fitted the budget. What's not to like. Got lucky and got chosen for the beta test of the +3 mag extensions by Apex tactical on here and they threw the spring kit and AET in also. Trigger was a simple drop in, no filing required. Reduced pre- and eliminated overtravel.
Since then I also got a P229 (that can do 9mm, .40S&W and .357SIG) and learned that I prefer the hammer fired DA/SA over the striker fired action, especially for carry because I can keep my thumb on the hammer while holstering. But that doesn't mean that I'll get rid of the SD. It's really a keeper.

Well, I've had M&Ps and I've had SD's. The M&Ps are gone, the SD9 remains. Why? The SD just fits my hand better. Both models hit it out of the park in terms of reliability. I could never squeeze that last bit of accuracy out of the M&P9, although the striker mechanism of the M&P is a bit more mechanically refined than the SD's. I blame the M&P9 barrel, or the barrel lockup system, or the timing, or the aliens, or something.

Hard to play one off against the other, though; both are available, and it's a free country. Take your pick!

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S&W Rover