which polymer pistol?

[Ed333]

I have not yet owned any polymer pistols, but am considering a new 9mm ,choosing between an M&P Pro, or a Springfield XD(M) competition model. I know this subforum may be biased, but would be interested in opinions.

btw, this would be strictly for range use (not serious competition), and I have long hands, large but not beefy, wear 2XL gloves. I know both pistols have interchangeable backstraps, but I haven't been able to get hold of samples of each at the same time, to compare.

If I were not on fixed income, I would buy both, and then re-sell the reject, but....

 

[Houdini1953]

The M&P well anything M&P9, 9C or 40,40C or the M&P 45 would all be good choices, I have three Smith and Wessons a M&P9 fullsize and a M&P40C and an older Model59.

Just went to the range today with three guns a Glock26 (subcompact 9mm) a Smith & Wesson M&P9 and a Smith &Wesson M&P40C. I put 100 rounds through the 40C and it is the first used gun I have purchased in years and I tend to shoot a little to the left but with this used gun the sights must have been adjusted to shoot that way thinking about having them adjusted to the way I shoot.

I love my M&P9 and am quite accurate with it right out of the box, well two years ago in June and the Glock fairly good with but still having problems with the 40 caliber which I hope is just sights needing alignment, heck I use the same sight picture as with the M&P9 so it should do the same but not really.

So to respond to your post get your self a M&P9 or M&P9C you will not regret the decision, and it is a very reliable weapon, which is why it has the Military and Police name to it, it simply must do its intended job and do it well, as mine do. No misfires FTF FTE with either of these weapons with over 3,000 rounds through my M&P9!

 

[LedFowl]

I had fired both at our local range before making a purchase. I chose the M&P9 and haven't regretted it. It was reliable right out of the box, and I think it's the easiest handgun to shoot accurately that I own.

 

[insomniac]

I know this subforum may be biased, but would be interested in opinions.

maybe a little i've looked at the XD pistols, they just don't fit into my hands as well as the M&Ps do, and i really don't care for a grip safety on any pistol (including 1911's).

also, it looks to me like the barrel sits lower on the M&P which might make for faster follow-up shots.

both are great pistols, really you can't go wrong with either one.

 

[Dragon88]

My biggest gripe with the XD family of pistols is how tall and heavy the slides are. You want the mass of the slide as low in your hand as possible when shooting pistols, and the XD design completely ignores that. This is most easily seen on their compact models:

See how ridiculous that looks?

New owners often say that the M&P "felt best" amongst the various pistols they tried. This is because S&W built good ergonomics and a low bore axis into the design. Between your two options, I would go with the M&P.

 

[RichardF]

I own an XDM 9mm and love it. I've put maybe 1200 rds through it and have found only one factory load that had a few hangups. Have not had a single reload problem. I don't have a lot of shooting experience but it seems to be pretty accurate. I've been pleasantly surprised as to how well I can shoot it. Not sure how it would feel with a big hand, but feels great with the mid backstrap with my medium hand.

 

[ejeli]

I also have large long fingered hands. Being my first auto I handled several brands including the XDM. I found the M&P FS to feel the best plus I shoot left handed so it was important to have a pistol that was ambidextrous. Since shooting the M&P40 I felt that I was letting my finger creep in to far on the trigger even with the large backstrap. I installed the Apex FSS trigger kit complete and ended up a 4.25 lb trigger pull and by eliminating the pre-travel I find it a lot easier to maintain proper trigger contact. I have since installed the Talon grips and that has also improved the feel. As a side effect I was finding it hard to reach the mag release that I had reversed for left thumb operation. I have sinced reversed it back to the traditional positional and now release it with my trigger finger. Nice having the option to custom fit a handgun to ones preference.
Probably a novice opinion but it's mine and I'm sticking to it...

 

[bobkarno]

For me, the M&P just feels better in my hand, but that is "my" hand. If you can, you should go to a range where you can rent and shoot both in the same session. I have shot XD's and I like the guns and feel they are very well made. I really don't prefer the aesthetics of the gun, but function should always be the first consideration when buying a pistol. I would also say that I generally make it a rule to tell people what not to buy based on quality (like say a Hi-Point) rather than what to buy based on personal preference. Because personal preference is exactly that: Personal.

 

[clcdawg]

I think both are fine guns but for me the XD's never felt right in my hand. I love my M&P 9mm it is my favorite gun I own. You just need to try and shoot both and get the one that is best for you.

 

[vista461]

I have a 4.25" pro and I love it, I have shot an XD and didn't care for it. I also got rid of my last Glock after having my M&P for a few months.

 

[rilkil23]

Love my XD40 SC and my buddy has the XDM 40 3.8. I am a huge fan of the XD series but would love to have a M&P based on the feedback from those that own em. Check em out and see which one you like. I bought the XD for $300.00 from a friend that was replacing it with another XDM. If he was selling a M&P I would have been happy to buy it instead.

 

[Penmon]

Check out the FN series of 45 and 9mm,they have a visible hammer and decent balance when loaded.I also like the sight picture on my FNP-45.They have a hand filling grip and interchangeable back straps.Their made in the US of A and from what I can tell are of the highest quality.Most importantly I have never had a jam of any kind out of some 1000 rounds fired,I did have some 50 year old plus ammo that failed to fire on several rounds so I thumbed the hammer back and most of the rounds fired on the 2nd hammer strike, can't do that without an external hammer. Never a problem with clean fresh ammo.
I feel a range gun begs for a manually cockable hammer, improves the SA trigger pull but you still have the DA option.
I also feel it's safer to be able to lower the hammer on a loaded chamber with a decocker lever or by hand.I understand this may not be 100% correct but it sure makes me feel better.
A gun just got to have a hammer you can thumb back.

Penmon AKA sore thumb

 

[Fir Fer]

I have MP45 mid. My friend just bought a used XD 45(had 8 rounds fired threw it). After handling the XD I have to say I prefer my MP. My friend also owns an MP45 compact, he prefers the MP also.

What I really noticed was that the slide took more effert to rack on the XD, I did like the slide release on the XD, but not enough to switch guns.

 

[rawen2]

I have an M&P 9 and an XDm 3.8 9mm. Both have the full size grip. The M&P fits my hand better but I shoot more accurately with the XDm. I added a Pachmayr grip sleeve to the XDm to improve the feel.

The last time out my M&P had two FTE with the same ammo I always use. The XDm has never had a malfunction of any kind.

You won't go wrong buying either one. They're both great guns.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I went with my girl when she said she wanted help picking a new 9mm compact to buy. I have to go gun shopping? Sure twist my arm... She rented several and the XDm was one of them. As soon as she picked it up you could see the negative look on her face. She said it just felt too heavy. I just found the feel in the hand too strange for my taste. When she tried the M&P9c, you could tell she liked it instantly from the look on her face. Inside the range only made her smile more. She bought it that day. Funny thing is that I pick up my 40c today. So while I don't mean to sound biased, we are both new M&P owners after just having rented a XDm. These were both compact models and feel in hand is very subjective, but take note of several reviews on this forum that say the M&P is very easy to shoot well while another just didn't feel as well in the hand.

 

[mcracco]

To me, form has to be a real close second to function in a firearm and while the M&P is very pleasing to the eye the XD looks like it was designed by the same team that came up with the Pontiac Aztec. Just plain ugly IMO.

 

[sheepdawg]

Something about "Made in Croatia" makes me like the MP.

 

[Rangel]

Those Croatians have been very, very serious about making weapons for hundreds of years and the XD/XDM series was known as the HS2000 in Croatia, before Springfield picked it up around 2002. The 45 in particular has won a lot of awards.

I have the 45 caliber XDM w/ a 4.5 inch barrel (nice and quite accurate) and really regardless of size, the same size S&W M&P in that (or any load) category tends to feel lighter and more natural (ergonomic) in my hand. The XD series just feels bigger, heavier and blockier.

On the range, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Generally speaking, the physics of a heavier gun wiill translate into less muzzle flip and better groups on follow up shots. In particular, the competition XDM 45 with the 5.25 inch barrel and adjustable sights, is an exceptionally accurate gun. It's quite the 'range cannon', but it's just too big for most other things. If I have a wild boar coming at me at close range in the open field, I'd prefer to dispatch him using a smaller M&P in 45 caliber, with Hornady Critical defense ammo. Same goes for a 'bedside companion gun', using Glaser safety slugs, as I have neighbors.

Generally speaking, with guns, there's a 'right tool for every job'. The S&W M&P 40c and the Glock 23 are to me like Swiss Army knives, in that they are reasonably good for a large number of tasks and conceal fairly well.

 

[sheepdawg]

No doubt, the XD/XDM line is a popular, well built firearm but so is the MP. If given a choice over two equal products at a similar price, I'll take the "Made in U.S.A." one every time. That's all I'm saying and would think most everyone here would agree.

 

[Rangel]

Of course my S&W M&P (and my other S&W's as well) was/were made in the USA. My Glocks were made in Smyrna, Georgia USA, but of course the parent company is in Austria. The lines of origin can be different shades of gray--as the standard sidearm for the US Army (and used by a lot of US police forces) is a Beretta 92, made in the USA, but Beretta, the oldest gun maker on earth, has a USA head quarters, but is an Italian company essentially. S&W is making inroads into these markets--recently the Los Angeles police moved to the S&W M&P. I am sure Glock's watching intently. Beretta's US Army contract will be running out and the decision making process on the new standard gun/s should be interesting.

For a long time now, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry have been built in the USA, but of course the parent companies are in Japan. Even what we see as American mainstays, like the Ford F150 pick up truck, a lot of other USA brand vehicles, including Harley Davidson Motorcycles and many more products, have a significant number/percentage of parts made overseas.

The US Govt's 'guidelines' as to determining if a product can claim 'Made in the USA' cover 40 some pages.

Anybody remember when you went into a Wal-Mart and there were signs all over saying 'We sell 'Made in the USA products'? I think if Sam Walton were alive today, he'd be rather upset. Even US Flags are typically made in China today. The US Army's elite, first strike Rangers almost had a rebellion when their hard earned berets were briefly outsourced to Chinese manufacture.

S&W is the USA distributer for Walther (backs them with a paltry one year warranty too) and Walther is sort of hard to pin down as to where there guns are 'realy made' versus were they are finally test fired and stamped as their final assembly point.

To compound complications, companies may put individual parts out to bid and a parts origin and the percentage from any given country can vary from time to time. If one country's currency is particularly attractive against the dollar, we may outsource from there for that time period.

Chances are that many parts of the computer you're using right now will vary in origin from week to week, as they 'job shop' for the cheapest hard drives, DVD player/burners and many other components.

Sadly, gun manufacturers today are little different in this global oriented economy.