Disappointed with new M&P 9

[kbm6893]

It's not a slide release. It's a slide stop. And even though you usually CAN drop the slide lock to release the slide, it's not its intended purpose. When I went through the police academy, we were taught to pull the slide to the rear to release the lock. You get a little more momentum to chamber a round that way, and lefties have no choice anyway.

If what you claim is true, then gun makers are screwing left handed shooters by not making the slide stop ambidextrous.

The M&P is a good polymer striker fired weapon, but it's not in the same class as a Colt Gold Cup, a Beretta 92, or many other semi suto's. I get that you're disappointed, but the gun is not defective. Learn to live with it or sell it for a loss.

As for instructors opinions, I've seen and heard instructors do and say stupid things. And most of the students don't know any better. What credentials do you need to be an "instructor"? A good instructor would advise his students to choose a weapon that feels good in their hands and that they shoot well, and not to focus on the slide stop being a liability in the extremely unlikely scenario of reloading a weapon in the middle of a gunfight. Are those the same instructors who advise their students that a safety will get you killed and a mag disconnect will also get you killed since you can't do a tactical reload in the middle of a gunfight, as if anybody other than. Navy SEAL would have the presence of mind or the skill to do so?

 

[00 buck]

I think you will find that most modern pistols have a slide STOP, not a slide RELEASE. Many people mistakenly refer to them as a slide release. While it is possible to make it function as a slide release, it is not recommended. Read your owner's manual and you will see it is referred to as a slide stop. My M&P manual shows a slide stop. My Ruger manual shows a slide stop. Glocks have a slide stop.

One hand operation is possible buy hooking the rear sight and pushing forward on the grip, thereby moving the slide rearward.

Only on the internet .......makes me feel tired all over.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Here are the two tests that Smith and Wesson will perform on your firearm:

First test: With an empty magazine inserted, the armorer will pull the slide to the rear. When/if the slide locks back, the armorer will remove the magazine. The armorer will then pull the slide to the rear again and release it, to determine if the slide stop releases and the slide travels forward into battery and the slide stop doesn't inadvertently engage.

Second test: The armorer will reinsert an empty magazine and pull the slide to the rear, locking it back. The armorer will remove the empty magazine and insert a magazine prepared with dummy rounds. The armorer will then pull the slide to the rear again and release it, to determine if the slide stop releases and the slide travels forward into battery, while loading a round. The armorer will probably work the slide again two or three times to see if the firearm loads and ejects properly, and the slide stop lever doesn't inadvertently engage. The armorer will then remove the magazine, work the slide to the remove the last round, and let the slide travel forward, again to determine that the slide stop lever doesn't inadvertently engage.

That is all that device is designed to do. The slide stop lever is forced upward by a the magazine follower. When the slide stop cut in the slide gets back to the slide stop lever, if the magazine is now empty, the lever is forced into place. The lever is held in place by the force created by the recoil spring attempting to move the slide back into battery. In order to make it easier for your digits to force the lever down, you have to reduce the power of the recoil spring or polish/otherwise alter the rear surface of the slide stop lever or the front surface of the slide stop notch, any of which carrying with them the possibility that a malfunction situation will be created.

Here endeth the lesson. If one is not happy with the way the firearm functions, by all means send it back, but be prepared to be told it is working as it should. If you don't like that answer, be prepared to purchase a different firearm.

My Smith's don't work like my Sig's don't work like my Glock's don't work like my H&K's don't work like my Springfield's work. That's part of the fun of this hobby.

 

[ankona]

Just get a Glock.

 

[hardluk1]

cavscout Act like a big boy and operate the handgun as you were taught in the army ,as you are taught to rack the slide to chamber a round or to clear a jamb . OR Contact s&w about the tough function of the slide lock and let them tune it with out all the whininess .

You were given some advise how you could maybe fix the issue BUT common sense could have done the same .

So your options are , Get your m&p fixed as You should know that all maker have a few problems . You can try to common sense the fix your self but that looks to be out of the question or sell it and buy some other brand and hope its problem free or you will start off with something sounding the same as you post here .

Good luck in the future .

 

[martybee]

It's not a slide release. It's a slide stop. And even though you usually CAN drop the slide lock to release the slide, it's not its intended purpose. When I went through the police academy, we were taught to pull the slide to the rear to release the lock. You get a little more momentum to chamber a round that way, and lefties have no choice anyway.

If what you claim is true, then gun makers are screwing left handed shooters by not making the slide stop ambidextrous.

The M&P is a good polymer striker fired weapon, but it's not in the same class as a Colt Gold Cup, a Beretta 92, or many other semi suto's. I get that you're disappointed, but the gun is not defective. Learn to live with it or sell it for a loss.

I agree it is not intended to be a slide release. It does raise some questions though; If it is not a to be used to release the slide, chamber a round, and if "Lefties have no choice on using it because it is not ambidextrous", Why does S&W put it on both sides?

mb

 

[MyDads38]

When someone asks me "can I ask you a question?", I always respond with "you can ask me anything, just be prepared for the answer because it may not be what you want to hear". There are at least 2 responses to a question-1) the one you WANT to hear/get or 2) the OPPOSITE of what you want to hear/get.

The S&W Forum is an amazing place, with some very nice, helpful and knowledgeable people. Have you noticed that most of the responses were similar? Sometimes looking through an owner's manual can answer your question, and then you can say to yourself "so that's how that works/goes/fits". If it's still not clear, you can get on the "net" and come to a place like this, ask a question or ask for help and usually, folks are glad to do so. Been there, done that; and I appreciated it very much.

No reason to get defensive with folks here because the answer you got, wasn't the answer you wanted to hear. I don't operate either of my M&P's or my SD VE series guns as if they have a slide release, because it's a slide lock. I'm sure if you keep the M&P, you'll have other questions that you'll want to ask, and that's okay too. But if you're new to the M&P platform/series of guns (like I was); you may want to read through the owner's manual at least once. Otherwise, we'll be here to help, if/when you need it.

 

[Watchdog]

You mean to tell me that a handgun targeted for Military and Police does not have a slide release?

It's "officially" known as a slide stop. Some people call it a slide release, simply because you can release the slide with it. Far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter what it's called...it performs both functions, and performs them very well.

I use it to release the slide to chamber a round on my 1911s and my Glocks. I know a bunch of other experienced shooters who do the same thing. The pistol isn't undergoing any more force by releasing the slide that way than it does by the process of firing the pistol, or by pulling the slide back and releasing it to chamber a round.

If a pistol can't take the slide being released using the slide stop lever, then far as I'm concerned, it's an inferior weapon, and I won't have one.

 

[catcus-jack]

Directly from one of my M&P manuals in red letters it says " UPON FIRING THE PISTOL OR RELEASING THE SLIDE FROM THE SLIDE STOP,THE SLIDE MOVES FORWARD WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCE AND SPEED"One of my Beretta 92 manuals states To fire again ,remove empty magazine and insert a loaded one .Press the slide catch to load the chamber and close the slide.(Fig 12) The slide can also be closed for chamber loading by simply retracting and releasing the slide.After that I didn't check any other manuals.Both methods are ok.The only time S&W mentions grasping the slide and pulling back and releasing is when you are loading the empty gun and the slide is forward.I say get off the computer and read your owners manual again.

 

[kbm6893]

I agree it is not intended to be a slide release. It does raise some questions though; If it is not a to be used to release the slide, chamber a round, and if "Lefties have no choice on using it because it is not ambidextrous", Why does S&W put it on both sides?

mb

It's on both sides? Didn't know that. None of my semi suto's have dual slide locks. I still wouldn't use it to drop the slide

 

[Muss Muggins]

It's on both sides? Didn't know that. None of my semi suto's have dual slide locks. I still wouldn't use it to drop the slide

I don't own an M&P, so I searched the brochure. Sho' 'nuff. There's one on each side. Only pistol I'm aware of built that way, but doesn't mean there aren't more. Learn something new every day.

 

[hardluk1]

All this over some guy that has a minor problem that he should have been able to figure out all by himself . Grow up guys .

 

[Saudade]

The confusion comes from other manufacturers making them with slide "releases". My SP2022, M9A1 call them a slide catch can clearly state to press down with your thumb to release.

On my PPQ, it's called a stop, but still says to press down with your thumb to release. It also says to pull the slide fully rearward to make release easier.

It's called a slide release on an HK VP9 and use your thumb.

On a Sig P320, it's called a catch and you rack the slide.

BTW, the P320, PPQ and VP9 are ambi as well.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

.........that he should have been able to figure out all by himself .

......if he had read the Owner's Manual first.

 

[Watchdog]

All this over some guy that has a minor problem that he should have been able to figure out all by himself . Grow up guys .

 

[buzzkillbob]

To the OP, I'm one of those people that doesn't get wrapped around the axle about terminology. Slide lock, slide release. Magazine, clip. Whatever, as long as I know what you're talking about, I don't care if you call it a "thingamajig". Although, I'm not sure why the collective audience is giving you such a hard time, I think you covered your bases here:

...the slide stop/release...

Perhaps I'm just stupid (very likely in fact), but I've always used the "slide stop" to release the slide. Of course the manufacture would consider that "abusive". It covers their behinds.

 

[walkin' trails]

... And when my M&Ps auto-forward much of the time when performing a slide lock reload, as do my Glocks, I think it's a moot point. What is at issue is when the thingamajig that is supposed to lock back the slide and release it seems like it's jammed up and won't release by pressing after ejecting a spent mag. When you own more than two of the same pistols and the others work, you know there's a problem.

 

[MichiganScott]

All this over some guy that has a minor problem that he should have been able to figure out all by himself .

The problem is that the OP asked a question and did not like the answers he received. It's human nature to need validation of our preconceived views and ideas for our self-esteem. He did not get that validation and insists that he is right, Smith & Wesson engineers are clueless as to how a pistol should be handled in the "real world", and anyone that disagrees with him needs lessons from his instructors that never would have recommended the M&P if it did not have a slide release. Apparently his instructors never read the owner's manual either.

If this was not enough, the OP then insults the M&P by declaring it must have been designed as it was simply to make other polymer guns look good (jabroni), and declares that he will gladly take his money back. This is, afterall, a Smith and Wesson forum and it should not be surprising that most of us are very happy with them.

 

[NCW Ray]

Just ordered a brand new M&P 9. Test fire was 02/04. After good initial cleaning and lube I noticed that the slide stop/release is so hard to release its almost border line of needing struck by an object. I can get it to drop but it takes two thumbs and a lot of pressure. I did it 3 times to see if it would loosen up but quit because i was putting so much pressure it felt like it might break.

I went to my local gun shop and looked at some new ones there. They didnt have the issue at all. One 40 was a little tight but felt like it could be broken in easily.

I had a buddy look at it that is an M&P goro and informed me that they come stiff. He said he has never seen or heard of one being that hard after handling it. I watched his face turn a couple of shades of red trying to release it and he couldnt.

Looks like ill be contacting S&W before even shooting the thing. This could have been avoided if they would just have checked it.

My "slide stop" was extremely hard to operate with my thumb too. What I did was lube the notch in the slide where the slide stop comes into contact with it and then repeatedly released the slide with it. After numerous releases I am now able to operate it easily with my thumb. I did put on a pair of gloves to protect my thumb while doing this. I did this to all 5 of the M&P's my family has. All of them can be released by thumb now if the need should arise.

And ALSO... just because the "Slide Stop" is "Conveniently" located so as your thumb(s) can "Easily" manipulate it, and it "Conveniently" has "Nice Slip Resistant Serrations" on it doesn't mean it's supposed to be used as a "Slide Release".

 

[KAC]

A couple of points. 1. The slide stop is ambi on the M&P so that left handers can engage it easily. 2. Glock from day one has trained that their slide stop/catch is to be used as that only, not as a release. You will never hear them refer to it otherwise.