Having started shooting in 2008 I don't have much of a knowledge of Smith & Wesson firearms or their products. My question is simply this: What is an M&P versus a non-M&P product? I see there is a sub forum for M&P pistols and a forum for semi-autos - what is the difference and weren't the original M&Ps revolvers?

I think that the M&P moniker is well known as a revolver. I guess S&W named their semi-auto after it to take advantage of the good reputation of the M&P revolver.

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Keep your powder dry.

Prior to S&W's polymer M&P semi-autos there were three generations of S&W metal framed semi-auto pistols. The Model 39 and 59, and their successors. Prior to that the M&P moniker was used on revolvers.

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AKA SixToEight

I'm really no expert on this, but I always thought of M&P as a way for S&W to indicate that a model is a working gun. Not all that pretty, not too expensive, no fancy finishes and grips that won't hold up well.

It's confusing !
The M&P started out as revolvers a long time ago ...geared toward military & law enforcement ( M&P - Military and Police ) basic heavy duty , no frills , fixed sighted revolvers for police and military men.

Then a marketing person thought it a good idea to start doing the same thing with semi-auto's , the ones meant for Law Enforcement and Military . Same concept but with semi-auto pistols .

I'm confused by it all when it comes to the newer semi-auto pistols and don't pay much attention to the M&P designation ... a model will come with many different configurations .

If M&P now stands for a certain configuration and finish on a semi-auto ...
I'm not sure of what it is ...Exactly !
Gary

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NRA Member

Best to think of M&P as advertising talk. Nowadays it largely means polymer semi-auto handgun, but it all depends.

Don’t blame us… Smith & Wesson comes up with this stuff!

As mentioned, M&P was originally the name given to fixed sight K frame revolvers marketed to law enforcement and the military. Now it can be a revolver, a pistol, a rifle or a shotgun.

Bodyguard was the name originally given to small frame revolvers with a shrouded hammer. Now they make an M&P Bodyguard, which is a semi-automatic pistol. Don’t confuse that with the M&P Bodyguard .38, which is a funky polymer framed revolver.

The sub-forums were created to organize discussion topics in a logical manner. If we lumped all S&W Semi-Auto pistol into the same sub-forum, popular new variants like the M&P pistols would dominate the discussion and drown out older models. It would be a waste of effort and unmanageable if we had a separate sub-forum for every model.

It’s quite simple…

Discussion about semi-auto pistols marked M&P belongs in the S&W M&P Pistols section. Even though the CSX aren’t marketed as such, that’s the most appropriate sub-forum for them. One exception is the M&P 15-22 pistol, which is most appropriate in the S&W M&P 15-22 rifle section.

SD and Sigma pistols have their own section. Enough said…

Discussion about other semi-auto pistols made after 1950 belongs in the S&W Semi-Auto Pistols sub-forum. This includes 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation guns, most .22 auto’s and the Chief Special autos. Chief Special was originally a J frame .38 Special revolver, but they were very popular and S&W couldn’t resist repurposing the name too.

Discussion about the old .35 and .32 Auto’s belongs in the S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 sub-forum. Members knowledgeable about the older revolvers are most familiar with these early autos and they’re not that common.

Clear as mud, eh?

We’ll have a test tomorrow!

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"I also cook."

Thanks for the "clarifications" and a good laugh to start the morning!

Peace.

s&wchad used one phrase that explains all of it:

Didn't Ford do the same thing with the new Bronco? Didn't FN do the same thing with their new High Power?

Okay, in those two cases there are obvious similarities to their forbears but, still, isn't a 17 round High Power in flat dark earth color a modern REPLICA of the famous High Power?

What should FN or Ford use for a name..........marketing is everything!!!!

Now that I think about it, the modern, soon to be discontinued Dodge Charger bore NO resemblance to my 1971 Dodge Charger. The name's the THING!!!

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Come and take it!!