I am thinking very seriously of making an M&P 9 my next handgun purchase. In doing some research, I see there is a tool for disassembly of the weapon. I am not accustomed to a gun needing a tool for takedown. Are the tools secure in the slot at the rear of the grip? In a pinch, can the gun be disassembled without it? Do they get lost easily?

Appreciate any advice as well as general comments from those who already own one. Thanks.

The tool is pretty tight in there, you have to turn it and then pull it out. You can take the gun down w/o it, you can use one of those little screw drivers like in glasses repair kits, or you finger if your careful.

The "tool" holds the grip insert in place, once I have the insert I want in the gun I never touch it again. No real need to, a pen, screwdriver anything small enough to get into the ejection port can slip the sear release lever down. Models without the mag safety you can also dryfire and release the slide.

Like the others said. No tool is really needed. A finger is just a little bit too big, but any thing smaller like a pen to a paper clip can get the release started. You can put it back in place with your finger though.

Youtube Video on breaking it down

Check out this video

YouTube - M&P one handed field strip and no tool

You dont need the tool to field strip the weapon. Just your finger. Really, the "tool" is there to hold in the backstrap.

Or you can just dry fire it when you take it down.

Thanks all! Appreciate the advice and the videos - I did not realize there was a visual loaded chamber indicator.

A couple of other questions, if I may:
- If the sear release lever accidentally gets pushed back up, will the slide get stuck during reassembly? (I have done this a couple of times with a Ruger P95 where the ejector has to be pushed down, the first time involving an embarassing visit to the gunsmith for a 10-second fix...)
- Pushing down the sear release basically is decocking the gun, correct? Is that why you can do the same thing with dryfiring?

I doesn't matter if the sear release lever is up or down on reassembly.

Sorry, but I am used to owning cheap guns that aren't supposed to be dry fired or whatever without snap caps. Is the M&P completely safe to dry fire? No damage?

Just took my .45C down for the first time. Seems like you are always a little clumsy with a mechanism the first time. I can't imagine one being easier to take down than this pistol.

As far as I know you can dry fire to your hearts content.

Dan

Snap caps are always a good idea, but you can dry fire M&P's with the newer strikers.


C4

__________________
S&W M&P Armorer
S&W LE Distr.

Just dry fire the pistol like you would a Glock to get the slide off.

I suppose 10,000 dry fires might cause a problem (or not) but you won't clean the pistol that many times.

-- Chuck

When I got my M&P I used the take down tool...that got a little well dumb...so now with empty chamber and empty mag rack slide back, flip takedown lever, put slide forward, pull trigger is safe direction, and pull the slide off. Dry fire on this pistol really won't hurt anything...just don't be doing it 1000s of times. If you wan't to practice trigger pull....get the snap caps.

The only really good thing about S&W's "sear blocker" method of disassembly is that it really forces you to empty the chamber, and to see if there's a magazine in the well, during disassembly....

Opening the slide to flip the lever will extract what might be in the chamber, and you can't flip the lever with a magazine in place.

'Course you could put a loaded magazine back in after doing all that, but that's another story....

IAC, the newer strikers (silver colored) should be adequately reliable for dry firing within the limits of common sense. Certainly for an occasional cleaning. Combining the tool with the backstrap latch was a good idea, but you don't need that tool for anything but keeping the backstrap in place.

Regards,

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Stu.

The tool is not necessary...and yes a finger will do it...BUT this is only an issue if you don't want to pull the trigger to disassemble. In other words,: 1. Remove the clip. 2. lock the slide back. 3. Turn the take down lever. 4. Release the slide till it stops. 5. Pull the trigger, and the slide/barrel assembly will jump off into your hand. The "sear deactivation lever" is simply a convenience to be able to take it down w/out pulling the trigger. You don't have to use it. I can have my 9c apart before a cat can lick its butt. Hope that helps.

Great info and I get to lay hands on my 9c this coming Friday.

As to being faster than your cat...maybe...but then you haven't seen how quickly Ripley the Wonder dog can go after his rear.

hammeredbean, Paul:

The Attack Cats here

prefer cat comments be suppressed....

Sammy

thinks it's funny.

I'm staying in the cellar where it's safe....

Regards,

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Stu.