Hi all!

(sorry this post got really long as I started typing)

My family has been buying S&W for years now due to their reliability and the fact that they are produced in our home state of MA. I bought my first fire arm last week, a S&W M&P 9mm.

Product: Smith & Wesson M&P9c - Compact Size, Magazine Safety

Smith & Wesson M&P - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

After reading through the manual and shooting it at the range twice, I have some questions and concerns. I have been looking around the internet and browsing through these forums, but I still have some questions. I was hoping that some well informed individuals might help me out with a few answers?

1) The fire arm is advertised as 10+1 (MA compliant), yet I have had difficulties achieving this.

- When I load 10 rounds into the magazine, I can only insert it into the pistol if the slide is locked back, and then released and chambers a round. Even after doing this, and taking the clip out to add in another round, it seems I can't insert a fully loaded clip back into the pistol. At least it didn't want to go in easy, and I didn't want to force it. I have read that MA requires a "Magazine Safety" which prevents the pistol from being fired without a magazine in, but that wouldn't stop me from loading a full clip with or without a round in the chamber, would it?

- Is there a way to fully load the magazine, yet not have the pistol cocked with one in the chamber? I'm new to Conceal and Carry and a little weary of the pistol not having a thumb safety; I'm afraid of accidentally grabbing the trigger when drawing the pistol.

- Is it possible to chamber a round and have a fully loaded magazine?

- The MA law is always fluctuating, and has recently changed, I believe. My license allows me to have "Large Capacity" magazines (if previously manufactured before 1999, but I believe that has recently changed also), does S&M manufacture magazines in +10 rounds that would still sit flush in the M&P 9mm compact?

2) I have read a lot about the trigger, and it having issues. Some love it, some hate it and mod it.

- What is the deal with dry firing this weapon? I have always been taught not to do so with any fire arm unless it is necessary. Out of curiosity, I dry fired the M&P and it didn't seem to do anything - no cocking of the fire pin or anything, but I might be wrong about this. Is it damaging to dry fire the pistol?

- I hear the trigger needs a break in time. Right now, it is a very heavy trigger. Will it soften up with use, either dry fire, snap caps, or live rounds?

- There seems to be some conversion kits (such as the Apex mod?) to alter the trigger pull/weight, and also some online manuals for machining some of the parts yourself. I'd rather purchase a kit than start messing with things myself. What is your opinion on these kits, and the trigger. Does S&M offer trigger adjustments at their factory still? My father had his .38 done 30+ years ago right at the factory, and he has been talking about taking a ride back to get my pistol worked on. If we didn't want to take the 2+ hour drive, would S&W mail the machined pistol back and forth? If I go ahead and get a trigger job/mod, what do you recommend for the pull weight? I shoot my fathers pistols which have 'hair triggers', and they improve the accuracy of my shooting 2-fold.

Apex 5-5.5 lb trigger kit:
https://apextactical.com/store/produ...php?pid35.html

Apex 3 lb kit:
https://apextactical.com/store/produ...php?pid36.html

Do it yourself (not what I'm looking to do - would rather buy a kit):
http://www.burwellguns.com/misc/M&Ptriggerjob.pdf

3) Reloading at home.

- My father has a reloader that he uses for his .38, and I am looking to buy the correct dies for reloading 9mm rounds. Does anyone have advice on where to pick up these dies from? What type of powder should I be using, and how many grains, for the M&P 9mm? Should I clean the pre-fired casings before reloading, and if so, with what?


OK OK! I know that was a lot of questions, and I apologize, but when it comes to fire arms (as with most other things), I like to be well informed. Any info you anyone can send my way would certainly be appreciated.

Thank you all in advance,
--EthanG