Interesting articles published by MSW.

Update: It was mentioned that the links were not working so I'm also posting the text from the articles.

Slide Stop Updates:
M&P Production Updates: Slide Stops | Modern Service Weapons
S&W Slide Stop.jpg
The S&W M&P pistol has undergone a great deal of evolution since its introduction in 2006. In a previous installment, I discussed the recent barrel changes, which improve overall performance with different ammunition types. One of the weakest points of the M&P that shooters really disliked was the lack of a perceptible trigger reset. I do not “shoot to reset” in that I do not hunt for the click prior to pressing the trigger to the rear, and I actually did not realize there was no tactile reset until someone told me. Regardless of your personal preference, Smith has listened to customers and has made a change that gives the M&P an extremely tactile reset sensation.
The first wave fix was around 2012 production, where a new “tactical” trigger bar was introduced. This did improve reset somewhat compared to original production guns, but the 2013 production guns now feature a new slide stop (pictured top right) with a pronounced flare to push the trigger bar back into reset. When the trigger is released to move forward, you feel a distinct click – both audible and tactile – when the trigger bar snaps past the slide stop and resets.
A common question we get is “when exactly did this change happen?” These changes are typically referred to as “rolling changes,” meaning that as new parts are phased in as old parts are depleted. It is therefore quite difficult to nail down the exact date stamp of guns where this came about. The latest guns to hit the office here in April/May all have the new slide stop setup.

Source: Modern Service Weapons M&P Production Updates: Slide Stops | Modern Service Weapons
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This one is on sear updates..

M&P Production Updates: The Sear | Modern Service Weapons
S&W Sear.jpg
From TOP: MIM sear, current production sear, Performance Center sear.

In my last few installments, I looked at the production upgrades to the M&P barrels and slide stops. The next big area of improvement is the sear. The newest guns received at our office in late spring of this year have all been outfitted with the new sear, which is a machined part with a few geometry changes.
The original M&P sear was a MIM part, and actually worked pretty well and was even able to accept hand work to hold a trigger job. A common issue with them was that the striker engagement surface often had some minor molding artifacts which affected the trigger pull. This would typically wear in after some use, or could be stoned smooth during a trigger job. The S&W Performance Center introduced their own machined sear which they used in their custom guns and trigger work, and the machined steel surfaces provided an excellent canvas for further refinement.
In the above photo, the oblong protrusion seen at the top right of each sear is the camming surface which interfaces with the “candy cane” sear cam loop on the trigger bar. The shape and angle of this protrusion control where in your trigger movement that the sear actually frees the striker and fires the gun. You can see that the new production and Performance Center sears both have modified cam geometry, which helps reduce overtravel.
So let’s cut through the egghead gunsmith talk and get to the meat of it. What does this new sear mean for the shooter? With some small improvements to the forming of the new trigger bars, the improved slide stop, and this new sear, M&P shooters will get an out of the box trigger pull that has tactile reset, a smoother take-up than older samples, and a cleaner more consistent break. In conjunction with the new 1:10 twist barrels, the new M&P’s are a very solid out of the box modern service pistol.

Source: Modern Service Weapons M&P Production Updates: The Sear | Modern Service Weapons

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This one is on barrels..

Pic of the Day: New Production M&P Barrel | Modern Service Weapons
S&W Barrel.jpg
The S&W M&P barrels have been one of the main weak points of the gun, as the original barrels with the 1:18.75″ twist were often quite ammunition sensitive, shooting some bullet weights better than others. The second generation of barrels changed the transition geometry between the chamber and barrel for improved durability. This apparent third generation of barrels now has a faster twist, and appears to be approximately 1:10, similar to what CZ and Glock use. In a limited survey of 10 new production full size 9mm M&Ps from this spring, the guns all included this barrel. Initial test firing with 115, 124, and 147 grain ammunition seems to show that these new barrels now provide Glock-like performance and accuracy with the various weights, not showing a preference for any one weight. It is still too early to provide a sweeping endorsement, but this initial testing is quite positive.
Let us know if your barrel has different markings, and when it was produced

Source: Modern Service Weapons Pic of the Day: New Production M&P Barrel | Modern Service Weapons




JFR