Any common problems with the M&P line

nelsonholsters · Oct 11, 2013

Hello folks.
Im trying to decide on buying a m&p and i have searched online about the guns but is there any problems i should know about.
Are they picky about what type ammo i use?
Are the compacts just as good as full size guns?

I normally carry a xd45 or glock 17 and they will eat any type ammo i give them.

Franklin · Oct 11, 2013

Only problem I know of is every one wants at least one!

lhump1961 · Oct 11, 2013

Both of my M&P's are compacts, a 40c and a 357c, but I favor the smaller framed guns. I haven't run a lot of factory ammo through them but no issues when I did. No issues at all with my hand loads using HP's.

I don't pay much attention to others complaints about whatever gun they are complaining about...any gun manufacturer will have someone saying they are the greatest as well as someone claiming they are junk...I'm sure you've heard many complaints on the XD's and Glocks but they are fine guns overall. Smith can't seem to make enough M&P's to keep up with demand and mine are spot on. But in the event you had a issue Smith will take good care of you.

nelsonholsters · Oct 11, 2013

I know one thing for sure i don't replace any of my carry guns i just add to them and the m&p seems to be a fine pistol.
I think we all need at least 2 of every gun lol

Silversmok3 · Oct 11, 2013

nelsonholsters said:
Hello folks.
Im trying to decide on buying a m&p and i have searched online about the guns but is there any problems i should know about.
Are they picky about what type ammo i use?
Are the compacts just as good as full size guns?

I normally carry a xd45 or glock 17 and they will eat any type ammo i give them.

Problems?

That's the bad guys' concern.

OKFC05 · Oct 12, 2013

The complaint I hear most is "OMG! The trigger is not just like a 1911!" Since you shoot a Glock already, you may be past that.

UncaGrunny · Oct 12, 2013

They make you use up a lot of ammo.

shawn mccarver · Oct 12, 2013

The M&P is like any other pistol. It was pretty well thought out when introduced. There have been some issues, but S&W has mostly been responsive to those. That has resulted in an evolution of the pistol. The ones they make now are probably better than the ones first introduced. They have been tested and they have been adopted by quite a few agencies, large and small. Any issues that may creep in now are usually more of a supplier issue, i.e. bad follower, mag spring not properly tempered, etc. But those kinds of issues are not a failure of design. They are more a failure of a component supplier that can be corrected by a proper replacement part. I think you will have good luck with the M&P.

SMMAssociates · Oct 12, 2013

My first M&P's rear and front sights were improperly installed - off center. Easy enough to fix if you've got the tools.

SOME guys find that the triggers are gritty, or too heavy. The Apex DCAEK kit will give you a trigger that's as good as the old wheelguns. You can just shoot most of that out, too, but it'll take a few rounds. Swapping trigger springs between the DCAEK kit from Apex and the stock springs plus a bit of polishing of contact surfaces on the trigger bar (don't forget the top of the "flag" that operates the drop safety and serves to reset the trigger bar after firing) will do a wonder for the gun. DO use Apex's sear and sear spring (swapping the sear spring pretty well demands a plastic bag). You can also install their drop safety easily, but some people have had issues with trying to remove the rear sight to do so. Follow the instructions, though!

Install a RAM kit if your model can accept it, too.

I'm an 1911 guy who started with K-Frame wheelguns back in the late 60's, and find the M&P's (I've got a 9C, 40C, and 40FS) about as comfortable to shoot as my old wheelguns. The 1911 is a tad different, but the M&P's aren't too different if you ignore the trigger take-up. (If you've got a Para LDA, the feel is almost exactly the same. A couple pounds of trigger for a bit, and then a four pound trip zone. You can set up your own trip weight within a narrow range, too.

Overall, if I didn't have a mountain of money in 1911's, I'd carry an M&P just like I did those old K-Frames way back when.

However, like 1911's, you can't have just one

....

Regards,

Nakanokalronin · Oct 12, 2013

I've personally found the 9mm models (two FS9s & one 9c) to be far less accurate than the used FS45 I picked up. Other than that, they're reliable and very ergonomic pistols.

blujax01 · Oct 12, 2013

The most common problem I have encountered is that some folks assume these guns will shoot and feel like a Glock, or like a 1911, or like a ...

They then spend hundreds of dollars buying trigers and springs to make the gun feel like a Glock or like a ...

Then the gun still doesn't feel like a $2000 Wilson Combat or $3000 Les Baer and they are somehow disappointed. These are Self Defense pistols. Very durable, very dependable Self Defense Pistols.

If at all possible, try before you buy. The M&P line feels like no other gun. Just like any other gun it has it's own manual of arms and it's own quirks. It is unique.

If you want an autofeeder that feels like a Glock or a whatever, buy a Glock. Or a whatever.

I own both a 9C and a 45C. They are fine handguns and in the sub-$500 price range they rock!

For what they are.

Sgt 45 · Oct 12, 2013

I have moved from a Wilson and Ed Brown .45 to the M&P 9 because my wrist has become really sensitive to heavier recoil. Getting old ain't for sissies. Anyway, I am very impressed with the M&P, accuracy is great and while the trigger is not a Wilson is surely isn't bad. I see no need to change it. My biggest complaint about the gun is the lack of magazines available. NO ONE has any. I see them for 40, 357, 45 and compacts but there aren't any out there for the standard 9. That said, it has become my EDC gun.

joestacey06 · Oct 12, 2013

Not one hiccup from my 9c that I've had for around 1.5 years.

vsraptor · Oct 12, 2013

Like Pringles..... Can't stop with just one. I get in trouble with the wife for buying so much ammo. She'll never understand. In the process of dropping hits, looking at getting a compact for Xmas. I admit... I'm an M&P junkie.

With no issues with any of them!! Not one.

MichiganScott · Oct 12, 2013

Mine eats ammo like a teen age boy eats fast food. I could feed one, but my wife's M&P also gets hungry. A trip to the range is almost as expensive as having the kids back home for Thanksgiving.

Danno_man · Oct 12, 2013

if you like the tactile "click" when the trigger resets, you will be disappointed with the older stock trigger. Yes, they can be fixed with little to no money, but it's still was an issue. The newer triggers correct that.

Older guns (9mm) had accuracy issues, which are corrected with the new barrel.

Dead triggers was another issue with the older models.

If you get a freshly manufactured M&P, these issues would be corrected.

Another problem is that if you don't have mags right now, it's gonna cost you to get some spares.

if a hard use gun and your mag base pads may fail, causing rounds to end up at your feet. I've seen this happen in a few classes I was taking. There are aftermarket metal pads.

Bagstrap · Oct 12, 2013

Have a 9 Compact with 1000+ rds (mix of factory and re-loads) thru it since I bought in July...not a single hiccup. Eats and spits all day long!
It's a gun, shoot it like you stole it!

tbc · Oct 12, 2013

Are they picky about what type ammo i use?

No. I fed my full size and compact all kinds of ammo including reloads without issue.

Are the compacts just as good as full size guns?

What do you mean "good"? They are both reliable comparable to other modern handguns. They are more accurate than most of us. The compact has a shorter sight radius so by physic it is less accurate than it full size counterpart. Grip angle, trigger weight, feel in the hand, reset, and safety features are all subjective so you have to try them out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

epj · Oct 12, 2013

Biggest common problem reported her is the dots fall out of the sights.

catcus-jack · Oct 12, 2013

nelsonholsters said:
Hello folks.
Im trying to decide on buying a m&p and i have searched online about the guns but is there any problems i should know about.
Are they picky about what type ammo i use?
Are the compacts just as good as full size guns?

I normally carry a xd45 or glock 17 and they will eat any type ammo i give them.

If you have searched online about them you should be aware of their problems.Of which they do have a few.Seems like lately most problems are with the Shield.

Any common problems with the M&P line

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