• Update – 12:30 PM EST
    Attachments are now working, and all members can once again upload files.
    We are currently testing URL redirects and other miscellaneous features across the site.
    Thank you for your continued patience and support during this migration.

    Prefer a darker look? You can switch between light and dark modes in your account settings:
    smith-wessonforum.com/account/preferences

M&P 9L vs M&P 9 Pro Series

Mydogmax

Mydogmax

US Veteran
Joined
Oct 26, 2013
Messages
1,163
Reaction score
1,782
Location
Minnesota
I'm looking at both the 9L and the 9 Pro Series. The 9L has night sights and can be had for mid $400's. The 9 Pro Series is about $100 more and has a FO front sight. The only difference that I can find (besides the sights) is the trigger. The 9 Pro seems to have a better trigger.
Anybody own these guns? Any preferences?
 
Are you sure the 9L has night sites? The only one I have seen had standard sites. The 4.25" Pro does come with night sites for sure and runs about 585.00.
 
There was a version of the 9L been sold with night sights at buds, a lot of people seem to favor the Pro.
 
jeffhughes said:
Are you sure the 9L has night sites? The only one I have seen had standard sites. The 4.25" Pro does come with night sites for sure and runs about 585.00.
Click to expand...
Let me clarify a bit. Here's the 9L
•Model: M&P
•Caliber: .9MM
•Capacity:­ 17+1 Rounds
•No Magazine Safety
•3 Backstraps
•Barrel Length: 5"
•Front Sight: Steel Ramp Dovetail Mount, Tritium Sights

•Rear Sight: Steel Novak Lo-Mount Carry, Tritium Sights
•Trigger Pull: 6.5 lbs.
•Trigger Travel: Rest to Fire .300 in.
•Trigger Reset: Approx. .140 in.
•Frame: Large­
•Finish: Slide and Barrel Black Melonite, 68HRc
•Overall Length: 8.25"
•Material: Zytel Polymer Frame, Stainless Steel Barrel/Slide and Structural Components
•Weight Empty (No Mag): 25.2 oz.
•Overall Height: 5.5"
•Width: 1.2"
$465

Here's the 9 Pro Series
Model: M&P9
.Caliber: 9mm
.Capacity: 17+1 Rounds
.Barrel Length: 5" / 12.7 cm
.Action: Striker Fire
(Double Action Only)
.Front Sight: Novak® Fiber Optic Green
.Rear Sight: Novak® Reduced Glare
.Trigger Pull: 4 - 5 1/2 lb.
.Weight: 26 oz / 737.1 g
.Frame Size: Large
.Overall Length: 8.5" / 21.2 cm
.Grip: (3) Interchangeable Palmswell Grip Sizes
Polymer
.Material: Polymer Frame/Stainless Steel Barrel and Slide
.Finish: Black, 68 HRc
$580
Look's to me that other than the sights, it's the trigger pull.
 
Last edited:
Depending on when they were made, the Pro will have a different sear. All the current M&P's have this sear. I don't know when the change was made. I got the Pro Core last June and couldn't be more satisfied. I've got over 40K rounds through it.
 
Mydogmax said:
The 9 Pro seems to have a better trigger.
Click to expand...

This is why I asked. M&P pistols (except Shield) dont have good triggers, this includes the Pro. The 9L if its the same as the full size trigger is bad/OK. The Pro is OK.

S&W messed up inexplicably on these triggers.

Im not an S&W hater and prefer them in fact to most others...its just if a good trigger matters to you plan on installing Apex parts or get a different brand gun. That being said, good or bad triggers dont make good or bad shooters. I have found that I can shoot my M&Ps with acceptable accuracy. It just drives me bananas that even the Ruger SR pistols have much better triggers.
 
Last edited:
Bkreutz said:
Depending on when they were made, the Pro will have a different sear. All the current M&P's have this sear. I don't know when the change was made. I got the Pro Core last June and couldn't be more satisfied. I've got over 40K rounds through it.
Click to expand...

The newer guns have better triggers. Will call then OK but still not good. Wake up S&W!
 
I have both models. I picked up the 9L yesterday but from dry-firing the pistol not much of a difference between the 2.
 
bxny10455 said:
I have both models. I picked up the 9L yesterday but from dry-firing the pistol not much of a difference between the 2.
Click to expand...
I'll be real curious to know if you notice much difference when you fire the two together. Keep me posted as I'm not going to make any decisions for 3-4 weeks.
 
What are you going to use the pistol for? Range toy/Target gun or home defense/carry piece? The 9L has a different slide that is just a bit lighter than the 9 Pro slide. It also looks better, IMHO. If you are just going to play at the range and maybe compete in gun games then the night sights of the 9L don't add anything for your purposes. The 9L with the extra mag and night sights is bringing about an extra $100 in value to the deal. But you might not like the trigger so you may spend another $100 or so on APEX upgrades. Whereas the Pro might, and I say MIGHT, have a good enough trigger out of the box that you might leave it as is.
But the 9 Pro won't have night sights or an extra mag. And you know you are going to buy extra mags, right? Living in the Peoples Republic of Minnisotastan you need to salt away as many hi-caps as you can.
I bought one of the Bud's M&P 9L guns w/night sights and 3 mags, it was too good of a deal to pass up. It had a decent trigger, a bit lighter and more crisp than the 2009 M&P 40 that I purchased alongside it. But I shot the M&P 40 much better than the 9L, so tomorrow the 9L goes off to join it's new owner.
I think it was the trigger, along with the added length of the 5 inch barrel. You really need to follow through with the longer slide/barrel guns more than the short ones. So if you don't need the night sights I just might vote for the 9 Pro and hope the trigger really is better than the regular guns. Or just accept you're going to spend an extra $150 or so on a full APEX upgrade and get the 9L. I wasn't interested in sinking more money into the gun, let us know what you decide.

Stay Safe.
 
My intended use is for range and HD. I don't plan to carry it. After shooting my 1911 I decided that I liked long barreled pistols. As far as night sights vs FO sights go, I'm not sure what I want. Which sight works better for the range? I would assume the FO would.
 
I have both the 4.25" and 5" Pros. The 5" Pro with FO sights I specifically use for IDPA and USPSA; the FO is most popular in these sports.
The 4.25" Pro with night sights is handier as a service pistol with the shorter barrel for sitting.
Both triggers settled down a bit over 4# with some polishing, which is all I wanted to do. I am an old revolver shooter and like 2-stage triggers.
The only 9Ls I have seen came with the 6 1/2 # trigger and standard sights. The guys who bought them knew they were going to put in APEX kits and Dawson FO sights, so there was no point in paying extra for features they were going to replace anyway. One put in a FSS, which moves him out of stock and Production Divisions to Divisions including custom guns. The other put in an APEX kit with internal mods only that allowed him to stay in USPSA Production.

The most common M&P in my IDPA matches is the Pro 5"; some have added internal APEX mods, some haven't.

Everybody seems pretty satisfied with their M&Ps they have now except for a couple of guys whose hobby is more buying a new pistol every 3 months than getting serious about IDPA.

Really hard to say what you will like, not knowing you, but maybe this will help a little?
 
Mydogmax said:
I'll be real curious to know if you notice much difference when you fire the two together. Keep me posted as I'm not going to make any decisions for 3-4 weeks.
Click to expand...

It's too late for me to do the comparison the Pro has a FSS. I have more than enough M&Ps to provide an opinion on them. I even replaced the parts one at a time then took it to the range for testing. IMHO the Pro sear still felt short to the Apex. Stamped test date on the Pro is 4/13.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
School me on M&P's (9L vs. Pro Series)
Replies
2
Views
1K
LVSteve
LVSteve
S
Tell me about PERFORMANCE CENTER M&P 9 M2.0 PRO SERIES
Replies
9
Views
4K
Beju
B
s&wchad
M&P 9 Pro Series CORE Takedown Question
Replies
5
Views
327
Saudade
Saudade
Redcoat3340
Help with M&P Pro 9mm
Replies
7
Views
542
hardluk1
H
P
M&P 9 Shield TS 3.1" holster recommendations
Replies
3
Views
474
Lock n' Load
L

Latest posts

Back
Top