I was at my LGS last night and I fondled a used M&P VTAC 9mm. The gun looked to be a very low round count gun and the asking price was $589.00. I'm thinking that I could probably get it for around $550.00 OTD.

The gun fit my hands perfectly and I really liked the sights. I'm not very familiar with the VTAC options, and I currently only have one striker fired gun (PM9). I currently shoot and have a bunch of Sigs for my CCW's. I'd be buying the VTAC to use as a range gun and maybe action pistol / IDPA shoots, and just for having something different.

What else is different besides the FDE finish of the VTAC's?
I noticed the trigger reset was very short. Do they have a different trigger than the regular M&P's.
Are there any other plus's or minus's you can tell me about the VTAC's, and the M&P's in general?

Thanks!

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Rick
SWCA #2727 , SWHF #435

Not many differences...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04XyJUh1XQg

Start at about 2:10 on this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KIP-yTFD3Y

The second video pretty much sums up my feeling about the gun. I really like the sights, but don't like the FDE finish. Too bad it's not available in black.

Does anyone have any experience with the long term durability of the FDE finish?

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Rick
SWCA #2727 , SWHF #435

I have a 9mm VTAC that was one of the first run guns. The finish is holding up very well, even with many presentations from the holster.

The only problem i had was with the sights. I got the gun NIB, took it to the range, and at round 22, the fiber optic fell out of the front sight. I called S&W and got a return tag, and shipped the gun back. 30 days later, I get it back with a new set of sights.

I go to the range, and at round 36, again the fiber optic of the front sight falls out. I send it back again, and ask for some sort of remedy to the problem. I get the gun back with standard night sights installed, and a set of new VTAC sights in a bag.

I tried to get an answer as to why, but got nothing but crickets back from S&W. I then had my LGS install a set of Trijicon HD sights, and they have worked flawlessly.

A few months back, I picked up a VTAC in .40. I have shot it extensively, and the sights seem to be holding up well.

I think there may have been a bad run of sights from VTAC, and this later gun seems not to have the same problems.

I love both of my VTAC pistols, and other than the sight issue on the 9mm, they work great. I live in the SW desert, so I really like the FDE finish. It certainly is a "like or not" finish.

I've had my VTAC for a couple of months and honestly, I wish I'd gotten a standard FS 9mm M&P instead. I love the FDE finish and mine seems pretty durable, but I don't care for the sights. I'm thinking of replacing them with Trijicon HD's, so I paid about $200 more for this gun over the standard FS M&P just for the FDE finish. On the other hand, if you can get it used for around $550, it's not a bad deal, though a new FS M&P will only run you around $450 if you shop around.

I went back today and the OTD price was $620.00!
Needless to say it's still sitting in the used gun cabinet

I'll stick to my Sig P226 for now.

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Rick
SWCA #2727 , SWHF #435

You may want to look at the M&P Pro Series guns. I have a 4.25 inch. It came with night sights, a better trigger and the back straps are textured far more aggressively than the standard one are. I paid around $515.00 for mine from my LGS. IMO it is the best deal going in the M&P line.

I can take or leave the finish. Those sights, however, do not work well for me. If I were going to get an M&P with tall sights, I would rather have the optics ready CORE Model. Tall sights, plus an easy to way to mount a red dot, the coming thing on defensive pistols. Once everyone understands how useful the red dot is in competition, defense use will follow. Sort of like how the US Military went to optics late in the game compared to other countries, but once they understood the advantages, they want all of their rifles to have them.