Hello, folks! I just ordered myself a new M&P 40 compact. (no external safety) I've been wanting one for some time now. I currently own a M&P Shield and FS M&P... both 9mms... and I love them both. However, I shot my friend's 40c about a year ago and fell in love! Surprisingly I shot it better than either of my 9's. I found a great deal online today, so I ordered it. (SOSS had it for $419.99, new. Beat the 2 LGS near me by about $110. Luckily I also had a gift card so it only cost me $380.)

My question is - does anyone have any experience with a Crimson Trace Rail Master CMR201 or CMR 203 (green) mounting on a M&P compact? It seems like the 201 and 203 will fit, but it's hard to tell. CT also came out with a new CMR206... same design as the 201 but a green laser. I've also been considering a rail-mounted light, but the few that are available (TLR-3 for instance) for such a small rail are not too bright.

The plan is for this to serve as my bedside "go to" gun as well as my woods/trail gun, so I thought a light or laser might be prudent. Might not be a .357 or .44 "magnum" but around here we sometimes get 400-600 pound black bears and I think 10 rounds of 165 or 180 grain .40 hollow point wouldn't be anything to sneeze at. I have tried carrying a 12 gauge with slugs, but obviously a 40c will be much easier to carry while walking or on an ATV in the woods. (Heard a story about a hiker from my area who was killed by a black bear 3 years ago while hiking - he emptied all 5 rounds of his .38 snubby into the bear and it didn't help.)

Also, if anyone has any recommendations for reasonably priced OWB holsters, that would be great. I currently own an Uncle Mike's Reflex holster for my Shield and M&P 9 and I really like both of them. I'm guessing the 40c will fit in the same Reflex holster I use for my M&P 9 FS. I've always considered getting the Blackhawk Serpa, but I got my UM Reflex holsters because a friend of mine talked them up big time and because I found a great Black Friday deal on them. I'm not looking for an IWB for the 40c right now because I will not carry it that way at the moment.

I am also interested in a shoulder holster for the 40c. I have seen some nice offerings from Galco. Does anyone have any experience with those for a M&P compact? (might seem foolish, but the way my body's built, shoulder carry works well for me in the winter.)

Any thoughts or advice from current M&P owners would be much appreciated!

I don't like lasers and mounted flashlights. Night sights are fine. If you think you need a laser you are not confident in your abilities. They also give a false sense of security because you think you can just pull the trigger and the bullet will follow the laser. It doesn't, unless you have good trigger control, and if you have that you don't need a laser. Probably the largest bear ever killed was shot with a .22 pistol by a Native American girl. She shot it in the side of the head. Blackhawk holsters are all good I have plenty, IWB and OWB.

I don't have experience with the CMR201 or 203, but I do have the CT LG-489G on a Shield and a Streamlight TLR-4 with red laser on a full size M&P. I have found I prefer green to red and like the grip activation of the laserguard instead of the streamlight lever. I do like having the light from the TLR-4 and think it is excellent.

I used to not be a fan of lasers, until I tried one. For training purposes at the range it has been incredibly helpful, especially with the Shield since I needed to change my grip and finger placement to stop turning it in my hand as I fired. Watching the laser move down and to the left as I fired was pretty convincing.

Can't help you at all with holsters or bear ballistics, although I would imagine hollow points would not be the best choice.

DeSantis makes a nice holster for a fairly low price and comes with a smith and Wesson logo. I have both a DeSantis and a Serpa and both get regular use. For hiking and backwoods I prefer the DeSantis because it covers more of the gun. It's also great for ccw. The Serpa is great for the range and carry under a sweatshirt.

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I can't help you with your holsters questions, but as far as your choice to get a 40c, I think you made a wise move.
My 40c is probably my favorite M&P. It is my home defense choice. I have mine set up with TruGlo night sights, a Viridian rail mounted light and the Crimson Trace laser grips. That combined with a full size magazine gives me a 40c capable of holding 15+1 rounds, has a rail mounted light if the situation warrants, and a CT laser for those low light conditions. I think it is the perfect choice.

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That's a sharp looking 40c! Unfortunately I live in NY state, so I can't go any higher than 10 rounds. Which is one of the (many) reasons I like the 40c a lot... SR40c, Glock 27, XD40 compact and all the other competitors hold 9 in their standard mags while the 40c holds 10. I do plan to buy two of the full size 10 round .40 mags and use the x-grip adapter with them as shown in your picture. I like how it makes the grip feel very close in size to my FS M&P 9 with the extension. To be honest, a video on YouTube by a fellow named MixFlip called something like "S&W M&P 40 compact - Glock Killer?" was what first really turned me on to the 40c... and then when I held and shot my friend's 40c, I knew I wanted to get one as soon as I could afford it.

As for lasers, I know some folks like them, some don't. I can see both sides of the issue. I will say this... a family friend who was a former Ranger and worked for local SWAT once told me that a weapon-mounted laser shining on the chest of a bad guy in the dark is a "great deterrent." I hope that I don't ever have to find out, but his logic makes sense. I don't think it's a horrible idea to have the option if you want it. I actually almost ordered the 40c that came with the Crimson Trace laser grip (that model was $200 more) but I held one of them recently at my LGS and found it very difficult to grip the pistol without actuating the laser due to the switch being on the rear of the grip (instead of the the front, like it is with the J-frame CT grip... so you can back the pressure off with your finger if you want). I like the idea of having a rail mounted laser that I can actuate with my finger either for momentary on or constant on. I've heard it said that you don't want your laser constantly on if you're going to check on a noise at night or the intruder might "see" you coming long before you enter the room. On the flip side, I saw a vid online where the guy used his index finger along the slide to cover/block out the laser from the CT grip on his M&P until he put his finger on the trigger, allowing it to shine towards the intended target.

I've thought about night sights, but I can't afford $150 tritiums at the moment. Just springing the $380 for the 40c was a stretch for my budget right now. Are there any decently priced night sights out there? I'll have to look at the TruGlos.

What about the option of just putting 1 tritium sight on the front instead of doing both front and rear?

Since I got a 40 Shield, my 40c has become a nightstand gun. It's set up similar to rbuzz's. I've got Trijicon night sights & a Streamlight TLR-3 rail light on it. X-Grip extensions & full size magazines. When I carried it I used either a DeSantis pocket holster or a Don Hume JIT Slide belt holster. Very reasonably priced on Amazon or Ebay.

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