I'll be the first to admit that, while Smith has always been my first choice in wheelguns, I have not been a fan of their semi-autos since the 3rd Gen days. For years, if it was polymer, it was Glock. If it was metal, it was Sig or CZ. And I was content. Right up until I laid hands on the new Competitor.
Funny how that happens isn't it?
Granted, I've been following this pistol ever since I first heard about it and the initial reviews were fairly good, And it seemed to be what I was looking for having decided to start shooting IDPA and Steel this coming summer. But it wasn't until I actually handled it that I decided to lay down the cash.
And in classic fashion, I cleaned it, and immediately screwed something up.... The Takedown tool was unbelievably tight. Tight enough that I managed to wallow out the hex head channel and damage the polymer "lever" before getting it free to change the grip.
Here's when the great customer service comes in. I called Smith's CS line, looking to buy a replacement, and they don't even have them available yet. So the CS Rep (wish I remembered his name) went to the production line and grabbed one out of the parts bins, then overnighted it to me free of charge! That's amazing customer service.
The Wife and I hit the range the following Sunday and proceeded to put a bit over 400 rounds through it, and some of the local Team shooters put another 200 through it as well. It happily ran everything we fed it (115/124/147 grain ball, some random hollowpoints, and even some 90 grain frangible stuff).
The only issues anybody had were one of the team guys dropping the mag inadvertently when shooting left handed, disappointment that the mags were just 17 rounds with the extended baseplates, and surprise that, despite the slide cuts, the pistol was not ported.
Having just recently become a fan of red dots (amazing what they can do for aging eyes), and a brand new M&P convert, I'm looking to add an optic that can be used for both IDPA and Steel Challenge. I make no pretense that I'm going to be anything more than average, but I would like something with a good sized screen (I'm shooting a CMore RTS2 in Rimfire Challenge for reference). Additionally, are the mounting plates that come with it satisfactory or should I order a C&H once I decide on the optic?
Funny how that happens isn't it?
Granted, I've been following this pistol ever since I first heard about it and the initial reviews were fairly good, And it seemed to be what I was looking for having decided to start shooting IDPA and Steel this coming summer. But it wasn't until I actually handled it that I decided to lay down the cash.
And in classic fashion, I cleaned it, and immediately screwed something up.... The Takedown tool was unbelievably tight. Tight enough that I managed to wallow out the hex head channel and damage the polymer "lever" before getting it free to change the grip.
Here's when the great customer service comes in. I called Smith's CS line, looking to buy a replacement, and they don't even have them available yet. So the CS Rep (wish I remembered his name) went to the production line and grabbed one out of the parts bins, then overnighted it to me free of charge! That's amazing customer service.
The Wife and I hit the range the following Sunday and proceeded to put a bit over 400 rounds through it, and some of the local Team shooters put another 200 through it as well. It happily ran everything we fed it (115/124/147 grain ball, some random hollowpoints, and even some 90 grain frangible stuff).
The only issues anybody had were one of the team guys dropping the mag inadvertently when shooting left handed, disappointment that the mags were just 17 rounds with the extended baseplates, and surprise that, despite the slide cuts, the pistol was not ported.
Having just recently become a fan of red dots (amazing what they can do for aging eyes), and a brand new M&P convert, I'm looking to add an optic that can be used for both IDPA and Steel Challenge. I make no pretense that I'm going to be anything more than average, but I would like something with a good sized screen (I'm shooting a CMore RTS2 in Rimfire Challenge for reference). Additionally, are the mounting plates that come with it satisfactory or should I order a C&H once I decide on the optic?
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Then, if/when they do a ported, Ill go for opposite of what I get first. 
. I have the Metal 4.25" and absolutely love the damn thing. Other than 2 of my 1911's this has been my best (reliability/accuracy) gun out of the box. I am preparing to start shooting a few low level matches at my LGC and would use the Competitor or a 1911.
