Accuracy is coming: Apex M&P Barrels

[Magnumite]

The M&P Pro9 I've is one of the most inaccurate firearms I have ever owned. This model pistol is a huge black eye for S&W. Bought new, shot 5.5" low, couldn't group tighter than 9"...yes 9" at 25 yards. A Ruger P85 I had years back is three times the pistol this M&P Pro9 is. I called Smith and Wesson and was basically told to forget any factory repairs. Not the same company who warrantied my DX revolver years back.
I've built 1911's and don't have problems shooting good groups, so I know it is the gun. After close investigation the M&P taught me to distrust striker fired pistols and many shooters think accuracy is keeping all shots on a full size humanoid targets at 10 yards. I determined lock time was the issue, altered the slide stop for longer unlocking travel, cleaned up the roughness in the frame tunnel. Even lightened the striker spring so the slide would get closer to closing fully. Retested it with three brands and different bullet weights. 7" carefully fired groups...best accuracy. Let it get hot and all bets are off. I was ready to drill and install a ball and detent into the locking block and barrel as a last attempt before selling it. Never mind the atrocious action it was produced with. For all the negatives, I like how the pistol handles, fires and tracks...says alot coming from a died in the wool steel frame guy. That is the ONLY reason I haven't sold it.

Didn't try any other after market barrels because nothing was different about them. Just read info on the Apex and feel it is a winner. The sight of lockup areas in a catalogue picture has prompted me to check it out closer. I'll be trying this barrel...

 

[Luis Stange]

Adding my $.02.

Replaced factory barrels (recent manufacture, two dimples) in two guns with Apex 5" semi-drop in. Results:

• M&P9Pro C.O.R.E.: before 4.94", after 3.21".

• M&P9Pro: before 4.87", after 3.36".

Those are averages of 8 groups 10 shots each, excluding worst shot in each group, at 25 yards, unsupported.

Fitting in C.O.R.E. was somewhat tricky. Took me a while to realize that the barrel does not go completely up because it binds at the muzzle. I think this phenomenon is called "springing". Once I figured that part out, the rest was easy.

With factory barrels, both 9Pro and C.O.R.E. without a red dot shoot better with 115 or 124 grain bullets. 147 grain goes high, and vertical dispersion is noticeably larger. C.O.R.E. with a red dot installed shoots 147 grains just fine, probably because the additional mass attached to the slide causes the barrel to unlock later. With Apex, all bullet weights shoot the same in both guns.

No stoppages of any kind so far (about 400 rounds).

 

[TAC]

Never saw a pistol barrel that didn't shoot straight!

 

[TacticalReload]

Never saw a pistol barrel that didn't shoot straight!

What exactly does this mean? That every single bullet out of every single pistol you've ever shot had fired out like a laser and grouped into a single hole?

 

[TAC]

What exactly does this mean? That every single bullet out of every single pistol you've ever shot had fired out like a laser and grouped into a single hole?

To begin with, I didn't say "I" did that.

Most factory standard barrels, especially on modern day pistols, are capable of shooting very straight.

 

[B585]

Update: ~1200 rounds through my Apex. ZERO malfunctions. No appreciable loss of accuracy since I first installed it. I say no appreciable loss of accuracy because I haven't shot off of a bag for several hundred rounds. Shooting freehand, I am still hitting alphas at all ranges as long as I do my part.

 

[TacticalReload]

To begin with, I didn't say "I" did that.

Most factory standard barrels, especially on modern day pistols, are capable of shooting very straight.

The barrels themselves are fine. It's when you design the pistol around them that funny things sometimes start to happen.

 

[Heyman]

I've been wanting to write up a proper review, but can't seem to find the time to do it. I've had ZERO malfunctions in the 1k ish rounds fired through the Apex Barrel. I have yet to bench it, but can without a doubt say the accuracy is head and shoulders better than the Factory Barrel.

With the Factory barrel, I literally couldn't hit a 12 inch plate from 25 yards. With the Apex barrel, I can't miss it. I also can't miss the plate from 50 yards with the Apex barrel. When pushed out to 75 yards, I'm able to hit the plate at about a 70% rate. The misses, I know are my fault, and not the barrels. To say I'm happy with the barrel would be an understatement. I used to always wonder why I shot other people's Glocks, HK's, Sigs, etc better than my own guns. Now I know. If you have a question about your M&P's accuracy, get one of these barrels. It has transformed my pistol. Of course, you'll still have to do your part, but at least you'll finally be able to know if it's you or the gun.

 

[Randy Lee]

I'm just happy to hear that people are having good luck with our barrels.
The M&P has a lot of check marks in the "Plus column". It just needed a few tweaks here and there to make it into an exceptionally accurate pistol.
No-one thought the gun was capable of shooting sub 1" groups at 50 yards, yet there are people doing just that.

 

[Heyman]

I'm just happy to hear that people are having good luck with our barrels.
The M&P has a lot of check marks in the "Plus column". It just needed a few tweaks here and there to make it into an exceptionally accurate pistol.
No-one thought the gun was capable of shooting sub 1" groups at 50 yards, yet there are people doing just that.

Not only am I have great success with the barrel, your customer service was impeccable, and literally second to none. I've been using Apex products ever since I bought my first M&P pistol back in 2010. I needed some help with the Apex barrel, and Randy went above and beyond to make me happy. I can't speak highly enough of him and his company. Randy, you are a humble gentleman with a wealth of knowledge I can only dream of. M&P owners sure are lucky you're around!

 

[B Carlson]

Nothing new to add to what has already been posted about the Apex 5" barrel, but adding weight to how well it worked.

This is a 3 month old Performance Center 5", CORE, ported.

I too went through wondering why I couldn't call my shots with my M&P 9L. I finally benched it next to my VP9, and found it wasn't me, with different bullet weights. I was getting 10" groups with the M&P at 25 yrds, 4" with the VP9. Both have Trijicon RM07's.

I got the Apex SDI, spent 45 min. filing it, and now have 3" groups at 25 yrds. I also have the Apex forward set flat trigger in it, and the lighter trigger springs in my VP9.

I can't wait for Randy to make a threaded barrel so I can put a compensator on it. I can't focus on the front sight (old eyes), thus the RMR. Puts me in USPSA open, so I might as well put the compensator on it to even the odds.

I was very angry when I found how bad the factory accuracy was, and would have definitely sold it if it wasn't for Randy's work.

 

[Srruger762]

Was at the range again yesterday with the guys we tried to do a little speed shooting. pic is 25yards with my Apex M&P Pro 9, loaded a 17 round clip and shoot as fast as I could and tried to keep good control and groups. All 17 rounds hit.

Randy when's the threaded barral (gunsmith version) coming out?

 

[Holmes375]

Was at the range again yesterday with the guys we tried to do a little speed shooting. pic is 25yards with my Apex M&P Pro 9, loaded a 17 round clip and shoot as fast as I could and tried to keep good control and groups. All 17 rounds hit.

Randy when's the threaded barral (gunsmith version) coming out?

That would be DRT Nice job of it.

 

[jerdebson]

I too am waiting for the threaded gunsmith version, 4.25" here.

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

I have a 1911, 45 and a Ruger 22/45, that will benchrest 1+ inch groups at 25 yards, but my M&P Pro 9 will only get 4-5 inch groups at that distance, no matter what bullet weight I use. Still think it's the hand?
When I shoot IDPA matches and I get an extra point down, because the shot goes just outside of the perforation, I can't help but wonder if it was me or the gun. If the gun was capable of better groups, I would have my answer. I for one will get the barrel and install it, as soon as it's available.

Really apples and oranges. MUCH easier to shoot a 1911 or 22/45 accurately than it is a striker fired pistol. But 4-5" is pretty bad and I imagine the gun's accuracy could be a factor.

 

[Randy Lee]

Was at the range again yesterday with the guys we tried to do a little speed shooting. pic is 25yards with my Apex M&P Pro 9, loaded a 17 round clip and shoot as fast as I could and tried to keep good control and groups. All 17 rounds hit.

Randy when's the threaded barral (gunsmith version) coming out?

We are beginning our move out of CA, so hopefully we will have some news on threaded barrels before Christmas.

 

[Shield9mm]

I don't have any experience with apex barrels but they are pretty much new in the market and they cost more than the storm lake which already have good reputation just saying, maybe anyone that have tried both can give some input are they better?

 

[Holmes375]

I'd choose Apex every day as they have invested so much in the M&P pistols and they have interacted with the M&P community in a very positive manner.

Nothing against Storm Lake but Apex is like a vested partner with we M&P enthusiasts.

 

[Bkreutz]

We are beginning our move out of CA, so hopefully we will have some news on threaded barrels before Christmas.

I'm turning blue.

 

[Angus46]

I purchased a 4.25" ported M and P performance center CORE. I was able to do a little polishing on the trigger to get it where I want it. However, shooting it is a huge disappointment. With almost 1000.0 into it for extra mags, holster and optic to only get about 2" groups at 7 yards regardless of the ammo is pathetic. Seems to generally throw 2 out of every 5 shots to open up the group. I have looked at the barrel it's a single dimple and does show quite a bit of play when locked up. What a sad day. I thought spending that much for a "performance center" gun would be ready to go. Sad day when you compair it to the fit and function of my dad's old model 41 and my no dash 686.

So it looks like I need the Apex barrel to get what I want out of it. Which at this point I'm willing to do. However, I do like the porting. (One of the reasons I bought it). Randy will your company eventually offer a barrel that will match the ports already cut into the slide? If so any idea when it may be available. At this point really can't be all that competitive with this level of accuracy.