Best M&P for a Lefty Wheel Gunner

[HorizontalMike]

I have only had wheel guns for the past +30yr, but am recently thinking about picking up one of these plastic pistols. Truth be told, the reason is to "eventually" seek my firearms instructor certification.

Not looking at anything in the largest calibers, just something that shoots straight and to point of aim at paper. I plan on continuing to carry a revolver for protection, but looking for a good pistol for honing new skills...

I'm a 5'9" old man with average sized hands. I carry a couple of small J Frames and a couple of 4" 686s.

So what do I explore?....

 

[FloridaS&W]

My full size M&P has ambi safety AND ambi swappable mag release; so it's perfect for any lefty OR righty. I wish I could say the same for my Shield.

 

[hardluk1]

Are you a Double Action guy and M&P pistol only ? Perhaps a 4" kahr as the t rigger is a double action style in ether polymer like a tp9 or 45 or stainless steel with wood grips or rubber and maybe some 1911 to be . You might want to borrow or rent an M&p as there pistols triggers may not be up to a revolver guy level of smoothness no matter gen 1 or gen 2 with out some apex parts

 

[Catwrangler]

M&P for a southpaw

The only issue for me as a lefty is the safety. My FS M&P has ambi safety as does my 1911(aftermarket). I use my trigger finger to engage both slide and mag release on both. The 1911 operation is Taylor made for a southpaw IF it has an ambi safety. JMB knew what he was doing.

 

[HorizontalMike]

Are you a Double Action guy and M&P pistol only ? Perhaps a 4" kahr as the t rigger is a double action style in ether polymer like a tp9 or 45 or stainless steel with wood grips or rubber and maybe some 1911 to be . You might want to borrow or rent an M&p as there pistols triggers may not be up to a revolver guy level of smoothness no matter gen 1 or gen 2 with out some apex parts

You make some good points. Thanks for the heads-up.

My normal carry is one of my DA-only, and my 4in 686s I tend to shoot SA.

Funny you mentioned Kahr, as I have been looking at their (they own)Magnum Research L5, that happens to be offered in .357 cal. All my revolvers are either .38 or .357 so it would be nice to be able to not have to add another caliber size in my ammo box. While I do reload in .38 and .357 I do NOT have any issues about only using commercial .357 ammo in the pistol.

And yeah, I know about the heft in both the weight and the wallet... But what the hey, I'm retired and it might be a nice $plurge. Don't know much about reliability of these DE's in .357 so I am trying to find some reviews/feedback where I can.

BTW, I still plan on sticking with my small revolvers for carry on a daily basis.

 

[HorizontalMike]

Well, I ended up nixing the L5 DE 357 idea and ordered the M&P 9mm M2.0 w/4.25in barrel & ambidextrous Safety Lever (SKU: 11524)

I noticed that many/most of these pistols do not have a manual safety, much less an "ambi-" one so I guess I will find out if I like having it or not.

Like I mentioned earlier, I desire to eventually get certified as an instructor and range officer, all for good measure.

That said, I just hope all my wheel guns don't get too jealous...

 

[lhump1961]

Good choice and I think the mag release is reversible. I started long ago with revolvers and still shoot them often but find most of my shooting is with 3rd gen TDA's and DAO's along with M&P's. You will no doubt enjoy your new gun. I prefer my M&P's without a manual safety just like a revolver but that's just me. Look forward to a range report when you can.

 

[Rastoff]

Well, I ended up nixing the L5 DE 357 idea and ordered the M&P 9mm M2.0 w/4.25in barrel & ambidextrous Safety Lever (SKU: 11524)

Like I mentioned earlier, I desire to eventually get certified as an instructor and range officer, all for good measure.

You don't need a semi-auto to be an instructor. Good fundamentals are mostly the same across all gun types.

Even so, the M&P 9mm is a great gun. You're going to enjoy it.

The mag release is reversible, but leave it on the left side and work it with your middle finger. That's what I do (I'm a lefty too) and it's much easier and faster than working it with your thumb.

 

[HorizontalMike]

You don't need a semi-auto to be an instructor. Good fundamentals are mostly the same across all gun types.
Even so, the M&P 9mm is a great gun. You're going to enjoy it.
The mag release is reversible, but leave it on the left side and work it with your middle finger. That's what I do (I'm a lefty too) and it's much easier and faster than working it with your thumb.

Understood, but I felt the need to at least be familiar with the plastic gun cult... having never fired one.

BTW, is there a generally accepted "best" brand/type/bullet-weight for this M&P 9mm, or is it truly a case by case basis that requires field testing any & all ammo?

 

[sandog]

I'm also a lefty.
I agree with Rastof, I'd leave the magazine release where it is.
I had mine on the right side, using my thumb, but then I bought a Shield, which can't have the mag release reversed.

I didn't want two different methods to release the mag to deal with, so I switched the FS back over to left side release, making it the same as my Shield.

I find it easier to shift the gun slightly in my hand, and release the mag with my trigger finger or middle finger, than when it was set up for a lefty on the other side.

 

[Rastoff]

Understood, but I felt the need to at least be familiar with the plastic gun cult... having never fired one.

Yes, it is a good thought, but can be an expensive journey for the instructor. I have done this myself. I love guns, but it's taken me a while to get all the right guns. I too wanted certain guns so I could be familiar with them in order to better instruct my students.

If you really want to be familiar with the gun that your students will most likely have, you should get a Glock. The M&P is a better gun in my opinion, but the Glock is more plentiful. Yes, they are different.

To actually do this effectively, you'll need:

• Single action revolver
• Double action revolver
• Striker fired semi-auto
• Hammer fired semi-auto
• Double action/single action semi-auto

There are more, but these are the most common handguns and action types. If you're seeking an NRA instructor qualification, you'll need to cover all of them in your class (assuming you follow the NRA curriculum).

BTW, is there a generally accepted "best" brand/type/bullet-weight for this M&P 9mm, or is it truly a case by case basis that requires field testing any & all ammo?

The M&P is designed to work with all normal 9mm ammo. Anything from 115gr to 147gr should work fine.

I recommend getting some plain round nose 115gr target ammo to go practice with. It's cheap and plentiful.

 

[NewToGuns17]

I shoot Winchester white box ammo from Walmart through my 2.0 9mm. Never an issue. Goes where I aim it

 

[hardluk1]

Best large scale production 9mm ammo and bullet is federal tactical le HST, PERIOD . Standard velocity or +P its good stuff .

But if your carrying a 4" class pistols the hotter ammo like from underwood ,buffalo bore georgia arms and maybe a few more produce better quality ammo . Law enforcement has run +P+ ammo for decades made by Winchester and federal and corbon hotter loads on a smaller scale but also practiced with +P or standard velocity ammo , sort a like when the s&w model 19 was a LE standard handgun - carry 357mag but practice with lighter softer 38sp !!

We carry 147gr hst in a my cm9 kahr and my wifes Kimber ultra 9mm but her m&p 4.25 core is filled with underwood gd 124+P+ but it also has a apex gunsmith fit barrel with a tight lock up and better chamber than stock and will get the whole 1300fps+ out of it but run 17lb spring and solid guide rod for the limited hot 9mm rounds and still run well with practice ammo .

 

[Rastoff]

I don't think the HST ammo comes in anything but hollow points. That can get expensive to learn with.

Also, using +P+ is not recommended. First of all it is a violation of the warranty:

"Plus-P-Plus" (+P+) ammunition must not be used in Smith & Wesson firearms. This marking on the ammunition designates that it exceeds established industry standards, but the designation does not represent defined pressure limits and therefore such ammunition may vary significantly as to the pressures generated and could be DANGEROUS.

Smith & Wesson will not be responsible for:
• Defects or malfunctions resulting from careless handling, unauthorized adjustments or modifications made or attempted by anyone other than a qualified gunsmith following Smith & Wesson authorized procedures, or failure to follow the disassembly instructions in the Smith & Wesson manual.
• Use of defective or improper ammunition, corrosion, neglect, abuse, ordinary wear and tear, or unreasonable use.

So, the manual states not to use +P+ ammo. The warranty expressly states that any damage as the result of use of improper ammo is not covered. Since the manual states not to use +P+, it is improper ammo.

Secondly, using +P+ to learn to shoot would be more difficult due to the dramatic increase in recoil.


Some people just have to have the most powerful ammo out there. That's fine if that's what you want to use. It's just not the right stuff for someone trying to learn about shooting which is what we have here.

 

[HorizontalMike]

Well, I decided to purchase the Carbide 4-Set of LEE 9mm Dies and a bunch of 147XTPs, after I discovered on the VihtaVuori website that the 147xtp in 9mm can be loaded with N105. I still have over 7lb of this powder left though I still use it in my .357 Magnum. VihtaVuori says to expect ~1039-1108 fps out of a 4in. I can be happy with that, even on the lower end...

Plus I ordered ~800 rd of 147 JHP Fiocchi 9mm, to play with and for the brass.
Hey, at $0.34 a round it is currently cheaper than what I can reload at the moment... And this Fiocchi runs close to 1000fps as well.

 

[murphydog]

If you are willing to branch out from a new plastic 9 mm, the 3rd generation 59/6946 semi-autos have a very DA revolver like trigger pull, and the manual of arms for their operation is fairly similar to the M & P.

 

[ec fan]

Q

Understood, but I felt the need to at least be familiar with the plastic gun cult... having never fired one.

BTW, is there a generally accepted "best" brand/type/bullet-weight for this M&P 9mm, or is it truly a case by case basis that requires field testing any & all ammo?

I have an M&P 9c, and I buy the 50-rd boxes of American Eagle and Speer Lawman FMJ for practice ammo, usually 124 gr. For self-defensive JHP ammo I buy Federal HST in 124 or 147 gr, standard pressure, but lots of people also like Speer Gold Dots, 124 gr. I think any regular ammo from a good manufacturer would be fine in it. I've never bought the specialty or boutique-type ammo nor the cheaper steel case ammo; just the regular-type stuff made in USA.

I buy mine from sgammo.com or targetsportsusa.com because it's less expensive (if you buy several boxes so that the ~$12 shipping isn't out of proportion. I think targetsports gives free shipping if you buy a case, but I've never bought a case. Their 50-rd boxes of the FMJ I buy are $10. Ammo in the little boxes where I live is expensive.) I don't get to shoot very often but I really like the M&P. I like my revolvers, too, of course.

My M&P has the thumb safety and I like it, because the trigger pulls on semi's are lighter and shorter than my revolvers. I also have a Glock 19 but other than not having a thumb safety, I can't tell much difference. They work the same way and take down for cleaning about the same. The grip angle on Glocks is a little different, but I'm not expert enough for that to matter. I like the M&P best.

 

[WR Moore]

My general advice on ammunition is to stick with the products of the major manufacturers: Black Hills, CCI, Federal, Hornaday, Remington, and Speer for carry. I may be forgetting one or two, Winchester isn't there on purpose.

For practice ammo you can add Geco, Fiocchi and Sellier & Belloit. OK, Winchester too.

 

[HorizontalMike]

QUESTION:
What is the best choice for a magazine loader that fits this particular double stack pistol?

 

[NewToGuns17]

QUESTION:
What is the best choice for a magazine loader that fits this particular double stack pistol?

Uplula. Do not buy from ebay or even Amazon. Buy direct, those two sellers have counterfeit (ask me how I know). I use it for my shield and full size. Can't recommend it more.