Editor asks: 4.25" M&P 9mm side dishes?

[DAdams]

And of course what "kit" would be complete without a good flashlight and pocket knife.

Shown, knife, Spyderco Native, LED flashlight, 4Sevens Quark X (2XAA)

 

[DAdams]

or a modular cleaning kit by Otis.

Amazon.com: Otis M16 Soft Pack Cleaning System: Sports & Outdoors

 

[martywinston]

Great feedback - keep it coming!

 

[DAdams]

The ultimate in gear bags from Maxpedition, I know, I know this is really reaching but hey if you are doing a "best of class" story every forthright M&P owner has or should have a Bug Out Bag.

Sitka Bag from Maxpedition

Stuffed with essentials including what else, an M&P.

 

[DAdams]

Range/Gear Bag

from the S&W Store.

 

[DAdams]

An M&P Revolver

Once the M&P bug has bitten your semi-automatic handgun is going to need its counterpart, in the form of the M&P 340 J Frame Snub Nose Revolver

Here seen wearing Crimson Trace 405 grips, XS Dot Tritium Night Sights and DLC finish.

 

[martywinston]

Once the M&P bug has bitten your semi-automatic handgun is going to need its counterpart, in the form of the M&P 340 J Frame Snub Nose Revolver

Here seen wearing Crimson Trace 405 grips, XS Dot Tritium Night Sights and DLC finish.

I do intend to look into revolvers later but I'll likely choose something with a longer barrel - maybe 3" - and a bigger frame - there's an 8-chamber S&W .357 that intrigues me.

 

[Lost Lake]

My research shows that most of these since-2009 new handgun initial purchases involve only 3-4 items: the gun, some ammo, a cleaning kit and sometimes a holster.

How about eye protection, ear protection, aiming aids, gun locks, training, range use, additional ammo purchases, etc.?

Sales in those categories are all up, too - but not nearly as much as sales of the handguns.

It's a reasonable conclusion that many of those guns are on a closet shelf in the box they came in, never fired.

I wouldn't read into your stats too deeply... Many many many first time handgun buyers already have a half-dozen long guns with all the range essentials.

And the guns come with locks. Also, once you finally get through the decision process and finally get all the paperwork done, I would suspect most buyers are happy to get the heck out of the store instead of hanging around to buy ammo, holsters or whatever. Besides, the wide array of choices is enough to make your head spin, a lot of buyers want to go home and research what they should be buying next.

In my case, I owned 4 handguns and not a single holster. Eye protection is a pair of sunglasses, ear protection, well if you run chainsaws and tractors and the like, you have plenty of ear protection at home already, and range time? I've never paid for range time in my life.

Consider extenuating circumstances before you decide what all your data may mean....

 

[Racklover]

Once the M&P bug has bitten your semi-automatic handgun is going to need its counterpart, in the form of the M&P 340 J Frame Snub Nose Revolver

Here seen wearing Crimson Trace 405 grips, XS Dot Tritium Night Sights and DLC finish.

My M&P 340 is a back up to my FS9 that I carry on duty. I like the M&P line!

 

[jaykellogg]

Many experts consider a white light (flashlight) a necessity on the bedside. Of course, it can be attached to the gun, but IMO it is safer if you carry it in your weak hand and the gun in your strong hand. The light should be bright enough to temporarily blind someone.

Regarding a gun for home defense, a 12 gage shotgun is just about tops. I have a Mossberg Maverick with a 18 inch barrel. I have it loaded with 2 3/4" #4 buckshot (42 pellets). At living room range it would most likely instantly incapacatate an intruder.

For a companion gun, look at the M&P22.

 

[martywinston]

Many experts consider a white light (flashlight) a necessity on the bedside. Of course, it can be attached to the gun, but IMO it is safer if you carry it in your weak hand and the gun in your strong hand. The light should be bright enough to temporarily blind someone.

Regarding a gun for home defense, a 12 gage shotgun is just about tops. I have a Mossberg Maverick with a 18 inch barrel. I have it loaded with 2 3/4" #4 buckshot (42 pellets). At living room range it would most likely instantly incapacatate an intruder.

For a companion gun, look at the M&P22.

Our county Sheriff also prefers a shotgun for home defense; at my house, my home defense gun would be the same (only) gun I would have on hand if a backyard coyote decided to go after a small dog (just lost our Jack Russell; my wife is now intent on adopting a Chihuhua/Rat Terrier mix she saw at a local shelter) and a shotgun would give me zero chance of just hitting one and not the other. I don't think I'd try it with a pistol, either, that wasn't equipped with a light and a laser.

But that's a different discussion.

 

[martywinston]

At my house, my home defense gun would be the same (only) gun I would have on hand if a backyard coyote decided to go after a small dog (just lost our Jack Russell; my wife is now intent on adopting a Chihuhua/Rat Terrier mix she saw at a local shelter) and a shotgun would give me zero chance of just hitting one and not the other. I don't think I'd try it with a pistol, either, that wasn't equipped with a light and a laser.

On that subject, I ran into a quirk in Ohio law and confirmed it with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

While there is no season for coyotes, I'm not allowed to shoot one (even one in my yard) without a hunting license - and I can't get a hunting license without taking a hunter's education course.

So I signed up for the next course in this county (in April, 7 hours each on one Saturday before and another Saturday after I have to be away in Las Vegas for a week at a major trade show) - but just to stay ahead of everything, I downloaded the course book, printed out the chapter review questions and filled in the answers yesterday and today. I don't know if that will be any help in the course, but I'm thinking there's some small chance the instructor will take that as course completion and let me cut class.

I'm also planning a trip to Pennsylvania to get their concealed weapon permit - together with Ohio I'll have most states covered.