Help Me Choose My First M&P Pistol

[Notrega]

This is my first post so a brief introduction. I am 41 and a NRA pistol instructor who has been carrying concealed since 1994 or so. I have carried S&W 3913, S&W 642, Glock 26, Glock 19, and Kahr P45 and PM45 as well as a Keltec p3at. I carry everyday and every where I am legally able to, all other places I avoid.

I am a huge fan of Glocks as they are exceedingly easy to shoot and maintain and I shoot them very well but I sold my last gen3 glock because I was tired of the slide biting and tearing up the web of my hand. I have thought of getting the gen4 with the larger beavertail but I think I want to try another platform... I can always go back.

I have an option of picking up either a full size or compact M&P 9mm for a very good price. The full size has the thumb safety which I would remove and the compact has no thumb safety.

I like the feel of the full size but I am leaning towards the compact as during the week I mainly carry in an ankle holster.

Does the compact model with a full size magazine with the extension like below give the same grip profile as the full size? Would a compact with this give me the best of both worlds??

Like this

So help me choose my first M&P Pistol...

TL/DR - jump from glock to M&P and need help picking full size or compact model 9mm

 

[Der Biermeister]

You obviously are leaning toward the 9c, so I won't interfere.

I do have a quick question though -- and for anyone else who also feels the same. Why is there so much dislike of a thumb safety? I have it on my Shield and rather enjoy having it, especially if I were to find myself suddenly around a lot of kids who like to grab things. If you don't want it engaged, simply leave it be. When I am alone at night traveling, or anywhere questionable - the safety is off.

 

[Keystone70]

I have both the FS and C. I have not tried the C with the extended grip and full mag. I have shot it with the 17rd mag. Just don't have the extender grip. The felt recoil will be a tad more with the compact. Other than that and the longer barrel, there really is no difference. For CC, the compact would obviously be the better choice. I have heard several say that the extender grip and mag make it like a one size fits all. I am starting to do IDPA and will be using the FS for more accuracy. But, I still love my compact.

 

[Nitrous SSC]

If you get a fullsize find a range/carry kit. The few extra bucks you pay is worth the additional mag you get.

 

[Arik]

Im a huge fan of Glocks too! You know "they" make an after market beaver tail for the Glock!

Anyway im a fan of the G19 so i tend to gravitate towards the full size M&P

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[moxie]

You'll like the 9c. Carry with the 12 rd. mag. I carry another 12 rounder for backup. I like the way the 17 rounder with the extension shoots as well. But, I usually save that for the range. It's sweet with either mag.

FWIW, I like the safety.

 

[Notrega]

Im a huge fan of Glocks too! You know "they" make an after market beaver tail for the Glock!

Anyway im a fan of the G19 so i tend to gravitate towards the full size M&P

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

I looked at those and I really did not like the way the look or felt...

 

[MSG Glenn]

I certainly won't be the one to dissuade from buying the 9C or any other M&P. I don't know if the +5 mag will make the compact the same grip length as the FS. It looks like it'll be close to the same.

Another thought is to buy both of those M&Ps. If it's a good deal then go for it. I'll bet you could unload it in a hurry & make a profit on it. Guns are hard to find these days. Many have successfully concealed something as big as the FS but not on the ankle I'm sure. Trick it out with a light or light & laser & you have the perfect bedside companion. They're awfully fun to shoot & are a great home defense weapon. The plus is you can use the FS mags in the compact either as-is or with an adapter that fills the space between the bottom of the grip & the floorplate of the mag.

 

[Lost Lake]

If you get a fullsize find a range/carry kit. The few extra bucks you pay is worth the additional mag you get.

Yeah, but he's a cop and LE / MIL buy the LE M&P's which come with three mags for $399.

I have both and if I had to get rid of one, I'd definitely keep my compact.

It is more versatile! If you buy the .40 you can drop in factory 9mm and .357 barrels and have 6 guns in one! Factory barrels run around $65.

.

 

[shield]

The 9c would be better for carry (my son has one). But even the 9c seems a bit big for ankle carry. I would suggest the Shield for doing that.

 

[Notrega]

I certainly won't be the one to dissuade from buying the 9C or any other M&P. I don't know if the +5 mag will make the compact the same grip length as the FS. It looks like it'll be close to the same.

Another thought is to buy both of those M&Ps. If it's a good deal then go for it. I'll bet you could unload it in a hurry & make a profit on it. Guns are hard to find these days. Many have successfully concealed something as big as the FS but not on the ankle I'm sure. Trick it out with a light or light & laser & you have the perfect bedside companion. They're awfully fun to shoot & are a great home defense weapon. The plus is you can use the FS mags in the compact either as-is or with an adapter that fills the space between the bottom of the grip & the floorplate of the mag.

I wish I could get the wife to go for both

 

[Rintimtin]

I wish I could get the wife to go for both

Simple DONT TELL HER. Sometimes its better to ask for forgivness than permisson. And if you have a comfy couch than its a win win.

 

[rwsmith]

Do you have chance.....

.....to hold a 9c? If the grip is long enough with the mag in that would make up my mind for me right there.

Oh, and welcome to the club.

 

[Justin69]

I have both the f/s 9mm & the 9c. I gotta be honest, I like the 9c a little more than the f/s. Both are great guns & both do NOT have thumb safeties Get the 9c

 

[jwr689s]

9c

I bought a well used 9c for my first M&P. I own SEVERAL handguns and for some weird reason I am most accurate with my 9c even though it has the shortest barrel and sight radius of all my handguns. It's actually my favorite gun to take to the range. Maybe it just fits my hand right or maybe the trigger is just right for me, but i shoot it better than any other pistol I own. It's completely stock. I expected it to have snappy recoil for such a small gun, but I don't notice any recoil at all when shooting it.

I'm not trying to talk you into or out of anything; that's just my experience with the 9c. I keep thinking I should get a shield for it's small size, but the way I shoot my 9c, I can't justify a shield.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[Nitrous SSC]

Yeah, but he's a cop and LE / MIL buy the LE M&P's which come with three mags for $399.


.

Snap, that would be awesome.

 

[Skeptic 9c]

I have the 9c with a grip adapter it is not exactly the same profile as a full size, but it's close. My wife likes the double action only guns, she has a Sigma 9VE. I have a thinner pistol for CC.
Geoff
Who likes a manual safety on the Shield because the trigger pull is so light.

 

[walkin' trails]

I do have a quick question though -- and for anyone else who also feels the same. Why is there so much dislike of a thumb safety?

There is a growing legion of 1911 shooters that for some reason or another seem to be attracted to the M&P series, and the thumb safety on the larger models has a somewhat familiar location and feel to them. Personally I am not a fan of adding a manual safety to a pistol wasn't originally designed to have one. Furthermore, with a nod toward all those 1911 shooters, I never found the safety on an M&P to feel like the one on old Slab Sides. On the other hand, some shooters far better than me recommend the M&P 9 with a thumb safety as a good 1911 transition pistol. I won't argue - I just trained with pistols that had no manual safety for too long. In regard to removing the thumb safety from an M&P, I know it can be done, but its sometimes better just to wait for one that wasn't so equipped to come along - my opinion anyway.

 

[CVF]

I've got the M&P .40 in fs and c(regular, pinky extension, and full size mag spacer). I'll be heading to the range in the morning and if I can remember to grab everything I'll come back and report back on how I felt about the comparison.

I recently gained membership and have spent the few times going sighting in my rifles and haven't fired either M&P as of yet.

 

[Bkreutz]

I carry a 9c every day in a Blade Tech OWB holster, not sure I'd want to try it with an ankle holster. I think that would be Shield territory. For range entertainment (and competition) I use a 5" FS M&P but I still run at least 2 mags through the compact every trip to the range to maintain the feel of the smaller gun. So I guess the answer is that you need all 3 rolleyes. If I had to choose just 1 it would be the 9c but I'm glad I don't have to make that kind of a choice.