Here's why new 3rd Gens are history
- Thread starter ladder13
- Start date
That milestone could not have been achieved if S&W had not killed off the 3rd Gens to eliminate the competition serving as a continuing thorn in the side (drain) for M&P sales.
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kbm6893
Member
Exactly. If you want a new S&W semi auto, the only choice is an M&P. Surely would have sold less if there were other options.
As for selling more M&P's in 4 years than all the 3rd gen's in 20, that is not a valid comparison. Gun ownership has hugely increased over the last 5 years. And when your only option is an M&p, the numbers are gonna be skewed.
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that's funny stuff... I love conjecture.. the reality is there are plenty of other steel options available from other manufacturers. The reality is, the M&P sold a million Shield guns IN SPITE of steel guns available..
NOTHING SKEWED HERE... other than maybe a few comments here...
OP
that's funny stuff... I love conjecture.. the reality is there are plenty of other steel options available from other manufacturers. The reality is, the M&P sold a million Shield guns IN SPITE of steel guns available..
NOTHING SKEWED HERE... other than maybe a few comments here...
There's a steel semi auto option from S&W, it's called a 1911, not an M&P
Full line of 1911's for those looking for a metal semi auto gun
SW1911 - Smith & Wesson
The factory produced 1,000,000 Shields in addition to the dozens and dozens of other guns they have in their lineup, auto's and revolvers, a real success story by any measure......to most people.
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kbm6893
Member
that's funny stuff... I love conjecture.. the reality is there are plenty of other steel options available from other manufacturers. The reality is, the M&P sold a million Shield guns IN SPITE of steel guns available..
NOTHING SKEWED HERE... other than maybe a few comments here...
Really? Walk into a gun stand look at the selection. Tell me how many metal framed concealable selections there are. Not some micro 1911. I'm talking about an aluminum framed 20 oz or so handgun like the 3913 is. I was just in one yesterday. 90% polymer. And those that were metal were all full size guns. As for the numbers being skewed, they are. Are you denying the increase in gun ownership over the last 7 or 8 years? And frankly, many gun buyers don't know squat about guns. Yesterday, a woman wanting a carry gun brought in a tricked out Ruger .22 pistol to trade. She wound up taking an even trade on a Hi-Point .380. She clearly knew nothing about guns and it was all I could do to tell her not to trade that Ruger for a $150 gun. But it wasn't my business so I didn't say a word.
The M&P's are good guns and I'm glad smith is selling them. But if the 3rd gen's were still an option less would have been sold. If you're hungry and the only thing available is liver, you're gonna eat liver.
And let's not forget the price being a factor. $399 for an M&P vs $650 for a Sig. Think that may be a factor? The M&P's are selling well because they're a relatively inexpensive and reliable firearm, not because they're the best thing on the block.
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1,000,000 ....... 1 MILLION ...... 100,000X10 ..... AND COUNTING!!!!!! PERIOD.
OP
I wonder when the same inexpensive, same category, Ruger LC9s will produce their 1,000,000th pistol. Are they at 100,000 yet?
Buds has the Rugers at a better price than the Shield as a matter of fact, maybe Ruger will catch up.
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WisconsinKen
Member
I also think the Shield craze has been perpetuated to the masses by gun store employees. Case in point was yesterday. Met in the Gander Mountain parking lot to sell a guy a gun. Now, with some gun money burning a hole in my pocket, I decide to get a good laugh and see what "good deals" Gander has (they are notoriously the most expensive in my area). I am in the market for a M&P 9C or 45C since my primary plastic "dang, it fell into a storm drain, oh well, lets go fill out some paperwork" carry gun is out of the rotation. I had never handled one before. I own a 9mm CORE so I am familiar with the general system, but wanted to paw one. I asked to see the 9C, commented on how it fit the hand nicely and pointed nicely and the guy and his partner immediately started pushing the Shield. Better concealability, better holster selection, $100 less expensive so think of the practice ammo you can but with that (apparently I look like I cannot hit what I aim at - not necessarily the best sales tactic I might add), etc. I then went through and debunked their "easier to conceal" by holding it side by side and they had to admit there was not much difference. Walked over to the holster selection, debunked that. Basically, a salesforce pushing a particular firearm with a fluffy script.
I personally did not like how the Shield fit my hand. It was like trying to a cheap paper back book by the spine. I am sure I would get used to it, but I prefer a smidge more meat to hang onto.
I personally did not like how the Shield fit my hand. It was like trying to a cheap paper back book by the spine. I am sure I would get used to it, but I prefer a smidge more meat to hang onto.
kbm6893
Member
Not sure, but since the LC9-S has not been out for 4 years, why don't we wait and see? It surely came late to the game. How many Glock 43's won't get sold because somebody already has that base covered with the Shield?
As for the Shield, it's a good gun. I owned it once. Sold it for an LC9-S. Lighter, slimmer, and it has the magazine disconnect AND the manual safety, which I believe is FAR better than the Shield's one. The Shield one is so flush I couldn't always manipulate it easily.
Oh, and the LC9-S has a MUCH better trigger. When is Apex going to be almost a must have item for the LC9-S like it is for the sub-par M&P triggers?
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kbm6893
Member
As I said, good for S&W. More people choosing to carry concealed is a good thing.
I hope M&P owners aren't going to become like the "Glock Fanboys". I hope I'm not gonna start to see M&P owners with S&W hats, t-shirts, range bags, entrenching tools, and pistol bayonets on their M&P's. It's an inexpensive polymer gun that reliably fires a projectile. Not the second coming of Christ. My Ruger LC9-S and SR-9 do the same thing, and I much prefer the feel and safety options of them over the M&P.
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh............. now I get it... makes so much more sense now.
Hahahahaa, your last sentence says it all...And I see you got your FANBOYS too...
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kbm6893
Member
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh............. now I get it... makes so much more sense now.
And I see you got your FANBOYS too...
What do you get? I owned a Shield once. Even owned an M&P22 because I was planning on getting the full size M&p. But the Ruger felt better to me. Had the features I wanted that the Smith did not. Ruger customer service is unbelievable too and I know they will support anything they ever made regardless if it is no longer "en vogue". A good friend of mine inherited his dad's Security Six revolver. Over 30 years old when he got in and long out of production. My friends dad was a big shooter and reloader and fired at least 20,000 .357 rounds through that gun. Matter of fact, that was the first .357 I ever shot when I was about 14 or so. Gun needed some TLC and my friend called Ruger. Full overhaul, including reblue job. Back to factory specs. Cost him nothing. They no longer support the Six series but they will sell you a new gun at roughly half the price if they can't fix a Six. Will Smith well me a Shield for $200 if a 3913 goes down? I doubt it.
I have no doubt that the Ruger LC9s will eventually achieve one million units too. Demand is very high for small, inexpensive, concealable 9mm plastic wonders. Both the Shield and the LC9s are available with or without thumb safeties and both have very good reputations. I own both. In fact, I own two of each (with and without thumb safeties). I happen to prefer the Shield for more controlled shooting and the LC9s for much easier pocket carrying. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages vs. the other. I'm glad I own both.
I've known a lot of good gunsmiths at Smith & Wesson over the years.
Sadly most have retired and not passed those skills on to anyone.
I still know a couple there, but they are not in the picture.
Probably busy fixing all the errors the temporary employees make.
Sadly most have retired and not passed those skills on to anyone.
I still know a couple there, but they are not in the picture.
Probably busy fixing all the errors the temporary employees make.
I have no doubt that the Ruger LC9s will eventually achieve one million units too. Demand is very high for small, inexpensive, concealable 9mm plastic wonders. Both the Shield and the LC9s are available with or without thumb safeties and both have very good reputations. I own both. In fact, I own two of each (with and without thumb safeties). I happen to prefer the Shield for more controlled shooting and the LC9s for much easier pocket carrying. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages vs. the other. I'm glad I own both.
hehe, same here.. I have both the LC9 and the newer LC9s... I purchased the LC9 while waiting for the Shield to be available... then I had to buy the LC9s just because the trigger was so good. Haven't even taken the 9s out of the box, been carrying my Shield 40 the last couple years.
OP
Lack of likes to your post says it all.
American workers producing an American product in America. What's not to like?
Fact remains as stated in title.
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