M&P 40c

[chrislind2]

I have owned this M&P 40 compact for a couple years. I bought a .357 Sig barrel for it and don't really care for that round, even though I started reloading it. Anyone need a set of 357 Sig dies?
I fired 150 rounds of .40 through the M&P today. It is not very accurate. I shot at 7 feet and 30 feet and around 40 feet. I even used a rest that the range provides. I shoot my Beretta PX4 sub-compact .40 all the time and it is a nail driver compared to the M&P. I ordered a 9mm barrel and 2- 9mm magazines for the M&P, I hope that may improve the accuracy.
Is it common for the M&P to be less than accurate? I tried to compensate for high or low, left, right shooting but even that did not work. The gun seems to shoot all over the place. I general could hit a 10x10 target somewhere, just not where I aimed. I fired 100 of my .40 reloads and 50 factory .40 rounds. I loaded the mags with 3 factory rounds at the top. I found no difference in the way either shot.

 

[MyDads38]

I don't own a 40c, nor have I ever shot one. I do have the M&P 40 FS, SD40VE and a new Shield 40. At 3 & 5 yards, the Shield is incredibly accurate, stacking 13 rounds into 1/2"-3/4" groups; whether factory or reloads. The FS & SD at 5, 7, & 10 yards will hold groups into 2"-2 1/2" all day long; again factory or reloads and both shoot 165 gr. ammo a bit better than 180 gr.

I am NOT a great shot, so the Shield 40 really surprised me at how accurate it is. My FS M&P 9 & 45 and SD9VE all share the same accuracy as my FS 40/SD40VE. I am surprised when I read threads about accuracy issues with the M&P pistols, regardless of caliber. No, they are not target grade firearms; but IMO are more than respectful for their intended purpose; which is a service/SD/HD weapon.

If you've owned the 40c for a couple of years, that makes it around a 2012/2013 manufactured pistol. My 45 is a 2007; 40 is a 2010; 9 is a 2013; Shield 40 is a 2014 and Shield 9 is a 2015. They are all stock with no mods at all. I've never had any issues with any of them. I would like to see you have better luck with your 40c; it's frustrating when the accuracy just isn't what you want/expect it to be.

 

[swsig]

I bought a new 40c last December. Given that it's a small gun firing a heavy round, it's taken me a lot of practice to become reasonably proficient. In the 9 months I've had it, I've averaged about 400 rounds per month at the range. I've had no problems with it whatsoever. I use Birchwood-Casey 12"x12" grid targets, and do most of my shooting at 15 yards. Currently, at 15 yards, I am placing 45% of my shots into the 4"x4" square surrounding the bullseye. The rest usually hit the paper somewhere -- I rarely have a complete miss at that distance. (Don't ask me about 25 yards.) I don't know if that level of proficiency with a 40c is good, mediocre, or poor, but I do know that I have improved substantially by spending as much time and ammo as I have. As an additional benefit, putting 3000+ rounds down range has smoothed out the infamous M&P trigger enough that I am now less inclined to send it out for a Performance Center or Apex upgrade.

As MyDads38 has noted above, the 40c is not a target pistol. It's designed for home/self defense. (It's my main carry weapon.) It isn't really necessary to put all of your shots into a 4"x4" target area for the 40c to be effective. One hit anywhere with a 40 cal. defense round should cause a bad guy to stop what he's doing.

It might be good to have a friend or a range officer fire your 40c and see what they think. But whatever you do, don't give up on it until you've fired the heck out of it.

I think my 40c is great. I hope you'll end up feeling the same about yours.

 

[dajogejr]

At 7 feet it should be a nail driver. 30 & 40 feet, I'm happy shooting a nice 3 to 4 inch grouping. My 40c is my EDC. Apex DCAEK kit and truglo TFX sites make mine a pleasure to shoot. Just out of curiosity, what is your POA?
My smith also likes 180 gr. rounds better than 165.

 

[Georgia Yankee]

Accuracy OK for me

It took me a while to get used to my 40c, but the last time I shot it, I was doing OK. It seems to take getting used to. I find that, if I do not use the finger rest magazine, I have more trouble controlling it.

 

[chrislind2]

At 7 feet it should be a nail driver. 30 & 40 feet, I'm happy shooting a nice 3 to 4 inch grouping. My 40c is my EDC. Apex DCAEK kit and truglo TFX sites make mine a pleasure to shoot. Just out of curiosity, what is your POA?
My smith also likes 180 gr. rounds better than 165.

I tried different types of POA. Fired 15 rounds all aimed at the bullseye at 30 feet with the rest. My usual POA is impact point resting on top of front sight. But I tried point of impact covered by the front sight. Did not seem to matter much. I tried aiming right and high to compensate for the low left hits and that did not seem to help much.
Most of the rounds hit low and left, some went low right and 3-4 went center high. The main reason for my disappointment is comparing this result to my Beretta PX4 Storm Sub-compact. At 30ft without a rest it hits the target where I aim every time unless I pull the trigger incorrectly. I have had a really hard time finding a carry holster that I like for the Beretta, so I started carrying the M&P because I have a great holster for the M&P.
Do not expect an extreme need for accuracy in an emergency type situation, but it is comforting when you know you carry an accurate weapon.

 

[vipermd]

You say that you owned the gun for a few years, have you been shooting it?? Even if you are just starting to shoot it 7 feet should be one big hole. As suggested above- 1) Have some one else shoot it with all the same factory ammo. 2) Have someone watch you firing it, since you can not focus on the target and watch yourself at the same time. 3) It seems like this is a new gun for you, pick your point of aim and keep it there, if you change your point of aim you have no reference point and therefore have no way of determining where you are actually hitting. 4) With a single point of aim determined, find a load YOUR gun likes. 5) Once you have groups, look at the correction table. Good Luck. Be Safe,

 

[chrislind2]

You say that you owned the gun for a few years, have you been shooting it?? Even if you are just starting to shoot it 7 feet should be one big hole. As suggested above- 1) Have some one else shoot it with all the same factory ammo. 2) Have someone watch you firing it, since you can not focus on the target and watch yourself at the same time. 3) It seems like this is a new gun for you, pick your point of aim and keep it there, if you change your point of aim you have no reference point and therefore have no way of determining where you are actually hitting. 4) With a single point of aim determined, find a load YOUR gun likes. 5) Once you have groups, look at the correction table. Good Luck. Be Safe,

I have fired this gun a few times since I first purchased it. I then put a 357 Sig barrel in it and fired that a few hundred times. My memory is that it was accurate with the Sig rounds, but it has been awhile. The real disappointment is the fact that my Beretta PX4 .40 Sub-compact is so incredibly accurate that it makes the M&P look bad. I have sent for a Storm Lake 9mm barrel for this M&P and will let everyone know the results
of that. I always start a shooting session using the same methods that always work well for me, but if the results are poor then I think of ways to at least analyze why the results and poor. Is it me or is it the gun. That is not always an easy thing to scientifically determine, but it is a conclusion I come to and then attempt to find further answers. I know I likely have shooting habits that may not be proper, but I have fired maybe 10,000+ rounds since I started reloading a few years ago and I can usually tell if a gun is accurate or not, in general terms anyway. I always fire at least 100 rounds when I go to the range, usually my reloads, but sometimes factory for comparison. In the M&P I found basically no difference in the 50 factory rounds I fired and the 100 reloads. Can't remember bullet weight on either, I would have to look that up.
What I wanted to add is the rounds I fire at the range end up being from one of many guns, my collection has grown since my daughter moved out and I have had a chance to own more guns than I really need. Have to save for retirement now, so my buying is over, but not my reloading and shooting.

 

[vipermd]

Good luck with the 9mm bbl. Have someone shoot your M&P with the 40 using same weight bullets. Be Safe,