M&P compact .40 questions

[kentuckyrifle]

I'm graduating from college Saturday (thank God) and my awesome parents are buying me a M&P compact .40. I have a few questions about the gun.
1. What is the attachment that you can put on the full size magazine that turns it into a full size handle?
2. What defensive ammo do you carry in your M&P .40C?
3. Does Smith and Wesson make conversion 9mm barrels for the Compact?

 

[Houdini1953]

Answers:
1 X-grip link Smith&Wesson M&P | XGRIP
2 Federal Hydra-Shok link Federal Premium - Handgun Ballistics
3 Just order a factory 9mm from them or Midway or get a Storm Lake or Lone Wolf.

I have a 357 Storm Lake for my 40c and a factory barrel for my full size 40 which I just shot again today with great accuracy, you will spend little of your limited supply of funds with a factory barrel and mine works just fine!

 

[cracker57]

kentukyrifle
First lets congratulate you on graduating collage.
Then lets praise your parents for getting you one sweeeeet gun. Have fun with it, I love mine.
Cracker57

 

[kentuckyrifle]

Thank you guys. Appreciate it. One more question. I just called Smith and Wesson customer service and asked if I could convert my compact 40 to a 9mm using a factory 9mm barrel. The guy said that you can't convert the barrels. Can you just not convert a Compact .40 to a 9mm? The guy was pretty rude as well.

 

[Lost Lake]

I don't think S&W CS is supposed to say they approve converting anything.

Someone on this board even reported he was told something like "S&W doesn't recommend using a standard 9mm barrel in a .40 gun.... Wink Wink" and that person took the wink, wink portion to mean they will work fine.

A problem with S&W blessing the conversion is they would have to support all the little nuances that come up, such as possible malfunctions firing 9m using a slide and spring built for .40 cal. While this may not be an issue for range use, it could become a huge issue for self defense.

 

[kentuckyrifle]

Ohhhhhh OK. That makes perfect sense. Thanks! I have seen that people have been having problems ordering the cheaper factory barrels. Midway USA says they probably won't have them in till 9/11/2012! Could I just call Smith & Wesson and buy a compact 9mm barrel from them? Or is there somewhere else that has the compact 9mm barrels that you know of?

 

[91101]

Ohhhhhh OK. That makes perfect sense. Thanks! I have seen that people have been having problems ordering the cheaper factory barrels. Midway USA says they probably won't have them in till 9/11/2012! Could I just call Smith & Wesson and buy a compact 9mm barrel from them? Or is there somewhere else that has the compact 9mm barrels that you know of?

I just ordered the 9mm barrel for the compact from Midway last night.. I've actually done this conversion with my full size M&P 40 with good results (no malfunctions) I also purchased 9mm mags although I think putting 9mm followers in a .40 mag will work. I'm going to try this theory out before I buy 9mm mags for the compact...

As far as buying the barrel right from S&W I'm not sure they will sell it to you, they list it on their parts list as "Restricted to factory trained armourers" YMMV...

If you call them and they will sell it to you let me know so I don't have to wait till September...

 

[91101]

A problem with S&W blessing the conversion is they would have to support all the little nuances that come up, such as possible malfunctions firing 9m using a slide and spring built for .40 cal. While this may not be an issue for range use, it could become a huge issue for self defense.

FYI The recoil spring on the .40 and the 9mm are the same part number...

279740000 on the full size and 391160000 on the compacts...

 

[Houdini1953]

I also have an M&P40C but due to unavailability of a factory compact 357 barrel I got a Storm Lake Barrel for my compact but I do have a 357 full size for my M&P40FS and it is so great that I think I will just leave the 357 barrel in it.

Both these 357 barrels are very accurate and I shoot much better with the 357 round than the 40 and the recoil is more manageable. Yes the Storm Lake is about twice as much in cost but much cheaper than buying another gun!

 

[Lost Lake]

Ohhhhhh OK. That makes perfect sense. Thanks! I have seen that people have been having problems ordering the cheaper factory barrels.

I have read far more problems using Storm Lake barrels than factory barrels.
I have yet to read a single problems using a factory S&W barrel in a S&W gun.
I even started a thread asking if anyone has had a problem and didn't get any negative replies.

 

[91101]

I have read far more problems using Storm Lake barrels than factory barrels.
I have yet to read a single problems using a factory S&W barrel in a S&W gun.
I even started a thread asking if anyone has had a problem and didn't get any negative replies.

Another thing to think about, aren't the Storm Lake barrels like $100 more than the S&W?