M&P Stainless

[CrossRifles2008]

Why are some M&P Pistols stamped "STAINLESS" and others aren't?

 

[danysw]

S&W stopped printing Stainless on the slide of the M&Ps at the beginning of this year. Why? IDK because the slides are stainless steel until now.

 

[CrossRifles2008]

Just wondering if they stopped being Stainless

 

[danysw]

Just wondering if they stopped being Stainless

Nope. I have one of this year without the "stainless" and continue being stainless steel.

 

[CrossRifles2008]

Yeah mine doesn't say it.

 

[Houdini1953]

You have one of the newer guns they quit stamping the "Stainless" late last year or earlier this year as I would know by buying two weapons both before the first of the year and after the new year began. The Slide as well as all the innards of the Smith&Wesson M&P's are Stainless Steel as you will note if you read a description of these guns on their own website, it costs extra money and time just to add this stamp so in order to decrease costs while still providing a quality weapon and stay competitive with other manufacturers this was what S&W decided to do!

 

[CrossRifles2008]

Good I actually like it better without the STAINLESS stamp.

 

[Lost Lake]

You have one of the newer guns they quit stamping the "Stainless" late last year or earlier this year as I would know by buying two weapons both before the first of the year and after the new year began. The Slide as well as all the innards of the Smith&Wesson M&P's are Stainless Steel as you will note if you read a description of these guns on their own website, it costs extra money and time just to add this stamp so in order to decrease costs while still providing a quality weapon and stay competitive with other manufacturers this was what S&W decided to do!

You have the patience of a Saint. Just thought I'd interject that.

I've seen posts about issues that get discussed weekly asked again and again and you calmly answer every time

 

[dondavis3]

I had my M&P slide "lightened"

and shaved off the stainless stamp

 

[CrossRifles2008]

I did a search. Didn't find anything. Sorry if I beat a dead horse.

 

[Lost Lake]

I did a search. Didn't find anything. Sorry if I beat a dead horse.

Hey, no problem! I just typed 'Stainless slide' in the search bar in the M&P Pistol section and came up with 101 threads. I usually don't get too specific when searching so I don't exclude searches where someone uses a different name for a part or something, but 'stainless' brought up over 200 threads so I tightened it to 'stainless slide' and most threads were directly related to the stainless slide question.

The good thing is you got your question answered and it was fast and correct!

 

[Wee Hooker]

From a production standpoint, it makes sense to drop it. That stamp serves no real purpose yet adds another production step (with potential for problems). It also adds a QA inspection with potential for reject, tooling cost etc.....

 

[blujax01]

I just got my 45C which isn't marked "stainless". A magnet readily sticks to it. I was taught that a magnet will not stick to S.S. unless it is a "ferritic" which has a higher concentration of iron as opposed to an "austenitic" which has a different cell structure.

My guess is S&W stopped marking the slides in order to stop having to answer the "Why does my magnet stick..." question.

Those of you with the "stainless" marking - does a magnet stick to the slide?

Thanks, ~ Alan