M&P Takedown

[ncbengal]

When a dealer was demo-ing a .40 M&P for me, he said to snap the trigger just before sliding the slide forward and off the frame. After I just now (whoopee!) bought one, the book says to use a tool to "lower the sear deactivation lever into the magazine well" before removing the slide. I do the latter. Is there harm in doing it the way the dealer said? I really like this gun, and hope it shoots as good as it looks. And it has the external safety, which I really like. Referencing my previous post comparing the M&P with the SW99, I will now do some muzzle to muzzle comparisons on accuracy, etc., and come back to you'ns. (That's something they say back in these hills.)

 

[ncbengal]

When a dealer was demo-ing a .40 M&P for me, he said to snap the trigger just before sliding the slide forward and off the frame. After I just now (whoopee!) bought one, the book says to use a tool to "lower the sear deactivation lever into the magazine well" before removing the slide. I do the latter. Is there harm in doing it the way the dealer said? I really like this gun, and hope it shoots as good as it looks. And it has the external safety, which I really like. Referencing my previous post comparing the M&P with the SW99, I will now do some muzzle to muzzle comparisons on accuracy, etc., and come back to you'ns. (That's something they say back in these hills.)

 

[John R]

Slide can be removed either way.

 

[MattB]

It's generally considered safer to trip the sear deactivation lever prior to disassembly. It essentially requires you to drop the mag and clear the chamber.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Originally posted by ncbengal:
When a dealer was demo-ing a .40 M&P for me, he said to snap the trigger just before sliding the slide forward and off the frame. After I just now (whoopee!) bought one, the book says to use a tool to "lower the sear deactivation lever into the magazine well" before removing the slide. I do the latter. Is there harm in doing it the way the dealer said?

No harm, but remember you are overriding the safety feature built in by S&W of being able to disassemble without pulling the trigger. Many negligent discharges have occurred with other makes in station houses, academies and elsewhere when pulling the trigger to disassemble and the resulting "bang" told everyone that the user was an idiot and forgot to unload. Not sure how many deaths as a result, but plenty of property damage!

 

[sigdoc]

I broke the striker pin in my M&P9 by pulling the trigger before removing the slide instead of using the sear deactivation control.

 

[MattB]

Originally posted by sigdoc:
I broke the striker pin in my M&P9 by pulling the trigger before removing the slide instead of using the sear deactivation control.

That shouldn't have happened. S&W indicates dry firing is acceptable.

 

[ncbengal]

No harm, but remember you are overriding the safety feature built in by S&W of being able to disassemble without pulling the trigger. Many negligent discharges have occurred with other makes in station houses, academies and elsewhere when pulling the trigger to disassemble and the resulting "bang" told everyone that the user was an idiot and forgot to unload. Not sure how many deaths as a result, but plenty of property damage!

Don't doubt that for a minute. Last club meeting's "safety minute" told about a very experienced shooter who operated the slide, then dropped the magazine, then put the "empty" gun to his head and pulled the trigger. They buried him next day or so.

 

[MattB]

Originally posted by ncbengal:

Don't doubt that for a minute. Last club meeting's "safety minute" told about a very experienced shooter who operated the slide, then dropped the magazine, then put the "empty" gun to his head and pulled the trigger. They buried him next day or so.

That's just straight up stupid. Why would one ever put a gun to their head and pull the trigger under any circumstances?

 

[flowgoode]

Originally posted by MattB:

Originally posted by ncbengal:

Don't doubt that for a minute. Last club meeting's "safety minute" told about a very experienced shooter who operated the slide, then dropped the magazine, then put the "empty" gun to his head and pulled the trigger. They buried him next day or so.

That's just straight up stupid. Why would one ever put a gun to their head and pull the trigger under any circumstances?

EXACTLY what I was thinking!

 

[fiasconva]

Matt, ya can't fix stupid. We had a teen near here, in Portsmouth, VA, who decided to play Russian roulette with an auto. Put one bullet in the mag, racked the slide, and blew his brains out.

 

[snw19_357]

Originally posted by MattB:
It's generally considered safer to trip the sear deactivation lever prior to disassembly. It essentially requires you to drop the mag and clear the chamber.

That lever is one of the reasons why I picked up my M&P40!! It has always bugged me that you HAVE to pull the trigger on a closed slide to disassemble a Glock.