New gun owner - S&W M&P 9c - this is my 1st gun - what kind and brand of ammo should I start with? Also any other suggestions on equipment that I will need, thanks
New gun owner - S&W M&P 9c
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RobBeckett
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For target practice the cheapest stuff you can find. For home defense Ranger T or Gold Dot. You can shoot +P ammo but stay away from +P+ it will void the warranty.
I love my 9c enjoy yours.
I love my 9c enjoy yours.
mr2r6
Member
Congrats on the new Handgun! Great choice and watch out this will not be your last! All your questions have been answered before and if you use the search function you will find more than enough info. But for now pretty much any brand/grain ammo will work. Just get out find some cheap .20-.28 cpr target ammo and have a blast. Make sure you do a good cleaning prior to first shoot.
kozmic
Member
My 9c isn't fussy. It will eat any range ammo I can find. I'd buy whatever is on the shelf and cheap. There are plenty of defensive loads made. Getting your hands on them is another issue although, availability seems to be improving slightly.
You may find you're more comfortable with the performance of one defensive round over another for various reasons so, you should sample a few and then decide what is best for your needs. It's a very good idea to practice with your chosen defensive loads to get a "feel" of how it will work for you.
The 9c has a small rail so a compact light or laser are options but again, they have to fill your needs and many here don't recommend them. Read up on the pluses and minuses before you buy.
Trigger jobs, springs, sights, etc. are all common enhancements. I would suggest buying a few extra mags. A good cleaning kit is a must as are supplies for proper maintenance. Holsters, rug cases, range gear (safety glasses and ear protection) are usually mandatory at ranges.
My suggestion is to pick a topic and do a search here. I'm sure you'll find plenty of good advice and recommendations that way. Look at some of the youtube videos and articles out there as well.
Get out and put a few hundred rounds down range and get your list of questions, concerns and observations together and start figuring out your next move.
The 9c, in my opinion, is among the finest compacts available. I love the size, capacity, recoil, versatility, accuracy, durability, value and complete reliability.
Enjoy yours.
You may find you're more comfortable with the performance of one defensive round over another for various reasons so, you should sample a few and then decide what is best for your needs. It's a very good idea to practice with your chosen defensive loads to get a "feel" of how it will work for you.
The 9c has a small rail so a compact light or laser are options but again, they have to fill your needs and many here don't recommend them. Read up on the pluses and minuses before you buy.
Trigger jobs, springs, sights, etc. are all common enhancements. I would suggest buying a few extra mags. A good cleaning kit is a must as are supplies for proper maintenance. Holsters, rug cases, range gear (safety glasses and ear protection) are usually mandatory at ranges.
My suggestion is to pick a topic and do a search here. I'm sure you'll find plenty of good advice and recommendations that way. Look at some of the youtube videos and articles out there as well.
Get out and put a few hundred rounds down range and get your list of questions, concerns and observations together and start figuring out your next move.
The 9c, in my opinion, is among the finest compacts available. I love the size, capacity, recoil, versatility, accuracy, durability, value and complete reliability.
Enjoy yours.
OLDSTER
Member
And welcome to the forum from North Dakota
tectrry
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Although you will want it to be as compact as possible if you ever CC it, I find more enjoyment at the range with the finger rest added to the mag (or sometimes a full sized mag with the sleeve around it to make a full sized handle). Just my $0.02. Then again I started with the FS before getting my compact. As for ammo, don't be afraid of good reman like Freedom, or if you want new, Blazer Brass has been fairly easy to find recently online.
Bkreutz
US Veteran
You may want to look into reloading equipment and supplies. Seems the longer you have one, the more ammo you go through. Reloading is interesting, relaxing, and economical. Just make sure you study up first (the best is to have an experienced reloader help you) because you are dealing with a volatile mixture.
Linejudgemick
Member
Welcome... Good luck with your new firearm and if you haven't already taken one, I'd recommend a firearm's safety course.
Like others have mentioned, my 9C isn't picky with ammo and has shot everything I've tried in it. I usually stick to brass cased ammunition, but that's just personal preference. I also like to shoot the same weight bullet as I use for P.D., but in this time of limited ammunition supplies, I'd just go with what ever you can find for the most reasonable cost.
Like others have mentioned, my 9C isn't picky with ammo and has shot everything I've tried in it. I usually stick to brass cased ammunition, but that's just personal preference. I also like to shoot the same weight bullet as I use for P.D., but in this time of limited ammunition supplies, I'd just go with what ever you can find for the most reasonable cost.
MP9cBilly
Member
GunBot find 9mm ammo in stock
Take a safety and instruction class at your local gun range.... very important... learn the rules of the gun range when you arrive... read the rules sign... they'll be times when a Safety Officer is barking out commands and you don't want to miss them or be confused by the jargon... "range is hot" means people are shooting and you can shoot. "Range is cold" means the opposite. Your gun should be out of your hands, on the counter, pointing down range. Again, read the rules, talk to them...
Indoor ranges are a bit different though... but please take a class.
Google "gun safety rules", etc.
Take a safety and instruction class at your local gun range.... very important... learn the rules of the gun range when you arrive... read the rules sign... they'll be times when a Safety Officer is barking out commands and you don't want to miss them or be confused by the jargon... "range is hot" means people are shooting and you can shoot. "Range is cold" means the opposite. Your gun should be out of your hands, on the counter, pointing down range. Again, read the rules, talk to them...
Indoor ranges are a bit different though... but please take a class.
Google "gun safety rules", etc.
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Desertpilot
Member
Hi, great choice. I have had the M&P40C for about a year now. My wife has a Kahr CW9. We use froglube for cleaning. Our choice in defensive rounds is Speer Gold Dot Hollow Points. We both have the "short" barrel version. Mine is 180 grain and hers is 124 grain +p.
Plenty of helpful videos on YouTube. TNOUTDOORS9 has tested just about every ammo type using a simulated ballistic gel media. Also a few useful videos on how to break down your gun including the firing pin for cleaning. Also froglube cleaning tips.
Be safe. Take a class at your local range.
Marcus
Plenty of helpful videos on YouTube. TNOUTDOORS9 has tested just about every ammo type using a simulated ballistic gel media. Also a few useful videos on how to break down your gun including the firing pin for cleaning. Also froglube cleaning tips.
Be safe. Take a class at your local range.
Marcus
SoCalDep
Member
I've been carrying my 9C for over two years and I love it. The only change I made was an upgrade to night-sights and I sold the CTC laser because it made the gun not fit my hand. I'd consider a compact rail-mounted laser or light but other projects have taken priority and likely will for a while.
Is your 9C going to be for carry, home defense, fun at the range, etc?
If you're going to use it for home defense you might consider a weapon-mounted light such as the Streamlight TLR-3, TLR-4 (with laser), or one of the Viridian light/laser systems. There are plusses and minuses to mounted lights and lasers, but with training they are both very beneficial tools for the tool box (Have a hand-held light as well).
If you plan to carry the pistol, I'd recommend, depending on your dress, lifestyle, etc., picking up a full-size 17rd M&P magazine, possibly with an X-Grip spacer, and use that for your reload. Having 30rds on board is a nice feeling. I use the finger-rest magazine in the gun and the 17rd mag as a reload. When I was carrying the 9C as an on-duty backup I used the flush-fit magazine. Other than that I find the extended finger-rest magazine doesn't really result in any more difficulty in concealment but it is much more comfortable and solid to shoot.
If it's for fun at the range, look into the Apex trigger/action upgrades. They really turn the trigger into something nice. For self defense, you would want to keep the trigger at a reasonable weight, but for the range, there's nothing wrong with making the gun more "shootable".
Lastly, if you want to start personalizing the gun without permanant damage, order some extra backstraps in your preferred size and break out the soldering gun for some stippling. The backstraps are only a couple bucks so if you screw up it's no big deal...It's a nice, cheap, and harmless way to personalize your pistol.
Is your 9C going to be for carry, home defense, fun at the range, etc?
If you're going to use it for home defense you might consider a weapon-mounted light such as the Streamlight TLR-3, TLR-4 (with laser), or one of the Viridian light/laser systems. There are plusses and minuses to mounted lights and lasers, but with training they are both very beneficial tools for the tool box (Have a hand-held light as well).
If you plan to carry the pistol, I'd recommend, depending on your dress, lifestyle, etc., picking up a full-size 17rd M&P magazine, possibly with an X-Grip spacer, and use that for your reload. Having 30rds on board is a nice feeling. I use the finger-rest magazine in the gun and the 17rd mag as a reload. When I was carrying the 9C as an on-duty backup I used the flush-fit magazine. Other than that I find the extended finger-rest magazine doesn't really result in any more difficulty in concealment but it is much more comfortable and solid to shoot.
If it's for fun at the range, look into the Apex trigger/action upgrades. They really turn the trigger into something nice. For self defense, you would want to keep the trigger at a reasonable weight, but for the range, there's nothing wrong with making the gun more "shootable".
Lastly, if you want to start personalizing the gun without permanant damage, order some extra backstraps in your preferred size and break out the soldering gun for some stippling. The backstraps are only a couple bucks so if you screw up it's no big deal...It's a nice, cheap, and harmless way to personalize your pistol.
Hey, as far as i'm concerned there are only 2 self defense rounds worth a darn. speer gold dots, and federal hst. And I know for a fact the speer gold dots are most excellent in their expansion. get some cheap ball ammo and sign up for a IDPA type shoot at your range to learn what you don't know yet about playing with guns. Keep your finger off the trigger at all times, please. Also please remember that guns are not death rays, so lose that swagger when you carry and try not to start trouble with anyone. BTW almost all american made self defense ammo will do it's job if you do yours.
Nice choice for your 1st pistol. Welcome to the forum.
