Texas DPS ditches M&P and returns to SIG

Could care less but reread the dialogue between badkarma and turbo specifically.....bad 1..... Turbo 0.... Obvious thin skin it is
 
As someone who ran a large police supply business I can assure you that many, if not most, law enforcement agencies don't buy firearms based on what is best for their troops. Generally, it's what's the best deal for the purchasing authorities, department, city or county that's buying the guns. Does anyone really believe that the M-16 was the best semi-auto rifle available or that the M92 Beretta was the best semi-auto pistol that could be had? A lot of such purchase agreements are made in back rooms or at resort weekend retreats where the purchasers are wined and dined and made "offers they can't refuse." In my experience, most cops don't really care about guns that much, just enough to qualify by shooting at bullseye targets in broad daylight and many officers can go through a whole career without ever pulling a pistol out of it's holster except to clean it or qualify with it twice a year. It's just another tool, like their flashlight or duty belt....some don't even like guns.

Amen.

Many I served with didn't bother with the "clean it" part. It would be nice if every officer took firearms proficiency seriously. It would be nice if every police administrator was committed to supplying those officers with the best equipment and training available. It would be nice if politicians told the truth. It would be nice if S&W brought back the Triple Lock. It would be nice if German Shorthair Pointers lived to be 50.
 
Amen.

Many I served with didn't bother with the "clean it" part. It would be nice if every officer took firearms proficiency seriously. It would be nice if every police administrator was committed to supplying those officers with the best equipment and training available. It would be nice if politicians told the truth. It would be nice if S&W brought back the Triple Lock. It would be nice if German Shorthair Pointers lived to be 50.

I'd like some cheap Registered Magnums too :D
 
I don't know about anyone else, but it was a known fact for lotsa years in Texas LE circles that the TxDPS firearms unit command was very much SIG loyal. And I would wager that they also don't want to give up that priciest of handgun rounds; the .357 SIG.
2 strikes against the change over to M&P's; Brand and 9mm.
As someone earlier said, Politics!
 
As an further note, our M&Ps have been on the street over a year and we have not had any major issues with the guns as far as repairs are concerned. They are holding up extremely well. That Texas Tribune article also mentioned "microns of movement" - well, I'm from South Texas and shoot pretty darned good, but I want to meet the guy that is worried about "microns of movement" and "possibly accuracy problems", because I might be able to learn something from him (chuckle...). I also want to find that device that measures that in his toolbox. Our rangemaster was curious as well.
 
I also want to find that device that measures that in his toolbox.
This comment makes it sound like you don't believe they even have the ability to measure 10 microns (the amount mentioned in the article). Well, in the world of measurement, it's not really that small or hard.

10 microns = .0004"

This device is quite common and is capable of that measurement:
480.2877.jpg


Don't get me wrong, I too think that the measurement they mentioned is a joke and insignificant to the operation of an M&P. However, it's not impossible to make that measurement and the tool, depending on what they measured, isn't uncommon.
 
The information I've been able to get out of DPS is that they're talking about the front sight moving. I have no doubt they have the capability to measure 10 microns of movement, but I question how they arrived at that number. Did they take a measurement on the brand new guns to determine exactly where the sights were positioned before they were shot? If so, why would they do that?
 
The information I've been able to get out of DPS is that they're talking about the front sight moving. I have no doubt they have the capability to measure 10 microns of movement, but I question how they arrived at that number. Did they take a measurement on the brand new guns to determine exactly where the sights were positioned before they were shot? If so, why would they do that?

As a new shooter, if I could limit the movement of my front sight to ten microns, I'd be tickled pink. :D

(Just kidding. Agree 100%).
 
The information I've been able to get out of DPS is that they're talking about the front sight moving. I have no doubt they have the capability to measure 10 microns of movement, but I question how they arrived at that number. Did they take a measurement on the brand new guns to determine exactly where the sights were positioned before they were shot? If so, why would they do that?

I would really like to know how they can measure front sight movement to .0004 in. If that is what they are saying, and I have no reason to doubt it, I think it is a smoke screen for the real reason.
 
FWIW - I have Eight (8) M&P's
2 Full size 9 and 40
2 Shields 9 and 40
2 Compacts 9 and 40
2 45's Full and compact
I have never ever had a malfunction with any of these weapons. My Shield 9 (EDC) has over 2,400 rounds of all kinds of ammo. Reloads, 115,124,127,147 grain JHP's Ball, Blazer, Tula, Brown Bear, Speer, Winchester, Remington Federal. Just about anything you can think I have shot thru my M&P's. One of my Full Size M&P's (the 40) has had a chop job at the grip. I have a gunsmith (Business end Customs Peabody,Mass) chop the grip. It now accepts the 10 round Mag, but i have the luxury of having the longer sight radius and barell, with the compactness of a short grip.
And still this guns runs like a champ
BUT and I stress BUT. My Sigs and Glocks run just as well.
Just my 2 cents

1Sg
Out
 
The Pareto principle (also known as the 80–20 rule) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

I'll bet that if we were able to survey 100% of the M&P owners, we would find that 80% of them have had no trouble of any kind with their guns. We would find that 18% had problems that they related to ammo or a single magazine. 1.9% had problems that were fixed with either a simple part or by returning to S&W. Then there will be .1% that had problems that couldn't be or weren't fixed.

I'm just grabbing those numbers out of the air, but I'll still bet they're pretty close to reality. Alas, we cannot survey 100% of the M&P owners.
 
I think the M&P keeps getting better -- which doesn't mean it was ever bad. We have improved trigger bars (with the H on them) that provide improved perceived re-set, improved sears that are smoother and take less effort, improved barrels (with a more suitable twist rate) that are more consistently accurate, and larger sear springs that make the re-set function of the sear more reliable.

I read somewhere on the Internet (so it must be true) that the larger sear spring came about because the NC Highway Patrol had a few failure-to-reset-the-sear issues -- which can easily be fixed by pulling the slide back one inch -- but which is a potential problem in a pistol used for LE or self-defense. The result is we all can have M&Ps with a larger, more reliable re-set spring. (I think the change occurred around November 2012, if I remember. Apex Tactical will convert an old model sear spring to the new model for around $25).

Bottom line: if the M&Ps used by Texas DPS have a systemic problem, I would be surprised at this point, but I'm sure S&W will fix and introduce the fix to the manufacturing line.
 
The information I've been able to get out of DPS is that they're talking about the front sight moving. I have no doubt they have the capability to measure 10 microns of movement, but I question how they arrived at that number. Did they take a measurement on the brand new guns to determine exactly where the sights were positioned before they were shot? If so, why would they do that?

If this is the real issue, then it is not a "problem" in that sense. Simply some front sights or dovetails out of spec. As most of us are aware, the vast majority of S&W pistols (3rd Gen and M&P) have sights fitted so tightly in the dovetail that movement of them is next to impossible.

This is an easy fix, and certainly does not warrant some kind of across-the-board rejection of the M&P pistol platform.

Unless, of course, the people in charge of the new pistol transition are intentionally trying to sabotage it in order to stay with SIG, or to do something else.
 
This comment makes it sound like you don't believe they even have the ability to measure 10 microns (the amount mentioned in the article). Well, in the world of measurement, it's not really that small or hard.

10 microns = .0004"

This device is quite common and is capable of that measurement:
480.2877.jpg


Don't get me wrong, I too think that the measurement they mentioned is a joke and insignificant to the operation of an M&P. However, it's not impossible to make that measurement and the tool, depending on what they measured, isn't uncommon.
...I have one of those! My sarcasm must not have been clear enough. The point is that although you could measure it, it wouldn't be detectable on the target.
 
...I have one of those! My sarcasm must not have been clear enough. The point is that although you could measure it, it wouldn't be detectable on the target.
Yeah, I completely agree. I think that "10 micron" thing was just an author trying to sound like he knew something when he really didn't.
 
Not to make more of this than we should but here is the quote from the article in which a Officer from the DPS quoted by the reporter mentions the "less than 10 microns" figure...

"The agency decided to halt the use of the new handguns after a couple of the weapons experienced slight movement of less than 10 microns after repeated firing of about 3,000 rounds, Vinger said. A micron is one-millionth of a meter. Movement in a gun could affect accuracy. There were also bullet "feeding and ejection" issues. None of the performance issues resulted in any injuries. And so far, DPS has not been able to replicate these issues in subsequent testing, Vinger said."

DPS Suspends Use of New Handgun Over "Concerns" | The Texas Tribune

Since no one from DPS has said where the "less than 10 microns" movement is occurring speculating on it seems pointless to me. Until till they do, if they do I'll be skeptical that there really is all that much of a problem with the guns that can't be straightened out fairly easily.

tipoc
 
The link JohnSW provided tells the story of San Juaquin County, Ca. Sheriff's Dept. temporarily replacing 300 Sigs in .40 cal that were less than a year old. The Dept. replaced them after two of the guns would not fire on the range due to a problem reloading caused by a bad pin.

Sig will check the guns over and likely repair or replace the guns. The Dept. took all the guns out of service.

Not only M&Ps have problems at times it seems. Sigs are in general reliable guns. The article doesn't say what model is involved.

tipoc
 
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