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Are S&W semi autos good guns now?

10K views 74 replies 47 participants last post by  Charliee 
#1 ·
I see a lot of folks here praising their Smiths, or recommending them to others. Back in the mid eighties I saw nothing but problems from S&W semi autos. Sights falling off, jamming, an accidental fire I just mentioned in another thread, which was obviously the owner's fault, but nonetheless, he was having a problem with his Smith. So I have to ask, did something happen where their QC went up, or their standards risen, or a complete design change? When I go to the gun shop now I tell the owner don't even bother pulling out the Smiths because of things I had seen 25 years ago. Does anyone else remember the problems they used to have and know if they did something to recify them? Enough of you own them now that I'm thinking something must have changed. If I am in the market again I don't want to pass up looking at them if they truly have become more reliable than they used to be.
 
#3 ·
The M&P handguns are fantastic weapons and a lot of people carry them on a regular basis without any issues or malfunctions. A lot of IDPA shooters use either a Glock or M&P.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the additional replies.
I guess guns are like trucks. All it takes is a couple bad experiences, no matter how long ago, and that sticks with you the rest of your life. Which is why I won't buy a ford or chevy truck either ;^)
 
#8 ·
I've been very pleased with the quality, accuracy, ergonomics and reliability of my M&P 9. It's a very fine sidearm.

S&W's lifetime warranty and great customer service are good piece of mind too.

Good luck.
 
#9 ·
Just bought my 3rd M&P on Saturday, but I don't like them :wink:

All jokes aside, we know that Glock is a proven gun. For me they are simply too fat in the hand. The ergonomics of the M&P are outstanding, add to that the availability of the Apex Tactical DCAEK trigger kit, and it is one FINE pistol. Like said before, do yourself a favor and go put one in your hand, you've got 3 back straps to chose from. You may end up with 3 of them yourself one day.
 
#10 ·
possibly my next gun

I carry a Glock 27 most every day. However, I just shot the M&P9 with my Dad recently. I really like this gun a ton. My Dad likes it so much he's carrying it (full size version) concealed in a Raven Concealment holster and you can't even tell he's got it on.
 
#12 ·
Sounds like another trip to the gunshop is in order... uh-oh... lol
Are these M&Ps DA/SA? How do they compare with a Kahr P9? That's what I have now and I love the size, but was never a big fan of the DA.
 
#13 ·
I see a lot of folks here praising their Smiths, or recommending them to others. Back in the mid eighties I saw nothing but problems from S&W semi autos. Sights falling off, jamming, an accidental fire I just mentioned in another thread, which was obviously the owner's fault, but nonetheless, he was having a problem with his Smith. So I have to ask, did something happen where their QC went up, or their standards risen, or a complete design change?
In the mid-80s, S+W was just into their second generation of autoloading pistols (the 3-digit series), and there was a lot they didn't get right from the outset. I fell in love with a compact 469 when it came out, but the trigger pull was so awful that I couldn't bring myself to buy it. But with the huge move to autos in the law enforcement community, there was a LOT of feedback from the field and now they are into their third and fourth generation of autos. The "Performance Center" guns are pretty much the epitome of the 3rd gen, all-metal guns, and the M+P series of Tupperware guns is giving the Austrian "perfection" guns a serious chase in the market.

A lot of the change has been due to company ownership that stands behind the product and is seriously interested in product quality and serving the marketplace, including coming up with new models.

You owe it to yourself to give the current S&W offerings a serious look.
 
#14 ·
They are striker fire action... labeled as Double Action Only for legal/law enforcement/military purposes, the trigger is a 6-7 pound trigger pull on the first and last shot, and all in between. The M&P is being called "Glock like" and is taking market away from Glock in the Law Enforcement and Military fields.

I love my M&P40... I have put 2000+rounds through mine and it is very reliable.
My dad and Uncle have the M&P9c (compact) and love them.
~ Detroit MI, St. Clair Shores MI, are department I know first hand that issue the M&P here in Michigan
The ATF just signed a contract with Smith and Wesson for the M&P, so they can issue them to their Agents


Here are some countries that use the M&P....
Australia: M&P40 was distributed to South Australia Police officers in 2009 to replace their Smith & Wesson .357 revolvers. Victoria Police announced in late April 2010 they would replace their Smith & Wesson .38 revolvers with the M&P40.[9] Over 10,000 units are planned to be purchased by Victoria Police.
Canada: Halton Regional Police Service, Peel Regional Police, and the Gatineau Police Department.
Colombia: M&P9 used by DAS agents.
France: M&P9 used by the Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety Institute.
India: M&P9 used by Mumbai Police.
Iraq: Used by the Iraqi Police and by the Iraqi Military.
Malaysia: M&P9s as Malaysian Prison Department sidearm.
Pakistan: Used by the Sindh Police Agency.
Puerto Rico: M&P40 was adopted by the Puerto Rico Police Department in 2009.
Trinidad and Tobago: Used by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
United States: Drug Enforcement Administration. Also used by over 276 police departments in the country.
 
#17 ·
S&W 3rd generation pistols are awesome. I own a 6906 and a 5903, and have owned a 3953. All perform flawlessly!
 
#73 ·
Yep, I would agree that from the 3rd generation onwards S&W are very reliable. I'd skip the Sigma series though.
 
#18 ·
The older guns 39, 59, series were very reliable......if it were a "6" designation it only meant it was stainless steel instead of carbon steel (669 6906 5906 6590 the 40 cals were good as well as the 4506 645 etc, and the 1006 1066 1076 were superb (I've owned lots of em and still have a couple dozen of diffent models.. mostly weredue to operator error, or ammo problems. (people always tried to lower the bobbed hammer models without engaging the safety, and we all know what happens when the hammer falls on a live round)
The downfall was, most if not all the older semi autos had a mag disconnect, where you couldn't fire the gun without the mag in the gun. This was overridden by home gunsmiths who sometimes fouled up the gun in the process.
 
#20 ·
Avoid the Sigmas. I've shot both the SW9VE and SW40VE and can't say that I'm too happy with their performance. Trigger pull was not as light and smooth as the M&P, and the quality was lower. I've heard that the 1st gen Sigmas were so close to Glocks (some parts were even interchangeable), that Glock sued S&W for infringing on their patents and won. Folks tell me that it can be quite picky about ammo. I'm not saying that the Sigma is a terrible gun, but given the quality and price difference between a Sigma and an M&P (which can be had for $400-450 now, with 2 extra free mags), it's not worth getting the Sigma over the M&P.

Speaking as an M&P 40 owner- I love it. I've put about 2000 rds through it and still functions like new. Has only had failures when I tried using cheap Russian Wolf/TulAmmo steel-cased FMJs (I know it's cheap, but resist the temptation)- and even then, it ate nearly 150 rounds of that before FTEs started. NOT A SINGLE FTF!!!

It's much aesthetically-pleasing than a Glock, and shoots just as well. Adjustable grips, and very southpaw-friendly. While not as field-tested/proven as Glocks (though give it time), it seems to becoming a new favorite for LEOs and has been chipping away at the Glock marketshare. And unlike its biggest competitors, it's made here in the US, rather than Austria or Croatia.
 
#24 ·
Glocks are "the original" how?

You mean the original successful semi-auto? I think that John M. Browning would beg to differ.

Original polymer-framed striker? The H&K VP70 claims that title.

Original polymer-framed striker with excellent reliability? Alright, I'll give you that one.

Glocks are great guns, but I wouldn't ever refer to them as "the original".
 
#68 ·
Hm of this list I only have the 3913, but I plan to add the 1911Sc (and an MP40) just to have 2 more calibers...and to help the economy....and world peace...and any other reason I can think of so my CFO, er wife, will approve the purchase (or at least not divorce me over it!)
 
#28 ·
Another vote for the M&P. My full size 9 has been so reliable, more accurate than I am and so comfortable to shoot, it's borderline boring! About 2500 down the pipe and not one failure with any ammo, from factory reloads to Corbon hollowpoints it has been flawless.
 
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