Round Two with the M&P9C

[limatunes]

I wrote about my first experience with the S&W M&P 9c and it's many frustrating problems to deal with including failures to feed, fire, eject and everything else. Not to mention the slide locking back prematurely.

So, we took it home, cleaned it up, oiled it and JD took it back out on one of their "guy's days to the range" trips.

For him and Chooie it worked beautifully for 100 rounds of Remington UMC and Winchester White Box.

So now it was my turn again with it and I'm pleased to report that it did 150 rounds of Winchester White Box with the only problem being two instances of the slide locking back prematurely. I didn't even notice it at first because I just assumed the gun was empty, dropped mag, reloaded and kept shooting only to pick up the other magazine and see that there was one round left.

It only did it twice and with only one round left in the magazines.

Next I'll have to see if it's a particular magazine. I think it may just need a little more "working."

Either way I'm thinking that all she needed was a good cleaning and a little more of a "break in."

We're getting there!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[barracudamagoo]

Had the same problem (ftf, fte, slide NOT locking back) on the first time out with the M&P (full size). Had cleaned and lubed before I took it out but still had problems. Cleaned and lubed her up real good at home, and took her back out and she has been fine since. I too had used the Remington's and had these problems, switch to the Winchester White Box and no troubles. Maybe the M&P's just don't like Remington. We'll see how she holds up in the future, otherwise I have been quite pleased.

[jframe38]

Don't think it's the Rems. I've had slide locking problems w/WWB, Blazer, Independence and my carry ammo Ranger T's. Mags are starting to drop also. It's going back to S&W and I'm considering a Glock19 in the meantime but need to shoot it first. At least they go bang everytime!
My 642 goes bang everytime too!

[Sarge45]

Good luck LIma. Mine has been an excellent little handgun. You know Smith will make it right for you if it isn't 100%.

[SilenceDoGood]

Sounds like a gun I will be avoiding like the pleauge. I'm already not a S&W semi-auto fan after my sigma 9 expeirence.

[Vaquero 45]

Good luck LIma. Mine has been an excellent little handgun. You know Smith will make it right for you if it isn't 100%.

That's the same thing they say about Kel-Tec customer service. Hmmmm.

I'd like to see them fix one in the middle of a gunfight.

To me, a pistol that fails to feed, fails to eject, has slide lockback problems is not something to trust your life to. 150 rounds and "only" 2 failures? No thanks.

Just wait until the mag starts dropping out of the gun when you are firing. Or another common problem, broken strikers. Gee, that would be fun in the middle of a life and death situation. Many owners report light primer strikes. I had this problem with my 2 POS M&P's, along with the slide lockback problems and FTF problems.

Check M-P Pistol.com for the latest and greatest new problem with the wonderful M&P. According to these M&P owners, strikers for the M&P are on backorder. I guess a lot of them are breaking. Why would they be on backorder if people didn't need new ones?

MP-Pistol.com :: View Forum - M&P Pistol Tech Difficulties

Just about every brand of gun has a tech forum. However, I challenge anyone to find a tech forum for any other major brand besides S&W that has so many different and common problems with their pistols.

Great customer service? And how does a company get a reputation for their "great customer service?" How anyone can trust a company that knowingly shipped so many faulty pistols is beyond me. Do they not test these things? Have they not heard of quality control?

Based on my own experience with these pistols, the M&P = The new Sigma. Only not as reliable.

[SIXTO]

And people flamed me when I said M&P's have a long way to go yet...

That said, the full size 9mm is growing on me, and I'll probably pick one up this spring.

My biggest fear is that the project will get scraped just like the SW99 project, the M&P takes a lot after that gun.

[Juggernaut]

I took out my M&P 45 yesterday for the first time with an early lockback within the first 20 rounds, after the 19th round with the 20th still in the second of my two mags. Another 130 rounds of American Eagle and not a problem as it settled in and it is a tackdriver. It impressed the guys at the range, I showed them a target I had shot all in the 9 and x ring and one of the guys said, "Geez, I can't even see the target at 25 yards!"

I saw the reports of the broken strikers and a few of them were from dryfiring. I wouldn't expect such a lack of durability in that part of a weapon with "military and police" in it's model name, but I'll just grab some A-zooms to head off that problem at the pass, so to speak.

[SonofASniper]

And people flamed me when I said M&P's have a long way to go yet...

Sometimes people just don't like to be told that from those who have been around long enough to know S&W's history on trying to get into the polymer market.

The one and only time they seemed to almost get it right they lost their pants in a patent infringement law suit.

I do hope the M&P series doesn't get killed off. They have certainly caught my eye. I would just like to wait until generation 2 or 3 before I pick one up.

[dvickery]

I just recently bought two, a full size 45 and a 9c. Both have functioned perfectly. The regular range was closed so had to go to the 50 / 100 range and was nailing the paper every time with both at 50 - almost all at 100 with the 45.

For the 9c, I fired it approx 200 times and fed it with wolf, win. fmj, remington white box and some unknown brand jhp's. I mixed them all up and never knew when they were being fired.

Personally I don't like S&W anymore than any other company but I like the look and feel of my two and so far, I like the way they shoot.

Guess I'll keep'em.

dvickery

[Sarge45]

Mine is a newer 9c and I the only problem I've experienced is one FTF since I've had it (December '07). This was remedied by a mirror polish to the feedramp and chamber mouth opening with some Flitz and conical felt polishing tip on the Dremel. I've been carrying mine since December and have yet to have the mag drop out during carry or firing.

I will be honest about the gun. Because of others reported issues I don't have the natural confidence in this gun that I do with my Glocks and carry 1911's. I want to be that confident in it and mine has given me only one reason not to be but it's like a dark cloud of anticipation hovering over my little gun. Like I'm just waiting for the mag to fall out or the striker to break.

I'll continue to carry mine and run it out until there is a legitimate problem with my particular gun. Then, it goes back to Smith, gets fixed and then sold. Until then though, it is a proven carry piece.

[2AMomma]

This is soo frustrating! Finally I found a gun that fits my hand, I can easily rack the slide, and the size is great for concealment, and now all of THIS! UGH!

I think you hit the nail on the head Sarge - the real question is can you trust it?

I'm still weighing the pros and cons, but it seems I keep going back to Glock - maybe with some personal modifications to the grip...

[bzdog]

I think you hit the nail on the head Sarge - the real question is can you trust it?

I used to be a lot more casual about the reliability issue until my once reliable 92F started acting up. After some research, I found a couple of issues -- gunked up extractor (not part of the std. field strip) and replaced the recoil and mag springs.

In the big picture, it wasn't an overly big issue and I was able to work it out on my own. But, it was hugely disconcerting. The thought of it not working properly when I needed it...

As a result, I've seen the wisdom of not carrying components until they have proven themselves.

Now, any changes to my carry weapon, mags, ammo and even cleaning and lube regime are all tested to my satisfaction before I carry.

It also underscores the point made in the thread about shooting your carry weapon.

Now, my carry weapon gets tested every time I go to the range. If you don't practice with it, how will you know when something is off?

I also now pro actively replace the recoil and mag springs. Perhaps not needed, but for such a cheap part, why not?

So in the end, even with a reliable weapon, I'm careful to do whatever is possible to keep it that way and to test it. I don't see the point in starting with something that is finicky or problematic. Why borrow trouble?

-john

[dvickery]

Spent a while at the range today with the 9c. I tried to get it to malfunction. I shot approx 200 rounds - shot it fast, slow and everything in between. I shook it between rounds to get the mag to fall out. Used all kinds of diff. rounds never lubing or cleaning. With around 500 rounds through the gun, I have had NOT ONE single malfunction. At this point I have full confidence in this pistol and will put up it's reliability against any of it's competitors.

I have no reason to lie about S&W, these are the first of their products that I've ever owned. Should this or any other of my firearms malfunction, I will gladly report it.

dv

[monky]

I have not had a single problem with my MP9c. 500+ rounds through her. Brought her home, lubed her up till she was dripping, cleaned her again.. light coating of lube and loaded her. When I went to chamber a round after releasing the slide it felt like it stuck a little.. I put in snap caps (thank god for the MagLula) and just worked her back and forth. Eventually she felt like she loosened up.. took her to the range, started with the cheap stuff.. blazer (non-brass), magtech, AE, everything they had at the range and she loosened up real nice. Went out of the range, cleaned her and lubed her again, then put 100 rounds of Fed HST 147gr and had NO problems.

Friend of mine has a 40c, did not clean his well enough, just shot it right out of the box and he had problems. FTF, FTE, don't know about the slide locking back and no probs with the mag dropping that I know of.

He was shocked when I cleaned it and lubed it up and it worked flawlessly. It's not a glock, or an HK, or even an XD... please.. be gentle :)