9 mm 92FS vs. P226 vs. M&P

[srv1761]

I am in the market for my first firearm. I narrowed my decision to one of these 3. I have shot over 10 makes/models.

I am interested in members thoughts on each make and what would bw your choice and why?

I appreciate any feedback.

 

[BradM]

Love my p226 - much better trigger than the m&p plus you can get hi-caps; also no manual safety like the 92

 

[Dench]

I have a 92FS. I carried the M9 overseas also. Its super easy to break down. Its easy to use and control. I dont like the trigger on it, though.

The Sig is your best bet I think. Made well, they have a better trigger then the 92FS and you can find high caps for them. They are also easy to maintain and break down.

The M&P was invented by Satan himself, and is one of the biggest POS pistols ever devised by man. No high caps (in MA), the trigger is literally laughably bad out of the box free state or not and it has the stupid switch in the magwell that you have to push down to get the gun apart. smartly, Smith and wesson knew that only retards would buy the gun so they added features to it that force you to look into the gun to just be extra extra sure that you didn't leave a round in it.

Go for the Sig, then M9, then a cap gun, then a M&P if someone pays you to take it off their hands.

 

[DrNVP]

I own a 92FS and have shot an M&P. No experience with the p226.

The 92FS is a great house/range gun. Too heavy for routine concealed carry IMO. Accurate and reliable as hell. Pre-ban mags are readily available. I think the trigger is good. The DA is long, but smooth, and the SA is crisp and has a short reset point. Maintenance/takedown is super easy as well.

 

[Supermoto]

its easy,
when you were a kid, what posters did you have on your wall

Mel Gibson from Lethal Weapon... get the 92

David Hasselhoff from Night Rider.... get the Sig

A Hot chick... get the m&P and congrats on being straight

 

[Rate_of_Twist]

I also very much dislike the m&p's..... The layout/location of the sig controls bothers me, but to be honest I only have a hundred rounds through a 226. I owned a very nice two tone 92fs that shot very well... But I sold it.

What I'm trying to say, it I HATE full size 9mm handguns! If your gonna go full size frame, go .45!

Off your list, 92fs. Pre ban hi caps are $30ea easy to find, it's an accurate gun, and you'll never wear it out. Plus you'll be left with an extra $200 in your pocket over the sig for ammo money

 

[PaulD]

Of the three, I'd take a 226. I have a couple of 226s and a 229 so I guess I'm a SIG fanboi. I've never tried a 92 and the M&P9 I used to have was a piece of crap.

You really have to decide based on which fits you the best.

 

[Rate_of_Twist]

To the OP. Welcome and congrats on your 1st post by the way

 

[piman]

I've had experience with 92fs (my first), 229 (close enough to a 226?) and a M&P 9. The 92fs was too bulky for me. I loved the 229 but could never get used to the DA/SA. I found myself using SA almost exclusively on the range and was immediately worried about real use. Finally I bought the M&P for IDPA. With a great trigger job (Greg Derr) and sights it still was cheaper than even the 92fs. Pleasure to shoot.

As an aside I tried a Glock 19 and could never get used to the grip angle. My carry is a 1911 Officers and I'd recommend you look at that as well (though it's pricier and less abundant in MA)...

 

[rlee]

I have no experience with the 92FS.
I have a 9mm 226 and a M&P9c with a Derr trigger job for carry.
The 226 is more accurate but is heavier, the initial round trigger pull bothers me and I can't seem to keep my right thumb off the slide release.
The M&P trigger is heavier than the Sig single action (5-6 lbs) but is just as smooth.
All that said, the Sig is more fun.

 

[Dziner]

its easy,
when you were a kid, what posters did you have on your wall

Mel Gibson from Lethal Weapon... get the 92

David Hasselhoff from Night Rider.... get the Sig

A Hot chick... get the m&P and congrats on being straight

THIS! LOL!!!

In all honesty though. When I was in your position I went with the M&P (in 40) because it fit my grip great. I always wanted an M9 and considered the 92fs but I was leaning heavy on the 40 and didn't want to really go the route of the 96fs to make up for it. I have zero experience with the Sig, but have hear good things from a guy I know that got one used. Once I am ready for a full size 9mm it will definitely be a 92fs. I got a conversion barrel for my M&P40 to shoot 9mm so for now that will suffice. But I am a big fan of the iconic nature of the 92fs/M9.

Best of Luck!

 

[wolf223]

its easy,
when you were a kid, what posters did you have on your wall

Mel Gibson from Lethal Weapon... get the 92

David Hasselhoff from Night Rider.... get the Sig

A Hot chick... get the m&P and congrats on being straight

internet won.

 

[wolf223]

I have a 92FS. I carried the M9 overseas also. Its super easy to break down. Its easy to use and control. I dont like the trigger on it, though.

The Sig is your best bet I think. Made well, they have a better trigger then the 92FS and you can find high caps for them. They are also easy to maintain and break down.

The M&P was invented by Satan himself, and is one of the biggest POS pistols ever devised by man. No high caps (in MA), the trigger is literally laughably bad out of the box free state or not and it has the stupid switch in the magwell that you have to push down to get the gun apart. smartly, Smith and wesson knew that only retards would buy the gun so they added features to it that force you to look into the gun to just be extra extra sure that you didn't leave a round in it.

Go for the Sig, then M9, then a cap gun, then a M&P if someone pays you to take it off their hands.

we get it. you don't like the M&P because:

a. it's not on call of duty

b. the Army hasn't adopted it

c. you like the 92FS because the Army uses it (in itself, it's gay)

d. you like glocks, but you never carry, when you do it's w/o one in the pipe.

awsome!

out of all the guns mentioned, the M&P offers a slight advantage... actually, a few:

a. price

b. proven reliability

c. easily *upgraded*

d. most likely to fulfill multiple roles (i.e. target, CCW, competition via a range and carry kit). i always laugh at the people who bitch about M&P triggers who don't even own one, or are fat, out of shape knuckle eFFers who can't shoot more than 50 rounds w/o taking a break.

the only reason i don't buy a sig is because i'd rather buy other pistols (like another 92FS in chrome, a few more Glocks, a couple wheel guns) before i drop $700+ on another tank that i wouldn't carry.


but go ahead... keep bashing the M&P... you must have really small hands.

 

[flintoid]

bring a FA10 over to my house. I'll let you take my m&p 9mm from me. It's that much of a POS.

If any ranges had a plinking range that would let me place it out on a tree stump, I'd gladly take cracks at it with one of my AK47s.

The m&p trigger was forged from pieces of Satan's a**h***. And you'll love the Martha Magazines that you'll only be able to use here. Apex trigger kit sets make it a shootable gun, but IMO from personal experience, even after such surgery and $$ it still sits a few tiers down on the podium from other similar firearms.


In all seriousness: go out and shoot them all. Then buy what you like. The m&p is a pile of crap out the door. It was my first tuperware gun and it made me think all plastic pistols sucked that much ass.

 

[Dench]

we get it. you don't like the M&P because:

a. it's not on call of duty

b. the Army hasn't adopted it

c. you like the 92FS because the Army uses it (in itself, it's gay)

d. you like glocks, but you never carry, when you do it's w/o one in the pipe.

awsome!

Hey nice try. I didn't mention a Glock and I said the Sig was better then the M9.

When you got E7 I guess your reading comprehension went down? When you do paperwork all day at work things just blend together

Chet, can I please have your permission to post my opinion online? please? sir? I beg you all mighty lord of the M&P apologists club!

for the past year i carry one in the pipe becuase to many people were making fun of me that was a habit i carried over from the balkans, took 2 years to get sick of it enough to break it.

 

[Kid Presentable]

bring a FA10 over to my house. I'll let you take my m&p 9mm from me. It's that much of a POS.

if the OP doesn't take your m&p 9 and you're just giving it away i call seconds

back on track...
i own a sig p226 and my wife owns the m&p9c, i have carried both. As a carry gun i prefer the m&p9c because it is lighter and a bit easier to carry. but as a shooter the p226 wins hands down.

 

[mac67]

carry: M&P
Range: 92f
Both: Sig Sig Sig

 

[drgrant]

IMO this is the only really bad thing about the M&P 9s and .40 full size guns in MA... everything else can be fixed.... so if you don't care about this, then it's still a pretty valid choice...

 

[Dench]

I'll also add in another tidbit since wolf223 hurt my feelings.

I used to sell these guns. I've handled every single model M&P free state and MA complaint that I can get my hands on (the only ones i didnt were the G34 rip offs). I've shot a bunch of them. I've taken them apart for customers easily over a hundred times. In my opinion, which is obviously more educated then wolf223's, the gun is a cheaper rip off of a glock, that needs gunsmith out of the box in order to be on the same level and is not capable of using high caps in MA. the only advantage of the pistol is the backstraps.

Like I've said before, i've had to hit a bunch of them with a mallet to get the take down lever un jammed against the slide while taking it down either when i was doing it or when a customer or fellow employee got it stuck. its just sub par. they are cheap for a reason. just one step above a Sigma, which isnt saying much

but thats just my opinion. like flintoid said, your best bet is to fire them at a range. youll see fast which one is best for you. everyone is different.

 

[Bob P]

The mags rule the M&P out in MA - 10 rounds only. Shoot both the 92 and 226. The grip is a bit smaller on the 226. See what you like better.

 

[TheRoland]

Lots of people that shoot quite well seem to like the M&P. I'm a fan of the 9mm for range/competitive use and the .45ACP for defense. Needs the fire-control parts replaced out of the box, and 9mm magazine capacity is an issue in MA.

 

[LouMac]

I love my 92A1, and I shot all three before deciding to purchase. Sig was my favorite to shoot, but the Beretta was the best value. But I don't carry, so size and weight isn't an issue.

 

[Takis48]

I have shot the Beretta 92FS, 92FS Compact, and a SIG P228. Out of these, the SIG is the most comfortable IMO. The SIG P226 is bigger than the P228, but SIG Sauer's have very sweet triggers...heck everything is nice about them. I liked the Beretta as well, the trigger is great in single action. You can get a good deal on all three of your choices at Four Seasons in Woburn. WWW.FSGUNS.COM

 

[mark056]

None of these pistols are bad per se. It is a matter of individual preference. I personally feel that Sig leads the pack, but not everyone is on board with the DA/SA trigger. When I learned to shoot a DA auto (a S&W M39) there were no DAO semi-automatics, so I am comfortable with that system, you may not be. Yeah I know SIG has the DAK system but not if you are a civilian in Mass. The Beretta is a reliable workhorse, one which I am fairly familiar with, but one that I have never liked. It is simply too big for my fairly small hands. It does not conceal well either but on the other hand they are not real expensive and there are plenty of pre-ban mags available.

I do not care for the M&P but that in no way detracts from its suitability. I don't like Glocks either. For some reason, polymer framed pistols seem to "feel" differently in my hands. This is just me, lots of people love their M&Ps (as well their Glocks) and certainly major agencies have adopted this pistol as a duty weapon. The main reason I would not get an M&P in Mass is because of the added cost of the trigger job and the fact that no hi cap mags are available.

Don't laugh, but if you want to get a relatively inexpensive center fire handgun for the range, pick up a good used 4 or 6 inch medium frame revolver in 38 spl. Ammo is fairly inexpensive and even more so if you reload.

If it was me, I'd go with the Sig, but any of the three would be a good choice IMO.

Mark L.

 

[Patriot0717]

I went with the M&P because of price, comfort in hand, and I shoot it well. P226 is very nice, shoots great, but the price, controls and grip didn't work for me. It almost felt a little top heavy? No experience 92FS. What about a Glock? Did you try it? If so how come it didn't make your final three.

 

[Andreas]

P226 is very nice, shoots great, but the price, controls and grip didn't work for me. It almost felt a little top heavy?

Same here.... it's an awkward-feeling gun for me, not sure why. Maybe I just haven't put enough rounds through one, but I haven't enjoyed shooting that particular model...

I have no experience with the m&p to speak of... so, the other option listed...

The 92fs is a great gun, IMO... and you can find used ones fairly cheap in MA. They're everywhere, so parts and pre-ban full-cap mags are plentiful. I would say that if it fits your hand, it would be a great 9mm to learn with, and you'll end up keeping it.

You wouldn't want to carry it, however, so if you're looking for a carry piece, I'd look elsewhere... but, given the choices you listed, that doesn't seem to be your goal.

 

[Keystone]

I ended up with an M&P. Yeah, the trigger is hideous (like...dragging a boulder across a field of other boulders hideous), but after a trigger job, you're about equal with the P226 in price. You can also field strip it without sticking anything in the ejector port, that was done to disengage the sear without requiring a trigger pull, like some other firearms. You can just pull the trigger and be done with it (clear the thing first...though...).

I've never shot the Sig or a 92. I like my M&P. That makes me, if I've read this thread correctly, a straight idiot. I can live with that.

Shoot all three. Shoot some other guns. Which fits you best? Which fits your budget best? Which fits your use cases best? Shoot some more guns. Look at all three. Which do you keep coming back to? Save your pennies while you're doing your "research," shoot more guns.

All three are fine guns. Beyond that, it's personal preference.

 

[amb]

I like all three. I just can't wrap my brain around what SIG charges for new P226s, though. (There are at least good deals to be had here and there on ugly but perfectly functional ex-police P226s.) What do you want to do with it?

The P226 and 92FS win for magazine capacity if you're in Massachusetts (prebans are common as dirt), but the M&P changeable backstraps sure are nice and the gun is a lot lighter. The P226 is probably most accurate out-of-the-box (mine was, anyway) but if you want to put money into it there's a lot you can do to accurize a 92FS.

 

[Gibbs]

its easy,
when you were a kid, what posters did you have on your wall

Mel Gibson from Lethal Weapon... get the 92

David Hasselhoff from Night Rider.... get the Sig

A Hot chick... get the m&P and congrats on being straight

I wasn't allowed to have posters on my wall.

I had guns on my wall.

(OK, it was my father's wall....)

 

[PATRON]

The 92fs and the 226 are very good pistol but the M&P is junk.