Barrel Conversion Legal in MA? M&P 40c conversion to M&P 9mm

[tdubbs]

Hi All,

Looking at picking up a S&W M&P 40c. From what I read, you can swap a stock M&P 9c barrel in, and use with 9mm clips with no issues. Is this legal in MA? From what I read so far, this is legal, I'd just like more confirmation!

I was also looking at purchasing the barrel out of state private party or online store. I've never purchased parts before, is this legal as well? Any specifics?

Appreciate it!

 

[pdm]

Yeah, changing caliber isn't illegal. You should be able to find something online, they are not restricted parts requiring a FFL transfer (unlike, for example, AR-15 stripped lowers or 1911 frames).

 

[ARV]

Just a thought, but I'm not sure how accurate a stock M&P barrel would be in a 40 slide. If the outside diameters are the same you should be good, but if the 40 is even a little larger, your going to have the muzzle end moving around and affecting accuracy.

 

[drewh14]

Good luck finding 9mm clips

 

[CrackPot]

Good luck finding 9mm clips

Never seen a clip for an M&P. Ever.

I back ordered magazines on midway for my 40 to 9 conversion. It took 3 months but the 4 I ordered eventually came. Of course the C&R discount at midway helps too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[browncoat]

I'm resurrecting an old thread I know, but how did the conversion go for you guys? I'm thinking about getting a M&P 40c and a 9c barrel so that I have the 40S&W for defense and the 9mm for ocassional cheaper target practice.

 

[andy t]

What's wrong with having 9mm for both self defense and range?

 

[browncoat]

What's wrong with having 9mm for both self defense and range?

I'm mostly interested in just having the capability to shoot two calibers for more or less the price of one. I won't even be able to conceal carry until I leave the state, since my LTC will be issued with restrictions, so the idea is more that in the future I would be able to choose 40 S&W or even 357 SIG if I want to. I've never actually shot a 9mm before, I've only shot a subcompact 40 S&W glock, which was a lot of fun.

As far as self defense goes - my feeling is that a round that goes faster and makes bigger holes is probably better for self defense. But I also think that a lot of times just having a gun that makes loud scary noises is the most important thing in having criminals flee. If you pull out a .22 and a criminal runs away, it is hard to say that it was "less effective" than if you pull out a 500 S&W.

tldr; I don't want to have a calibre war. I just want to have options

 

[r1dermon]

i've heard everyone who said they did it, claim it worked. some people had fitting problems with the storm lake conversion barrel, but after sending it back for a new one, all was remedied. i've read about great success with running the factory 9mm barrel.

nothing wrong with 9mm for self defense...but if it were up to me, i'd buy an m&p compact in 10mm all day. hopefully s&w is listening.

 

[browncoat]

i've heard everyone who said they did it, claim it worked. some people had fitting problems with the storm lake conversion barrel, but after sending it back for a new one, all was remedied. i've read about great success with running the factory 9mm barrel.

nothing wrong with 9mm for self defense...but if it were up to me, i'd buy an m&p compact in 10mm all day. hopefully s&w is listening.

Are many companies still chambering pistols in 10mm? I thought it lost almost all of its market share to 40 S&W back in the day when police departments thought 10mm was too much gun.

 

[Shaggy0131]

I'm mostly interested in just having the capability to shoot two calibers for more or less the price of one. I won't even be able to conceal carry until I leave the state, since my LTC will be issued with restrictions, so the idea is more that in the future I would be able to choose 40 S&W or even 357 SIG if I want to. I've never actually shot a 9mm before, I've only shot a subcompact 40 S&W glock, which was a lot of fun.

As far as self defense goes - my feeling is that a round that goes faster and makes bigger holes is probably better for self defense. But I also think that a lot of times just having a gun that makes loud scary noises is the most important thing in having criminals flee. If you pull out a .22 and a criminal runs away, it is hard to say that it was "less effective" than if you pull out a 500 S&W.

tldr; I don't want to have a calibre war. I just want to have options

I have a 40c as we'll as the 9c s&w barrel and I would have to say any accuracy issues are due to me and not the pistol. Swapping the barrel out couldn't be easier and I like the option of easily changing calibers while keeping the same frame.

 

[browncoat]

I have a 40c as we'll as the 9c s&w barrel and I would have to say any accuracy issues are due to me and not the pistol. Swapping the barrel out couldn't be easier and I like the option of easily changing calibers while keeping the same frame.

Thanks a lot shaggy! This is exactly what I wanted to hear I'll be picking up a 40c as soon as my LTC arrives in the mail

 

[Djharpin]

Stating the obvious here but making sure you are talking about a conversion barrel, not dropping in a regular 9 barrel. Questioning whether it makes financial sense for this type of investment for a pretty affordable pistol like the M&P, especially if you have to buy new mags.

 

[drgrant]

I'm resurrecting an old thread I know, but how did the conversion go for you guys? I'm thinking about getting a M&P 40c and a 9c barrel so that I have the 40S&W for defense and the 9mm for ocassional cheaper target practice.

Just get the 9C and be done with it. You will wish you did later instead of playing this stupid game.

-Mike

 

[browncoat]

Stating the obvious here but making sure you are talking about a conversion barrel, not dropping in a regular 9 barrel. Questioning whether it makes financial sense for this type of investment for a pretty affordable pistol like the M&P, especially if you have to buy new mags.

I'm talking about dropping in a regular 9 barrel. I've read a bunch of guys saying that it works just fine (the external dimensions of the barrels are almost identical, ditto for the slide, and the frame is the same). The barrels can be had for ~65, 9mm mags ~50 (hopefully lower), so that is ~120 to fire 9mm. As a poor grad student, 275 is a significant savings (ie lots of ammo).

 

[browncoat]

Just get the 9C and be done with it. You will wish you did later instead of playing this stupid game.

-Mike

Thank you for your opinion. Did you do the conversion? Have you had a bad experience with a conversion on a different gun? Do you think that 40 S&W is a bad caliber to carry? Why exactly do you think that it is such a stupid game?

I'm asking these questions because I really want more information by the way. Just stopped to read over my post and realized it was a lot of questions and might be interpreted wrong.

 

[noxin]

Stating the obvious here but making sure you are talking about a conversion barrel, not dropping in a regular 9 barrel. Questioning whether it makes financial sense for this type of investment for a pretty affordable pistol like the M&P, especially if you have to buy new mags.

There's been numerous reports of people successfully dropping a factory 9mm barrel into the 40 frame and using them with the correct mags.

 

[Shaggy0131]

There's been numerous reports of people successfully dropping a factory 9mm barrel into the 40 frame and using them with the correct mags.

Exactly, i have factory s&w 9mm drop in barrel and use 9c magazines

 

[drgrant]

Thank you for your opinion. Did you do the conversion? Have you had a bad experience with a conversion on a different gun? Do you think that 40 S&W is a bad caliber to carry? Why exactly do you think that it is such a stupid game?

I'm asking these questions because I really want more information by the way. Just stopped to read over my post and realized it was a lot of questions and might be interpreted wrong.

I just think caliber conversions are stupid, that's all. This "buy the 40 and shoot with the 9" crap doesn't make any sense to me, particularly given the recoil is drastically different from one platform to the other. 9mm kills bad guys just as dead anyways, particularly with modern defense ammunition.

I don't think that .40 S+W is inherently bad (as a defensive caliber) hell I used to carry several different guns chambered in .40, but eventually I decided it wasn't worth keeping them around.

I have had friends who have done this downconversion crap and they were displeased with the results, as well. Often times the slides are the wrong weight, etc, so even with a conversion barrel, things change. Also, the breechface is the wrong size. Erratic performance may or may not result. I don't like running "jerry rigged" guns like that, it's just ****ing stupid to me... particularly when barely used M&Ps are like what, $400? For the price of a (good) barrel you're like a third of the way into another gun. It makes more sense to just buy a 2nd gun so you have a spare/backup.

-Mike