Smith & Wesson M&P9 Pro - actual experience with this?

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Airwolfe1

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I was hanging out at my favorite gun shop, State Line Gun Shop in Mason, NH, the other day and was debating between the Glock 34 and the M&P9 Pro. I fondled them both and found the M&P9 Pro fit my hand better than the Glock. Specifically, I could reach the mag release on the M&P without having to change my grip, like I had to with the Glock(short thumbs i guess), so I ordered the M&P9 planning to use it for IDPA. I have read all the gun rag reviews of the S&W M&P line and of course they all place rave reviews and accolades about this product line, but I was wondering:

1. Has anyone purchased, specifically the M&P9 Pro?
2. Have you shot it in any matches?
3. How well did it perform?
4. What has been your impression of the gun?
5. Is it truly a "Right or of the Box" gun set up for match shooting?
6. Would you make any changes or modifications to it?

Just looking for some real feedback about this gun.
 
I've got one and I love it. I've shot IDPA and USPSA with it over the past few months. It's really a turnkey setup for USPSA Production and IDPA SSP. The trigger is excellent for an out of the box factory gun. You could make it a little better with some work, but it's not necessary. If you like the stock sights, there's nothing wrong with them. It's a plain black rear with a green fiber front, which I really like so far.

It shoots very well. I've got a lot more practicing to do before it's anywhere close to holding me back. If someone asked for what to buy to start shooting action pistol games, I'd recommend it 100%.
 
A couple of months ago, I replaced my P229 with one for IDPA. During the first 100 rounds or so, I came really close to just selling it in disgust. It took a couple hundred rounds to get used to the trigger, the striker-fired action, and get the gripsize right. But now? I love the gun. I haven't shot anything else in months. My beloved P229 has been relegated to the sad status of 'bedside gun'. I just wish the front fiber-optic was also a night-sight somehow, and then the Sig would be totally gone.

The proof is in the numbers; I plan to run my Sig and Pro head-to-head sometime next week. Then, we'll see.
1. Has anyone purchased, specifically the M&P9 Pro?
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Several people have. I've also seen FS receivers, with Pro/Long slides. The receivers are the same, so this works fine.

2. Have you shot it in any matches?
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One so far.
3. How well did it perform?
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No failures. I was down 20 or so for the match, which is quite accurate, for me.

4. What has been your impression of the gun?
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I think I shoot slower, but generally better with it. I have to be very careful on the trigger, but it's my favorite pistol, at the moment.

5. Is it truly a "Right or of the Box" gun set up for match shooting?
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Yes, although I dry-fired a couple hundred times to smooth the trigger. It helped a tiny bit, but the trigger is already pretty OK.

6. Would you make any changes or modifications to it?
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I'm planning on building my own set of custom grips, once I can find some new backstraps on Brownells or Midway. The grips don't have much texture.
 
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I picked up my M&P9 Pro this afternoon. I love the feel in my hand with the medium back strap. I can reach the mag release with out shifting my grip. Eagerly took it home to shoot it. Threw out some tin cans and the first shots where good, but during the second mag the shots were not hitting where I was aiming. Put in the 3rd mag and moved closer about 7 yards. and the shots are hitting 6-8 " to the right. WTF? I look at the front sight and it had drifted to the left. Upon closer examination, I found the front sight was so loose I could just push it back and forth with my fingers. Poor quality control I'd say. I was concerned the slide dove tail may have been machined improperly so I took it back to State Line Gun Shop and Eric determined that it was the sight not the dove tail that was out of spec. I was going to change the sights anyway, but very disappointing. When you buy a new firearm, you expect every thing to work, especially if it's supposed to be a "right out of the box" pro series. I'm going to write to Smith & Wesson and express my disappointment. Eric was able to dimple the underside of the sight dove tail and centered it. This will be temporary till I get new sights. TruGlo indicates on their website they have the tritium TFO's for the M&P, but I can't seem to find any dealer on the web who has them.
 
Airwolfe1 said:
I picked up my M&P9 Pro this afternoon. I love the feel in my hand with the medium back strap. I can reach the mag release with out shifting my grip. Eagerly took it home to shoot it. Threw out some tin cans and the first shots where good, but during the second mag the shots were not hitting where I was aiming. Put in the 3rd mag and moved closer about 7 yards. and the shots are hitting 6-8 " to the right. WTF? I look at the front sight and it had drifted to the left. Upon closer examination, I found the front sight was so loose I could just push it back and forth with my fingers. Poor quality control I'd say. I was concerned the slide dove tail may have been machined improperly so I took it back to State Line Gun Shop and Eric determined that it was the sight not the dove tail that was out of spec. I was going to change the sights anyway, but very disappointing. When you buy a new firearm, you expect every thing to work, especially if it's supposed to be a "right out of the box" pro series. I'm going to write to Smith & Wesson and express my disappointment. Eric was able to dimple the underside of the sight dove tail and centered it. This will be temporary till I get new sights. TruGlo indicates on their website they have the tritium TFO's for the M&P, but I can't seem to find any dealer on the web who has them.
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Unfortunately you experienced what I experienced. Did you go through my thread, and the one after that about my brand new 22A that I received that had manufacturer's defects?

I'm glad Jar got a good one.
I was so happy with my M&P Pro that I lent it to a friend and haven't seen it since. At some point in time he'll return it but to be honest I don't miss it too much. I only miss it cause it looks great. He just txt'd me yesterday and told me he bought a Glock 34.
 
Yeah....I read your post. I guess I was a "Day Late and a Dollar Short"on that one. Actually, I was like you. I loved the look and feel of it and I spent too much time reading the "Gun Rag" reviews. Nobody had anything bad to say about it. Surprise surprise. I spent a lot of time on the web searching for reviews and everything was positive. Even in some forums and websites that had viewer responses rated with "Stars"1-5. Most were 4's & 5's with a very small percentage of 1's & 2's.

If the Glock had fit my hand a little better I would have gone with the 34, but the M&P just fit so noticably better. I have big hands but short thumbs. I had to twist the Glock around in my hand to press the mag release then regrip to shoot, so it wasn't condusive for fast reloads. I just finished sending a letter of dissatisfaction to Smith & Wesson. It will be interesting to see how they respond. Do you think they really care about satisfying a recreational shooter? I'd like to think they would offer a "good will" gesture to try and earn my trust back. Throwing in a couple of extra mags with a replacement sight might help.
 
Well, if any MA members are so disgusted by these reports that they want to offload their 9 Pro or 9L, please let me know.
 
Airwolfe1 said:
Yeah....I read your post. I guess I was a "Day Late and a Dollar Short"on that one. Actually, I was like you. I loved the look and feel of it and I spent too much time reading the "Gun Rag" reviews. Nobody had anything bad to say about it. Surprise surprise. I spent a lot of time on the web searching for reviews and everything was positive. Even in some forums and websites that had viewer responses rated with "Stars"1-5. Most were 4's & 5's with a very small percentage of 1's & 2's.

If the Glock had fit my hand a little better I would have gone with the 34, but the M&P just fit so noticably better. I have big hands but short thumbs. I had to twist the Glock around in my hand to press the mag release then regrip to shoot, so it wasn't condusive for fast reloads. I just finished sending a letter of dissatisfaction to Smith & Wesson. It will be interesting to see how they respond. Do you think they really care about satisfying a recreational shooter? I'd like to think they would offer a "good will" gesture to try and earn my trust back. Throwing in a couple of extra mags with a replacement sight might help.
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Yea it was the same for me except I had the Glock first so I am used to the way it fits. It works great for me and I don't think I'm switching now.
S&W service is good in my experience but it doesn't mean they should put out sub-par guns in the first place.

I have the gun working reliably now, no more front sight movement and it looks great. It just took effort to get it that way and it shouldn't have. It's not a 1911.
 
Sucks that you had the same experience that Underwhere had. I've had a Pro for some time now and absolutely love it. Been shooting it exactly as it came out of the box (didn't even need to adjust the sights) and I actually find I shoot much better with it than the full size 9mm. Its had over 1000 rounds down the pipe and not 1 issue. Shame to see a great gun not getting the right attention coming off the production line.
 
I had correspondence with Smith & Wesson today after I sent them a "Dissatisfied Customer" e-mail. They indicated they would like me to send them the entire firearm so they can go over it, make sure the front sight dove tail is within specs, install a new front sight and test fire it to ensure the gun is sighted in. I had suggested I just overnight the slide to them and as soon as they recieved it they just overnight a new slide back to me and I could be shooting this thing within 4 days. They didn't like that idea. He really wanted to e-mail me a FEDEX shipping label and have the firearm sent to them. He said, "We stand behind our products and will make this right." Considering, I purchased a new S&W firearm via special order, shot 20 rounds through it, now have to send it back and be without it for probably 2 weeks, just fixing it, in my opinion is the bare minimum. I've been pretty inconvenienced and I would like to think they would make some kind of good will gesture to change this to a more positive experience. I put in my letter, how all my friends and colleagues had recommended I get a Glock 34, but I went against their recommendations and purchased the M&P9. (Man am I getting ribbed now.[thinking]) Has anyone dealt with Smith & Wesson with a situation similar to this? How strongly do they believe in customer service and winning their loyalty? Also, does anyone know how the repair process takes place at S&W? Does the firearm go back to the production line and get re-worked or is there a separate department for repairs? I wonder if it would be worth asking them to have the "Performace Center" fix this up with a polishing job on the trigger and sear as a return gesture for the inconvenience.
 
Airwolfe1 said:
I had correspondence with Smith & Wesson today after I sent them a "Dissatisfied Customer" e-mail. They indicated they would like me to send them the entire firearm so they can go over it, make sure the front sight dove tail is within specs, install a new front sight and test fire it to ensure the gun is sighted in. I had suggested I just overnight the slide to them and as soon as they recieved it they just overnight a new slide back to me and I could be shooting this thing within 4 days. They didn't like that idea. He really wanted to e-mail me a FEDEX shipping label and have the firearm sent to them. He said, "We stand behind our products and will make this right." Considering, I purchased a new S&W firearm via special order, shot 20 rounds through it, now have to send it back and be without it for probably 2 weeks, just fixing it, in my opinion is the bare minimum. I've been pretty inconvenienced and I would like to think they would make some kind of good will gesture to change this to a more positive experience. I put in my letter, how all my friends and colleagues had recommended I get a Glock 34, but I went against their recommendations and purchased the M&P9. (Man am I getting ribbed now.[thinking]) Has anyone dealt with Smith & Wesson with a situation similar to this? How strongly do they believe in customer service and winning their loyalty? Also, does anyone know how the repair process takes place at S&W? Does the firearm go back to the production line and get re-worked or is there a separate department for repairs? I wonder if it would be worth asking them to have the "Performace Center" fix this up with a polishing job on the trigger and sear as a return gesture for the inconvenience.
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S&W has excellent customer service. The reason they want the whole gun is that they don't want to take any chances; they want to make sure the pistol is is in good operating order and this can only be done by examining the whole gun. Any of you M&P Pro owners out there who are really disgusted with these guns, call me and I'll give you a good price.
 
Same here, I'll be all over any M&P9 Pros if anyone wants to get rid of it.

S&W will make it right. If you don't send a magazine, they'll usually send a new one back with the gun, and the gun will most likely be back within a week. I have a good number of S&W firearms and the few times I've needed something fixed or looked at, they've exceeded expectations. I have absolutely no qualms about their customer service.

Believe it or not, bad Glocks come off the production line as well. Note that at least one case of M&P pro problems on this forum occurred after the owner did all sorts of work on the gun before even test-firing it after purchase.
 
Airwolfe1 said:
I had correspondence with Smith & Wesson today after I sent them a "Dissatisfied Customer" e-mail. They indicated they would like me to send them the entire firearm so they can go over it, make sure the front sight dove tail is within specs, install a new front sight and test fire it to ensure the gun is sighted in. I had suggested I just overnight the slide to them and as soon as they recieved it they just overnight a new slide back to me and I could be shooting this thing within 4 days. They didn't like that idea. He really wanted to e-mail me a FEDEX shipping label and have the firearm sent to them. He said, "We stand behind our products and will make this right." Considering, I purchased a new S&W firearm via special order, shot 20 rounds through it, now have to send it back and be without it for probably 2 weeks, just fixing it, in my opinion is the bare minimum. I've been pretty inconvenienced and I would like to think they would make some kind of good will gesture to change this to a more positive experience. I put in my letter, how all my friends and colleagues had recommended I get a Glock 34, but I went against their recommendations and purchased the M&P9. (Man am I getting ribbed now.[thinking]) Has anyone dealt with Smith & Wesson with a situation similar to this? How strongly do they believe in customer service and winning their loyalty? Also, does anyone know how the repair process takes place at S&W? Does the firearm go back to the production line and get re-worked or is there a separate department for repairs? I wonder if it would be worth asking them to have the "Performace Center" fix this up with a polishing job on the trigger and sear as a return gesture for the inconvenience.
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Wow, you sure want a lot of free stuff from them.
 
vellnueve said:
Note that at least one case of M&P pro problems on this forum occurred after the owner did all sorts of work on the gun before even test-firing it after purchase.
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The gun was shown to the production manager at S&W and he stated the same as I have. (along with several other S&W technical staff).

The bottom line? My gun just wasn't right out of the box. It wasn't any changes that I made. I have since made it completely reliable with the help of S&W sending me the proper recoil assembly. The production manager had the front sight modified and placed back into the slide.

If you can tell me how painting the frame could cause a front sight to drift itself, or how that would cause failures to feed I would be all ears and I'm sure the techs at S&W and the production manager would love to hear your logic.
 
look up jackfunteach here on NES, he has both the pro and the glock and I will say this... I just round after round thru the same hole of the dam bullseye like I have never done before with any pistol right out of the box. To be able to pick up a strangers gun, but 10 rounds into a bullseye @ 45' is sick!

You'll enjoy the Sh*t out of it for sure...
 
Sampson104 said:
look up jackfunteach here on NES, he has both the pro and the glock and I will say this... I just round after round thru the same hole of the dam bullseye like I have never done before with any pistol right out of the box. To be able to pick up a strangers gun, but 10 rounds into a bullseye @ 45' is sick!

You'll enjoy the Sh*t out of it for sure...
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That's my M&P Pro unless he's got a second one. He's borrowing it. It's not out-of-the-box.
I worked the trigger components. It's had the original recoil spring assembly replaced for a working one and the front sight modified so it doesn't drift itself.
The frame has been Cerakoted, the crown, ramp, chamber and barrel hood polished.

I really like the way the trigger ended up on that gun. Light enough but not so so light that it's just all mush.
He has also decided after having both in his hand that he will no longer buy the Pro and will stick with the G34.

Personally, I'm glad to have the Pro but I don't think it'll ever be my go-to gun unless I don't have my Glock.
 
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Update to Warranty Repair on Smith & Wesson M&P9 Pro

As stated in this thread, I purchased this gun on Thursday, January 28th and after shooting only 20 rounds, realized the front sight was so loose you could move it back and forth with your finger. I sent an e-mail to Smith & Wesson that same day expressing my dissatisfaction and what steps would be taken to correct this issue. The next day I received an e-mail response from Steve Roach, a manager in customer service. He indicated he would like to have the handgun shipped back to the factory so they could make sure everything was within specifications. They e-mailed me a postage paid shipping label from FedEx and as a goodwill gesture, sent me a spare magazine at no charge. While the firearm was at the factory having warranty repair work done, I felt that was also the time to have Smith & Wesson's Performance Center perform their "Trigger Action Job", in which they install a PC sear and the action is smoothed out for $125. Although the trigger is much smoother and breaks cleaner, there is still considerable take-up and if I had to do again, I would probably opt for the new Apex Tactical, APEX M&P Duty/Carry Action Enhancement Kit (DCAEK), and have Eric at State Line Gun Shop install it and perform his trigger job on it.He's done this many many times and his triggers are sooooo smooth. As for the work performed by Smith & Wesson I have no complaints. Their customer service was fairly responsive although they seem to limit correspondence to customers once per day, which is kind of understandable if you are dealing with several customers at a time. I sent the handgun back to the factory on February 4 and it was returned approximately 5 weeks later. Again I am comfortable accepting this timeframe because I had requested additional work to be performed on the firearm while it was at the factory, so once Warranty work was performed it then went and got in line at the Performance Center. Unfortunately I have only shot my gun a few times and I am still adjusting and learning the feel of the trigger and reset but it does feel very nice. I'm looking forward to breaking it in and getting lots of use out of it. I still think Smith & Wesson produces a quality product and they seemed to be responsive to my needs and communicated fairly well. I know every manufacturer has lemons that come off the line, and it's awfully frustrating when you draw the short straw, but at least S&W stood behind their product.[grin]
 
I recently sent my M&P Pro in for both the front drifting, as well as the rear sights for falling off. I believe this is the 3rd documented front sight issue that has been posted on NES.

Did they indicate what the root of the problem is?

I have always been impressed with S&W customer service, that being said. There are few things in this world that are perfect, once a problem has been identified how a company responds to correcting the issue speaks volumes. The extra mag was nice would have been nicer if they followed the "load up promo" and sent two [smile]


Airwolfe1 said:
He indicated he would like to have the handgun shipped back to the factory so they could make sure everything was within specifications.
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td70 said:
Does anyone know if the M&P long or Pro is in the works to become MA approved?
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I emailed S&W customer service on this very topic. Their response was that the M&P 9L (I did not ask about the Pro because it comes with a light match trigger) could not be sold in MA because the trigger was not compatible with MA laws. My second email in response stated that the two pistols used the SAME receiver and that the trigger could be made MA compliant with a simple (and cheap) spring change. The customer service rep replied that he would forward my email to the appropriate party. I doesn't look good. My read on the situation is that S&W can sell everyone they make and couldn't be bothered making them MA compliant. I am no longer a S&W fan.
 

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