looking at s&w m&p .40 as first handgun

[cowboyfanshoup]

Looking to buy a handgun and have been looking at the m&p .40 made by s&w. Any opinions or recommendations would be really helpful.

 

[TOMCAT8354]

Not being disrespectful to the S&W .40 M&P, but anyone looking to purchase their first handgun needs to consider the round they are firing. The .40 S&W is a hot round with quite a bit of "pop" when fired. It has potential for a lot of "barrel rise" in untrained hands. I have a couple .40 S&W semi-autos that I hold in high esteem, but have rid myself of a couple that were not easily controlled when fired. The S&W M&P is a little on the light side for controllability. A little heavier firearm may well be a better option.

 

[beachbum17]

I agree with the above post but most polymer guns weigh about the same and handle the recoil just fine. I've shot the MP .40 and it handled just fine. With that being said I'm more of a fan of the 9mm. Good/similar ballistics but no pop or excess muzzle rise and $4-5 cheaper a box of shells

 

[Kennydale]

I went with a buddy and shot both his compact 9mm and compact .40. I fell in love with the .40S&W. I would love to also have a 9mm, but first sometime this year I want a midsized .40 (I was thinking of the FNS -40 or FNX-40)

 

[vernsimpson]

Here in MN 9mm is still hard to find. I went with .40 because most people go with 9mm and this causes 9mm to be in short supply and because here in MN people wear many layers in winter. If I would ever have to use my gun I want to put the BG down not just pi$$ him off.

But each person should use what they feel at ease with and not because that is what the "in" ammo is or what someone else uses or recommends!

 

[Fallschirmjäger]

I have a M&P in .40 and aside from an easily fixed issue with a bad magazine release (S&W sent me SIX of 'em as replacements :victory: and the problem is long since solved on new manufacture) it hasn't missed a lick.

In regards to caliber, I've come to the conclusion that unless you regularly fire through windshields or car doors, the 9mm will do everything to a human body that a .40 will do. Caliber in pistols isn't the be all and end all that we sometimes think of it as; six out of seven people survive being shot after all so them's some pretty good odds.

The only real change I've made to mine was to replace as many full size floor plates with the floor plates from the compact as the full-size ones can get caught on a finger and you may withdraw two magazines when you really meant to only grab one. Picking up a magazine during an IPDA stage is embarrassing, or so I've heard. Not all my magazines had a floor plate retainer compatible with the smaller compact plates so I took a hacksaw and shortened a few myself. Touch-up with a little sandpaper or stipple them and they look pretty good.

 

[Deanimator]

1. .40 S&W tends to have a very sharp recoil impulse. It's not that it has a LOT of recoil, but that it comes over a VERY short period. I have a Glock 22, and find it VERY hard to control for followup shots, much harder than an M1911 in .45acp.
2. The various polymer .40s have different grip shapes, and grip shape is an important factor in how the shooter experiences the recoil. Some people find the M&P grip better in this regard.
3. I recommend that you try to shoot one of these guns (as well as the competitors) with the ammunition you plan to use. Many gun stores with ranges rent guns.

 

[weagle83]

I have carried the M&P 40 compact for a couple of years now and I love it. I chose it over the Springfield XDM and the Glock 23. The XD was a little too top heavy and the Glock was just a little too light which allowed a little more muzzle flip. The M&P has a bit more weight below the slide so it reminded me more of shooting a 1911 where the recoil seems to be more straight back than a flip. I did replace the trigger system in the M&P to take away the excess space before reset and it also replaced that extra click (false reset).

 

[cds0699]

Caliber in pistols isn't the be all and end all that we sometimes think of it as; six out of seven people survive being shot after all so them's some pretty good odds.

Where did that statistic come from? May i see a link confirming where you got this information?



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[Fallschirmjäger]

Where did that statistic come from? May i see a link confirming where you got this information?

Only anecdotally, so feel free to take it all with a grain of salt. I don't know if there is some 'hard and fast' statistic for something with so wide a range of factors.
85% of people shot, survive
Getting Shot Is Only Fatal 5 Percent of the Time (If You Get to a Doctor)
One Bullet Can Kill, but Sometimes 20 Don’t, Survivors Show
11 Things We Think are Fatal That Actually Have Great Survival Odds
Link Removed

The statistics do vary, but in all the reports I've read/heard/overheard a wound from a pistol is not a 'death sentence.' We carry pistols because we're not expecting to have to shoot anyone. If we were expecting to shoot people, I think most of us would upgrade a bit.

 

[ijon]

I have a S and W mp compac really love it. It all depends what feels good to you.

 

[cds0699]

Only anecdotally, so feel free to take it all with a grain of salt. I don't know if there is some 'hard and fast' statistic for something with so wide a range of factors.
85% of people shot, survive
Getting Shot Is Only Fatal 5 Percent of the Time (If You Get to a Doctor)
One Bullet Can Kill, but Sometimes 20 Don’t, Survivors Show
11 Things We Think are Fatal That Actually Have Great Survival Odds
Link Removed

The statistics do vary, but in all the reports I've read/heard/overheard a wound from a pistol is not a 'death sentence.' We carry pistols because we're not expecting to have to shoot anyone. If we were expecting to shoot people, I think most of us would upgrade a bit.

Fair enough, thank you for the links. Was curious as I have never heard that before.

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