MArooned Product Review: Smith & Wesson M&P45 Full Size

Smith & Wesson introduced the new M&P series in 2006, with 9mm and .40 S&W variants available, and the.45 ACP version came out the following year (to much rejoicing). When S&W first came up with the concept of applying the “Military & Police” designation to their new polymer semi-automatic line, I, like many others, pooh-poohed the concept. I saw what General Motors did to the LeMans, and feared a similar catastrophe with giving the M&P name to the next generation Sigma.

The initial reports on the M&P were mixed. Extraction issues, firing pins that didn’t fully engage certain types of ammunition, magazine release issues; the folks at Glock breathed a sigh of relief at dodging another competitor to their polymer empire. I visited the Smith & Wesson factory in April of 2007 and tried out a few different M&Ps at the S&W range, and came away decidedly unimpressed. The trigger was horrid, the magazine fell out of the .40 S&W compact I was shooting several times; the experience soured me on the new M&P line.

One thing that can be said about Smith & Wesson, though, is that they listen to their customers (except about getting rid of that stupid zit, but that’s fodder for another time…) The extraction issues were resolved. A new firing pin was designed for the M&P. The magazine release was redesigned so that inadvertent releases were no longer an issue. Folks started raving about the M&P; several folks I know and trust picked up models; and I decided to give the M&P a second look. Smith & Wesson was kind enough to provide a MA-compliant full-size .45 ACP variant for testing:

Box ‘o’ goodies

The M&P Full Size.

Even though the model sent for testing was a MA-compliant version, there was no magazine disconnect or external safeties. The standard 250 10 pound MA trigger pull requisite on MA models that do not have external safeties is something to behold (more later), and not in a good way. The M&P is well-designed, with three interchangeable backstraps that allow for customization of the grip to different hand sizes and comfort. I opted for the medium backstrap grip – the large was wider than I wanted, with no noticeable increase in comfort, the small was a bit too minimalist for my liking. The slide release is ambidextrous and the magazine release, while set up for a right-handed person, can be swapped to the left side in minutes without special tools.

I found the ergonomics of the full size M&P pistol to be excellent. The pistol really fills my hand well, allowing for a full three-fingered grip:

It fits my mitts

The slide release is easy to actuate with the dominant thumb, although it does require shifting the pistol very slightly in my hand. This is needed to release the magazine as well, but in the interest of fairness I checked a half-dozen semi-automatics in the G. armory and found this to be universal, from the full size SIG SAUER P226 to the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380. The full size M&P45 just plain feels good in my hand. Best of all, this model had neither the magazine disconnect nor the internal lock – heck, it didn’t even have the thumb safety.

The sights are standard three white dots, two rear and one front. They’re simple and quick to acquire, and night sights are available if desired. The external extractor is large bordering on monstrous, and cleared every piece of brass, steel, or nickel that went into the chamber without fail. The slide has scalloped serrations both fore and aft for assisting in racking the slide and doing chamber press checks. There’s even a three-slot picatinny-style rail on the frame for laser sights, weapon lights, or (my favorite) pistol bayonets:

Stabby!

Takedown of the pistol is accomplished in a few simple steps:

• Clear the weapon
• Lock the slide back
• Drop the magazine
• Release the sear deactivation lever:

No Rod? Use a pencil…

• Rotate the slide takedown lever 90º down
• Remove the slide from the frame.

And you wind up with a M&P reduced to component molecules:

Pieces parts

Shooting the M&P.

The elephant in the room with the M&P, and it’s really not even that, is the trigger. Even non-MA compliant guns have heavy triggers that most often get smoothed, buffed, or outright replaced. The MA-compliant trigger is a finger-bustin’ 10.5 pounds, taking the M&P from “wow, this is a tough trigger” to “YHGTBSM” territory. After hundreds of rounds downrange and at least a couple thousand dry fires, it smoothed out nicely, but it’s still a long, heavy pull. Modification – either a standard trigger job or one of the drop-in units like APEX – is recommended.

That said, it’s not impossible to shoot:

First shots

That’s the very first target shot with the M&P45. I took it out of the box, loaded up the magazines, and brought it to Weer’dbeard’s range to test it out. Twenty rounds – both magazines - nothing done to the gun except to take it out of the factory box and load it up. 18 out of 20 center of mass (one wing and one “not with my daughter” shot notwithstanding), all-in-all pretty decent for a pistol with a 70 pound trigger fresh out of the package.

Over the course of a few months, and eight different trips to the range (with Weer’dbeard, SCI-FI, Wally, Yankeefriend & daughter, and another friend – one of my new shooters a few years back – and his 14 year old son), I put just under 700 rounds through the M&P. It shot mainly 230 grain steel cased FMJ, but had a few brass-cased 230 grainers and a handful of 200 grain +P rounds as well as 175 grain +P frangible run through it.

The single issue had with the M&P happened with Winchester White box 230 grain FMJ, where the bullet was seated just a tiny bit low and the case flared out just a bit. I’ve seen this happen before with WWB, and have had .45 ACP rounds catch on my 1911s and even my G30. Aside from that one issue, the M&P ran flawlessly. It had about 400 rounds of steel cased FMJs run through without cleaning or oiling and is ready for more.

And after several thousand pulls of the trigger, it was starting to have better manners. Even under rapid fire she was starting to tighten her groups:

Decent group

That’s 25 feet, one magazine of steel-cased 230 grain FMJ Tulammo .45 ACP, shot as fast as I could pull the trigger. There’s a couple fliers, but that’s still a 6” circle with all 10 rounds inside, with the majority in the 9-ring. Pretty respectable given “minute-of-berm” and the 10.5 lb. trigger…

Conclusion.

With models selling for around $600 off-the-shelf, the Smith & Wesson M&P45 full size gives 10+1 rounds of G-d’s Own Pistol Caliber goodness (with a 14-round magazine available in free America) in a polymer frame that’s light enough to carry but substantial enough to soak up the recoil. The M&P is reliable, easy to shoot, and simple to maintain; and aside from a trigger job – or lots and lots of dry firing and rounds downrange – will require little work to make it just right for your application.

Come, drink the Kool-Aid – there’s plenty of it to go around!

That is all.