New S&W Pistol

[GutShot John]

I saw this on M4C and thought I'd share.

Actually I'm intrigued it really looks like they put a lot of thought into this. All the features a buyer might want stock with some improvements/simplifications on the M&P.

No silly beavertail. No interchangeable grips but that's ok if it's slim. No ambi slide release but the one's that there is much bigger than a Glock so I'd have no trouble doing a teacup pinch as a lefty.

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[D.R. Middlebrooks]

Glad they got rid of that stupid, non functional beavertail :rolleyes: but for a lefty the ambi features on the original I thought was a great idea as were the interchangeable back straps. :cool:

Self defense trigger? :confused:

[GutShot John]

Glad they got rid of that stupid, non functional beavertail :rolleyes: but for a lefty the ambi features on the original I thought was a great idea as were the interchangeable back straps. :cool:

Self defense trigger? :confused:

I agree on all points but as a business/market decision I think its a great idea for a bare-bones model for those that may or may not be serious shooters but still want a good gun at a competitive price to the Glock. Standard night-sights are probably important to many people (and D.R. knows all about how after-market sights may not always shoot to POA) though I hate three-dots.

The interchangeable backstrap I think is so valuable because the Glocks/Berettas never had one and both are too big for many people. This S&W grip looks very slim and small so it will fit more hands. I know a lot of people with really big mitts who still prefer the smallest sized backstrap on their M&P.

The ambi features of the M&P are what I miss most but as a lefty I've always had to fight right-handed guns so that factors into the decision. I think however that ambi slide release adds significantly to manufacturing costs and ultimately the price point. If this gun is significantly cheaper than the M&P it might make sense for a lot of people.

It kind of looks like the Glock, the M&P, the Kahr (and the Sigma eeek) had an orgy and this is what came out of it.

[Rick Simes]

It looks like a re-packaged Sigma. I hope that's not the case! I've never seen a Sigma that would run.

[D.R. Middlebrooks]

Yeah, the Sigma's had problems. I saw a few of them break on my range right out of the box. :eek: But the M&P's are running great thus far. :cool:

Daniel Horner told me he put 23,000 rounds through his before he had a malfunction. He just replaced the extractor spring and it was fine. :cool:

I like the fact that you can get parts for them, too. :cool:

[GutShot John]

It seems to me that S&W has come a long way in the last few years. They're making every effort to listen to their customer base and drive the pistol market rather than riding it. I've been saying for years that the M&P is to Apple what Glock is to PC.

Don't get me wrong that is not a dig on Glock. I absolutely love the Glock it is the standard by which all others are judged and it's a testament to their quality for price that they have generated serious competition. More importantly I don't think you could have created the M&P without the experience of a Glock.

My question for this new pistol is whether it's a serious piece for serious shooters or whether it's meant to be a cheaply made, bare-bones piece that might see 100 rounds every year.

Honestly I think the pistol could be a perfect single-stack CCW piece or BUG. I don't know that I see the point of another double-stack FS semi-auto line but it's definitely outside the box from a business perspective.

That said I think this was a significant attempt to put as many features as people might want in a completely stock pistol with a lot of improvements based on where other models have failed before.