Smith & Wesson has persistently upgraded its aggressive M&P pistol line. The corporate launched the Spec Collection Steel pistol in 2023 and now the Spec Collection V Steel HD in 2025. These weapons have been designed with aggressive shooters in thoughts, able to take straight from the gun retailer to a contest. The brand new S&W Spec Collection V M&P Steel HD pistol massively improves on the Steel 2.0 design to realize much more of a aggressive benefit.
The S&W Spec Collection V
At this yr’s Athlon Open air Rendezvous, I used to be in a position to shoot a number of magazines of ammunition with the brand new pistol. I fell in love with it instantly. As a aggressive shooter myself, it was one of many weapons I used to be most desperate to shoot. It turned out to be considered one of my favorites of the complete occasion.
Smith & Wesson despatched me the gun after the occasion so I may spend extra time on the vary and assessment it. I used to be additionally in a position to make use of this gun at my annual Gals’ Day on the Vary occasion hosted at Windrock Taking pictures Vary in Knoxville, TN.
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Many ladies shared with me that this firearm was considered one of their favorites. Not simply due to its cool look, but in addition due to the minimal felt recoil due to the compensator. Many attendees of this occasion are native. So, the Smith & Wesson model is well-received because of its new presence in Maryville, TN.
Metal Body with Enhanced Texturing
The brand new Spec Collection V pistol feels unbelievable within the hand, from its steadiness to the texturing on the grip. The burden of the metal body helps lower the felt recoil, which in flip can enhance accuracy.
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When the muzzle doesn’t rise as excessive, it’s simpler and quicker for the gun to degree again out and realign your sights heading in the right direction. This will additionally reduce the time it takes so that you can fireplace follow-up photographs, reducing your cut up instances.
The grip itself has an 18-degree angle, which improves your pure level of goal. If the grip is designed with an unnatural angle, it may be tougher to amass and align your sights on the goal. The grip angle on a pistol can also be essential for consolation. When the angle doesn’t suit your hand, this may trigger discomfort to the wrist and even lead to harm.
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Smith & Wesson additionally ships the Spec Collection V with 4 interchangeable palm swell grip inserts in sizes S, M, ML, and L. With a full-size gun, these interchangeable grips are essential to accommodate numerous hand sizes. If the improper grip is put in on your hand dimension, it may be a problem to achieve the set off.
Set the gun up for you earlier than taking it to the vary. When you shoot with a palm swell that’s too large, you’ll modify your grip to achieve the set off. This, in flip, may cause you to develop dangerous habits.
Strike Industries Compensator
Essentially the most important enchancment you may make to a striker-fired handgun is to port the barrel or add a compensator. It makes any pistol simpler to handle and, due to this fact, extra enjoyable to shoot.
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The S&W Spec Collection V M&P Steel HD comes from the manufacturing unit with a threaded 4.875-inch fluted barrel. On the finish of the barrel is the Strike Industries Compensator. It’s designed with a single port on high to cut back muzzle rise and felt recoil.
This compensator is light-weight, doesn’t add a ton of total size to the gun, and performs effectively. You’ll be able to simply clear this compensator utilizing a sonic cleaner for 15-20 minutes. It’s additionally straightforward to time after which torque again down.
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Operating an Optic on the Spec Collection V
A manufacturing unit gun constructed for competitors wants to come back optic-ready. There’s a rising recognition of crimson dot optics and an emergence of latest divisions in taking pictures sports activities that make the most of them. So, it’s just about an unstated non-negotiable for aggressive shooters to have an optic-ready pistol from the manufacturing unit.
Smith & Wesson makes use of the C.O.R.E. system plates and ships plastic plates with the gun for numerous footprints. Whereas these will work, I extremely suggest buying an aftermarket optic plate made from aluminum or metal for competitors taking pictures.
I feel the accuracy of this gun was affected by the plastic plate. Even the slightest distinction in torque between the set screws may cause the optic to be off steadiness. I might even be extra involved about cracking or distorting the plastic.
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I mounted the EOTECH EFLX Mini Purple Dot Sight, which makes use of the Delta Level Professional footprint. What I like most in regards to the optic is that the entrance glass is obvious, and the window is pretty massive. It’s also designed with easy up and down arrow buttons on the facet to make brightness changes.
It makes use of the favored CR2032 battery and masses from the highest of the optic. So, you don’t need to take away the optic as soon as it’s mounted to the gun. The EFLX is available in your alternative of a 3 MOA or 6 MOA dot. Both of these is nice for competitors. So, it’s extra a matter of private choice in selecting which dimension.
Flat Set off
The Spec Collection V pistol options an enhanced Efficiency Heart-tuned flat M2.0 set off. The break on the set off is considerably higher than that of comparable factory-built striker-fired competitors handguns. You don’t want to put in an aftermarket set off or make any modifications to the present set off to be aggressive in no matter taking pictures sport you need to compete in.
As all the time, the set off is outfitted with a built-in set off security. So, except the center portion of the set off is depressed, it is not going to fireplace.
Feeding the S&W Spec Collection V
The Blue PVD flared magwell provides type to the Spec Collection V handgun and serves a sensible goal. In 3-Gun or 2-Gun taking pictures sports activities, you’ll discover that most individuals use a flared magwell. Nonetheless, in sports activities like USPSA and IDPA, it have to be authorized for no matter division you propose to compete in.
The flared magwell helps information magazines in whereas collaborating in any taking pictures sport that requires reloading beneath strain. Particularly whereas working or performing any type of motion. I can’t inform you what number of instances a flared magwell has helped me in competitors.
One factor to notice in the case of magwells is that they have to be appropriate with journal base pads. Within the aggressive taking pictures world, many shooters look to aftermarket base pad extensions to extend the capability of their handguns. There are some circumstances the place manufacturing unit (or aftermarket) magwells gained’t permit {a magazine} to insert accurately, merely because of design.
Often, this may be solved with a Dremel. Nonetheless, I might slightly discover a magwell and journal base pad that work with out requiring modifications. Fortunately, Smith & Wesson ships this gun with three 23-round magazines which have appropriate base pads that don’t intervene with the flared magwell.
Including Equipment
Smith & Wesson is aware of the M&P buyer base effectively. So, it’s no shock that they saved the Picatinny rail design on the Spec Collection V gun. Many shooters desire so as to add a lightweight to extend the general weight of a handgun or for improved steadiness. Others compete with a weapon-mounted gentle as a result of their hid carry pistol is supplied with a lightweight. This enables them extra follow taking pictures with an analogous setup.
I opted for the Streamlight TLR-1 HL-X Gun Mild. I discovered it balances the pistol completely, particularly contemplating its total size with the compensated barrel.
One of many distinctive options of this gentle is that you should utilize the “excessive” rear paddle swap or the “prolonged excessive” swap, relying in your preferences. For individuals with smaller fingers or shorter fingers, the excessive swap is less complicated to achieve.
The TLR-1 HL-X could be powered by Streamlight SL-B9 batteries or CR123A batteries. The SL-B9 batteries are rechargeable and emit 1,500 lumens, in comparison with the 1,000 lumens emitted by CR123A. A function I respect most about this gentle is that the battery compartment is front-loading. So, you may change batteries with out eradicating the sunshine from the gun.
Taking pictures the Spec Collection V
Because the Spec Collection V pistol was bred for competitors, I wished to check competitors ammunition via it. I additionally wished to check the gap capabilities of this handgun to see how it might carry out at 20 yards. It is because nearly each type of taking pictures sport will take a look at your accuracy at 25 yards and additional. Some photographs are out to 40 or 50 yards for multigun taking pictures sports activities.
I chosen 124-grain and 147-grain match-quality ammunition in addition to practice-quality ammo. I opted for 2 sorts of ammunition from Federal: one from the Syntech line and the opposite from the Gold Medal Motion line.
The Syntech jacket flat nostril rounds have been the least correct. My speculation is that it was as a result of coating via the compensator, and probably the barrel as effectively.
The Gold Medal Motion pistol ammunition, alternatively, proved to be probably the most correct of all. It additionally had the slowest velocity, which decreased the muzzle rise even additional, in the end contributing to higher accuracy.
The subsequent most correct was the Tremendous Vel factory-new 124-grain full steel jackets. Out of the three 124-grain masses I examined, it had the slowest velocity, as soon as once more, contributing to higher accuracy.
As I discussed earlier, I feel the plastic optic plates may very well be a contributing issue to the accuracy testing. I imagine an aftermarket metal or aluminum optic plate would enhance the reliability of the crimson dot optic, and due to this fact the accuracy of the gun.
I didn’t expertise any malfunctions from any of the ammo. So, performance-wise, the Spec Collection V is as dependable because it will get.
The Value of a Competitors Handgun
I wished to depart you, readers, with a little bit of perception I’ve discovered over the previous decade of my expertise in aggressive taking pictures. I began out with a inventory Glock 17 and manufacturing unit M&P handgun once I first received into aggressive taking pictures. These weapons are extraordinarily budget-friendly. Nonetheless, I not often ever see one used at the moment by a aggressive shooter that’s bone inventory from the manufacturing unit.
To get a handgun “race-ready,” shooters will set up a contest set off, a distinct recoil spring weight, port their barrel or get a threaded barrel and compensator, change the manufacturing unit iron sights to fiber optic ones, change the backstrap to a heavier aftermarket brass one, get the grip stippled, and extra. Then they buy a flared magwell and base pad extensions for the magazines.
The upgrades, modifications, and equipment usually value 3 times the worth of the preliminary handgun. Whenever you take a look at the full funding of all of this, the $1,699.00 price ticket of the Spec Collection V all of the sudden appears not simply cheap, however extra inexpensive. To not point out, it saves you time in sourcing all of the components. Not to mention the time spent putting in them, or the funding in hiring somebody to do it for you.
Smith & Wesson priced this gun good for the full bundle worth—race-ready from the manufacturing unit to the vary.
S&W Spec Collection V M&P 2.0 Steel HD Specs
Efficiency
(5 Rounds Shot at 20 yards and Chronographed utilizing the Garmin Xero C1 Professional)
