Gun Review: The S&W M&P Metal Performance Center SPEC

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Polymer body striker-fired handguns are reasonably priced, light-weight and dependable in most fashions. However striker-fired weapons don’t must be product of reasonably priced polymer always. There may be room for metallic frames as a way to enhance match and really feel and heft. Smith & Wesson’s Army & Police 9mm is certainly one of these weapons and affords superior ergonomics with a set off that within the new 2.0 model is tremendously improved.

The pistol was launched with an non-obligatory aluminum body some months again and is costlier to make sure and never for everybody. However then it isn’t meant to be. For my part, a good higher pistol is their M&P Efficiency Heart SPEC. That is an ultra-version of the metallic body M&P.

First Look

The first distinction within the S&W M&P Efficiency Heart SPEC is the Faxon compensator that comes on the gun. It isn’t an inner compensator as seen on some SIG sorts however an exterior compensator. It’s removeable. S&W provides a thread cowl within the large laborious case the pistol is delivered with. Nevertheless it isn’t going wherever except you warmth the Loctite holding it on. I’m having fun with firing it an excessive amount of to take away the compensator. Although the threads would work nice for a suppressor.

The SPEC package deal is a good arrange nicely value its value.

The pistol is delivered in a hard-sided case together with a problem coin, a Karambit knife that’s fairly neat, the same old handbook and a gun lock. However the most effective factor is that the pistol is provided with two 17-round and two 23-round magazines. These are the identical magazines used within the S&W FPC carbine, which is nice in case you’re capturing a kind of too and might interchange mags. Whereas the flush match magazines are finest for hid carry, the prolonged magazines will not be too massive to be carried in a sturdy journal service correctly connected to the belt.

The body of the SPEC is aluminum and offers good total steadiness to the gun. Polymer body weapons are typically a bit slide heavy, however the aluminum S&W SPEC is nicely balanced with a superb pure line of sight. The pistol comes with three-dot evening sights that make goal acquisition fast and simple.

The pistol options the S&W CORE system for optics mounting. That is among the many most versatile and trouble-free optics mounting programs ever designed. It really works nicely and is provided with a variety of plates. I mounted a Holosun RDS on mine for analysis. As anticipated, the pistol carried out nicely with the purple dot. Actually, the road of sight of the brand new metallic body M&P appears higher fitted to RDS use than the polymer-frame variations, just because the added weight of the sight provides to the already slide-heavy tendency of polymer weapons.

The creator’s well-used Holosun RDS was used for one firing check. The SPEC comes optics prepared.

The SPEC feels nice within the hand although I do know that’s subjective. I had a number of shooters I do know see the way it felt to them and the overall consensus was that the hand match was superb and the pistol appears to suit most shooters arms simply fantastic because it comes. For many who need to play with the match, the SPEC does include grip inserts.

The match and end of the SPEC are good as nicely by any customary. The barrel to slip match is tight sufficient, and the ahead cocking serrations on the slide will not be overly pronounced however work simply fantastic in follow. In the meantime, the controls—slide lock and journal launch—are all constructive in operation. Breaking the gun down is definitely achieved by turning the takedown lever down. Total, the Efficiency Heart SPEC is an effective arrange that displays high quality manufacture.

Holding the gun, the set off breaks at 5.5 kilos—crisper than the Glock and with a sharper reset. I dry fired the gun to the tune of greater than 200 striker drops earlier than really firing the primary spherical.

The pistol is superior to most that value much less—no shock there—and lists for $999, although I’ve seen some within the retailer going for $880 or so. However how does it shoot?

Vary Time

I collected a superb mixture of ammunition to check and distinction the pistol to different comparable 9mm handguns. A few of this was ball ammunition together with Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain FMJ. In testing, I drew the SPEC from a Galco belt slide. With its compensator, the SPEC suits some holsters made for the S&W M&P, however some it won’t. If in case you have an open backside holster, the compensator may match with it okay, however verify yours to make certain earlier than making an attempt to hold it because it may show to be too chunky to push via the top or be drawn easily.

Black Hills Ammunition proved correct and dependable and a superb match for the accuracy potential of the S&W SPEC.

As soon as I bought to capturing, the SPEC proved to be quick on track and fairly controllable throughout fast hearth. The S&W SPEC is solely quick, very quick, and actually permits a skilled shooter to eat a goal’s middle to items. The pistol’s felt recoil is mild, however then this isn’t a light-weight pistol, which aids within the total dealing with by mitigating a few of the recoil.

Shifting to +P hundreds, I loaded the Black Hills Honey Badger 100-grain +P and the highly effective 124-grain +P. That is the place the compensator got here into play most effectively. With the compensator, the +P hundreds felt no hotter than a typical velocity FMJ. However then these of you accustomed to Faxon compensators gained’t be shocked at this and perceive how nicely they shoot.

In fact, I did the compulsory 25-yard firing check. Usually, with service-grade 9mm handguns, I hearth a five-shot group at solely 15 yards, however this S&W SPEC is lots correct for 25-yard hearth. I settled into an MTM Caseguard Okay-Zone firing relaxation and took each benefit for accuracy. I fired slowly, rigorously urgent the set off and taking care with sight alignment and sight image. The outcomes had been good to glorious.

25-yard Benchrest Group

Load 5-shot group

Black Hills Ammunition

100-gr. Honey Badger +P 2.2 in.

115-gr. FMJ 2.5 in.

115-gr. EXP 1.6 in.

124-gr. JHP 1.9 in .

124-gr. JHP +P 2.0 in

Last Ideas

The S&W M&P Efficiency Heart SPEC is a good addition to the corporate’s famed M&P line and one that may definitely discover its share of followers regardless of the marginally increased value than the standard assortment of striker-fired polymer weapons obtainable right this moment. This one is unquestionably a keeper in my e-book.

Scores

Reliability *****

Accuracy *****

Match and end *****

Hid carry **** That is no compact. Should you carry a Glock 17 or Walther full-size PPQ, the S&W SPEC isn’t any drawback. It weighs a mere 30 ounces regardless of being bigger than most common carry weapons, so the burden gained’t be a problem. If carrying a full-size pistol is your factor, and you like to fireside +P hundreds, then this gun is a docile candy capturing pistol you’ll love. As a SHTF or survival gun, no matter that’s, you can do quite a bit worse. Mount a fight mild to the entrance and deploy the 23-round journal, and you’ll be nicely armed.