Anyhow I have been playing with a new toy that some good friends of mine John and Mel Z over at Zombie Shooters Association of America (ZSA) turned me on to: The S&W M&P 9mm. I have a plastic gun as most people do and it's also a 9mm. The Glock 19 has served me well over the years and I have a great deal of affection for it still. That being said, I was very impressed with the M&P's that John and Mel had shown me. What's more to demonstrate how awesome these guys are and how great friends can be, they let me shoot one of their M&P's in a match and provided ammunition. I was passing through and had no real equipment with me and it was an incredible gesture from two great friends. So off we went to shoot a USPSA match in Ant Hill, NC with another great guy Ken Kiesler, who I am also privileged to count as a friend.
The particular M&P I was using was a five inch model with a fiber optic front sight and some Apex Tactical Specialties internals. I got through the match and back behind a gun for the first time in a while and it was great. I relearned a few things, such as I am not a fan of green fiber optics(it disappears for me), and I learned that I would likely prefer the shorter barreled model. I felt like the five inch gun left too much reciprocating mass atop a lightweight frame. Those two points aside I was in love with the M&P and was tryin desperately to find one of my own.
John had warned me that the magazines were pretty scarce right now and I was fortunate enough to procure one that came with three magazines instead of the normal two. I could get through a match most anywhere now. I decided that I would use makeshift gear for the time being and just run the gun without fretting about the gear too much. I found that the M&P uses the same mag pouches as the Glock 9mm/.40! Awesome! I have a pair of Fobus pouches that will work just great. I found out that the M&P also fits in my Bianchi Professional IWB holster that fits my Sig P220 and a fullsize Glock. Awesome! Now I have gear for a match. Some of you may be thinking right now is he crazy? Why would he use an IWB holster for competition? The short answer: I have it right here, right now and it presents better than the cheap do all holsters I have. Remember I want this to be about the gun, not the gear this time. I have been too focused on extras in the past. I want to worry about wearing this gun out with bullets and becoming a shooter again.
Okay to be honesty I did do a little bit to the gun in close consultation with John Z and Cliff Walsh. John Zaczek Sr. is a Master level revolver shooter is USPSA and a believer in less frills. Cliff Walsh is a Grand Master level revolver. Shooter in USPSA and holds the distinction of the only man to ever beat Jerry Miculek with a revolver. John and Cliff both suggested Apex internals as the way to go for making the trigger better. I opted for the FSS or Forward Set Sear as it would be most like a 1911 which is my favorite competitive platform in a semiauto pistol. Cliff evetually won me over to all black sights over John's suggestion of fiber optic. I went this way because I feel like the all black work better and never become invisible in daylight. Right now the gun has its original front sight mounted because I did a poor job of fitting the front sight and it fell off. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise, because I am finding I prefer this odd sight combination of factory front white dot and Warren Tactical smooth rear. The cut outs in the sides of the rear sight really do make it easier to see more around the sight and I find the sight comes up fast, like a peep. I don't believe I will have any appreciable change in point of impact because the front sights are the same height.
Initial range impressions were great. I enjoyed the clean brake of the Apex trigger and FSS. To be fair I should warn you that I adjusted my trigger to have the absolute minimum take up in which to allow the trigger to fully reset. I also bent the disconnector in toward the sear to ensure maximum reliability during the reset and avoid the dead trigger. I also removed the trigger safety. This is a controversial move according to many because some believe its a necessary item for some silly drop test. I found that it made the trigger pull less smooth because of the point in time when it fully disengaged. I realize this disqualifies the gun from certain divisions and competitions all together, but I Don't Participate Anymore nor am I a production fan. I like full magazines with lots of shooting. Back to my original thought, I was pleased with the accuracy and function of the weapon right up until the groups went to pot as the front sight fell off. A friend was shooting it at the timfe so I was super pissed at myself and embarrassed. I will be heading to the range again this weekend to do a final practice and check of gear before the 2013 NC State Zombie Match where I'll get to shoot with my friends! As with all things ZSA related I am sure of three things: it's going to be safe, it's going to be fun, and I'll come home with more friends than I left with.
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