Smith & Wesson M&P9

As noted, Smith & Wesson's M&P line debuted in 2005 as a revamp of the notably less popular Sigma design. Designed with reliability, durability and accuracy in mind, the M&P line of pistols share a core of features that places emphasis on ergonomics and safety, which makes shooting both comfortable and foolproof. Let us take a look at a few of those features.

A major hallmark of the M&P line is ergonomics, which provides for a pistol with high levels of comfort and functionality. An immediately noticeable feature is the inclusion of three interchangeable palm swell grips – one small, one medium and one large. Each grip sports an excellent texture that is present on the forward-facing part of the grip as well as the magazine release and provides for enhanced control. Speaking of the magazine release, it is reversible to accommodate both left- and right-handed shooters and drops the magazine freely from the pistol when depressed. Another ambidextrous feature is the slide stop. An oversized trigger guard allows for simple operation of the pistol with or without gloves. Finally, the 18-degree angle of the grip promotes more natural aiming. All of this blends perfectly with the easy-to-conceal profile of the pistol.

Safety is the other major hallmark of the M&P line of pistols. The most prominent safety features found on M&P pistols is the passive trigger safety. This provision seems to be included with many modern pistols for good reason. The disjointed trigger features a secondary lever that must be pulled in conjunction with the trigger. This safety prevents any accidental discharges by requiring that the trigger be fully and intentionally depressed. It also protects against discharges that might occur in the event that the pistol is dropped. Other safety features include a sear deactivation lever that allows the pistol to be disassembled without pulling the trigger and a loaded chamber indicator, which provides a visual confirmation on the status of the chamber.

The Smith & Wesson M&P9 features a 4.25-inch barrel and an overall length of 7.63 inches. Materials used in producing the pistol include Zytel® polymer for the frame and stainless steel for the chassis, slide and barrel. Both the slide and the barrel feature a black Melonite finish. The slide also includes scalloped serrations for a secure grip. The pistol weighs in at exactly 1.5 pounds (unloaded) and includes a 3-dot sight system, which consists of a dovetail front sight and a low-profile rear sight. This sight system provides for the rapid acquisition of targets and pinpoint accuracy. Also noteworthy is the 6.5 pound trigger pull and minimal .30 inch trigger reset, which when combined with the sight system allows for high performance. As noted, each pistol comes with two 17-round magazines.

The Smith & Wesson M&P9 is finding its way into the hands of law enforcement agents all over the country, which means it must be good for something. There is just something about this pistol that screams "Buy me!" When you hear it, buy one. Consider the M&P9 for:

- Personal protection

- Target shooting

- Law enforcement

- Collections

- Much more…