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new gun

Billy D

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
56
Location
detroit
The Billy is the proud new owner of a Smith and Wesson M&P pistol in .45 cal. My very first handgun, go big or go home I always say. Took it to the range today and blasted off a 50 pack of Blazers. After reading alot of posts on the forum and much thought, I have decided to dedicate the two 10 round magazines stricktly to my defensive ammo (JHP) and today I bought an extended mag (14) to take to the range to hammer off the cheap rounds. I figure the more I handle the mags/ammo, the more likely something is going to get scratched/dirty/worn and since the carry mags are "mission critical" I want to have them perfect.
As a side note, thanks to the guys and gals here for all your extensive training and experience you have passed on to us "newbies", it often goes un-noticed, but if it werenet for the advice of knowledgable people like ya'll, I wouldnt be able to make as good decisions, as this stuff gets very complex.
Planning on spending alot of time at the range, met 3 guys there today that were very knowledgable and helpfull. I may even attend the open carry tomorrow in Detroit.

Carry on!
 

exelci

New member
Joined
Jun 7, 2010
Messages
140
Location
, ,
Congratulations you have great taste on both guns and caliber, take good care of her.
 

sraacke

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
1,214
Location
Saint Gabriel, Louisiana, USA
After reading alot of posts on the forum and much thought, I have decided to dedicate the two 10 round magazines stricktly to my defensive ammo (JHP) and today I bought an extended mag (14) to take to the range to hammer off the cheap rounds. I figure the more I handle the mags/ammo, the more likely something is going to get scratched/dirty/worn and since the carry mags are "mission critical" I want to have them perfect.

Billy, I'm not sure which posts you read on the forum regarding magazines but I would think that it would make more sense to put a box or four through your gun using all of your magazines, especially your 10rd carry mags. The reason being, you not only wnat to put a couple hundered rounds through your gun to get used to the trigger and the recoil but to also test the magazines and make sure that they are functioning properly. As you may have read in the forum, many pistol mechanical malfunctions are the result of poor performing magazines. You are going to be handling the mags daily and should always inspect them for dirt, scratches or worn parts. That said, you should not be worried about them being so fragile that you can't practice with them. I use my daily carry mags in USPSA matches. It helps to practice with the gear you are going to carry.
 

SouthernBoy

Regular Member
Joined
May 12, 2007
Messages
5,837
Location
Western Prince William County, Virginia, USA
Three weeks ago today I also bought a new M&P 45 with the 4" barrel and standard size frame. I also had an Apex DCAEK (Duty/Carry Action Enhancement Kit) installed while I was waiting for the background check to clear. This includes several after market trigger improvements among which being their fabulous USB (Ultimate Striker Block) which completely eliminates the infamous M&P gritty trigger pre-travel, their hard sear, and their increased rate sear and trigger springs. This makes the M&P trigger nearly perfect in that it reduces the pre-travel and the over travel, and delivers a very crisp and distinct break. The only downside that I found was the increased rate trigger spring returns around a 6 1/2 pound trigger which is not to my liking. So when I got the gun home and did some dry fire practice, I decided to replace the heavier Apex spring with the factory OEM spring and that made the trigger perfect in my opinion, coming in at around 4 1/4 pounds.
 
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Billy D

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
56
Location
detroit
Billy, I'm not sure which posts you read on the forum regarding magazines but I would think that it would make more sense to put a box or four through your gun using all of your magazines, especially your 10rd carry mags. The reason being, you not only wnat to put a couple hundered rounds through your gun to get used to the trigger and the recoil but to also test the magazines and make sure that they are functioning properly. As you may have read in the forum, many pistol mechanical malfunctions are the result of poor performing magazines. You are going to be handling the mags daily and should always inspect them for dirt, scratches or worn parts. That said, you should not be worried about them being so fragile that you can't practice with them. I use my daily carry mags in USPSA matches. It helps to practice with the gear you are going to carry.

You have a great point there yale, Ill do exactly that! Next time I go to the range ill unload my expensive JHP's from the mags and drop em back in when im done. I think ill put 100 rounds through the gun next time.
 

sraacke

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
1,214
Location
Saint Gabriel, Louisiana, USA
You have a great point there yale, Ill do exactly that! Next time I go to the range ill unload my expensive JHP's from the mags and drop em back in when im done. I think ill put 100 rounds through the gun next time.

I know we aren't made of money but you might consider running a couple of boxes of the JHP through the gun for the same reason. Make sure that the brand you plan on carrying for SD is going to function in the gun each and every time. Just a thought. I know they can get expensive but some guns have been known to be overly sensitive to feeding or ejecting particular brands or types of ammo. Not saying you got one of these lemons but that's sort of the idea of "breaking it in" and running it through a good shakedown.
Also, you mention haveing 2 ten round mags. Is Detroit one of those places where they limit you to carrying 10 rounds in the gun. I just ask because 14 round magazines often aren't considered "HiCap" but are usually standard in most full sized pistols these days.

Take care and make sure to let us know how your new gun functions with all the mags and ammo.
 

carry for myself

Regular Member
Joined
May 1, 2011
Messages
544
Location
Maine
You have a great point there yale, Ill do exactly that! Next time I go to the range ill unload my expensive JHP's from the mags and drop em back in when im done. I think ill put 100 rounds through the gun next time.


also. while doing that. shoot your expensive JHP's! train with what you carry. there is a big difference between how your firearm will function with blazer cheapo ammo and expensive SD ammo.

i would recommend throwing at LEAST 20 of your carry ammo every time you go the range. you could perfect double taps with WWB 230 grain balls at the range all day. then miss your target with 185g critical defense the very next day due to muzzle velocity, accuracy or barrel grab. ALWAYS train with what you shoot to some extent :-D

but don't worry about your mags. feed em, empty em, feed em, empty em. just disassemble them when you get home and run a .45 cal swab through them a few times to clean em out when your done :) and they will work just fine for upwards of 70 years sometimes :)
 

j4l

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
1,835
Location
fl
also. while doing that. shoot your expensive JHP's! train with what you carry. there is a big difference between how your firearm will function with blazer cheapo ammo and expensive SD ammo.

i would recommend throwing at LEAST 20 of your carry ammo every time you go the range. you could perfect double taps with WWB 230 grain balls at the range all day. then miss your target with 185g critical defense the very next day due to muzzle velocity, accuracy or barrel grab. ALWAYS train with what you shoot to some extent :-D

but don't worry about your mags. feed em, empty em, feed em, empty em. just disassemble them when you get home and run a .45 cal swab through them a few times to clean em out when your done :) and they will work just fine for upwards of 70 years sometimes :)

That would depend on the particular sidearm, no? Mine digests, fires, extracts and ejects just about everything I've put into it equally well. Hence, I play both sides and load my initial mag with a mix of Gold Dots and TMJs . (1st round GD, 2nd TMJ, etc. ), the spare mag is all TMJ.
The real differences have more to do with how accurate/ or velocity differences between one and another.
 

okboomer

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
1,164
Location
Oklahoma, USA
Glad you are happy with the gun! That is most important!

Also, as others have said, but it bears repeating, practice how you will use it ... I had one 9mm that was pickypickypicky about what I fed it for the first 200 rounds or so ... once past that, it would take the American or the Blazer or the Winchester solid ball or JHP Gold Dot ... also, you do want a little wear on the springs and plate of the magazines ... they are mass produced stamped metal so there can be places that need to wear in (burrs, shavings, etc.)

Also, if you can get used to it, buy some butt plates for your magazines so when you drop them during practice, they won't deform.

Basically, you either bought a tool or a safe queen ... decide which, and then treat appropriately. If a gun cannot stand up to normal wear and use, then you might need to reexamine your purchase criteria. The weapon you chose is a workhorse and should be able to stand up to normal wear and tear. Of course, that doesn't mean to throw it down or bang it against all kinds of things, but familiarizing and using it shouldn't involve undue marring.

As for magazines, they will get dented and banged up if you take a tactical pistol class. They are cheap and you should include them in your expenses ... you already picked up the 14 round magazine, so in a couple of months, budget in another magazine or two ... maybe at the next gun show :cool:
 

09jisaac

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
1,692
Location
Louisa, Kentucky
OP: If your M&P is anything like mine it will choke down anything. I bought some winchester white box hollow points that the bullets were deformed or in the case crooked or something. I figured if it would eat that then it would eat expensive loads (and I don't have money to play with). It did without a flaw, that was like the 3rd box of ammo (all winchester white box) that I put through it, then I tested it with federal premium "less recoil". That stuff is junk but it fed/fired/ejected perfectly. But didn't penetrate water jugs the way I would like it to. Now I use winchester PDX(?) +P. I shot 60 rounds of that without a problem.

The only thing I have had problems with was some cheap federal/winchester white box/whatever that my brother-in-law brought in and sat in my basement and might have gotten wet. You couldn't have guessed that they had "smokeless" powder in them. So I contributed the stovepipes, and the failure to feed to those.

Other than that the M&P is a work horse.
 
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