The Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police) was introduced in 2005 to directly compete against Glock’s line of polymer-framed semi-automatic pistols that had taken the law enforcement world by storm since 1982. Considering that, at the time of the M&P’s introduction, Glock owned a 72% share of the law enforcement market (which previously had been owned by Smith & Wesson for generations), that was a pretty tall order to fill.

The overall concept of the M&P was the same as that of the Glock: Make a drop-dead reliable pistol that rivaled the simplicity of a double-action revolver in terms of accuracy; reduce overall weight through the polymer frame; and make it affordable for nearly any law enforcement agency or officer to purchase.

Trigger

Utilizing an articulating trigger safety rather than the Glock trigger lever, the new M&P focused on better ergonomics and improved shootability over the Glock. But Smith & Wesson had another trick up their sleeve that gave them an edge over Glock with many end users: You don’t need to pull the trigger to disassemble the M&P as you do with the Glock.

While this may not have seemed like a huge deal, especially to those of us who are Glock users and armorers, it did to a lot of law enforcement agencies. One of those agencies was in my neck of the woods — the Columbus, Ohio Police Department.

I talked with the rangemaster at CPD several times while they sought a replacement for their aging Smith & Wesson 4506 pistols. I was a proponent of the Glock, as I had worked with my sheriff’s office to adopt the .357-caliber Glock 31 as our duty pistol, and we were quite happy with our choice.

The rangemaster balked on Glock because he didn’t like the idea of requiring the trigger to be pulled before takedown. In the end, this was one of the primary deciding factors that led CPD to be the first — and largest — LE agency in our area to adopt the brand-new M&P. Some 1500 of them soon found their way into Columbus Police holsters, and many other agencies, individual officers and civilian users followed suit, making the M&P series one of the most popular on the market today.

Safeties

Smith & Wesson decided not to rest on its laurels and recently decided to tweak the M&P line a bit to make the series even more popular. The M&P M2.0 series was introduced at this year’s SHOT Show. As soon as it was, I requested one for evaluation — a full-sized 9mm with an additional manual thumb safety. While I was working retail gun sales at Vance Outdoors in Columbus, Ohio last year, the M&Ps with the additional thumb safety were more popular (in terms of sales) than the trigger-safety-only models. I never tried one with a safety and figured now was the time.

A Truly Upgraded Gun

Sometimes, when manufacturers of ANY product “improve” a model, they really don’t since they change the original version too greatly and lose the original qualities that made that product great. Anyone remember the “new Coke?” Right. Smith & Wesson didn’t do that to the M&P.

Although the 2.0 looks similar to the original, S&W claims that the 2.0 is an entirely new platform “designed for personal, sporting and professional use.” Any M2.0 should fit in current M&P holsters, which is a good thing.

The M&P M2.0 upgrades include an extended stainless-steel chassis in the polymer frame to improve stability; a fine-tuned, crisper trigger with a lighter pull; and a tactile and audible reset. Available calibers are 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP.

Biggest Change — The Grip

The biggest change that I noticed, besides the removal of front slide cocking serrations, is an aggressively-textured grip surface that has the feel of skateboard tape (more about that in a moment). Four interchangeable palmswell inserts to allow for variations in hand fit and trigger reach are included in the package. Color choices are Matte Black or Flat Dark Earth. Two blued-steel magazines are included. I prefer steel magazines over polymer bodied types; they insert in polymer pistols much more slickly.

I was a bit concerned with the new grip texture. I had bad memories of Glock’s short-lived “Rough Texture Finish,” which was designed for use with tactically gloved hands. RTF guns tore up uniform shirts and jackets over time and were discontinued. They weren’t particularly comfortable to shoot. Thus, I was concerned with how the new Smith & Wesson texture would feel during firing.

Testing at the Shooting Range

I went to the indoor shooting range with two test loads from SIG Sauer: their Elite Performance 9mm FMJ rated at 1185 feet per second and their 124-grain V-Crown load rated at 1165 feet per second.

Even with the rough texture, the M&P M2.0 melted right into my hand. M&Ps have always been noted for their superior feel, and the M2.0 is no exception. As it turned out, I need not have been concerned about the finish either.

I began firing six-shot groups at 30 feet, two-handed and standing, using a B27E silhouette target. I took the gun right from the box with no preparation. Starting with the Elite Performance FMJ ammo, I was instantly able to fire 2.5-inch groups that were centered to the point of aim. The 124-grain V-Crown loads produced a bit more muzzle flash and recoil, but the group size remained 2.5 inches. I never noticed the grip finish with either loading.

I moved the target in to 21 feet for rapid fire using the 115-grain loads. I was rewarded with a centered group of 3.75 inches, which was surprisingly good. There were no failures or malfunctions with either load. I really liked the curved trigger. My finger just locked into place on it. The articulating (folding) design is more comfortable than the lever design on the Glock, which can produce discomfort in the trigger finger during extended firing in .40 and .357 calibers.

Conclusions on the M&P M2.0

I really like the M&P M2.0. The thumb safety “snicks” off and on in a manner similar to that of a 1911 auto, except that it does not lock the slide in place. The M&P can be charged with the safety on, which is a beneficial safety feature. But, at the same time, this feature was the only issue I have with the M&P — whether the original or the M2.0.

The safety is closer to the slide release than it is on a 1911. The slide release is also nearly flush with the frame. I use the slide release lever as John Moses Browning intended: to release a locked-back slide during a rapid reload. Because of the close proximity, I had to wind my thumb around the safety (when it was in the off position) to release the slide. If you slingshot the slide to reload, then the proximity is not an issue. But if I were to purchase an M&P I would simply buy it without the manual safety.

The M&P M2.0 is an excellent handgun that, even in its full-sized guise (which is trim), carries concealed comfortably. MSRP is $599. For more information go to: www.smith-wesson.com.