S&W MP 45 trigger job?

[seagiant]

Hi FA,
Congrats on your new weapon! Let me tell you,your going to love that pistol if you can get happy with the trigger! My 45 was VERY hard and I didn't hesitate to do the mods on it. I showed a buddy of mine the pistol and he drooled on it for a half hour,guess I bought the last one in the county and he wants a 45 model BAD! To be honest the only thing I have shot in mine so far is my reloads using a MiHec clone H&G# 68 200 Gr. boolit. I have not tried any HP ammo yet. From what I've read there should be no problems though!

I just put a 4.25 PRO model in 9mm on layaway and noticed that the stock trigger on that is really pretty nice and will only need a fluff and buff! Go figure!

[scattershot]

Most accurate .45 ACP load I've ever shot is that bullet or a copy, over 4.0 RedDot.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well, being a shotshell shooter I just happen to have some Red Dot! I'll look into that! Thanks!

[fourarmed]

Took it to the range last night with several different lots of ball and a couple of CB reloads. Functioning was perfect with both mags, and after a slight windage adjustment, it pretty much put everything in the bullseye right-handed, left-handed, and both-handed. To say I was impressed was putting it mildly. I haven't bought a gun I liked as well for a long time. I worked over the trigger this morning, and brought it down from off-the-scale to a very predictable 5.5 lbs. At 50 feet, it put everything I fired right behind the white dot on the front sight. With some stippling down the front strap, and either a fiber optic or tritium front sight, this gun could definitely make my 1911s jealous.

[seagiant]

Took it to the range last night with several different lots of ball and a couple of CB reloads. Functioning was perfect with both mags, and after a slight windage adjustment, it pretty much put everything in the bullseye right-handed, left-handed, and both-handed. To say I was impressed was putting it mildly. I haven't bought a gun I liked as well for a long time. I worked over the trigger this morning, and brought it down from off-the-scale to a very predictable 5.5 lbs. At 50 feet, it put everything I fired right behind the white dot on the front sight. With some stippling down the front strap, and either a fiber optic or tritium front sight, this gun could definitely make my 1911s jealous.

Hi,
Good deal! Thanks for the report! I am an old 1911 freak and I only own one Glock because it is a 10MM! I have always preferred steel handguns,but this M&P has impressed me way more than it should! I have shot mine a bit now and I have had ZERO problems with it,it just goes bang and begs to be fed more ammo!

I know guys that have bought these pistols for $550 and then spent another $500 on mods! Storm Lake and Bar-Sto are both making barrels for them,but I have not seen any reason to go that route and it appears you won't need one either!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Thought I would pass this on to M&P owners. Apex Tactical has made an aluminum center safety trigger for awhile now. Nice bit of kit but somewhat expensive! They now have it in poly at a decent price (Ijust bought two!) and it is now for sale on their site! No connection to me but seems to be good people with good things for these pistols!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Greg: could you post a pic of the top of your gun with the slide off, so I can see the lockwork. I have not seem the inside of an M&P.

randy

[fourarmed]

I started looking for extra magazines, as this thing could get me back to action pistol matches. I see a place called Botach tactical that is selling them for half of what S&W asks. Has anybody done business with this place?

[seagiant]

Hi Randy,
Tried to get both sides. The little lever that is painted yellow is a sear block! You have to push this down before you can slide the slide off! This thing is dead simple to work on,even easier than a Glock!

My nephew was shooting some reloads and got a squib load with a S&W 4566 that I had given him. Even though I warned him about reloads he pulled the trigger again and of course bulged the barrel! I took that pistol back and got him a M&P FS 9MM which was what he wanted. However it got me thinking of these and had to have one for myself. I have a M&P PRO 9mm on layaway and when the S&W 4566 get back from the factory its probably going to go on that!


Hi FA,
I have bought some things from Botach with no problems personally,BUT have noticed people on the NET complaining about them? Go figure!

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK; that's a little different. I thought they were closer to a Glock than that.

I'll have to get a closer look at my bro in laws M&P. He's had one for along time but doesn't use it much cuz he like his G22 too much.

We'll take it apart and see what in there.

In the pic of the sear block is the thing uncocked ?

Randy

[fourarmed]

It is hard to tell from that angle. The sear lever appears to be pushed out enough to contact the sear, but maybe not enough to completely lower the engagement end of it, if that is what you are asking. With the slide off, the striker couldn't be cocked, of course.

[seagiant]

In the pic of the sear block is the thing uncocked ?

Randy

Hi Randy,
Thats a trick question I guess,the sear has a plunger and spring under it,pivoting on the sear pin going through the sear housing. When the striker arm goes back during recoil the sear is allowed to come up and catch or cock the striker. Then as the trigger is pulled the striker block is cammed up,by the top protrusions on the trigger bar clearing the way for the striker and then the sear is cammed down by the end of the trigger bar, releasing the striker to fire the cartridge!

To me it is more like a conventinal auto than a Glock! This is how I see it anyway,instead of a sear holding back a spring loaded hammer with hammer hooks, it holds back a striker arm!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well,Apex Tactical put out a Polymer copy of their AEK Aluminum trigger and I ordered 2 as I have a 9MM PRO model on layaway. I put one in my M&P 45 and have to say it is really sweet and makes the trigger "feel" much better. It has a more straight face or not curved as much and it gets rid of the "hinged" trigger that always bugged me. I know a lot of people can pick up about any pistol and as long as it goes bang every time are happy, but I like to dial mine in more!

There is not one bit of over travel after the sear breaks and you can feel the trigger reset better also! For the cost I would say the new poly trigger is a no brainer, if you have been impressed by these pistols as I have! Oh yes, using my old school NRA type Pachmeyer weight trigger scale, my trigger is around 5.0 lb. now! Which for a striker fired pistol is perfect to me!

[akraven]

I wish they made a 10mm too. I have also done some reading on springs changes and moving into 45 Super and 460 Rowland loads. A local shop offered conversions and I tried the 460 R conversion and it shot well and handled the recoil surprisingly well. Probably wouldn't be something you would choose to shot 1000's of 460R loads out of but fun.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well,from what I read the Rowland has to have a compensator to slow the slide from unlocking to fast! The 10MM is about as wild as I will ever get in a auto type pistol. I own a Glock 20 with a LW barrel and like it very much but a S&W M&P would be even better IMO but I'm not holding my breath! I know under the present political administration that the American people have no confidence in to up hold their 2A rights, that S&W at the moment is working 24/7 to just keep up with demand and not really worried about 2nd tier cartridges like the 10MM!

At the moment I will just be happy with my 45 as it will do anything asked of it in a CQB situation! After all John Browning DID know what he was doing!

[fourarmed]

Amen, brother. I have owned 3 series 70 Colts, one a Gold Cup, and a Commander worked over by Armand Swenson, and none of them would group like this M&P. Yesterday I shot it off the bench. One group shot with some ancient green box Remington Targetmaster 185 jswc went into a HALF-INCH GROUP at 25. Luck of course, since there is no way I can hold and aim that well, but it did make me decide to keep it.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Greg: I just got a Streamlight TLR1S' for my Glock, and one for the Kel-Tec and and a TLR3 for the Shotgun so I'm completely covered for night ops. Having one on the M&P for home use would be a good thing to look at.

I used the TLR1S' on the psitol and rifle because there was plenty of room for them. They both have the strobe light function which disorients the hell out of you if you are on the receiving end.(not to mention the disorienting effect of the bullet that would follow.)

On the shotgun I had to use the much smaller TLR-3 model which is cheaper and smaller and doesn't have the Strobe function. You can see how it just barely fit on the amount of rail remaining on the shotgun after the sling was attached.

If you hunt around a little you can find all of these for <$100. And the TLR3 was $70-75.

What people who have never seen a weapons mounted light don't fully understand is how bright they are, and how you can easily use your iron sights in total darkness with one attached to the gun.

The only negtives of having a weapon mounted light is you are covering whatever you light up so you kind of have to pay attention, and on pistols they won't holster up in a conventional holster.

However they are quickly removed and replaced so you can carry one in your pocket and attach it as needed.

On the rifle or shotgun they are simply a no brainer when it comes to home defense. I also use my Glock as an HD gun so it is mounted on it mostly as well. My intention would be to get to the shotgun and the bandolier of shells hung on it, and have the .45 in my pants to use as backup.

Can't have too much ammo when SHTF.

Today was a good day for Racing! 5/26/13

Randy

[seagiant]

Hi Randy,
This is funny,after a decade of using a Pelican Super Sabre flashlight in the engine rooms I've worked in,I just bought a Streamlight Strion LED for a 100 bucks to finally upgrade! The nice thing about the Streamlight is it is one hand operational and is rechargeable instead of batteries!

I like the looks of the TLR-3 and it looks like it would not be in the way on a night stand pistol. I think Costa and Travis actually had these on the M&P's they use in the videos? Thanks for the info and pics!

[W.R.Buchanan]

I did get one of those but only due to the limited space on my acc rail on the shotgun. It is either on or off.

The TLR1S' I got have the strobe function which is a big advantage when dealing with intruders. The disorientation factor gives you that extra time to decide if you really want to shoot the intruder or just beat him sensless. They were $99 at LAPG. Right now they have $3.50 UPS Ground shipping.

One of the cool features of the Streamlights is the treadle bar switch. it is on/off one direction and momentary on in the other.

When you shoot with the light on you immediately shut it off when lowering the gun or you trace a line right back to you .

Randy

[alrighty]

Hi,
Well,Apex Tactical put out a Polymer copy of their AEK Aluminum trigger and I ordered 2 as I have a 9MM PRO model on layaway. I put one in my M&P 45 and have to say it is really sweet and makes the trigger "feel" much better. It has a more straight face or not curved as much and it gets rid of the "hinged" trigger that always bugged me. I know a lot of people can pick up about any pistol and as long as it goes bang every time are happy, but I like to dial mine in more!

There is not one bit of over travel after the sear breaks and you can feel the trigger reset better also! For the cost I would say the new poly trigger is a no brainer, if you have been impressed by these pistols as I have! Oh yes, using my old school NRA type Pachmeyer weight trigger scale, my trigger is around 5.0 lb. now! Which for a striker fired pistol is perfect to me!

Thank you for the review , I will pick up one of the new poly triggers for mine.I purchased an AEK kit used a while back but I did not like it as well as my duty/carry kit.I plan on getting a pro model as well so I will install that kit in it.I was hoping they would come out with one in the thumb safety but I don't think that will happen.
After your review I may just have to find one in .45 as well.