A work buddy is considering a new 9mm and has narrowed the choice to the G17 and M&P9 (he wants a full size pistol). He asked me my thoughts, but I’ve never handled the M&P - only the Glock (I own a G17).
Assuming a person can comfortably and accurately shoot both types, is there any mechanical/durability/longevity reason to recommend one over the other?
Glock 17’s probably have the best reputation for durability and reliability that you will find. That said, I have run FS M&P9’s for the last two years and don’t see myself going back to Glocks.
Shot my friends M&P 9mm, that he got after asking for some assistance (never owned a gun before), and and it is REAL NICE. Very soft shooting and accurate.
an M&P will be my next handgun!
I personally can’t stand glock’s grip angle.
I personally do not think that there are many man made items that rival the Glock 17.
The M&P 9 however, certainly seems to be one of those items.
There are a lot of nice things about the M&P 9 that are not present on the G17 that makes the gun more appealing to me, despite the minimally higher cost.
definitely a matter of personal opinion.
glock 17s have a long track record to prove they are among the, if not the, most reliable semiauto handguns ever made.
the m&p’s track record isn’t as long, but still, i would say its reliability is also well-established at this point.
pesonally, i greatly prefer the glock grip angle, so i would say G17 if it was for me. but, for someone else…depends on them.
I love the Glock 9mm’s (especially the G 19). I have owned a G17 for awhile. It’s a great gun with a proven track record.
I work for a Department of around 1,200 officers that has had the M&P 9mm fielded for around 3.5 years.
I find the M&P’s a tad more accurate than the Glocks. Not enough to really matter though. I have seen enough T&E’ing with the M&P, along with seeing them in the field, to believe that someone has finally developed a 9mm that can compare with the Glock 17 as far as durability.
At this point, I feel that to compare the Glock 17 to the full size M&P 9mm, it would really come down to personal preference. The interchangeable grip panels of the M&P is nice for people with smaller or larger hands. The promotion S&W is offering with two free additional magazines is helpful also.
Given the choice between you friend choosing a Glock 17 or a M&P, I really feel he couldn’t go wrong either way.
Of course, the important question is are either gun, or both available in your area?
In my area, 9mm’s in general are as scarce as AR15’s.
Like others have said, they are both great pistols.
Just some random thoughts:
I like the trigger better on the Glock. I feel the reset is shorter and more positive. But there are guys doing cheap trigger jobs that sort that out. Haven’t tried one though.
Glocks parts are available all over the place. You pretty much have to go to S&W for parts on the M&P, which isn’t bad necessarily. But if they are out of stock you are kind of stuck.
If you like the Glock grip, hey great. If you don’t, well, tough. Spend money to have it fixed. The M&P can be adapted to different hand sizes out of the box.
You can put a thumb safety on a M&P. If was a uniform patrol officer, I would give that serious consideration in case of gun grabs.
Just about everyone makes Glock holsters, including Glock. The selection is smaller for the M&P, but most of the best makers have M&P products. I wouldn’t let holster selection push you away from an M&P.
I think M&P mags are slightly more than Glock mags. But S&W has the free mag coupon going on, so that more than makes up for it.
There are lots of night sights available for either gun. The Glock may have slightly more, but the best ones are available for both.
My favorite pistol is a Glock 17. I’ve shot M&P’s and like them, but not enough to dump my Glock 9mm’s. If I was starting from scratch, the M&P has a lot of compelling features. If I was a uniform cop and/or had hands that were smaller or larger than average, I would pick the M&P for the reasons I stated above. For civillian use, it’s a toss up in my opinion.
I’m a long time Kool-Aid drinking Glock fanatic and now shoot the M&P in IDPA. I also have a 9c for off-duty and CCW carry. Love the M&P, especially the Pro.
One advantage I find the M&P9 over the G17 is the fact that the M&P9 has removable backstraps so you can tailor it to your hand. Also it has a nice beavertail for a good high grip.
David Bowie’s “S” trigger job gives a Glock-like short, crisp reset to the M&P trigger without changing the full-length pull much at all. It was worth the $75 to me without question. Unfortunately he has a 4 month waiting list, so maybe the OP’s friend should buy 2. 