Which Striker Fired Pistol?

General Firearms Handguns - Semi Auto
1

I’m a long gun guy but have been doing some research on pistols. I have it narrowed down to a 9mm, striker fired and with a manual safety. This has been further narrowed down to either an M&P or a SR9. I have not physically handled either of them yet. Anything else out there worth looking at?

And don’t say Glock, cause I’m not getting one unless it has a manual safety and I’m not into retrofitting. The whole pistol without a safety thing has me stumped. Has there ever been a rifle or shotgun produced in large numbers that didn’t have a safety? The only advantage I see to a pistol without a safety is if you are in law enforcement and have your weapon secured at all times in the holster or if you shoot competively or something similar.

What are your thoughts? On a side note, while doing my research I cannot believe the amount of problems and straight from the manufacturer fixes there have been for these two pistols since their introduction. I suppose all firearms go through certain stages of evolution but what ever happened to get it right the first time?

2

http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=206301
What are your plans for the gun?
Carry,competition,plinking, home -d?

3

The M&P hands down, no question about it.

FYI non-manual safeties still have at least three safeties. But that’s a thread for another day.

AND there has never been a firearm in the history of firearms that have been 100% good to go right from the factory. Period. In fact I highly doubt there’s been a machanical device that has been 100% right out of the box.

4

The gun would be used for target plinking. No home defense. I think I’d reach for a shotgun, long before a handgun if someone were in my home.

I figured I’d get an overwhelming response of “get the M&P” since this forum is more military/LE than civilian. But I’d like to know why the M&P is so much better. Subjective and objective opinions please.

5

I’m a civilian. The reasons I dumped my XD45 and got the M&P 9 was:
1-cost of ammo for becoming proficient with my handgun
2-reputation of smith&wessons customer service
3-I really like the looks and feel of the M&P over the glock, which was the runner up for me
4-The recent availability of affordable, user installable mods to make the gun…well…bad-ass:D
The gun requires nothing to make it functional out of the box except ammo.
I guess if it’s for plinking only, anything that’s visually stimulating will suffice. J/K

6

Let me clarify my “plinking” statement. Yes, the gun would be used for plinking, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want the best thing out there, cause I do. You never know when the proverbial SHTF.

And there is satisfaction in knowing that you have purchased the “best” for your circumstances, firearm.

7

Sorry if I sounded like an a$$, no harm meant . I’m really fond of my m&p. I have no experience with the Ruger.
I got a few of the Apex goodies for it and it runs nice & smooth.

8

No offense taken. I need to get out there and shoot them both and see which is best for me. I guess the thing that I don’t like about both of them is that 2 part trigger. To me, a trigger is one solid piece of finger hardware that moves with the pressure of your finger and then when you least expect it, breaks free. The Ruger and the Smith both have two part, somewhat hinged triggers that do away with that simplicity.

I really wish Sig would introduce a P250 striker fired with a manual safety. I have read that is in the works, but it may be awhile before it comes to fruition.

9

I’ll say this up front that I have an M&P and do not own an sr9. A buddy of mine who shoots with us monthly does have one and he has let me play with it. Durability wise I can’t say about the ruger but he has about 2000 rounds through it and I believe he said about 10 malfunctions. Most were failure to extract. Says he does very little dry firing and has broken 3 strikers. Granted the Smith has had the same problem but this appears to be remedied in the recent generation pistols so make sure you buy yourself a newer striker if you grab an older model m&p. Like M4arc said, ALL firearms go through teething problems.
I do like a manual safety on my handgun and the M&P while not as well placed as a 1911 (a little too rearward IMO) it is very easy to find and switch off and on. The sr9s is way too small for my tastes.
The ruger has a good feel to it. Its thin and has a good grip angle if you like that arrangement. There are more limitations on changing the backstrap. Two really and that is just on the very back of the gun. The Smith has 3 options and the different backstraps cover about 2/3 s of the ‘grip area’. Allowing one to basically change the grip length and the width.
Another thing to consider is customer service. Smith & Wesson’s is down right second to none. Ruger I am unsure of.
I don’t have much experience with the SR9 but those are my comparisons b/t the 2. I am sure someone else can chime in who has more trigger time with it. I hope this helps.

-Also forgot to add the SR9s reset is a little longer than the m&p but I am spoiled on the Apex kit. Check the apex tactical thread if you decide to go the Smith route. Which brings up another point. The m&p (how many times can I say that in one post!) although a relative newcomer has tons of add ons for it already. You can make a great pistol even better.

10

Sev,

sorry I can’t resist and I just have to make a couple of comments on the safety issue

first of all I totally respect your wish to have a safety on the weapon, and if Glock made a nice 1911 type safety with a good positive clicking action, I’d seriously think about owning one and re-investing in training to effectively carry a handgun with such a safety on it again

having said that, as you know, a Glock or a thumb safety-less M&P ought to be used with a proper holster that properly covers the trigger guard

such a holster really becomes the “safety” of a polymer gun that doesn’t have a safety to actively disengage, and a very good one at that

once you have made the decision to draw your weapon and engage a target to make it stop, the act of drawing the gun out of the holster is essentially “taking the safety off”

off course care is needed when reholstering, and to make sure nothing gets snagged in your trigger guard when you do reholster, but that’s another discussion

rifles/shotguns aren’t carried in a holster so equipment or a twig or something could result in a negligent discharge, not to mention the fact that they also generally have a short take-up “SA” trigger system

therefore while I understand your rifle/shotgun analogy, I don’t think it truly applies

I just wanted to throw some potentially clarifying thoughts in there so that you don’t automatically limit your choices too quickly

I’ll also add that when I handled the SR9 I thought the position of the safety, and its size and shape made it difficult to manipulate quickly under stress (enough so that I probably would elect to carry it safety off, and that’s asking for trouble should it become inadvertently engaged) so that was a deal breaker for me with the SR9, but who knows enough practice may make this a non issue

also, if you go with the M&P, do a search on here about modifying its safety so that it has a good positive action, because I only came across one M&P ever that had a positive click straight out of the box. Actually most had an engagement so soft that they would have become more of a liability then help

anyway, there are some really good reasons for wanting a safety on a gun, especially if it has no hammer and a short, and/or light, take up, such as a potential increase in the operator’s margin of error before an ND happens, and more importantly perhaps, by increasing one’s time to react during a need for weapon retention

but with a good holster don’t totally discount an otherwise good handgun just because it doesn’t have a safety; striker gun + no safety + good holster = complete system

anyway, after that soliloquy, and based on your post, my advice is to go with an M&P…or Glock with a good holster system :wink:

11

Vlade Divac, thanks for the information. “Just playing about the Divac thing.” I thought that this might become a holster vs. no holster vs. manual vs. no safety thread.

If you don’t have a holstered Glock/non-manual safety handgun then you are asking for trouble.

You brought up the counterpoint that rifles and shotguns aren’t carried in a holster. That is correct. That’s why I am stating that any firearm not carried in a holster should have a manual safety.

Cops need to have something that can be drawn and shot without hesitation. I don’t think that applies to the rest of the general public.

12

Why should cops have a faster response to danger than the “general public”?

13

Why indeed?

I am smitten with the M&P/APEX combo at the moment.

14

I’ve owned a Sig, a Colt and two M&Ps. Turned in my last M&P just to get the M&P9 FS. With the Apeks kit, the trigger is a vast improvement.

In the way I view the world, if there is a small instance that I have to place my life in a firearms ‘hands’ as it were, I would want to make sure it is reliable. There is a reason why a lot of the people on here carry what they do.

If you have a range near you that rents guns, go and shoot them and find out what you find comfortable.

15

Sev IMHO you should look at the M&P with a safety, and tweak it so that it engages positively

good luck

16

Why should cops have a faster response to danger than the “general public”?

I think I"m being misconstrued as far as the point I’m making. I’m not a gun grabber or any other governmental over reach of authority.

What I am saying is that for most people: They need a manual safety on a handgun. Why? For the reasons explained before in this tread. I’m not advocating restricting or taking away anything that someone already has or that might in the future. Cops are proficient, so they choose weapons without a manual safety. The general public in my opinion would be better served by a manual safety.

Both are yours to choose as a citizen.

17

I wouldn’t assume that all cops are proficient. Some just look at a firearm as another thing they have to carry at work.

I’ve been appalled at the lack of proficiency I’ve seen from some LEO’s.

18

I have a full size M&P with the thumb safety. If you’d like to shoot it to help form your opinion you’re more than welcome to.

19

Safety or no safety is personal preference, as long as you train with it and it is in an ergonomic location (see beretta 92 :() I don’t think it really matters in actual use. I have heard of accounts were a safety has stumped a “bad guy” after he got a hold of a gun, the same with a mag disconnect. If your finger is on the trigger the safety is off anyway, so again I think it is all a what you are comfortable with. The Winchester 94 never had a safety, until lawyers got involved.

20

I would say M&P hands down. I have a 9L currently and I just ordered a .45. The safety is much easier to use on the M&P then the SR9 and for me the triggers on the M&P are much better. Another plus it seems there are a lot more options for improving the M&P trigger if you so desire.

Good luck in your search.