From 1986-2010 I primarily used a .45 Auto 1911. In 2011, I switched to the M&P45. For a variety of reasons, based on time, scores, body abuse, and ammo availability/cost, I chose in 2012 to drop .45 Auto and switch entirely to 9 mm. In 2012 I used a G19; they were a delight to carry, as they are a perfect size for just about every task--working equally well for carry in casual wear, suites, and scrubs. I found the G19 accurate, but I had to work hard to shoot them with any degree of speed and they always felt like a brick in my hands during manipulations. I also kept wanting to have a safety, especially during AIWB carry and when moving around with a pistol in my hand.
For 2013 I switched to the M&P9; in many ways, the M&P9 is my favorite pistol to shoot, as the ergonomics on the M&P9 are superb for me and I also love the manual safety option. I've consistently shot my quickest FAST, Bill Drill, Mozambique, etc... using the M&P9. As some of you know, I am currently trying to recover from a fractured right wrist. After 100-150 rds of .45 or .40 and about 300-350 rds from a G17/19 or M&P9c my wrist begins to ache and limits my function for the remainder of the day--yet the M&P9 is so soft shooting, I can go 500 or so rds from one before my wrist starts significantly hurting. While the M&P9 is easy to carry in casual clothes, they have proven a bit too long in the grip to carry easily when wearing a tailored business suit or in scrubs--the M&P9c works much better in these situations. This leads me to have to have both the M&P9, as well as the M&P9c available. I might just stick with the M&P9c, but my mag changes are substantially slower with it than the M&P9 or Glocks.
But I am frustrated. No matter what I do, I cannot wring out the absolute accuracy I want from the full size M&P9 at distances beyond 15-20 yds. In this regard, the M&P9c are proving more consistently accurate than the full size M&P9. For example, today I started by shooting the old FAM qual cold with my M&P9--no problems. But when I moved back to 25 yds this is what I got:
No matter what I do, I have not been able to shoot 100 points at 25 with an M&P9--I always get 1-2 flyers. Now I might think this was me, but immediately after shooting the miserable group above, I grabbed a G19 I have only shot 10 rounds from in the past 9 months and shot this:
In fact pretty much anytime I am shooting an RDS equipped Glock with a KKM or Wilson barrel, I can shoot 99-100 at 25 yds without much effort.
I am an armorer on both pistols, so that is a moot point. To summarize:
-- Glock is more accurate at distance, with more versatile carry options.
--M&P is faster and more ergonomic.
So as we approach 2014, I need to standardize on what pistol I am going to carry for the next decade or so--(older, well proven) 3rd gen G19's or mix of M&P9/9c. I'd love to hear your thoughts.