FullEffect1911
07-06-2011, 03:13 PM
I figured this was by far the best place to get good advice concerning a M&P or Glock 17. I finally came to the conclusion it's better to own fewer handguns and shoot them a lot, I'm also a recent convert to 9mm from .45. For what it is worth I reload the vast majority of my ammo and will continue to do so, I am also partial to lead bullets for their economy. All of my accuracy testing is done benched with sandbags.
I picked up a S&W M&P9 full size and have been shooting it really well at closer distances (after installing a FRE extractor to cure some extraction failures). However I enjoy shooting lowish pressure 147 grain bullets, and I am getting terrible vertical stringing with my M&P9 at 25 yards benched. Sometimes it will even sail a round off a sheet of copy paper. I tried 147 grain gold dots, a variety of worked up 147 grain lead reloads, and WWB 110 grain FMJ. Nothing I do seems to shoot with any consistent accuracy, rarely I'll get an okay group and then it will scatter them again. Just to make sure it wasn't me I took my 1911 and shot an 1-1/2 group benched. I thought it was the stock barrel, which had bad machining marks in it, and switched to a storm lake barrel. No joy. Long story short I'm nearly sure it is unlocking early. I just can't get behind a pistol that I am not sure if it was me or the gun if it missed the mark.
So I am thinking maybe I'd just swallow my pride and look towards Glock, tremendous durability, reliability and consistent decent accuracy. Well then I discovered the Gen 4 problems. This would be my first Glock and I don't have much opportunity to shoot one before buying. I really like the way the Gen 4's feel though they do point a bit high for me (nothing i can't train away) but I'm really concerned about the reliability now.
So I either wait for the Bar Sto M&P barrel, Hope I get a good Gen 4, or deal with the worse ergonomics of the Gen 3. None of these are an ideal solution and all of them put me down about the same amount of coin. Is the Gen 4 pistols really that problematic right now that it is worth only considering the Gen 3? What kind of velocity does the bullet need to be going in order for the M&P not to unlock early? Do jacketed bullets tend to help the issue due to their higher friction (bit of a theory of mine)?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I picked up a S&W M&P9 full size and have been shooting it really well at closer distances (after installing a FRE extractor to cure some extraction failures). However I enjoy shooting lowish pressure 147 grain bullets, and I am getting terrible vertical stringing with my M&P9 at 25 yards benched. Sometimes it will even sail a round off a sheet of copy paper. I tried 147 grain gold dots, a variety of worked up 147 grain lead reloads, and WWB 110 grain FMJ. Nothing I do seems to shoot with any consistent accuracy, rarely I'll get an okay group and then it will scatter them again. Just to make sure it wasn't me I took my 1911 and shot an 1-1/2 group benched. I thought it was the stock barrel, which had bad machining marks in it, and switched to a storm lake barrel. No joy. Long story short I'm nearly sure it is unlocking early. I just can't get behind a pistol that I am not sure if it was me or the gun if it missed the mark.
So I am thinking maybe I'd just swallow my pride and look towards Glock, tremendous durability, reliability and consistent decent accuracy. Well then I discovered the Gen 4 problems. This would be my first Glock and I don't have much opportunity to shoot one before buying. I really like the way the Gen 4's feel though they do point a bit high for me (nothing i can't train away) but I'm really concerned about the reliability now.
So I either wait for the Bar Sto M&P barrel, Hope I get a good Gen 4, or deal with the worse ergonomics of the Gen 3. None of these are an ideal solution and all of them put me down about the same amount of coin. Is the Gen 4 pistols really that problematic right now that it is worth only considering the Gen 3? What kind of velocity does the bullet need to be going in order for the M&P not to unlock early? Do jacketed bullets tend to help the issue due to their higher friction (bit of a theory of mine)?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.