M&P recent production barrel issues?

[bkpker]

I have been reading some things on the interwebs recently regarding some new production M&P (9's mainly) which are having serious issues with the barrels. Specifically, there is an issue with the barrel crowns. I saw this recent post by Chris Costa on his facebook, which was very cryptic regarding the issues with the gun. The post shows two targets with a splatter of what appears to me to be keyholed bullets or fragment holes throughout the target. Costa indicated that these were from the barrels in the new M&P 9's "shotgunning" the target. There was little information as to the nature of the damage to the guns and there were no photos of the guns themselves. From Costa's post, he makes it sound like this is a recurring issue with recently produced M&P's. See his post here: https://www.facebook.com/Official.Chris.Costa/posts/879194195445820

I also chatted with a gentleman online (also on facebook) who said that his fairly large police agency had attempted to transition to the M&P series a couple of years back and he personally had an M&P with serious issues with the barrel. He said that the barrel broke near the muzzle, but would still fire. I was unable to obtain any photos of the damage. Sounds similar to the issue Costa was addressing in his spacebook post.

My question is, are these guns experiencing some serious QC issues that we should be aware of? Does anyone have any more information about these incidents to include photos of the damage? I couldn't find anything else online other than these couple of instances.

I wasn't sure if this belonged in Autoloaders or Armorers, so feel free to yell if I posted this in the wrong forum.

[JV_]

The M&P seems to have perfected perpetual imperfection.

[LockedBreech]

I have a qualified purchaser discount with the M&P9 that would let me get the newest model with the best trigger with night sights for $399, and I still have yet to pull the trigger because the model has been so haunted with issues both substantiated and rumored from the word go. Might just go .40 S&W and call it a day.

[BLR]

I'm sure it's just a twist issue.

[Tamara]

I'm sure it's just a twist issue.

No, I'm sure it's the barrel breaking near the muzzle.

[bkpker]

No, I'm sure it's the barrel breaking near the muzzle.

I can only assume, due to lack of any photographic evidence that the barrels are fracturing at the point near the muzzle where the barrel steps down from the larger diameter portion nearest the muzzle to the slightly smaller diameter of the rest of the barrel. I know some of the very early M&P's had the issue of the barrel fracturing just ahead of the chamber where smith had placed an unnecessary groove (stress riser) for no apparent reason. I would like to be able to examine one of these affected guns or at the very least see photos. There seems to be lots of anecdotal evidence that this is happening, but nobody has photos. I don't want to recommend a gun to a student that is going to have these types of issues right out of the box.

Im familiar with some of the various M&P issues in the past, but this recent one is of grave concern. A broken barrel is a showstopper if you are in a gunfight. I have thousands of rounds through my M&P9fs without any parts breakages or gun related stoppages whatsoever and know ToddG put many thousands through one in his test and didn't shatter the barrel. Two guns is a very small sample size and isn't indicative of the product line as a whole.

[Kyle Reese]

I'm sure it's just a twist issue.

I heard it was the locking block. [emoji1]




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[orionz06]

I heard they're fixed and we should buy a bunch of them.

[Kyle Reese]

I have a qualified purchaser discount with the M&P9 that would let me get the newest model with the best trigger with night sights for $399, and I still have yet to pull the trigger because the model has been so haunted with issues both substantiated and rumored from the word go. Might just go .40 S&W and call it a day.

I've got the LE151215 SKU model, and it shoots Speer Lawman 124 grain ball ammo as well as a Glock 17 Gen 3 at 25 yards. Sample size of one and all, but if this models craps the bed, I'll post it up here.


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[DocGKR]

Hmmm....not going to say there have not been problems, because S&W certainly has had their share of FU's, but the last few thousand M&P9's I have seen in west coast LE issue seemed to work fine and did not blow-up or come apart...

[Tamara]

I also chatted with a gentleman online (also on facebook) who said that his fairly large police agency had attempted to transition to the M&P series a couple of years back and he personally had an M&P with serious issues with the barrel. He said that the barrel broke near the muzzle, but would still fire.


There seems to be lots of anecdotal evidence that this is happening...

http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/nevermind_nathan_fillion.gif

I need to take a break. Maybe look into coyote hunting in Ohio.

[BLR]

No, I'm sure it's the barrel breaking near the muzzle.

If only it were a more modern design based on more modern materials, then these things wouldn't happen.

[bkpker]

Hmmm....not going to say there have not been problems, because S&W certainly has had their share of FU's, but the last few thousand M&P9's I have seen in west coast LE issue seemed to work fine and did not blow-up or come apart...

Interesting. Ive been a cop for 7 years and the skeptical side of me says that this supposed barrel issue is something else because there seems to be talk of it on the internet (everything on the internet is true after all) but there isn't any actual photographic evidence of it happening in the wild. Not to say that S&W doesn't have other issues, but maybe this one isn't.

Is it possible that there's a disinformation campaign afoot?

[orionz06]

Hmmm....not going to say there have not been problems, because S&W certainly has had their share of FU's, but the last few thousand M&P9's I have seen in west coast LE issue seemed to work fine and did not blow-up or come apart...

What are the accuracy standards among the west coast LE agencies?

[RJ]

I tried to get to the bottom of this in December over here:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-m-p-pistols/408303-chris-costa-m-p9-issues.html

Opinions seemed to vary.

Curiously no one seemed to have any pictures of the gun(s) in question. I CAN say I don't see a lot of "my FS9 is breaking at the crown and/or tumbling ammo to the target" threads.

[LockedBreech]

I've got the LE151215 SKU model, and it shoots Speer Lawman 124 grain ball ammo as well as a Glock 17 Gen 3 at 25 yards. Sample size of one and all, but if this models craps the bed, I'll post it up here.


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I'd be really interested to know. Shoot it lots! :)

[Urban_Redneck]

If only it were a more modern design based on more modern materials, then these things wouldn't happen.

:cool:

[WilsonCombatRep]

I can relay that we sell quite a few aftermarket barrels for this design.

[orionz06]

I can relay that we sell quite a few aftermarket barrels for this design.

Are there any noted improvements, particularly with guns that shot 5"+ groups?

[WilsonCombatRep]

Are there any noted improvements, particularly with guns that shot 5"+ groups?

We get very few returns but occasionally there is a gun that cannot be helped.

[BigT]

What are the accuracy standards among the west coast LE agencies?


I'd is be curious too. As in how many inches at 25m is their maximum allowed?