My post above focused on the negative while omitting the positive. I have two full size M&P 9's, one with and the other without a thumb safety, that run. While I love the reliability and accuracy of the HK, and the reliability and simplicity of the Gen 3 Glock 9's, on the timer, I shoot the M&P better than either the Glock or HK. With Apex trigger parts, the recent production changes by Smith and a Barsto/Apex barrel, they will be the closest thing to a plastic 1911.
Given S&W has made other tweaks to the gun like changes to the sear block and the magazine basepads recently, it wouldn't really shock me if the slide stop had also received some attention.Originally Posted by TCinVA
I don't get auto-forward either, but it's probably the result of my technique. I've bought M&P's from several different generations of manufacture and none have ever auto-forwarded for me. I've let others use my pistols and they get the phenomenon fairly regularly. Apparently I don't have the right touch to make AF happen...and I'm actually glad of that as it's not something I've wanted to take a chance on. AF may be slightly faster but I prefer more positive techniques that are more of a guarantee. When I'm at my fastest it may look like the slide auto forwards, but in reality it's because I "pre-load" my thumb on the release as I'm inserting the magazine.
For me:
AF worked 95% of the time. Too bad it wasn't 100%.
Preloading the slide release, trying to get it to 100%, often yielded a premature release (FTFeed).
Apparently I don't have the "right touch" either
Me and TC apparently have the same (non) issue. I have yet to have a auto chucker of any flavor "Auto-forward" for me.
Someone tried to show me how a couple of years back, but his technique was flawed from jump street, so it remains a non-issue.
The list of firearms that I get auto forward on are the following: friend's M&P9, friend's SIG 226 E2, father's 92F, wife's P30, my P30, and Bersa Thunder .380. When it happens on a loaner gun that is great as I don't shoot with it enough or rely on it to happen, it just does it. On the P30 it does it about 99% of the time (until I take a class with Todd, then it will probably stop doing it foreverbut the few times it did not happen I was able to reach the boat oar, oops I mean slide stop with my thumb during an admin. reload. While I don't rely on it, it is nice that it does it for me on several of my guns. I feel it is a matter of being familiar with the platform you rely on and train with and know the technique that works for you and stick with it.
Taking a break from social media.
I have been able to AF every single M&P9 I have ever handled without much effort. For context, the number of different M&P9's I have shot is somewhere around 10 including the 3 I have owned.
My recently purchased (March '11) M&P 45C auto forwards every time I try it. Dead nuts reliable in every other regard with just a crappy trigger to complain about.
Both of my full sized M&P 9's did it regularly (2010 production guns), while my 9C and M&P 45 did not. Go figure. I've sold off all my M&P's and have standardized on the Gen 3 9mm Glock, and have not been able to induce this phenomenon in any of them.
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