M&P Core

[GJM]

How many inch-lbs was the torque? Two different break types it looks like in the picture. Sorry to see that, a good machine shop will have you back up in no time!

It has been a while since I installed this, and I can’t remember exact torque values.

Is your OEM plate plastic? If so, what does it (specifically the bosses) look like?

It is plastic, and the front bosses look a bit buggered. Not sure if that was ongoing or happened as the optic was getting ready to depart.

Just this past week I was ready to proclaim the CORE OEM system brilliant as it doesn’t have a mid plate separately screwed down, eliminating one failure point.

[BobM]

YVK asked me the same thing, and my best guess is 5-10K, but I can’t be certain as I have four of them. This is my main match pistol. I frequently check the screws for tightness, and did before and after the match last weekend. Guess I get to see how Smith handles this — not sure if they will drill out the sheared screws, provide a new slide, or tell me to go pound sand.

Now I wonder how well my CORE in .40 will hold up.

[GJM]

Now I wonder how well my CORE in .40 will hold up.

What plate are you using — OEM or C&H?

[SoCalDep]

It has been a while since I installed this, and I can’t remember exact torque values.




It is plastic, and the front bosses look a bit buggered. Not sure if that was ongoing or happened as the optic was getting ready to depart.

Just this past week I was ready to proclaim the CORE OEM system brilliant as it doesn’t have a mid plate separately screwed down, eliminating one failure point.

I’m with you about not having optic to plate and plate to slide screws. I’ve seen more issues with the Glock MOS but the CORE is not immune.

So here’s my plastic plate story. We tested the SRO on a CORE. The test is 10,000 rounds of 124gr FMJ Speer Clean Fire Ammo. Every 2,000 rounds the optic gets racked 20 times by hand and 5 times of rigid wood objects (barricades, benches, tables, etc) and then submerged for 30 seconds.

It was our first official pistol optic test so we got after it. Most shooting sessions involved multiple people loading and shooting and a thousand rounds being shot in 20 minutes happened a few times. Our last shooting session to hit 10k was a bit much. We shot just under 2,000 rounds in about thirty minutes. Happy we were finished as shot the final accuracy test and noticed a distinct shift in zero. Closer examination revealed the torque seal was broken on one screw. Turned out both had come loose. The obvious one started to turn but then broke even with the slide similar to your pics. The second, which was a little loose, came out fine.

The plastic plate showed a significant deformation on the side that was obviously loose. I’m not positive but I surmise that as the screws either come loose and allow movement - or more disturbingly as the plastic plate allows movement and the screws come loose, the plastic plate, being less rigid than metal deforms and allows increased movement and ultimate shearing.

Let’s say I’m not a fan of plastic plates and that’s why I asked. The big question is what comes first - the chicken or the egg. Does a loose screw allow deformation of the plastic plate or does some aspect of the plastic plate (elasticity, less friction, etc) allow movement that either causes shearing of tight screws or causes screws to come loose and shear?

My personal CORE pistols have the old metal plates but at this point if I bought a new one I’d avoid the OEM plastic and get a C&H plate or something. I wrote our issue off to the fact we shot a ridiculous number of rounds in a short time, but especially after seeing this I’d be hesitant to use the plastic when other options are available.

[BobM]

What plate are you using — OEM or C&H?

I’ll have an Aimpoint plate with an ACRO. We’ll also have one with an RMR with the S&W plate.

[SoCalDep]

I’ll have an Aimpoint plate with an ACRO. We’ll also have one with an RMR with the S&W plate.

With the RMR you’re probably good with the OEM plate if it’s metal. If not... CHPWS.

For the ACRO... mine was on a Glock with a Tango Down plate (I recommend) and now on a Unity Tactical G17 slide. A buddy of mine who is one hell of a shooter has used the Aimpoint ACRO plates on a CORE and had issues with two or three plates. They may have fixed it by now but I’d check for looseness on a regular basis. I’d like C&H to offer something.

[GJM]

My OEM RMR plate is plastic. My other RMR/SRO/Holosun plates are C&H, and that is what I will be using in the future. I would also like a bunch of extra screws, so I can put them on a PM schedule. I have an Acro plate inbound, and will watch it carefully. I assume what comes loose is the screws holding the plate down and not the Acro part. Can’t wait for C&H to have Acro and 509T CORE plates.

[SoCalDep]

My OEM RMR plate is plastic. My other RMR/SRO/Holosun plates are C&H, and that is what I will be using in the future. I would also like a bunch of extra screws, so I can put them on a PM schedule. I have an Acro plate inbound, and will watch it carefully. I assume what comes loose is the screws holding the plate down and not the Acro part. Can’t wait for C&H to have Acro and 509T CORE plates.

PM inbound re: screws.

[ranger]

Am revisiting the idea again:
https://www.primaryarms.com/smith-an...e-assembly-5in

I previously abandoned the idea when the kits were $340 and new M&Ps were $410 and milling was $160, but now the CORE guns are $700 and this kit could drop onto the M&P40 that already has a Apex trigger. Does anybody have any experience with them? I guess it would be a 1.0 9mm, I cannot really speak to any prior experience with 1.0 9mm (in?)accuracy because before I shot mine much it got an Apex barrel. I know if I actually do the math the $700 gun is a great deal, but I already have the M&P40 sitting here, and a buttload of magazines and several thousand rounds of ammo that I could save for a rainy day.

Just running this up the flagpole to see if anybody else has any knowledge, cause like Emil Faber said, Knowledge Is Good.

I have great results with my Gen 1 CORE "optics ready" upper on my old M&P Gen 1 5 inch 40. I have been shooting M&Ps for a long time. Found a deal on a M&P Gen 1 5 inch 40 S&W. Immediately swapped factory 40 barrel for a Storm Lake 40-9. Have never shot a round through the 40 barrel. Shot many rounds through the 40-9 converted M&P 5 inch for years. Got the RDS bug so I bought one of the factory M&P Gen 1 40 S&W conversion complete top ends - bought the 40 top end as I planned on using the Storm Lake 40-9 barrel. Got a SRO and installed it using the S&W supplied metal plates for RMR. It is now my primary range pistol (carry M&P Gen 2 Compact 9mm). Shot many rounds no issues. Posting some pictures plus a target rested on sandbag at 25 yards with my 9mm reloads on 115FMJ (pulls) over 5.1 WSF mixed brass on Dillon 550.

[GJM]

2.0 plates are no longer metal.