YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT THE PICTURES IF THE POST IS TOO LONG...
For what it's worth (not much), I wrote about how my Langdonized Beretta PX4 Storm is one of my favorite and
most underrated pistols (my actual favorite pistol is my P229). Another one is my Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Subcompact (the last of the M2.0 releases). The vastly underrated M&P9 Subcompact is the M2.0 refresh of the original "M&P Compact" (a.k.a. the M&P9c) that I purchased when it first came out, and carried it for eight years in .40 S&W (the M&P40c).
My newer M&P9 M2.0 Subcompact is virtually the same gun with some minor upgrades (chambered in 9mm).
First, it has the more aggressive grip texture and steel inserts in the front of the polymer frame. It also has an improved trigger and a 3.6" (versus a the previous 3.5") barrel (though it did not add any length to the original pistol).
The result is a hybrid of the wonderful Glock 19 and legendary Glock 26. It truly is.
The G26 has a 3.43" barrel while the M&P Subcompact has a 3.6". The difference is a slightly longer muzzle and a slightly longer sight radius than the G26: 5.39" vs. 5.9" (a standard G19 is 6.02"). While the barrel is closer to the G26, the sight radius is closer to the G19.
Unlike the Glocks, the M&P's magazine sleeves are more in-keeping with the look and feel of the larger pistols.
The trigger is also very good. I know a lot of people prefer the newer bladed triggers of M&Ps being released going forward, but if your primary concern is accuracy (i.e. a trigger which when pulled does not vibrate the front sight), this version won't disappoint. For me, I don't care about other aspects of the trigger unless it interferes with accuracy (and this is plenty accurate).
The reset is about as long as it can be and still be shot rapidly without sacrificing accuracy (at speed)... mostly. I did order a $45 Apex fully machined sear to reduce trigger pull weight, shorten over-travel, and improve the reset. Right now I can pull the trigger at under 5 lbs., but it averages between 5.5 and 6 lbs. (closer to six most of the time). I don't know how much the sear will lighten the trigger, but like I said, it's already accurate so it will probably just make it a little more consistent. I could always throw an Apex trigger in it if I want a flat trigger, but I'm satisfied with it as is.
The grip texturing is wonderful. It really allows you to grab hold of this pistol better than a G19 or P320 in my opinion. That said, while it feels wonderful in my hands, sometimes it feels scratchy against my skin. I'm not sure what it is. Most of the time it feels fine, but sometimes I am more sensitive to it than others. If you wear a t-shirt under your shirt, it won't matter, but many does it feel good shooting it.
One of the greatest things about this pistol, however, is its versatility. Because it's muzzle is closer to that of a G26 than a G19, it can be carried in a high-riding holster OWB and still keep the muzzle above the hemline of a t-shirt. And with it's 12+1 flush magazine, the pistol's height is about 4.3" (same as the P365) keeping it from printing better than a compact (in nothing but a t-shirt). But unlike a P365 or Hellcat, it takes the standard 15 and 17-round magazines of its larger brothers to function more like a compact or full-size handgun (something the aforementioned pistols cannot touch in my opinion).
Yes, the M&P Subcompact is wider than a P365 or the Hellcat, but it's also a 12-round magazine flush. It's not quite as concealable, obviously, but it is concealable enough if you don't need it to be a pocket pistol. By the way, in a pinch, yes, you could pocket the Subcompact in loose cargo pants or shorts, but I personally wouldn't do that unless I had to.
Still, the best way to carry a pistol in my opinion is either AIWB, IWB, or OWB (pocket carry is fine when necessary, but it's still puts the shooter at a disadvantage, so I only pocket my Ruger LCP II on occasion anyway).
The ergonomics are excellent. They are as good as a P320 (in my opinion) and far better than a Glock. It doesn't point as naturally as a SIG or Beretta, however. It's somewhere between those pistols and a Glock, but it's easy to get used to. They claim it's the same grip angle as a 1911, but I still prefer my SIG P229's and Beretta PX4 Storm Compact's grip-angles. It's easier to warm up to the M&P than a Glock in my opinion, but it also has the advantage of slightly canting your wrist to align the sights (like the Glock) to improve the controllability of the pistol.
the M&P Subcompact is also approximately the same weight as a P320 XCompact (about 25 ounces). The ergonomics also prevents slide bite (unlike a Glock 19 where I have to use the beavertail). The bore axis is lower than the P320 so the M&P is actually flatter shooter. Moreover, I like having an integrated trigger safety (tabbed or hinged).
Most of all, I just like the size of the gun especially in it's 15+1 configuration (which is 5" compared to the 5.3" of a compact P320, which is also tied with the G19). In fact, every magazine size feels great!
It's a little heavier than the G19, but that also mitigates the recoil making them very similar. But it's slightly more compact than the [compact] G19. It feels better in the hand, and it just seems like the perfect concealed carry pistol size in my opinion. If the Glock 45 is a combination of a G17 and a G19, like I said, this is the size of a G19 cross-pollinated with a G26. If a G26 can win champion GSSF matches against a G34, this is no different. It still retains the width and surface area of a full-size gun to distribute recoil (especially at speed), but it's more concealable and a better fighting pistol than any micro-nine in my opinion.
I have mine outfitted with orange square painted Ameriglos (my favorite front sight) and blacked out rears.
Pictured below: Close to a G26 in size. It's actually shorter in height than a G26 in it's +2 configuration, and certainly shorter than a P365 in its +2 configuration. It's actually the same size as the P365 in its 10+1 magazine (4.3").
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Even a Glock 19 is still larger than what Col. Cooper would have preferred considering he thought a 9mm should be only about 2/3rds the size of a Beretta M9. The M&P Subcompact is still technically a little larger than 2/3rds, but being smaller than a G19, I think it's perfect.
Like I said, it's a very underrated pistol. I hear next to nothing about it, but I've owned this pistol for almost two years and I had the original since back in 2005. Out of the dozens of carry guns I've owned over the years, this is definitely up there with the best. I'm a DA/SA man when it comes to compact and full-size pistols, but for smaller compacts, subcompacts, and micro-pistols, you really can't beat a striker-fired gun because it's ability to engineer the pistol with a lower bore axis.
From the November/December 1985 edition of American Handgunner
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