XD9 Compact vs. M&P 9mm Compact?

[Uncle Giggles]

I've held both an XD9 Compact and my neighbor's M&P 9mm compact. In my (relatively) unbiased XD9 Compact wins by a long shot. Of course, you won't know what you like until you get to hold both. Good luck.

[KarolinaKid]

A gunsmith told me the M&P has some less than solid parts inside that would not be as robust or last as long as the XD. Supposedly some of the internals are plastic. Just what I heard.

[DNM]

Eh... I'd say get what YOU like. What feels good in your hands and after firing you feel more comfortable with. After owning .40 cal XDs for a while I shot a buddy's M&P45 (Service sized model) and it just felt awkward in the hand. The trigger is nice but it'll take some getting used to. But then again I'm used to the XD. It's 2nd nature now.

* For all it's worth I say that Sigs feel much different in the hand also * (not that I wouldn't buy one but I'd have a lot of work/practice ahead of me)

[jmeister]

I checked out the M&P yesterday, felt really nice but all the reading I've been doing on that forum has steered me away from it for the time being. I'm looking for a reliable compact carry gun (which the M&P seems hit or miss) and also have the Glock 26 and CZ Rami on my list in the same price range.

[KYDoc]

With M&P off the list, it's XD hands down.

[Myk9noseknows]

Might want to check out the forum on the CZ Rami. It has had a lot of reliability issues that take more than just elbow grease to get worked out. If you've already researched it, ignore my post.


A lot of people like the M&P and I can see why since it's a good looking piece of machinery.
Beyond it's looks, personally I just don't like the trigger. I could probably get used to it eventually. Of course I never like the angle a Glock pointed and I had owned a few in the past, (now sold).

I also remember when it first came out, there were a lot of articles in popular guns magazines that reported inaccuracy at 25+ yards. Seems there were a lot of "fliers" in most groupings. They would state it's fine for self defense purposes, but I think that was just a nice way to say a negative experience for a magazine article.

I'm not 100% bias toward the XD as I own many different brands and can tell you positives and negatives about them all. Right now the XD is my favorite and I own 3 of them. However, I have had trigger jobs on them all, either professionally, or done myself. The stock trigger isn't bad, but I like the improvements.
It does feel great in my hand and points natural like a 1911.

Originally Posted by jmeister

I checked out the M&P yesterday, felt really nice but all the reading I've been doing on that forum has steered me away from it for the time being. I'm looking for a reliable compact carry gun (which the M&P seems hit or miss) and also have the Glock 26 and CZ Rami on my list in the same price range.

[jmeister]

Originally Posted by Myk9noseknows

Might want to check out the forum on the CZ Rami. It has had a lot of reliability issues that take more than just elbow grease to get worked out. If you've already researched it, ignore my post.
A lot of people like the M&P and I can see why since it's a good looking piece of machinery.

I've been on both of their forums and read about more reliability issues with the M&P9 than I have the Rami. Maybe I've overlooked some things as I've been researching on a lot of forums lately.

[Tungsten]

Originally Posted by KarolinaKid

A gunsmith told me the M&P has some less than solid parts inside that would not be as robust or last as long as the XD. Supposedly some of the internals are plastic. Just what I heard.

Supposedly Santa Claus is real too.

The M&P is a great handgun. I now own more M&P automatics than I do XD automatics (3 to 1) and the M&Ps have been flawless and parts are readily available for them, to the end user, much unlike XD parts which Springfield absolutely will not sell or replace except by return visit to the factory.

My experience is that the lower bore axis of the M&P makes recoil much more controllable than the XD... especially in the compacts.

Factor in the absolutely sh*t quality of the melonite finish on the XD handguns and their tendency to rust regardless of said finish being on them, and you have very few reasons to convince me that the XD is superior in any way.

The few problems that have vexed the M&P automatics in their first generation of production are mainly magazine release (the only "plastic" internal piece in the gun) and slide release issues. The mag release has been revised by Smith & Wesson and the slide release issue was caused by weak lever springs. Both of which are and were easily corrected.

Smith & Wesson's factory support is top notch and blazingly fast. I have received free extra parts from them just by asking (additional mag base plates with finger extensions, for example) and they took care of my wife's 9mm Compact slide release spring in a matter of 4 days, round trip.

Conversely, a good friend of mine sent his XD45C back to Springfield a day earlier for a firing pin problem, and he received it back from Springfield two days LATER than my wife got her 9mm Compact back from Smith & Wesson. Furthermore, Smith & Wesson was more than willing to just send me the spring and let me replace it myself if I so preferred, but they asked if I wouldn't mind sending them the gun just so that they could make sure and document the affect the weaker spring was having on it's function for their own quality control purposes.

Springfield has a LOT to learn in the area of after-sale support.

Do I hate XDs? No. I love my little XD9 Service that I recently got back from Robar for their NP3 finish. But it's a shame that refinishing the gun was necessary because of the rust that had already started to crop up on the slide and barrel.

[jmeister]

Originally Posted by Tungsten

The few problems that have vexed the M&P automatics in their first generation of production are mainly magazine release (the only "plastic" internal piece in the gun) and slide release issues. The mag release has been revised by Smith & Wesson and the slide release issue was caused by weak lever springs. Both of which are and were easily corrected.

I couldn't find info that this had been resolved in the mfg process. Happen to know the serial# range?

[Tungsten]

Originally Posted by jmeister

I couldn't find info that this had been resolved in the mfg process. Happen to know the serial# range?

I do not have a serial # range but my reading hasn't turned up any of these problems in the new M&P 45, which would tend to indicate that S&W learned from their previous mistakes. One would certainly hope that the newer batches of 9mm and 40SW handguns are incorporating the same revisions.

It's funny, though... neither of my 40's has had either of those problems. Only my wife's 9mm Compact had the slide release spring problem. It is truly a hit or miss thing resulting from a few bad parts in the mix here and there.