By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
About thirty years ago and more than ten years after Glock hit the market, Smith & Wesson introduced the S&W SIGMA, a pistol that is still around in an evolved version marketed as an affordable but reliable home and personal defense pistol.
The Military & Police handguns are another matter. These are highly developed pistols that will toe the line with anyone’s polymer frame pistol. The styling of these pistols has more bling than most and genomics are their strong suit. The 2.0 version is improved considerably, particularly in the trigger action. As far as striker-fired polymer framed pistols go, they are a good choice for the person who is willing to practice. There just isn’t much you can do with one polymer frame gun you cannot do with the other if you are well trained.
It is obvious from sales and shooter demand there is still a market for metal frame pistols. Note the aftermarket frames available for the Glock and also the factory metal frame Live Free Armory 9mm.
In a bold step, Smith & Wesson introduced the CSX aluminum frame 9mm. This handgun features good workmanship and has proven to be a great handling and shooting pistol. Smith & Wesson made even bigger news this year with the introduction of the Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Metal.
The pistol is identical in outline to the polymer frame pistol with a 4.25-inch barrel and standard slide and sights. It is supplied with two 17-round magazines and comes with a slide cut for mounting red dot sights. The finish is a Tungsten-Gray Cerakote, and overall, the 2.0 improvements are evident. You do not need to update your holsters or magazines because the new frame is compatible with previous M & P 9mm handguns.
Features
• Tungsten Gray Cerakote finish
• Slide cut for optics.
• Four interchangeable palmswell grip inserts for optimal hand fit and trigger reach: S, M, ML, L
• Textured polymer front strap.
• Wide slide stop
• Reversible magazine release.
• M2.0 flat-face trigger for consistent finger placement that allows for more accurate and repeatable shooting.
• Includes forward slide serrations and accessory rail.
• Low barrel bore axis makes the M&P pistol comfortable to shoot, reducing muzzle rise and allowing for faster aim recovery.
• Enhanced sear for lighter, crisper trigger let-off.
• Accurate 1:10-inch twist barrel.
• Comes with two 17-round magazines.
• Accepts any 17-round 9mm M2.0 magazine.
• Fits standard M&P9-compatible holsters
At 30 ounces the pistol is about five ounces heavier than the polymer frame S&W M&P 9mm handgun. It feels good in the hand and offers a nice balance and heft. That is what this pistol is all about—balance—and you must decide if the balance and weight are worth the extra money.
Line of sight is something that must be understood for good shooting. Close your eyes and bring the pistol to a point of aim. Open your eyes. Is the gun pointed at the target? If not the line of sight is off. You may adjust your stance or grip or foot placement. This affects your shooting. The addition of a metal frame improves the line of sight from many shooters.
You pay about $200 more for the metal frame over a polymer frame gun. Only the shooter will know if it is worth the money. The M&P 2.0 handles as well as any SW 9mm. Field stripping is easy enough and the pistol’s controls are crisp in operation. The manual of arms is simple. Load, holster, draw, fire.
I don’t have much to add to the Smith & Wesson M&P’s reputation. The 2.0 trigger is a solid improvement, no question there. The metal frame gun feels different but operates the same as the polymer frame pistol. The trigger action breaks at 6.0 pounds even, a good controllable action. The sights are good examples of combat sights, fast on target but also allowing good accuracy to at least 25 yards.
I have to admit with ammunition availability up and prices down it was fun to load and dump 17 round magazines! Most of the ammunition used during the test was the clean burning and accurate Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain FMJ. I ran the On Demand Drill and the Casino drill. The Casino Drill is a 21 round drill fired at 7 yards. The target has symbols with a numerical value adding to 21. You fire 2, 4, 5, rounds and so on, until 21 rounds are fired. A speed load is necessary for this drill. The metal 9mm did as well as my abilities are able to extract from most handguns.
Most polymer frame handguns are slide heavy. The result is that the slide’s weight pushes the line of sight down. As a result of long experience with polymer frame pistols I was firing high. Some acclimation is needed to realize the benefit of the M&P 2.0.
I took firm control and fired more slowly as I addressed the targets. The result was center hits. I then sped up and began to center my groups. Recoil is modest, not that the Military & Police 9mm isn’t a great handling pistol in polymer frame. The new metal frame pistol is different.
After sufficient acclimation you will find the pistol more controllable in rapid fire. Some but not all will find the line of sight superior in their hand. As for benchrest accuracy I fired several five shot groups with the Black Hills Ammunition 124 grain JHP. At 15 yards, groups averaged between 2.0 inches and 3.0 inches at 25 yards. The M&P Metal 9mm is a reliable handgun and may be your ideal pistol.
