Just bought this M&P 9 Performance Center a week or so ago. Cleaning it today I noticed a groove between the rifling in the barrel. Pics are attached. I have never seen this before. It is perfectly straight, and is definitely a groove...I can feel it when inserting a pick in the barrel to "feel" the inside.

Yeah, I'd definitely call S&W CS about that.

Grrrrrr....ill call em today then....
 


Edit: just spoke with CS. They said that "sometimes the cutter can do that when its pulled through" and "it probably won't affect the guns accuracy" so just go shoot it and see.


 

So...what's acceptable accuracy out of a performance center m&p 9?

There is a reason I won't buy a newer Smith; spotty QC and that's a BS answer.



This got me to thinking......Won't buy a new Freedom Group anything, already covered S&W, only Kimber 1911's I'd trust are the early one's, SIG is having issues.....guess you guys wanting new guns won't have too much competition from me!

Me..."I want a new barrel".

My Performance Center 627 V-Comp had rust underneath the finish, and Breakfree CLP caused the finish to cloud up.

Between that and my M&P VTAC having the front tritium sight fly off, I'm done with S&W.

Want to sell your VTAC without the front sight? I'm in Eastern NC if you're stationed at Bragg per chance.

Really?  That's what they said??

You paid for a NIB, to-spec pistol.  That's not what you got.

How about go key their car; when they complain say "well, it won't affect your mileage, will it?"

Of all handguns, my MP9 is least accurate, and the barrel looks like it was machined with stone age tools.  
I never take this POS to the gun range anymore. I get better results with a sling shot.

shoot it and if you're not satisfied ask for a new barrel.

Pretty much this.

If I had ever seen an excuse to get an Apex barrel it's this.

I haven't heard great things about them so far...

My factory M&P barrels have been plenty accurate, full APEX trigger kits helped a lot.

I don't have the $$$ for another barrel...AND it's a ported barrel (Performance Center Model). I paid like $750 or something for an M&P...the barrel had better not be fucked up. I have shot it...it seems to be "okay" but not as accurate as my Sig 226. I think I may call them again, but they'll probably want me to ship the WHOLE gun back (so overnight, at MY cost)....


 

EDIT: OK..just talked to CS they said I have to ship the whole firearm to them, but they pay shipping. Turnaround time is 4 weeks...which does seem a bit excessive for a simple barrel swap.

Include a clearly worded detailed letter explaining what you want replaced and why.

Are you sure it's not just missing threads from where they ported the barrel? I missed that detail previously. Now that I know that I really can't see anything wrong from the photos?

You can see the round ported hole further down the tube but it definitely looks like there is a straight cut made right through one of the lands.

It would be if yours was the the only gun they were working on

Your M&P won't be as accurate as the Sig, ever....but offhand inside of 10 yards, its not so much of a difference that it would be that obvious.  Of course theres a learning curve to a new trigger, so the barrel may actually be fine.

Regardless, it clearly has a defect that I would want replaced as well.

They have a 1:10 twist so your 147s don't hit the target sideways.



 

Apex Grade Gunsmith Fit Barrel - 4.25”






I purchased my Apex Grade Gunsmith Fit Barrel (4.25”) directly from Apex Tactical Specialties.  I shipped my Smith & Wesson M&P9 CORE directly to them for the fitting/installation of the barrel.












The next pic gives you a look at some of the different geometry that Apex Tactical Specialties developed for their barrel.








I paid the additional fee for Apex Tactical Specialties to test-fire my M&P9 CORE after their fitted barrel was installed.  The test-target that was included with my returned pistol is pictured below.  Aside from some brief demographics written on the test-target, the only technical information that was written on the test-target was a note stating:

10 @ 10

I can only assume that meant that the test-target was of a 10-shot group fired at a distance of 10 yards.  The group has an extreme spread of 2.226”.  An extreme spread of 2.226” at 10 yards would sub-tend to an extreme spread of 5.565” at 25 yards.  My M&P9 CORE grouped better than that with the original factory barrel.



The Apex Tactical Specialties test-target . . .







In a duplicate of this thread that I posted on another website, Randy Lee (co-owner of Apex Tactical Specialties) posted the following comments about the test-target.



“I figured I should chime in about the test target in question.

The target does reflect 10 shots from a distance of 10 yards offhand. It was what our technician shot for function and approximate sight in after the barrel was fitted, not for group. The technician was shooting in a poorly lit indoor range using the iron sights, since the optic was not provided. This was also in the mix of some 20 firearms that the tech had to test fire that day. While I will not make any excuses for the large group, it is important to bear in mind that the gun is obviously capable of consistent mechanical accuracy.

The test fire fee is not the same as the Ransom Rest accuracy charge. If you were charged for the Ransom Rest test, please call our office so we can arrange for your gun to be returned to us for expedited Ransom testing.

We differentiate function/sight adjustment targets from accuracy targets by the red center. When I shoot from the Ransom Rest, I use a black and white target with a black dot in the center because the RMR dot matches the 1" black center at 25 yards. . . . We are changing our test fire procedures for barrels we fit in house as a result of this thread to reflect mechanical accuracy. It was one of the things that slipped through the cracks since I have been doing more administrative work that back at the bench or in the shop.”



....



To date, I’ve fired 150 rounds of quality factory loaded ammunition through the Apex Grade Gunsmith Fit Barrel during function testing and barrel break-in.  I like to have fired at least 200 rounds through a pistol barrel before conducting an accuracy evaluation of it.  

There have been no malfunctions with the Apex barrel in my M&P9 CORE while firing an assortment of:

Federal 9BP 115 grain JHP
Speer 124 grain Gold Dot
Federal 9MS 147 grain JHP
Federal 147 grain HST
Speer 147 grain Gold Dot G2.



Since the Apex Tactical Specialties test-target was fired at a distance of only 10 yards, I did fire a few 10-shot groups from a distance of 10 yards (from the bench) for comparison.  The group pictured below was fired using factory loaded Federal 147 grain HST ammunition.  The group has an extreme spread of 0.633”.  









....












....



03/08/16


The 10-shot group pictured below was fired at a distance of 15 yards using factory loaded 124 grain Gold Dot ammunition.  The group has an extreme spread of 0.912".








.....


03/12/16


At this point, I have a total of 300 rounds of factory-loaded ammunition fired from the Apex Grade Gunsmith Fit Barrel and have not had any malfunctions.  The 10-shot group pictured below was fired from the bench at a distance of 25 yards using factory-loaded Federal 124 grain HST ammunition.  The group has an extreme spread of 1.38"








....




The recessed crown . . .














.....

Good luck with s&w.I wrote a post on here a few weeks ago about my customer service experience. My vtac 9mm shot like crap, and after sending it to them, I got it back unchanged.I  was told the spec they shoot for, is 4" at 7 yards.A fucking smooth bore flintlock will do that.I was so pissed, but what can I do?

I remember when they used to be a quality company.I wrote a strongly worded letter to them, telling them  they should be ashamed of themselves, but I got no respoce.

Like I said, I put S&W in the same camp as Freedom Group. Until I see a quality product being consistently produced I will not buy a new one. The best chance of that happening is for all of us to stop buying from them.

Yikes.  Sorry man.

A no brainer that needs no testing, no barrel replacement with after market trinkets, and no BS from Smith.

You PAID for a properly rifled barrel.

You GOT a grooved mess.

GET what you paid for.  Even if you have to wait a bit.

My factory barrel doesn't have a problem with 147gr HST.
The 2012 and later M&P9's supposedly have a 1:9 twist.

My thoughts exactly.  Those that doubt might want to go take a quick peek at the Brian Enos forums and see some of the results from the SDI Apex barrels.  I have a KKM in my M&P Pro 5" and while it tightened groups going from a 1 dot S&W barrel, its still not as great as I would like.  My next step will be to go to an Apex, test and probably sell the stock and KKM barrels.  I like the M&P platform because of ergonomics over anything Ive shot other than maybe a Sig which was more accurate.  

@OP - the porting on the barrel is a crock.  This is a case of S&W's marketing department doing a great job.  Unless you are loading ammo to Major power factor, or ALWAYS shooting +P stuff, you simply arent working the porting to any great effect.  It looks cool, thats about it.  Id send it in, make them change it, buy the Apex, and sell the stock barrel to recoup costs.  For me, the 9mm doesnt have enough recoil to really worry about it.  Some of my 124gr reloads are in the +P territory, and out of a full frame pistol I cant really tell the difference.

Mine is dead nuts accurate.

It has the Apex Sear Kit and the Trigger Kit. Stock barrel.

The Apex shills are strong here, I guess it's good for S&W that people change out all the parts in the gun as soon as they buy them.