I've had an M9 for....  actually I don't remember how long.  I think it's been like 11 years.  I've always liked it a lot.  I have the most amount of rounds through it, nearing 4K.  It's accurate for me and feels good.  It has been my bedside gun for most of this time.  I have that and a surefire Z2 ready to go for those bump in the night things.  Which I've had a few of over the years.  Thank God it was never anything bad.   I've always been very confident in it.  It has never hiccupped.  Other than when I first got it, it wouldn't lock back after the last shot because I was riding the slide stop.  But I've never had one jam in those rounds.  

So...  in the spring I bought an M&P .45 from my Mom.  She needed the money and it was my Step Dad's and he passed away last year.  I bought it with the intention of selling it.  However.....  I started to think that it may be a better gun to carry.  I do carry the M9 on occasion and up here in the winter, a full sized gun is not really a problem.  And heck, even in the summer with the right clothes it's not overly bad.  But the M&P is lighter and a bit slimmer.  And the slide is a bit shorter so it packs a little easier.  

I have not shot a lot of rounds through it, BUT, it seems very controllable.  I usually prefer 9mm because I think I can shoot it better and I'm not a recoil junky.  Of course the M9 is a pussycat to shoot.  Which I like.  But the M&P is pretty darn soft too.  I would actually really like it in 9mm, but that's not really the cards I was dealt.  And I'm not sure trying to trade or sell a .45 for a 9mm M&P would work.  It just seems like you never get your money out of a gun when you try to do something like that.  Furthermore, I hear that some 9mm M&P's suffer from accuracy issues.

Anyways....  Because I have a hard time making changes, I'm wondering if there is any downside to making the M&P my bedside gun.  I'm thinking about getting an onboard light too.  Although I was thinking about it for my Carbine, I may use it for either.  And yes, I know a carbine is better suited for home defense but lets not get into that here.  

I don't really want to put my M9 in the safe......  But there's something very good about the M&P, I'm thinking.....

What do you guys think?  

For bedside, i.e. Not carry, I would not give up the M9 that you shoot well. It has higher capacity and you probably are more accurate with it.

You might take a small loss on the 45, but I would swap it for an M&P9.  I've had a couple and am totally confident in their accuracy.  If you think the 45 is soft shooting, just you wait.

So would you carry the M&P and leave the M9 for HD?  I don't think I shoot the M&P unwell, but I only have about 100 rounds through it myself.  My Dad had a few range sessions with it too and never had any problems, fwiw.    I haven't done a side by side yet.  I do think the M9 probably has quicker follow up shots, but I'm not sure I think that it's enough to matter.

Try it for a while and see what you think.  You can always go back.  For me, I'd go with the Smith in a heartbeat.   JD

those are two MASSIVE guns for carry.  Sell the M&P and get a G19 or a compact 9mm something you like.

My carry gun is my HD pistol. I carry at home and just put it on the shelf by the bed when I lay down. I'm a firm beliver that loaded guns should be under your control or locked up. Anyhow it makes sense to pick one system and stick with it instead of having one manual of arms when you carry and a different one at home. You will default to your level of training so it makes sense to carry what you train with. If you are used to where the M9 points what happens when you grab the M&P in the middle of the night?

Nothing wrong with practicing with both but I think you would eventually want to decide which is a better fit for you and concentrate on that platform. If the M9 you can always get a Beretta 92 Compact to carry in the summer.

Edit to add if you stick with the M9 but needed a smaller gun for summer the Px4 Compact or Subcompact from Beretta might be worth looking at. They are smaller then the 92 Compact with the same manual of arms. I have never handled or shot one so I can't endorse them but they might be worth researching. If you decide to go with the M&P there are M&P compacts that fill the same niche.

That might've been a little confusing.  I carry a 442 every day.  It's just not what I grab once I'm undressed at night.   If I was going to sell the .45 to get another, I'd probably be looking at the compact m&p 9mm or another brand's compact. To  fill that gap in my guns.  A G19 doesn't work for me too well. I had one and sold it.

But I still think you always lose money when selling and may be better off just making do.  I don't think either are huge.  Now a mk23, that's huge.  Or the xd tactical .45 I have, that's huge.  I wouldn't want to try and conceal those.  

I'm not a fan of the M9, for me controls on the slide are a no go. I am generally a Glock guy, but find nothing wrong with the M&P 45 darn good gun and great round.
It's a little large for everyday carry but not as heavy as the M-9.  Of the two I would take the M&P every time and twice on Sunday.

Stick with your M9 your main rig if anything.  Use the M&P for HD duties.  You could do a rotation and I'm sure you aren't going to let yourself get locked in to use only one gun for carry now that you have the M&P.

I don't think there is a big enough size difference between the two to justify switching for carry, but body types and carry methods will dictate that. If you were talking about a M&P compact in 9mm then I think we would be talking about a size difference that is significant.

If you are asking, would the m&p 45 make a good carry gun, then yeah for sure. It wouldn't be my choice, but if it was all I had then I would make it work. It is good to have options, man.

Pretty good advice here. I had a Px4 subcompact and the gun was 100% reliable, but I sold it to fund a other gun purchase. I never could get good with the da/sa. This is when I was still pretty new into handguns. These days, I think I would have liked it a lot more.

I am a Beretta Guy and happen to like a lot of different guns but when I am on a Beretta kick I only use Berettas. I find it difficult to go to or from the Beretta to most anything else.
I can see an issue with the thumb safety on the Smith and the safety/decocker on the Beretta.

What does the S&W do that the Beretta does not?  Pack easier?  It sounds like you're not carrying it anywhere.  Is it worth giving up all your experience and repetitions on a proven platform for a gun that you've fired 100 rounds through?  To what gain?  To what purpose?

Most every change will yield short-term gains, because the different "feel" makes a shooter concentrate on returning to basic fundamentals.  But the long-term benefits from switching platforms are often slight.  Change if you gain some serious benefit, worth investing the time and practice you've already invested in the Beretta.  Otherwise, throw the S&W in the safe and pull it out for fun once in a while, IMO.

I like that the M&P has a rail and when it's sitting in my drawer for HD, it might be wise to get a wml to obviously get more control than 1 handed shooting and a hand held light.  That seems like a pretty big plus.  And I did only carry it once, but it seemed to carry easier for all the reasons stated.  

To me both of the reasons make it desirable.  It seems like a very easy weapon to learn to shoot well also.  But yeah, I've always liked the M9 and over the years around here that has not been a popular stance to have.  Seems like that is changing now though.

Some people love to hate the Berretta.

My bedside gun has always been my SW 686+.

Carry guns change based on where I'm going, or what I'm wearing.

Anytime you meet me in person, I'll have a j-frame, k-frame, SW Shield, or Glock 27 or 23 on me.

There's a couple oddballs that get thrown in the mix, and sometimes a combination of the above.

It's funny you mention the 686 because ever since I got a Model 19 I've been contemplating on putting that as my bedside gun too.  LOL.  Too many choices.  But the thing is so fun to shoot and it's hard to not like.  It just seems crazy to go from 15 rounds to 6 on board.  Of course that just opens a whole other can of worms.  

Anyways...  I still think a big upside to the M&P would be to be able to put a light on it.  Two handed shooting is a lot easier than one handed.  IMHO.   Of course I've had a full sized XD Tactical .45 sitting in my safe for a while and I really don't feel like I want to use that one for HD.  It's also an easy shooting gun.  Ugh....  I don't know what to do.  I'm fine for now as I'm totally covered.  But I always feel like there is a better way to do things.

There is nothing wrong with re-evaluating your set up, as you acquire new things or as new tech comes on the market it is the prudent thing to do. Maybe the thing to do is to go ahead and buy a weapon light and leave it on your M&P when you shoot it. I'm not a fan of the XD grip safeties so I would stick with the Beretta or one of the Smiths for defense.

Not to further muddy the waters but for $79 Beretta sells a bolt on rail for your M9.

Oh wow, I didn't realize.  Sure, make me more confused.  LOL.  

I still say I want to switch to the M&P.  I've always been of the opinion that .45 hits harder.  Whether or not it translates into real world effectiveness, I don't know.  Plus there is a trade off with recoil and slower shots.  But I remember setting up some logs one time and my M9 took 2-3 hits to make them fall and the XD tactical .45 put them down with authority in one shot.  I know that might have nothing to do with anything.  But if you get hit with a baseball bat, I'm assuming you'd have more damage and pain from the heavier one with more energy behind it, than a lighter one......  Of course now I probably just started a flame war.  

And now I wouldn't have to buy another rail with it already on the M&P.....  But it's good to know about that rail if I ever want to outfit the Beretta with it.  Thanks!

No further questions, Your Honor.                  JD

Human beings and logs are not the same.  Shoot a human, they will show a change in behavior.  You fire until the threat is neutralized.  Being able to carry almost 2x as many rounds, gives you additional opportunity to hit (and conversely, miss) faster if follow up shots are needed.

On another note- the M&P is a sweet shooter.  

http://www.tactical-life.com/gear/45-acp-vs-9mm-ammo/#bsum-buffoni

"Energy" matters not at all with a pistol. If you're getting stabbed with a knife does a .80" wide blade really hurt much worse than a .70" wide blade? Permanent wound cavity in important parts is what matters and good pistol ammo performs roughly the same. Sans barriers there is no reason to shoot anything but 9mm assuming you're carrying quality ammo.

the M&P is better in EVERY way than an M9.....IMHO

except for holding paper down on a desk......

Aside from the muscle memory the OP has built up, the higher capacity, the lighter recoil, and the cost of ammunition.

I've got nothing against the M&P and honestly if a new shooter came to me today the M9 wouldn't be the handgun I'd recommend. That said the Beretta is a fine pistol provided you maintain it, including swapping out the locking block every 5,000 rds when you change recoil springs, and train around the safety location. It sounds like the OP has already done the latter.

I do presentations with swiping off the slide mounted decocker.  I don't really find that a big bother.  Although I can totally see why people advocate a striker gun with no safety.  As my main carry gun is a DA revolver.  So.......

I guess I should say that with a caveat because I've learn to grab at the front of the slide to rack a round and I guess that may be a little more dangerous as the heal of my hand is closer to the muzzle.  If the slide is to the rear after locking back on a round, no big deal.  But if I was racking while it was in battery, it gets real close to the muzzle.  Under stress it might even cover the muzzle for an instant.  I don't like the trying to rack it at the rear with all the different methods.  Using just your thumb and pointer finger.  Or whatever.  But if you use your whole hand, you're for sure going to hit the safety.  It's good to just swipe your thumb every time you manipulate the slide..... but it is an extra step.  

However, this may carry over to this particular M&P because that safety is kind of big and gets in the way when trying to rack the rear of the slide.  Give you less of a positive grasp.  Although I hear you can get rid of those.  I'm not sure if I want to or not.  It's my first time carrying a striker fired pistol and I like having it there when I holster.  

I like how cheap 9mm is.  I've never had a lot of money and the price of  .45 does give me pause......  Carry ammo between the two is a lot closer price wise, but practice ammo, 9mm all the way.  

I still say a punch that knocks me over is going to do more damage to my face and hurt more and leave more of a bruise then one that doesn't make me move that much.  That just seems like common sense.  I know that's not wound ballistics.  But some people in the know still will say a .45 hits harder and leaves bigger holes and might be a good thing.  But that's not to say 9mm is not "good enough".  It's funny I even have to go there as I used to defend 9mm for years on here when the prevailing attitude was .45 is better.  Things have changed drastically in the last 5 years even about this whole thing.

Like others have stated, if you like the beretta a PX4 compact or subcompact would be a great carry gun to transfer your muscle memory over to.

But it sounds like your mind is already made up, could just be "new handgun" love though. After a couple weeks/months you might find yourself drifting back to the beretta, I know I've done that before.

Could be.  

It's interesting though.  I thought I'd get more responses of like, HECK YEAH.  I guess the older designs aren't quite dead yet.  

M&P 9 issues with Accuracy have been resolved and IMHO were over blown anyway.
I would never sell an M&P 45. They are some of the most accurate out of the box guns I have ever shot and definately one of the most comfortable.



Yes, that is an NRA/CMP 25 Yard Bull Target.
Yes, that was shot at 25 yards.
Yes, it was shot one handed and was during a timed fire stage. (5 rounds in 20 seconds, reload and shoot 5 more)

I would keep it for sure.
Again JMHO
cp

GREAT SHOOTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

I agree with all that you said.  It IS a very soft shooting .45.  What ammo did you use for that match?

You should see what I do for keeping the polymer put in my hand.  So ghetto....... But works.  

I like your stippling though.   You must still have good eyes.  

As a long time Beretta 92-series fan, I will say that after replacing the factory poly trigger (just the trigger, nothing else) to an Apex Tactical poly trigger, I very much like my M&P45. It is easily one of my favorite 45 ACP pistols I have owned and as the above poster indicated, it is quite accurate. The one thing I wish S&W would have done would have been to design an extended 12 rd rather than 14 rd magazine. The 14 rounders are hideously long (but fanctional). My M9A1 and M&P45 have been my two most carried pistols lately. IMO, they are both very good choices if full size carry is an option.

I'll be honest, I didn't even realize there was a 14 rounder available.  I'll have to have a looksee.

Thank you!

Atlanta Arms 185gr Match JHP.
I can get about the same result from the the Newer 185gr Match "Elite" ammo from AA as well. However it feels a bit hotter than the older Black box match.
cp

Good to know.

I've gone 9mm full time on a carry basis. But fot a bed gun I use my P220. It was a welcome weight on my hip for 20 years on the street and I'm not ready to give up on the ole girl yet

I was never worried about capacity, it was weight on old hip that sent me polymer, along with very good 9mm ammo. But weight isn't a concern for home defense. I think a .45 and a nearby fighting shotgun is perfect.

I'm still undecided on what to do.  The M9 just fits my hands so nice and it's like an old friend.  But the M&P feels really good and like I said, it's easier to pack when I want to.  But then that always brings me to wanting a smaller gun for carry.....  LOL.  It never ends.  I think the .45c would be a better carry gun.  But if I'm going to go smaller I'd prefer 9mm.  I should get my HiPower worked over.  It's like the perfect size.

Indecision leads to regret down the road if you do sell it.

My advise is keep it and start saving for the Beretta and a Carry gun down the road.

This comes from many years of buying, selling, trading to get what you think you want only to regret it later. I never regret getting the new one, just selling the one that doesnt have the new "glint" at the moment.

cp

yeah, and you never get what you pay for a gun...  well it seems like it.  It's always good to have a good .45.    The dilemma is if I should make it my go to HD gun or not.  Well and then my alternate carry gun.  I think for sure it's going to go into that role.    I'm researching how much I want to have a weapon mounted light or not for Home Defense.  I guess I could keep my M9 as my home defense and then use the M&P as the alternate carry gun.  But if I want a WML, then the M&P is the obvious choice.  Of course someone posted that you can get a rail for the M9.  I had not seen that one before.  I only knew about those grips that have a rail attached.  They're kind of funky.

As much as I love the M9, I vote for you to go with the M&P. An APEX trigger in the M&P makes it a totally perfect pistol IMO. Here's mine (standard trigger sadly, it's my duty gun so I cannot change that by policy) with the extended mags and 10-8 baseplates:

I carry my M9A1 in a JM Custom AIWB all the time. Carry the gun you shoot the best.

I really don't mind the stock trigger at all.  I've shot a lot of different pistols and IMHO, the trigger is fine.  My HiPower is a whole other story...  But I love that gun....

On a side note.  I was at Gander Mountain today killing time and buying a target stand.  They had 14 round mags for the M&P .45 for........   waaaaait forrrr iiiiiiiiiiit:




SIXTY NINE DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Like I always say, whoever does their pricing is on crack.  

I hate to admit it, but I shot it today a little bit side by side with my M9 and I can't shoot the M&P nearly as well.....    And then I had a malf.  Although I'm pretty sure it's the ammo.  I had some of those 165 grain Federal hydra shok low recoil.  I was always skeptical that those would feed and cycle fine in any auto.  But when I ran some through my BIL's springy milspec, it had nary a problem with them.  Anyways, it failed to go into battery.  Or however you say that.  Slide was still back some with the round starting to feed fine but stopped part way through.

Regardless, I was shooting at 25 meters and on paper I'm way better with the M9 and shooting at clays on the berm I am too.   So......  I don't know if it's the recoil or the gun or what.  I was just shooting WWB 230 grain, besides the 9 rounds of the federal low recoil.  

I've gone weird because I think I was shooting my 442 almost as good as my M9.  I think I found ammo it likes.  Plus the DA pull forces you to take it a bit slower.  

I do think this can be an advantage at times.



 

Yeah, I'm trying to decide if that upside is only good for range or would translate in a defense scenario.  I think you could go both ways on that.   My Step Dad who was a cop always harped on how people would be like spitting distances away in a gunfight and miss a lot.  But I'm not sure if he knew what he was talking or not.  He was known for being a BS'er.   But from my own hunting experience, spraying and praying doesn't get you hits.  Taking your time and making sure you're good when you drop the hammer is what gets you hits.  Even when the deer are running.  

Anyways.........  It might all be a moot point because I think I might've found someone locally who can work on my HiPower.  Which I like better than any other auto I've shot.  And packs a lot easier than the M9 or M&P.   It needs work on the sear / safety engagement.

Stick with your M9!  No comparison!

That's the plan for now.