Just this month, Smith & Wesson introduced their M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm handgun to supplement its M&P M2.0 full-size gun released earlier this year. It is my opinion that this new compact 9mm will directly compete with the very successful Glock 19 compact 9mm pistol, used by many for concealed carry. There are other compact 4-inch barreled guns that compete in this compact category. I shall present some later in this review.
The M2.0 Compact is intended to provide major changes from the original M&P 9 C design (especially the trigger, aggressive texturized grip, and extended stainless steel chassis for stability.) I wanted to test and evaluate the changes and improvements for this compact concealed carry gun for myself, since I already own the other variants. I was ready to especially experience the improved trigger, audible and tactile short reset, the more aggressive grip and improved ergonomics, 4 palmswell inserts, and the stainless steel chassis, etc. Thanks to Smith-Wesson I was able to receive one of the first ones produced to test and evaluate it for readers, students, and for myself.
I wondered if this M2.0 Compact would meet my preferences and personal criteria for my concealed carry or home defense guns? Are the trigger improvements and short, tactile and audible reset really “significant” improvements? Does the extended steel chassis help any with muzzle flip and felt recoil? Is the trigger press lighter, crisper, and smooth compared to the original version’s hard press? Does the grip texturing help for a more solid grip? I want to analyze, compare, and evaluate this M&P M2.0 Compact relative to some of my top 9mm guns, so I can recommend it or not in this article. Some of my students will shoot and evaluate it and give me feedback. I have reviewed several 9mm compact and full-size guns in depth recently, several on this website. I evaluate my Top 21 concealed carry guns in the recent second printing of my book “Concealed Carry & Handgun Essentials.” I definitely favor the 9mm for concealed carry and want to help readers and students compare this new model to my other recommended 9mms. The Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm series has a reputation for quality and accuracy, so how does this improved M2.0 Compact model rate?
I use my handgun selection criteria, compare each criterion to the gun’s features, and show my range test results for the M2.0 Compact, to help you analyze your handguns and make the best selection for yourself. You can add or subtract from my criteria to meet your needs and preferences. I was very anxious to compare it factor by factor to my other quality 9mm guns and receive input from some of my students to see if it truly ranked in my top concealed carry pistols. Know that I am not on the Smith-Wesson payroll, have not been paid by them for this article, and not influenced to say certain things about the gun. I want to be honest and straight-forward with my opinions and ideas the way I see the pistol to sincerely help folks. Specifically, I want to hands-on test and evaluate to learn:
- How accurate is it out of the box, with the improvements and without modifications?
- What weight is the new trigger press? Is the trigger really light, smooth and crisp?
- Does it have a short and distinct reset that is easy to feel and hear?
- Is it a reliable gun with FMJ and JHP ammo?
- Does the extended rigid and steel chassis frame help with muzzle flip, recoil, and reduce torque when firing it? (6) Is the high grip-to-barrel-bore axis comfortable for me and does it help reduce muzzle rise and help for a faster aim recovery?
- Is the slide stop truly ambidextrous and does it freely and easily control the slide?
- Do you have to press the trigger to disassemble it or can you deactivate the sear easily beforehand?
- Which of the 4 interchangeable palmswell grip inserts work best for me?
- Does the 18-degree grip angle work for me and must I rotate my hand to operate the controls with this angle?
- Is the grip texture too aggressive for me and like gritty sandpaper or not?
- What are its pros, cons, and special features?
- Is this a 9mm compact gun I would recommend or not for concealed carry and/or home defense?
First, I will give you the M&P M2.0 Compact’s Specifications and special Features. Then, I will follow with a mini-visual comparison between the original M&P 9 C and this new M&P M2.0 Compact. Then I will present a chart comparing this new M2.0 Compact to 6 other current 4-inch barrel 9mms for concealed carry. Next comes my 10 criteria and their definitions. Following this, I will conduct my live-fire range test, show actual results, and give my opinions with ratings and support for each of my criteria, with individual one-by-one analysis and ratings. Then my final overall recommendation or not is given, based on my assigned number of points and my opinions. I hope this saves you some time and helps you make an important decision about what 9mm compact handgun to buy for concealed carry.
S&W M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm DEALS
Thanks to Sig Sauer Ammo for providing various ammo loads for my testing and evaluation of the M2.0 Compact to determine how well the gun cycled, handled, and performed. I shot high-quality Sig Sauer Elite V-Crown 124 grain JHP (rated MV=1165 fps & ME=374 ftlbs) and Sig Sauer Elite Ball 115 grain FMJ (rated MV=1185 fps & ME=359 ftlbs.) This is quality high-velocity premium ammo and worked great in this gun.
I fired only about 250 rounds to evaluate this gun (usually I shoot 500 rounds over a couple of days) to decide if I want to carry the gun and/or use it for personal protection or not. The ammo worked fine and gave me the information I needed after shooting the M2.0 Compact. Below are my evaluations for each of my 10 criteria for my concealed carry and home defense purposes. I wanted to put the gun through its paces and check it thoroughly for malfunctions, stoppages, and performance with quality JHP personal defense ammo and FMJ rounds, etc. I appreciate and want to thank again Sig Sauer for providing the various FMJ and JHP ammo for me to test and evaluate the new M2.0 Compact 9mm.
Like its full-size counterpart the M2.0, the M2.0 Compact has really nice ergonomics. It felt very good in my hands and the grips were aggressively texturized just right and not too grippy or rough. It was comfortable and the 4 interchangeable grips allowed me to customize it for an excellent fit to my hands. I liked the new Medium-Large palmswell grip insert and it gave me a solid grip. The aggressive texturing of the M2.0 grips was definitely an improvement over the grips on my original gun. NOT too aggressive and I really like them.
The trigger was definitely improved. The things I liked best about the new and improved M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm were the aggressive texturing and solid grip; the light press, smooth, and crisp improved trigger; the short tactile and audible reset; the nice 18-degree grip angle and high grip to barrel bore axis; and the rigid stainless steel chassis to help with felt recoil.
Certainly the 4 interchangeable palmswell grip inserts helped the fit to my hand. The new partial front, scalloped cocking serrations were a nice touch for press checks, etc. I was able to fit all my fingers on the grip, it felt nice, and I was able to handle it for good hits. The gun did not slip in my hands and I was able to handle the recoil easily. It does have an ambidextrous slide stop, with reversible mag release, and optional ambi thumb safety. The slide was very easy for me to rack and the felt recoil and muzzle rise were very manageable, given its all steel slide, barrel, sights, and steel chassis. It felt very solid in my hands, although lightweight. Even the new mag release button is steel over the previous polymer one. Below I will get into the evaluation factors and my ideas for each of my criteria after the range testing by myself and my students.
This M2.0 Compact was very similar to my original M&P 9C in terms of its reliability, accuracy, grip angle, takedown, and basic operations. But it was definitely improved over the original in terms of the trigger, tactile reset, grip texturing, and rigid steel chassis that reduced the torque and felt recoil when firing it. I had no malfunctions or stoppages at all with the M2.0 Compact and the Sig Sauer types and weights of ammo fired. After my range live fire, the new M&P compact really impressed me as a very accurate and reliable (with the limited 250 rounds fired by me) gun for carry and personal protection. I really like the premium Sig Sauer V-Crown 124 grain JHPs for defensive use, because of the expansion and less over-penetration. For self-defense, I am not shooting precision bullseyes, but want great shot placement AND expansion, rather than a small group. So the target hits by this old goat with a new tool were very acceptable for close-up self-defense encounters. BUT, shoot it for yourself to make your own decisions, based on your abilities, goals, proficiency, and purpose. Below are my hits for my first 15 rounds at 7 yards fired rapid fire with the M2.0 Compact. This gun performed great and I will probably start assembling my pennies.
