Smith and Wesson M&P 40 Review

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Smith and Wesson M&P 40

The Smith and Wesson M&P series handguns give the Glock and Sig Sauer a run for the money when it comes to design and quality. Most of the features of Smith and Wesson M&P 40 are identical to that of the other models such as M&P 9 and M&P 45.The top of the barrel is stamped with the .40 S&W signifying the caliber of the handgun.

Smith and Wesson M&P 40 is comparatively longer, wider and taller than similar handguns in the market. Considering the factory magazines, Smith and Wesson M&P 40 carries 2 more pounds at 15 due to its much bigger profile. It is the perfect handgun in terms of size for those with wider hands.

The Smith and Wesson M&P 40 comes with a carrying case, a user manual, 15 round capacity of magazines and three different, interchangeable grip back straps. It does not come with the optional ambidextrous thumb safety, an installed magazine lock or an internal lock. Extra customizability allows addition of Tritium night sights.

The ergonomic considerations in the Smith and Wesson M&P 40 are impressive to say the least.

The levers and releases on the M&P 40 are large, and this makes them easy to use for shooters with large hands. The M&P 40 also presents an overall cleaner looking profile with its attention to detail and tapered edges.

The M&P 40 is suitable for use by both left and right hand shooters, with its ambidextrous controls. The magazine release can be adjusted according to which hand you are using for shooting, and the ambidextrous nature makes it easy to release the magazine and reload the weapon, without the need of switching hands in the process.

The Smith and Wesson M&P 40 has really worked well in its design. The angled wave design grip is its distinct characteristic that is new in this handgun. The wave design makes the opening of the slide much easier even if the hands are wet or while wearing gloves.

The M&P 40 incorporates two safety features, namely the integrated trigger safety, and the loaded chamber indicator. The loaded chamber indicator is located on the barrel, just behind the caliber stamp. It is a hole in the top of the handgun. It indicates brass or silver color rim of the bullet when a round is loaded in the chamber. This eases the user from pulling the slide back to check if the gun is loaded or not. The integrated trigger safety feature comes in the way of a good trigger squeeze. Instead, a grip safety and ambidextrous thumb safety over this feature would have been preferred.

The Smith and Wesson M&P 40's affordability, quality, ruggedness, and reliability make it one of the most popular handguns available in the market.

Model: M&P 40
Action: DAO
Caliber: 40
Overall Length: 7.63"
Overall Height: 5.50"
Overall Width: 1.20"
Barrel Length: 4.25"
Sights: 3-Dot
Capacity: 15 + 1
Weight: 24.25 oz.