M&P -vs- XDM (Poll)

[FatsMcKay]

I say m&p with the thumb safety all day. Great reliable gun, looks great, shoots straight

 

[Fordtough25]

I voted XDM because I had one and liked it for the most part, but my GF has an M&P9 and I like it too. I prefer my Glocks honestly though. The height of the XDM's slide bugged me, stupid I know but I didn't like it. I shot it great though and it functioned 100%. I wanted another one for a day or so but I think I will just pickup another 1911 down the road. Maybe an M&P 45 down the road.

 

[Plinkuh]

I have mad respect for the M&P but feel as if the XDm has a slight advantage over the M&P in fit and finish and the trigger. Just my

 

[Sigasaurus]

Option #3 Glock all day gentlemen!!!

 

[oneshotonekill]

MP is a Glock with better ergos....XD's are bulky, heavy, crap trigger, balance funny, yada yada yada.....

Look at how many XD's are for sale compared to MP's....think about it.

 

[Sylvain]

You talk about looks. Wow that really affects the functionality of a firearm eh? The only people who worry about that are the mall ninja crowd or the group that spends more time posing their guns for photos with a "tactical" knife, "tactical"flashlight and other uber "tactical" stuff instead of shooting the gun.

I dont agree with that.
To me look is just as important as how the gun works.
You dont have to be a mall ninja to care about looks.I think every gun owner care about looks, it's why some people spend lots of money on good looking guns.
If you dont care about looks at all and just want a gun that works then I guess you only own Hi Point guns.
Same way if people just wanted the best gun for their money and didn't care about looks then everybody would own Glocks and nothing else.
Nobody would spend thousands of dollars on an expensive 1911 with a beautiful finish, wood grips and such.A $500 Glock works just as good for half of the money.

If there are two guns I like, they have the same kind of internals, same reliability, magazine capacity, price etc ... the looks is what's going to make me buy one rather than the other.

And you cant explain why you like the look of a gun, you can criticize someone's opinion about look either.It's a personal choice.

You can say that a gun is better than another because it's lighter, holds more ammo, is more reliable etc ... but you cant say that a gun is better because of looks.
It's all a matter of personal preference.
So if someone tells you "I like Hi Point guns better than Glocks because I think they look better" then you just cannot argue with that.It's personal preference and everybody has a different opinion of what is a good looking gun.

I wouldn't buy a gun if im not attracted by the look of it.Of course it's not the only thing that I take into consideration, but it's one of them.
And I think that MANY gun owners are the same way.

 

[ATM]

...everybody would own Glocks and nothing else...

ew.

 

[tnek]

I dont agree with that.
To me look is just as important as how the gun works.
You dont have to be a mall ninja to care about looks.I think every gun owner care about looks, it's why some people spend lots of money on good looking guns.
If you dont care about looks at all and just want a gun that works then I guess you only own Hi Point guns.
Same way if people just wanted the best gun for their money and didn't care about looks then everybody would own Glocks and nothing else.
Nobody would spend thousands of dollars on an expensive 1911 with a beautiful finish, wood grips and such.A $500 Glock works just as good for half of the money.

If there are two guns I like, they have the same kind of internals, same reliability, magazine capacity, price etc ... the looks is what's going to make me buy one rather than the other.

And you cant explain why you like the look of a gun, you can criticize someone's opinion about look either.It's a personal choice.

You can say that a gun is better than another because it's lighter, holds more ammo, is more reliable etc ... but you cant say that a gun is better because of looks.
It's all a matter of personal preference.
So if someone tells you "I like Hi Point guns better than Glocks because I think they look better" then you just cannot argue with that.It's personal preference and everybody has a different opinion of what is a good looking gun.

I wouldn't buy a gun if im not attracted by the look of it.Of course it's not the only thing that I take into consideration, but it's one of them.
And I think that MANY gun owners are the same way.

My point is for anyone to pick a firearm because it looks cool (Spas 12) or cute.
Myself I have owned a few Wilson pistols that were absolutely beautiful. BUT first and foremost the ran like a sewing machine. IF you pick a gun you like and it also is aesthetically pleasing, fine. But for me, and I won't speak for all, form follows function.
I have never owned a highpoint and have no need for one. What I NEED is primarily my first factor for any gun nowadays. Followed by function and ergonomics. If those points are addressed then I find I shoot the gun better for me at my pitiful skill level. Other items like calibre and mag capacity etc are driven by what I plan on using it for.
Like I said, I have shot an M&P and found nothing wrong with it. I personally hate the grip angle of Glocks but I acknowledge they are reliable and shoot well.
I choose the XD because I like the grip angle, the way it feels and shoots for me. Pretty has nothing to do with it. Heck I shoot a purple shotgun in multigun.

 

[MilitaryArms]

I've owned 4 XD's and none of them worked right for me. It's totally me too, my ape like thumb would constantly prevent the slide from locking back on the last shot no matter what I did. That's true for the .40, .45 and 9mm versions. I sold my last one to a buddy and sadly will never buy another.

The M&P is nothing short of amazing. It's quickly climbing my ladder of handgun in popularity, and it will likely replace my G19 as my daily carry come Oct and after I get Raven to make me a holster at the Indy 1500.

I now have two M&P's... I have the bug.

 

[redpitbull44]

As are poor design features. You can church it up all you want with new design lines, a fancy box and "interchangeable backstraps", but the bore axis is still stupid high, and the overall height is unnecessarily long. I DO like the extra capacity in the XDm however, but can get extended magazines for the M&P series. Full size VS full size the M&P works better for the way I carry.

Im so sick of this ignorance of bore axis horse hockey. I suspect if you were not told of it you would never know it or can actually tell the difference.
Its miniscule and the 1911 actually has a "bore axis" which is higher.
With lots of people its a chevy vs ford silly argument. You like what you like so you tear down what you dont.

You suspect incorrectly. I have been shooting for decades. I am not "tearing down what I don't like". I noticed aluminum frame 1911s have noticeably more muzzle flip than steel frame 1911s. This is due to weight. Both seem to have more muzzle flip than the XD and M&P. Between an M&P45 and an XD 45 I noticed more muzzle flip with the XD. I am not the only one. Most of the M&P and Glock shooters I know that have shot XDs and XDMs have said the same thing. This is due to a higher bore axis. It's simple physics. You want to get hot and bothered over buzz words like bore axis go ahead. It is a term that people understand. I actually like the XDM over the Glock. I chose the M&P for the reasons stated, because it carries better for me, and it feels better in my hand. I took an XDM and my, (yes MY) XD 45 service and measured the grips side by side with a caliper, the XDM grip with small backstrap and XD grip were nearly identical. The feel was exactly the same. This was a big deal for me, because I wanted the smallest grip diameter possible while still having a 10+ round capacity with .45acp.

You talk about looks. Wow that really affects the functionality of a firearm eh? The only people who worry about that are the mall ninja crowd or the group that spends more time posing their guns for photos with a "tactical" knife, "tactical"flashlight and other uber "tactical" stuff instead of shooting the gun.

Yes, and if you LOOK, right up there^, you will see that what I said was essentially "looks aren't everything". What I said was "it may be purdy, but it doesn't work for me". As far as tactical... yeah, I have a light on my home defense pistol. Yeah, I train with it. I have it and train with it so I don't accidentally shoot my 4 year old in the middle of the night instead of the meth head that broke down my back door.

When you start shooting and winning at a national level then I might be inclined to listen to this drivel. Till then your just parroting the BS of the "my guns better than your gun" crowd.

Oh, so that's the measure you go by? Somebody who is a successful competition shooter? Of course! shooting at cardboard and steel, yes. That is the only measure of a proficient shooter, or one who knows anything about weapons manipulation, marksmanship, or combat ergonomics. I have never felt the need to test my abilities or accomplishments against anyone else. And I'm not parroting anything. I use buzz words like "bore axis" for the sake of brevity. If you knew me, and you asked the people who know me, you would realize that the gun, knife, and gear choices I make are based on months, and sometimes YEARS of research prior to purchase. Reading, handling, firing, asking around. Finding the guys who are already wringing it out to see what they've run across. Once I acquire a piece of gear, a gun, or a knife, I put it through its paces myself. I test it out, tear it apart, put it back together, break it in, run it 'til it gives up and see what failed.

The last line you wrote "Full size VS full size the M&P works better for the way I carry" is the only thing you need to say to express a valid opinion.

Full size vs Full size. Yes, I carry a .380 in my pocket and an M&P .45 IWB. It conceals better than the XD45 service did.

Oh, and one last thing. I didn't spend 15 minutes replying to this guy's post because I feel like I need to prove myself to him. I took the time to explain my decisions more in depth for posterity, so the next time a guy who can't decide between an M&P and an XDM goes looking, he will see that somebody has already done the leg work, and can hopefully draw his own conclusions based on unbiased research, experience, and opinion alike.

Are you referring to the extended mags for the compact? I've not found extended mags (like the glock 33 rd mag) for the full size line above the standard 17 round mag. If you have a source I'm all ears.

No, I am referring to the factory S&W 14 round magazines available for the .45, but there are base pad extensions for all of them here: Smith & Wesson Base Pad from Arredondo Accessories that will add 6 of 9mm, 5 of .40, or 3 of .45 to a standard mag.
Hope this helps.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Both are good pistols, but in my opinion the Xdm's are to chunky!

 

[tnek]

You suspect incorrectly. I have been shooting for decades. I am not "tearing down what I don't like". I noticed aluminum frame 1911s have noticeably more muzzle flip than steel frame 1911s. This is due to weight. Both seem to have more muzzle flip than the XD and M&P. Between an M&P45 and an XD 45 I noticed more muzzle flip with the XD. I am not the only one. Most of the M&P and Glock shooters I know that have shot XDs and XDMs have said the same thing. This is due to a higher bore axis. It's simple physics. You want to get hot and bothered over buzz words like bore axis go ahead. It is a term that people understand. I actually like the XDM over the Glock. I chose the M&P for the reasons stated, because it carries better for me, and it feels better in my hand. I took an XDM and my, (yes MY) XD 45 service and measured the grips side by side with a caliper, the XDM grip with small backstrap and XD grip were nearly identical. The feel was exactly the same. This was a big deal for me, because I wanted the smallest grip diameter possible while still having a 10+ round capacity with .45acp.

Yes, and if you LOOK, right up there^, you will see that what I said was essentially "looks aren't everything". What I said was "it may be purdy, but it doesn't work for me". As far as tactical... yeah, I have a light on my home defense pistol. Yeah, I train with it. I have it and train with it so I don't accidentally shoot my 4 year old in the middle of the night instead of the meth head that broke down my back door.

Oh, so that's the measure you go by? Somebody who is a successful competition shooter? Of course! shooting at cardboard and steel, yes. That is the only measure of a proficient shooter, or one who knows anything about weapons manipulation, marksmanship, or combat ergonomics. I have never felt the need to test my abilities or accomplishments against anyone else. And I'm not parroting anything. I use buzz words like "bore axis" for the sake of brevity. If you knew me, and you asked the people who know me, you would realize that the gun, knife, and gear choices I make are based on months, and sometimes YEARS of research prior to purchase. Reading, handling, firing, asking around. Finding the guys who are already wringing it out to see what they've run across. Once I acquire a piece of gear, a gun, or a knife, I put it through its paces myself. I test it out, tear it apart, put it back together, break it in, run it 'til it gives up and see what failed.

Full size vs Full size. Yes, I carry a .380 in my pocket and an M&P .45 IWB. It conceals better than the XD45 service did.

Oh, and one last thing. I didn't spend 15 minutes replying to this guy's post because I feel like I need to prove myself to him. I took the time to explain my decisions more in depth for posterity, so the next time a guy who can't decide between an M&P and an XDM goes looking, he will see that somebody has already done the leg work, and can hopefully draw his own conclusions based on unbiased research, experience, and opinion alike.


No, I am referring to the factory S&W 14 round magazines available for the .45, but there are base pad extensions for all of them here: Smith & Wesson Base Pad from Arredondo Accessories that will add 6 of 9mm, 5 of .40, or 3 of .45 to a standard mag.
Hope this helps.

Enjoy your M&P.

Competative shooting isnt the be all end all but its a pretty decent indicator of basic skills and most anyone who does it some probably spends more time sending rounds down range at practice and under match conditions than the occasional gunshop comando.
The same goes for those who take various training courses. Its a matter of actually spending time shooting vs some of the comandos who shoot a couple hundred rounds a year and profess to be experts.

Having a light on your gun is a personal decision based on your needs evidently. You know as well as I do hopefully that there are guys who make comments on firearms who spend more time posing their guns for pictures than shooting them.

BTW the Sig has a lower bore axis so maybe you should spend a couple years researching them.

 

[jayhawk]

I like the plastic striker-fired one.

 

[tyler34]

XD was the first pistol I bought and I liked it a lot, not so much the stiffer than hell recoil spring but I ended up trading it for an M&P as it was just a better fit all around.

 

[redpitbull44]

Its a matter of actually spending time shooting vs some of the comandos who shoot a couple hundred rounds a year and profess to be experts. You know as well as I do hopefully that there are guys who make comments on firearms who spend more time posing their guns for pictures than shooting them.
BTW the Sig has a lower bore axis so maybe you should spend a couple years researching them.

Yes, I do know. I know very well. The way I like to put it is "My monthly ammo bill is higher than most folks utility bill". The reality is, on a weak month I still spend somewhere between $170 and $340 on ammo. That's 2-400 rounds each of CHEAP .45, 12ga, and 7.62x39. Of course sometimes I get more of one than the other, but you get the idea. Most people don't have that type of commitment to their proficiency, or they simply can not afford it. I am not raking in the dough either. I just feel a responsibility to myself and my family to try and stay sharp.
Regarding the Sig: I am left handed. Most Sigs don't work for me. I had a P250 .45 full size. Wouldn't recommend it due to the horrible trigger and poor accuracy. Mine shot 6" low off a rest, confirmed by 4 other known good shooters. Called Sig, told them, and they told me they don't have sights to adjust for 6" low. I basically said YHGTBFKM and sold it back to the shop I bought it from. Broke my heart, because I loved how that gun looked, felt, went together, everything. The only down sides were the trigger, inaccuracy, and overly expensive accessories ($40 magazines?!?!?!).

I like the plastic striker-fired one.

Me too. I like any of them if I don't have one.

 

[Monty]

XDM 9mm for my wife and I both

 

[ShooterG53]

I think that both are good designs but I prefer the M&P in 9MM or 40.

 

[thumperdogg]

I don't think I have ever shot a gun I liked better than my XDM 9mm. Perfect out of the box! I love the look and design even more.

 

[tnek]

Yes, I do know. I know very well. The way I like to put it is "My monthly ammo bill is higher than most folks utility bill". The reality is, on a weak month I still spend somewhere between $170 and $340 on ammo. That's 2-400 rounds each of CHEAP .45, 12ga, and 7.62x39. Of course sometimes I get more of one than the other, but you get the idea. Most people don't have that type of commitment to their proficiency, or they simply can not afford it. I am not raking in the dough either. I just feel a responsibility to myself and my family to try and stay sharp.
Regarding the Sig: I am left handed. Most Sigs don't work for me. I had a P250 .45 full size. Wouldn't recommend it due to the horrible trigger and poor accuracy. Mine shot 6" low off a rest, confirmed by 4 other known good shooters. Called Sig, told them, and they told me they don't have sights to adjust for 6" low. I basically said YHGTBFKM and sold it back to the shop I bought it from. Broke my heart, because I loved how that gun looked, felt, went together, everything. The only down sides were the trigger, inaccuracy, and overly expensive accessories ($40 magazines?!?!?!).
Me too. I like any of them if I don't have one.

Never shot or held a sig. Had another M&P in my hand today but didnt shoot it. They feel nice but the trigger on this one felt like it was full of gravel. The owner acknowledeged it and commented on it. He actually traded his XD and ended up with this one NIB. He said they are supposed to smooth out. I dont know since I dont own one. Ill keep my XDs.
You should reload if you shoot that much. Im looking at a box of 3K montana gold 9s and 1K of SMK 69s as well.

 

[hoosier_sully]

My vote goes to the M&P. I've owned both and for me the M&P has better ergonomics. Find what fits and shoots well for you and enjoy.