M&P Questions

J

Jumping_Jehosaphat

New member
I'm new to the M&P and have some questions for those willing to let me pick their minds.

Is installing the Apex trigger system worth the money? If so, aluminum or plastic? I typically put 200 rounds in once a month. I have no problems with the trigger but I read everywhere where people swear by it.

I'm not totally thrilled with the sights, is there a set anyone recommends?

Is installing a stiffer set of springs even worth looking in to if I install the Apex trigger kit?
 
I carry an M&P on duty, and other then polishing up all the metal in the trigger group, I don't feel like the APEX stuff is needed. That said, all reviews seem to indicate that installing the APEX kit (s) do make a big difference, so one day I will install one. Figure if I don't like it, I can always go back and get close to breaking even on the kit. When I do buy, it will be the metal trigger just because.

I have a WML, so sights haven't been upgraded yet either, and I'm kinda up in the air about those myself.
 
A friend's father, who had the standard M&P, came with us to the range, where he shot my M&P Pro with a number of Apex upgrades (done before I bought it.) He couldn't believe the difference -- and how much better the Apex upgrades made the gun. His next gun-purchases were going to be Apex parts for his gun.

I've got a bunch of different guns, most with some tuning; the M&P Pro, upgraded with Apex parts, has about the best trigger of all of them. To make things even better, mine is a very accurate gun (but that arguably isn't due to the Apex modifications.)

That said, some polishing of parts internally, would probably improve things if you left yours stock.
 
Jumping_Jehosaphat said:
Is installing the Apex trigger system worth the money?... I have no problems with the trigger but I read everywhere where people swear by it.
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Newer M&Ps (2014+) have better triggers than the older models. If you shoot the pistol just fine and you're happy with it, as the old proverb goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Jumping_Jehosaphat said:
I'm not totally thrilled with the sights, is there a set anyone recommends?
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What do you find wrong with them?
Jumping_Jehosaphat said:
Is installing a stiffer set of springs even worth looking in to if I install the Apex trigger kit?
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Stiffer springs for what?

Before you answer –
  • IMHO stiffer recoil springs and striker springs in auto pistols are best used only to fix specific functioning problems. They aren't usually a categorical improvement over stock parts, or else the gunmaker would have installed them in the first place, as stiff springs don't generally cost more than soft ones. :)
  • Don't believe the frequently parroted advice that a stiffer recoil spring will categorically make a pistol last longer because it "reduces frame battering". In truth, a recoil spring generally has little influence on how hard the slide hits the frame during the recoil stroke, but it WILL cause the slide to slam shut harder on the return stroke, so at best you're trading wear in one area for wear in another.
 
If you're handy, the Burwell trigger job gets you a decent trigger. I don't know if it's as good as an Apex trigger, but it's still a big improvement...and it's relatively easy to do, and, best of all, free. :)

I did, however, replace the factory extractor with an Apex extractor. Many I've spoken to who shoot the M&P heavily found the factory extractor to be unreliable over the long run, so I swapped in an Apex extractor when doing the Burwell trigger job.

http://www.burwellguns.com/misc/M&Ptriggerjob.pdf
 
I had an M&P Shield 9mm for about a year and a half, I parted with it in early November for a specific but not-gonna-mention reason, NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GUN'S PERFORMANCE ETC. -- but I loved it, it was a great gun. I am a Glock guy through and through, my old man's departments was literally one of the absolute firsts in the USA to adopt Glock in the '80s, I was quite literally raised on them. BUT- IF I WASN'T, I would be all about the M&P, it's basically a "nicer" Glock if you will, the trigger is much nicer.

Let me clarify that- Apparently, the M&P had trigger issues and complaints, and they redesigned something, and starting with the then-brand-new-and-big-pimpin Shield, they installed this new trigger in the M&P line- as I said, beginning with the Shield. I LOVED IT. My Shield shot like a target gun, when you use the 8-round mag with the little extension, it feels amazing in the hand and the trigger is perhaps the best striker-fired system I've ever squeezed (stock.)

A lot of people have used a lot of Apex triggers in a lot of M&Ps, I just didn't see the need.



SIGHTS, HOWEVER, while the Shield also comes with excellent factory sights, I upgraded to TruGlo TFO (Tritium/Fiber-Optic) "BriteSites" day/night sights.... *amazing*. Absolutely amazing. the guy who bought my Shield loved them, he hadn't a lot of experience in firearms/customization and definitely not sights, and he really liked them. They are so bright during the day and still great at night. If you wanted to upgrade, I'd go them. Plus they're Novak-style, which looks and functions great, IMHO.
 
The current M&P have better trigger feel than the initial version.
I have have an Apex Duty Kit in my later version M&P. Yes it is better than the OEM.
At one time, I had the Forward Set Trigger kit in it. That FS Trigger kit took all the slack off and made the trigger break very light. Took it off and replaced it with the Duty Kit. The part that had the biggest effect on trigger feel is the replacement of the the Firing Pin Block -- rounded edges.
If I am to do it over, I would change only the FB and maybe do some light polishing on OEM parts and use the rest money for better front sight - maybe a FO front sight.
 
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