S&W Demo Day

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nanney1

New member
Local indoor range has a S&W Demo Day coming up this weekend. The radio ads say you only pay for your ammo and you can try out the 2018 models.

Has anyone ever been to one of these? What type of models can I expect to see? I'm guessing handguns since it is an indoor range. I would like to try out the M&P 2.0 Compact 9mm which I would expect to see. However, I might like to try out a S&W 1911 in .45 ACP, or a big revolver, say .44 mag or .460.

Just wondering what to expect as far as the variety of firearms.
 
Just GO!! You never know what they might pull out!!
Heck, you might even get to test an M&P 10mm, if the rumor mills are any good ;)

Probably should expect to see a Performance Center piece or three as well!
 
Yes, I have been to a few of them...most of the big mfg's have them when they think they have something new to offer...( like S&W, Wilson Combat, etc ..).

Its common that you have to buy new ammo at range, vs bringing your own, whenever you want to shoot guns offered like this -- or for most any rental guns at ranges in my area.

Last one I went to last summer was Wilson Combat...at a local range / they had 2 factory reps there to answer questions about their models, options you could order that you weren't sure about --- and hats, key chains, gun cloths, literature, etc / they had about 8 guns there for you to text fire in 9mm & .45acp including their new EDC models which was why they were touring the country / they were there to take orders too ...

Range owner grilled hot dogs, had popcorn ...and his retail operation was well staffed/ lots of shop promotions ..it was fun to hang out for a couple of hours. If you are at all curious about the S&W models, I would suggest you go.
 
Run, do not walk, to that event! I don't know what they'll have, but if all you have to buy is ammo and you get to shoot their guns . . . that sounds like a deal.
 
I am imagining right now what a crowd that would be, and what sort of chance a person had of even handling all of them.

Get there early.
 
Just got back and have a Range Report to add to the thread. I went with the intention of shooting the 2.0 Compact 9mm and maybe something else. I did and then some. You basically got one 10 round mag to shoot at around $5 for the ammo tax and all. I shot 5 guns and a total of 7 rounds for $37. No wait to shoot. Also, I am a novice shooter with less than 1000 rounds total under my belt. Have only shot a few different handguns and own a Shield in 9mm and a 442 j frame.

2.0 Compact 9mm was very nice to shoot. Shot it two rounds because it was the one I really wanted to try. Easy to shoot and way more accurate than I am with my Shield 9mm. WAY MORE accurate. Recoil was not noticeable compared to the Shield. Uh Oh, may have to get one of these.

Performance Center 1911 5" .45 ACP. Uh Oh, I've got the itch now. Easy to shoot and put BIG holes in the target. Never shot .45 ACP before and thought it might have some kick, but this gun was smooth. Shot it two rounds also because, well, when am I going to get to shoot one of these again?

2.0 Compact .45 ACP - Enjoyed the Compact 9 and the 1911 .45, so I thought I'd combine the two. Easy to shoot and also very accurate. The aggressive grip of the 2.0 was very noticeable as I could feel the grit of the grip grinding into my palms on each shot. Recoil wasn't bad and again better and easier to shoot, and more accurate than my Shield. Big holes on the target and accurately placed means this might actually be my next purchase. I liked it that much.

Peformance Center 686 5" .357 - Got out my ear plugs to put under my muffs. No kick or big recoil. Just an easy shooting revolver. Started off a little low but by rounds 5-7 I was on target. Realized I was actually shooting .38 special rounds. No wonder it was so easy. Didn't need the plugs. I've been shooting my 442 so this was a huge difference in ease of shooting. Kind of underwhelming because I thought I was shooting .357 magnum loads and then realized I wasn't.

And to finish out the trip today...

Performance Center 15 5.56 Nato - Scoped and Lasered. Shot it at 20 yards and just filled up the center of the target. No one else was shooting it, so I figured I would try it out. Fun way to finish up the demo.
 
I shot 5 guns and a total of 7 rounds for $37.
Click to expand...

Am I reading this correctly as you shot a total of 7(seven) rounds as in "bullets" for $37?? or am I missing something?

If not I have lots of guns maybe I should start a service. :D
 
Each of the 7 rounds that I shot was one 10 round magazine. So, 70 bullets total. Actually, 67 total since the 686 doesn't hold 10.

In my opinion, it was a cheap and fun way to try out several different guns in a short period of time.
 
A couple of months ago, I went to a local range to rent some guns to try out. Rented a S&W 637 and a Taurus 82 and bought one 50 round box of .38. Then, I rented a Shield 9mm and got a 50 round box of 9mm. With the rentals, range fee, and ammo, I was out $75 dollars and was there for just under an hour.

If I had to buy 50 round boxes of ammo today at the demo, I would have only tried 2 different calibers. Instead, I tried out 4 different calibers and still paid less. You really don't need to shoot a whole box of ammo to get a feel for a gun. One or two mags is plenty if you're just trying something out.
 
Just realized that the 2.0 45 that I liked so much must have been the full size and not the Compact. It was a 10 round mag and compact holds 8.
 
The only issue with the PC 1911 was the ejection. I've heard of the Glock brass in the face issue. Half the mag from this 1911 went on top of my head. I was wearing a hat, but it was distracting.
 
Its good to hear that you took advantage of the factory day at your local range - and a smart choice before you purchase another gun.

Hopefully you have ranges in your area that offer a variety of rental guns / take advantage of that option.
 
I've been to 2 of the S&W Demo Days in the last 4 months. Each time they had a different selection. Mostly semi auto pistols, but this last time they had 6 revolvers to try. The rep said he just brought in what he personally wanted to showcase.The 1st one I had to purchase all the ammo used, the 2nd time, the S&W rep gave each person a total of 7 rounds total, not per gun. He did say S&W was more interested in semi sales over revolvers. There is very little profit in their revolver line vs an avg of $200/semi.
 
The only revolver there was the 686. But there were several Shields - 2.0, 2.0 Crimson Trace, Performance Center. From what I could tell, the Shields were popular.
 
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