Happy Range Day With Two S&W’s

[BirdsThaWord]

A while back I put together a new nightstand gun. A full sized gen 1 M&P. I added a +5 extension to both mags (each now holds 22 rounds), longer mag springs, as well as a TRL light. I also started to put one together for my wife, getting hers started by finding a $200 S&W SD9VE.

Before putting them into “duty”, I wanted to make sure each could run various kinds of ammo. I loaded up my range bag with 300 rounds various round nose/range ammo, and about 100+/- rounds various hollow points/+p’s/defense loads and headed to my local indoor range ($5 for veterans!).

I was very happy with mine. The supposedly craptastic trigger was really not so bad. I had manipulated the trigger a few hundred times at home. Also, I bought it used, with the previous owner having said he put two boxes through (looked new inside and out). Maybe I’m just getting better trigger control with more experience? I was miles better at shooting it than I have been with many more expensive double actions (I’ve had plenty of Glocks, H&K’s, Sig’s, Beretta, etc. etc.) in the past, even though I know some of their triggers were smoother, lighter and shorter, I have not done as well with them. I did some precision shooting (if you can call it that), some double taps and a few other drills. I really was happy with what I saw. Also, It fed everything. Ended up shooting about 275 of the round nose through it, as well as most of the defense stuff (read on about the SD9VE and you’ll know why I spent 90% of the range time/ammo with the m&p). The extended mags performed perfect so far. Really love the weight of the light on the front and how it counters muzzle rise, as well as the weight of he extended mags.

So now onto my wife's SD9VE. What little I fired fed and ejected well, BUT...First few rounds (at only 10 yards, using 8” “shoot & see” splatter targets) were genies, disappearing into thin air. I could not find where they were going. I adjusted my point of aim up and right, as I am right handed, and as right handers often do, I used to have to adjust for my grip which used to make me shoot low and left. Bingo! But, point of impact was still ridiculously low and left. So I looked at the sights and WOW! Previous owner had scooted the front sight waaaay left. Not sure how I had not noticed it when looking over the gun. I brought it home and adjusted the front sight. Hope to get it back to the range to check the results soon. After that, I will get her a light and mag extensions to up the capacity. It also will get a stainless guide rod/recoil assembly as the factory one is polymer.

So far, very happy with these two Smiths. Given what I gave for them ($250 for the m&p, $200 for the SD) I think they are real bargains!!! Before going with the Sig P365 I mainly carried a Shield Performance Center. Maybe it was it’s barrel/slide-length, or sight radius, but even with it’s supposedly better trigger I could not shoot it anywhere near as well.