Performance Center™ M&P®9 M2.0™ Competitor™

1/15/2023 – OK, I am a heater hugger. Collecting chronograph data and accuracy data today, with the temperature hovering at 10°F, caused me to grow much more fond of My Buddy… as in Mr. Heater’s Mr Buddy 19,000 BTU propane space heater.

The routine is to warm up next to the heater, then go outdoors and shoot through the chronograph or shoot holes in targets. When an ear or finger detaches itself and falls to the ground, I retreat to my generally unheated garage, crank up the My Buddy heater and warm up.

While warming, I tend to things like heating batteries, logging velocity data, changing targets or measuring five shot group sizes… or super gluing the defecting appendages back into place. Each cycle keeps me in front of the heater for ever longer periods of time, until I am basically standing in front of the heater, unwilling to go back out. Then, of course, it’s time for lunch.

I would buy it on looks alone. No, not my looks…

Two features of the Performance Center™ M&P®9 M2.0™ Competitor™ beyond being a quality 9mm auto; an artistically sculptured and lightened stainless steel slide and a 7076-T6 aluminum frame, all finished with Tungsten Gray Cerakote®. Yes, there is more, much more…

Performance Center® M&P®9 M2.0® Competitor®
SKU	13199
Manufacturer	Smith & Wesson
Point of Origin	Springfield, MA
Type	Enhanced Sear Striker
Caliber	9mm Luger (+P)
Magazine Capacity	17 (4 Included)
Barrel	5.0″
Rifling	1:10″
Overall Length	8.25″
Overall Height	5.50″
Frame Width	1.30″
Weight Oz.	29.3 Oz.
Sight Radius	7.25″
Trigger Pull – Actual	4 Lbs 5 Oz.
Sights – Rear	Black, Serrated
Sights – Front	Green Fiber Optic
Optical Sight	Slide Cut For Optics
Slide Material	Stainless Steel – Armornite® & Cerakote® Finish
Grip Frame	7075-T6 Aluminum
Grip Backstraps	S, M, ML, L
Thumb Safety	No
Key Lock	No
Chamber View Port	Yes
Magazine Disconnect	Yes
MSRP	$999.00

So what do the table lines infer?

The pistol is made in America, Springfield, MA. rather than Turkey or Eastern Europe. Why is that important? A highly skilled work force, local control over the manufacturing process. This also represents American jobs, equipment, facilities, and investment into a local community.

Currently located in firearm unfriendly Springfield, Massachusetts, where it has been since 1852, Smith & Wesson has been progressively investing $125 million to relocate in Maryville, TN.  As many as 750 jobs are in transition from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Missouri to Maryville, Tennessee. A move that should be completed by the summer… to the benefit of a firearm positive community.

All strikers are not created equal…

The Performance Center® M&P®9 M2.0® Competitor® has an enhanced sear that lightens and shortens pull and it does so significantly. In fact, the Competitor’s trigger is better than most of the recent hammer fired pistols introduced by industry manufacturers over the past year.

The low above frame location of the long 5″ barrel, lightened slide and longish recoil spring combine to: reduce recoil, promote reliable cycling, reduce racking effort, and increase muzzle velocity. And they really do.

The slide weight was reduced with careful placement of lightening slots, away from stressed points and at forward mass to not affect stability at striker retracting and rail contact points. An example of improper lightening? Sure.

One of my old drag cars was a 1963 Triumph TR4 raced in the old NHRA Modified Sports category. The car weighed 2130 lbs in stock form, 1,900 lbs after I went at it with a hole saw and Swiss cheesed fender wells, rear floor and interior trunk panels. Unfortunately, I could no longer open the doors and the car hopped down the track like a kangaroo with its ass on fire. Loved that little car. Was this tidbit of information necessary. Of course not, but it was fun to share.

Grip grit and expected control positions

Let’s try this without burying the Competitor under red arrows and labels… Up top, a cover over the optic sight mounting position just forward of the rear sight. I small view port through the barrel tang allows or loaded chamber checking. On the frame above the trigger, a small reloading takedown lever facilitates disassembly.

I like the aggressive stippling on gripping surfaces. When I attempted to return the Performance Center® M&P®9 M2.0® Competitor® to its hard case, I had to shake my hand repeatedly before it would let go!

The slide stop is ambidextrous; raised to make it in reach, but not obtrusive. The magazine release is raised and may be installed  on either side; a competition pistol and anticipation of lots of quick magazine changes with less concern for accidental release.

The magazine well has a flared entry to guide rapid magazine insertion. The Competition has a magazine disconnect and will not fire with the magazine removed.

Top Gun?

The sights are clean. the front being particularly easy to pick up against virtually any backdrop. Regardless application, the relieving of the slide reduced weight and adds to cycling reliability. For a competitor, barrel exposure is of little consequence, as would be the case for someone using the Competitor for concealed carry that conducted proper cleaning and maintenance.

Employed as a trail pistol, or hunting sidearm, the open slide might be a concern with the chance of snow and dirt gremlins getting into the pistols clock works and hampering operation. For those folks, a closed slide version of the M&P9 2.0 metal version as the $899 SKU #13194.

At 1.3″, exempt of the 1.6″ magazine well, the frame at the grip is the widest part of the pistol. The SKU #13194 with the solid slide is also devoid of the SKU #13199’s flared magazine well.

More than a pistol, it is a shooter’s bonanza…
“a large amount of something desirable”.  Yes, bonanza…

I’ve never previously attempted a two line subtopic heading. It was exhausting, yet quite satisfying. Including the pieces affixed to the pistol, there are four 17 round magazines and four backstraps of varying contour to suit small, medium, medium large, and large hands. All are nicely contained and secured in a fitted, durable poly case.

Ballistically wise…

The 9mm Luger cartridge, AKA 9×19mm Parabellum for those who like answering the burning question, “What does Parabellum mean?”, has been with us since 1901. Using SAAMI  as a standard, the cartridge is listed as 9mm Luger (35kpsi MAP) and 9mm Luger +P (38.5 kpsi MAP).

I did not test the Competitor with a truck load of ammo varieties, as pictured left to right above, just one 115 grain and one 124 grain defensive ammo types and one 124 grain FMJ as might be used in volume consuming ammo competition.

Performance was very good, both velocity and accuracy. Operation was reliable, racking and loading was easy, recoil and muzzle blast moderate. Shooting for accuracy was rested and well supported.

I think this latest iteration of metal frame M&P9s is impressive. Nice work.