Greetings all,

 

Last Dec, I purchased an M&P40 w/ night sights used from the Bullet Hole. I had read about the gritty trigger and upon purchasing this pistol, I was made a believer that the M&P does come w/ a crappy feeling trigger. Since I purchased the pistol, I've done the Dave Burwell trigger job and added an Apex Tactical hardened sear. Both these mods helped tremendously in taking the grit out of the trigger, lowering pull weight and making the reset more distinct.

 

I dry fire a lot w/ all my pistols. But lately, i've been focusing on the M&P40 (after all, you have to PLAY w/ your new pistol) along w/ my standby, the ever popular G19. In talking to my wife last night, we were discussing my dry fire habits and .... well... she get's annoyed w/ it. I thought I did about 20 or so dry fires, and .... well.. she laughed and said I was doing at least 100 a night. Anyway, I digress.... I broke the firing pin / stiker in the M&P40 last night. Just the very tip broke off... the part that would protrude through the breach wall. I've been using an expended .40 shell for a snap cap, as I've read that the M&P doesn't like to be dry fired w/out something in the chamber to cushion the striker hit. I've followed a few threads on M&P striker breakage. I've learned that S&W recently tinkered w/ the striker to make it more durable. This striker should be easily identified as having a metal look like naked stainless steel. The one that was originally in my gun had a finish on it, almost like blueing.

 

I called S&W today to order a replacement striker. I was bummed, but not surprised, to learn that since the pistol was bought used, there is no warranty on it and I had to pay $37 for a new striker assembly. I asked what was specifically changed on the striker. The gent is CS that I s/w said that the strikers are now tumbled after machining and that otherwise, they are exactly the same.... still MIM and not stainless steel as a lot of 'net threads suggest. The theory was that by tumbling, it would remove any machining marks, thereby reducing fatigue points on the striker. I don't know if I buy that and said as much. Also, the tumbling gives it the "raw stainless steel" look since the blueing, or whatever finish is used, is removed in the tumbling process.

 

Ultimately, I'll see how this striker does, but I may be looking to the aftermarket to see what options are out there for a replacement striker. Again, this whole striker breaking thing doesn't really surprise me, as I'd read a lot of reports where this was an issue.

 

So far the M&P has been a good, but not great design for me. The ergos could arguably be said to be better than the Glock, and the interchangeable backstrap is cool. Past that, I like my Glocks way better though. I was thinking about getting another M&P, but now my focus is on a Gen 4 Glock. We'll see........

Yeah..... I bought an extra striker for mine , just in case....

 

I think Apex is going to look at something also to produce....

 

I dont dry fire alot, but I am closing in on 3000rds thru my M&P.....

 

 

I have total faith in my pistol, and I am even looking at possibly adding a 9mm PRO .... and tune it for USPSA ....

I just bought some snap caps for that very reason. I don't want to break the striker or firing pin on my 9s.