S&W M&P 9 trigger? Recoil?

[thebusinessend]

So I recently took a trip to Springfield, MA to the Smith and Weston factory. I am new to shooting so I wanted to try out some guns. I originally wanted to shoot the Walther P99 or the PPS. But they didn't have any at the range for rent. So I grabbed the M&P9. I actually like the gun, the recoil on it was great and it was very easy to use. However the mag release kept getting rubbed against my thumb so the mag almost dropped out twice and the trigger I didn't like at all.
The same day I shot my buddies Sig 226 blackwater and that gun was more accurate but had a stronger kick. I would have thought it being made of all metal and a larger barrel it would have less of a kick.

So my questions is what other guns would be similar as far as recoil, size and a better trigger then the M&P9?

 

[eisenhow]

Get the M&P9. Work on you grip, you shouldn't be hitting the mag release with a proper grip. Get a trigger job done. Mike Larocca and Greg Derr did my M&P9 and M&P9c respectively.

 

[Mass-diver]

So I recently took a trip to Springfield, MA to the Smith and Weston factory. I am new to shooting so I wanted to try out some guns. I originally wanted to shoot the Walther P99 or the PPS. But they didn't have any at the range for rent. So I grabbed the M&P9. I actually like the gun, the recoil on it was great and it was very easy to use. However the mag release kept getting rubbed against my thumb so the mag almost dropped out twice and the trigger I didn't like at all.
The same day I shot my buddies Sig 226 blackwater and that gun was more accurate but had a stronger kick. I would have thought it being made of all metal and a larger barrel it would have less of a kick.

So my questions is what other guns would be similar as far as recoil, size and a better trigger then the M&P9?

Most people shop it against the Glock 19 (assuming you want a striker fired pistol), if not the 226, which you have already handled, and the Beretta 92FS.

If this is going to be a carry piece, note that the M&P is the one of the group for which pre-ban, hi-cap mags do NOT exist.

 

[Bob P]

I found the 226 recoil to be much less evident then the M&P's.

If you were shooting a MA compliant M&P no wonder you hated the trigger. With a little work by a smith you get a very nice trigger on the gun.

If you're dropping the mag your grip's wrong. Move your thumb up higher on the frame just under the slide. Both of your thumbs should be pointing in the direction you're aiming in - the tip of the left one resting on/near the takedown lever and the right one 'on top' of the left but resting against the frame (NOT on the slide).

 

[BossHarley]

Recoil is a function of a number of things including weight of the pistol, grip/barrel orientation, ammunition (I assume you were using the same rounds in both) etc.
It might be the grip angle, size, orientation with the barrel on the M&P may fit you better. If you really like the M&P get it and have a trigger job done on it. (or buy a spring kit and replace them yourself- readily available).
The trigger on the Sig 226 is very different, DAO/SA - where the first shot is double action (assuming you lowered the hammer), then all following shots are single action. I believe the M&P has a totally different system (more like a Glock and Springfield XDM).

If you really like single action triggers the Browning Hi-power is a great gun, particularly if you have small/medium hands. You can also get 1911s in 9mm (Springfield among others), but again will have a slightly different grip angle etc.

 

[Len-2A Training]

If his hand was too big for the grip on the gun (probably Medium), that could account for the mag release problem. Try it with a Large grip. Gunsmith is the cheap solution to the trigger problem.

 

[thebusinessend]

If his hand was too big for the grip on the gun (probably Medium), that could account for the mag release problem. Try it with a Large grip. Gunsmith is the cheap solution to the trigger problem.

Thats a great Idea, that didn't even cross my mind.

 

[M1911]

The same day I shot my buddies Sig 226 blackwater and that gun was more accurate but had a stronger kick. I would have thought it being made of all metal and a larger barrel it would have less of a kick.

I think what you were feeling was muzzle rise. The Sig has a much higher bore axis than the M&P. The higher the bore axis, the more the muzzle rise (all things being equal).

So my questions is what other guns would be similar as far as recoil, size and a better trigger then the M&P9?

The trigger on an M&P can be greatly improved by a gunsmith for small dollars.

 

[M1911]

If you really like single action triggers the Browning Hi-power is a great gun, particularly if you have small/medium hands. You can also get 1911s in 9mm (Springfield among others), but again will have a slightly different grip angle etc.

Unfortunately, he's in MA so a Browning HiPower and 9mm Springfield are pretty much unobtanium.