S&W to Introduce M&P45

TY43215

NES Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2005
Messages
5,250
Likes
329
Location
Other side of the bridge
Feedback: 38 / 0 / 0
Here is the announcement.

Company to Introduce M&P45 at January 2007 SHOT Show

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: SWHC), parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 154-year old company in the global business of safety, security, protection and sport, today announced that it will expand its Military and Police (M&P) Pistol Series with the launch of the M&P45, a .45 ACP model, at this year's Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, January 11-14, 2007 in Orlando, Florida.

The M&P45 is the newest addition to the company's growing M&P Series of advanced design polymer pistols engineered to the exacting standards of global law enforcement and military personnel. Michael F. Golden, Smith & Wesson's President and CEO, said, "During the development process of the M&P Series, it became evident that numerous law enforcement agencies prefer a sidearm chambered in the powerful .45 ACP cartridge, and one that incorporates the same performance and safety features we designed into the entire M&P family of pistols. We are also aware that multiple branches of the U.S. Military including Special Operations Command (SOCOM), the Air Force (USAF) and the Army have recently expressed a desire to shift from their current 9mm weapons to either a .40 or .45 caliber for greater stopping power. The addition of the M&P45 allows us to provide a broader portfolio of high-performance polymer pistols to military organizations, law enforcement agencies, sports shooters and consumers desiring personal protection."

The M&P45 will initially be available in two configurations for consumers and multiple configurations for law enforcement professionals. The polymer-framed sidearm will be offered with a traditional black frame, or in a bi-tone, dark earth brown frame. The bi-tone model will be a striker fired polymer pistol featuring an external ambidextrous thumb safety. As with the entire M&P Series of pistols, both models are made in the United States and are manufactured with enhanced ergonomics, ambidextrous controls and proven safety features that make the new pistols well suited for professional use and for personal protection.

The bi-tone M&P45 will be manufactured with additional features such as an ambidextrous, frame-mounted thumb safety. The new thumb safety acts as a passive safety device allowing the slide to be pulled toward the rear, clearing the firearm without disengaging the safety. Another feature of the bi-tone model is the specially designed take down tool that includes a lanyard attachment. The M&P45 will also be available with a traditional black frame and will be manufactured with the same standard features that are found in the M&P Pistol Series. Shipments of both versions of the M&P45 are expected to begin in February 2007 into both the sporting goods and law enforcement channels.

Both M&P45 models feature a 4.5-inch barrel with an overall length of 8.05 inches. The full size pistols will ship with a 10+1 capacity, with an option for 14+1 capacity. Featuring one of the smallest grip sizes available on any .45 ACP pistol, the M&P45 benefits from the addition of three interchangeable grips, allowing the user to customize grip size to their preference. The M&P45 utilizes a steel dovetail mount front sight and a steel Novak(R) Lo-mount carry rear sight. Tritium sights are also available for low light conditions. A universal Picatinny style equipment rail has been incorporated for tactical lights and lasers. The polymer pistol has an empty weight of 29.6 ounces.

The full size pistols feature a Zytel polymer frame reinforced with a ridged stainless steel chassis and a thru-hardened black melonite finished stainless steel barrel and slide for durability; a passive trigger safety to prevent the pistol from firing if dropped; and a sear release lever that eliminates the need to press the trigger in order to disassemble the firearm. A loaded chamber indicator is located on top of the slide. The firearm also features an ambidextrous slide stop and a reversible magazine release, as well as an enlarged trigger guard designed to accommodate gloves. The Smith & Wesson lifetime service policy is standard with each pistol.

About Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson is a global provider of products and services for the safety, security, protection and sport markets. The Company manufactures firearms and handcuffs and is home to America's longest-running firearms training facilities for America's public servants. The Company also markets a variety of products for sport shooters including firearm safety/security devices, shooter protective gear, knives, apparel, and other accessory lines. The Company is based in Springfield, Mass., with manufacturing facilities in Springfield and Houlton, Maine. Contact (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com.

Certain statements contained in this document may be deemed to be forward- looking statements under federal securities laws, and Smith & Wesson intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor created thereby. Forward-looking statements include the engineering, features, performance, capabilities, durability, and safety of the M&P series of pistols, including the M&P45, and feedback received by the Company with respect to its M&P pistols. The Company cautions that these statements are qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Such factors include the acceptance of the M&P pistols by military and police personnel and other customers; the performance, capabilities, durability, and safety of the M&P pistols in actual use; the Company's ability to manufacture M&P pistols in accordance with their intended features and performance; as well as other risks as identified from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and Annual Reports on Form 10-K.

Industry Contact: Gary Giudice
Blue Heron Communications
(800) 654-3766
[email protected]

Liz Sharp, VP Investor Relations
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp.
(480) 949-9700 x. 115
[email protected]


SOURCE Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation
 
Option for a frame-mounted safety? Looks like they're going after a new military contract...

The "Dark Earth Brown" color statement also seems to indicate that they're
pandering to the JSP contract, if it ever gets reeopened for bids
again. The government created that color just for that
purpose.


-Mike
 
If they make it in a compact version I will buy two (one regular one compact)...
Heck, I thought that was the compact version. How come everyone's always making their guns smaller. I want them to start making them bigger with longer barrels. Some of us shoot them rather than carry them.

:)

-Cuz.
 
Some of us do both [smile]

For me it's the weight - I've got a S&W SW99 compact which weighs something like 24 ounces, and it gets heavy by the end of the day. The M&P 9mm compact is 21.? ounces - if the .45 ACP version is the same size and weight, it's worth losing 3 rounds to have .45 ACP over 9mm IMHO...
 
I read about the specs for the JSP in American Rifleman a few months back. It does sound like the .45 model with the ambi-safely is made to meet the criteria for this pistol. If they build this I will absolutely buy it.
 
For me it's the weight - I've got a S&W SW99 compact which weighs something like 24 ounces, and it gets heavy by the end of the day. The M&P 9mm compact is 21.? ounces - if the .45 ACP version is the same size and weight, it's worth losing 3 rounds to have .45 ACP over 9mm IMHO...
Don't forget that .45 ammo weighs alot more...

If I remember correctly the frame mounted safety is placed in the hole where the integral lock normally is, I am worried that this might make for mushy safety without positive positioning and feel. Can't wait to hear about some hands on use.

With the addition of the manual safety will S&W need to monkey with the trigger and make it super heavy for it to comply with the AG regs?
 
Last edited:
Don't forget that .45 ammo weighs alot more...

If I remember correctly the frame mounted safety is placed in the hole where the integral lock normally is, I am worried that this might make for mushy safety without positive positioning and feel. Can't wait to hear about some hands on use.

Lock is still there. Safety is in front of it.
 
For me it's the weight - I've got a S&W SW99 compact which weighs something like 24 ounces, and it gets heavy by the end of the day. The M&P 9mm compact is 21.? ounces - if the .45 ACP version is the same size and weight, it's worth losing 3 rounds to have .45 ACP over 9mm IMHO...

As adweisb says, .45 ACP weighs more. (the bullet
weight alone is typically almost double that of 9mm, so
it'd probably offset whatever gain you realized by having
a lighter gun. )

The other problem is theres the never ending battle between
weight and recoil. You never get something
for nothing. I have a "light" .45 (USP .45c) and the
recoil is pretty substantial with full power loads. I also
have a lightweight colt officer's mod, which is much
better than the USPc recoil wise, but still has substantial
recoil. IMO, you can't really take a full caliber pistol
much below 25 ish ounces without the recoil going up
substantially. Now if you've got gorilla hands, maybe
it doesn't matter much... but most of us have a "limit"
on how much recoil/flip we can deal with. I drew
the line at the G29 I had.... that's about as much as I
can deal with... full power 10mm in a 24-25 ounce gun
is a hell of a ride! [smile]

-Mike
 
Plastic........nuff said for me.

I grew up in the late 40's/50's when plastic was just coming around and anything that it was used in was crap.

I'll never accept that plastic is anything but a cheap alternative to something better.
 
M&P 45, the 9 & 40 are still not for sale to public yet, or am I wrong.

I talked to one of the guys behind the counter at Four Seasons last Saturday and he said that S&W is still working on the required 10pound trigger for MA civilian sales.

I shot an M&P in .40 up at Manchester Firing Line a few weeks ago and really liked it - it's on my list of stuff to get when the finally hit the civilian market.
 
As adweisb says, .45 ACP weighs more. (the bullet
weight alone is typically almost double that of 9mm, so
it'd probably offset whatever gain you realized by having
a lighter gun. )

The other problem is theres the never ending battle between
weight and recoil. You never get something
for nothing. I have a "light" .45 (USP .45c) and the
recoil is pretty substantial with full power loads. I also
have a lightweight colt officer's mod, which is much
better than the USPc recoil wise, but still has substantial
recoil. IMO, you can't really take a full caliber pistol
much below 25 ish ounces without the recoil going up
substantially. Now if you've got gorilla hands, maybe
it doesn't matter much... but most of us have a "limit"
on how much recoil/flip we can deal with. I drew
the line at the G29 I had.... that's about as much as I
can deal with... full power 10mm in a 24-25 ounce gun
is a hell of a ride! [smile]

-Mike

Mike,

I'm a recoil whore. I've got a S&W 360PD - the 12 ounce .357 Magnum j-frame.

A.K.A. "The Snubbie from Hell™"

I've handed it off to other folks to shoot with factory .357 Mag loads and gotten it back after two shots. The second is almost universally a "did it REALLY hurt that bad" kinda thing... [smile]

A smallish .45 shouldn't be an issue...
 
The recoil is always the same. The only thing that changes is how it is delivered to you. The problem with the tiny light revolvers is not usually the weight, but the size of the grip. If you spread out the recoil on a larger portion of your hand it would be managable. A not insignificant portion of the energy is absorbed by the action of an auto, but the relevance of that quantity decreases as the overall energy the cartridge imparts in recoil increases. The amount of energy necessary to operate the action is a function of mass (Slide and barrel) and spring weights (recoil + striker/mainspring), which is again limited even as the cartridge increases in power by the materials, and by the action (DA trigger can't be too heavy). Hence the gas operated Desert Eagle, recoil operated components could not be sprung to function/last. Another reason why big bore catridges have their roots in revolvers.

E = MV or some such jazz. The question is T, how long will it take for the totality of that E to be delivered in your hand. Good luck relating T and E in an equation.

Competition shooters shooting open guns in IPSC prefer lighter guns that cycle faster because they want to cycle the action and deal with the recoil as quickly as possible. They aren't recoil shy, and they only have to meet a relatively low power factor.
 
Last edited:
I've handed it off to other folks to shoot with factory .357 Mag loads and gotten it back after two shots. The second is almost universally a "did it REALLY hurt that bad" kinda thing... [smile]

A smallish .45 shouldn't be an issue...

If you can put more than a few cylinders full through that thing then
you probably can handle any semiautomatic handgun on the
market. [grin] Those things are punishing. I had a 642 38 +P, and with
some hot +P loads it was heavy, but manageable. I can't imagine
firing .357 mag through something that only weighs a couple of ounces
more! I think S+W should rename those things from "Airlite" to
"Masochist" or something like that. I'm not a recoil wuss, either (I've
fired full house .454 Casull, and even a lightweight .375 H+H magnum
rifle, but theres something about those airlites that just screams
pain. :)


-Mike
 
Mike,

The .357 Magnum 360PD actually weighs less than the AirWeight .38 special +P - the 360 weighs 12 ounces empty, the 642 weighs 15...

I've found that +P+ .38 special are quite tolerable (even fun after a while) in the 360. But then again I'm the masochist of which you speak... [smile]

BOT, though, I intend to buy at least one of the .45 ACP M&Ps. I'll take my chances with the compact if/when it becomes available, but I am getting a full size regardless - it sounds like it will make a perfect "house gun" (the gun I keep in the safe under the bed for my "first response" issues...

If you can put more than a few cylinders full through that thing then
you probably can handle any semiautomatic handgun on the
market. [grin] Those things are punishing. I had a 642 38 +P, and with
some hot +P loads it was heavy, but manageable. I can't imagine
firing .357 mag through something that only weighs a couple of ounces
more! I think S+W should rename those things from "Airlite" to
"Masochist" or something like that. I'm not a recoil wuss, either (I've
fired full house .454 Casull, and even a lightweight .375 H+H magnum
rifle, but theres something about those airlites that just screams
pain. :)


-Mike
 
Back
Top Bottom