Okay, we’re within sight of the finish line now in our 2,000-round test of the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact. Current count is 1,756 rounds, so the next time we make it to the range will be the final run. So far, in our testing, we’ve experienced precisely two anomalies: Somewhere in the first 500 rounds the rear sight worked itself loose and needed to be re-tightened—so far, a little dab of Loctite and a torque wrench appear to have resolved that problem. The rear sight has not moved in excess of 1,250 rounds. Second, at round 1,054, we had a single failure-to-fire with Browning’s 147-grain BPT ammo, which further testing indicates was ammunition-related, as primer appearance did not support a light strike.
For this round of testing, we opted for defensive fodder only. Testing started with 100 rounds of Hornady’s Critical Duty 124-grain +P Flexlock ammunition, with zero failures. An additional 100 rounds of Barnes’ 115-grain +P TAC-XPD fodder followed the Hornady through the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact, also with zero failures. We finished up with the proven SIG Sauer 147-grain V-Crown, and did not experience any problems for 50 rounds.
As a side note, two additional Shooting Illustrated editors attended this range session and fired a few magazines through the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact to gain a different perspective on it. Again, no failures were observed even with multiple shooters, and it was noted that the bone-stock Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact exhibited accuracy on par with or better than a number of pistols with aftermarket upgrades (sights, barrels, triggers, etc.).
We can see the end to testing in sight, with more than 1,750 rounds through the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact. We have experienced one direct problem with the pistol in the form of the rear sight coming loose, easily corrected with a hex wrench and Loctite, and one suspected ammunition-related failure, with a failure to fire at round 1,054. All of this is in a firearm that has received zero cleaning or lubrication since we took it out of the box we received from the manufacturer.
To recap this session:
SIG Sauer 147-grain V-Crown: 50 rounds, no failures
Barnes TAC-XPD 115-grain +P JHP: 100 rounds, no failures
Hornady Critical Duty 124-grain +P Flexlock: 100 rounds, no failures
Total round count in the torture test stands at 1,756, with a single ammunition-related failure. Stay tuned for the last update as we finish up testing.
