M&P9 PC Ported….?

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Sorry for the long post…Brevity is not my strong suit.

TL;DR: any experience? If not directly, how do you like your M&Ps?

Long version:

I’m looking around at a new carry gun. Currently, I carry a p938 and compete with a Springfield RO in USPSA SS. That’s why I bought the sig…same manual of arms, and it disappears in anything I would wear.

I like the p938 except that it’s a mouse gun….fine for what it is and plenty accurate if I take my time…but not the kind of thing I can shoot quickly at reasonable distances. So, it’s a fine deep-concealment carry gun, but I want something bigger as an option.

I can almost carry my 1911 (except for the mag well and the very end of the arched mainspring housing) the way I usually dress.

I’ve been considering either a commander 1911 or a G17/19 and haven’t pulled the trigger on them (metaphorically) yet. The 1911s start getting decent at about twice the price of the glock. And the glock, while I respect it, just feels wrong in my hands. I really want to like them, but there’s a reason I don’t own one….the grip.

I went to pick up some lube today and the shop had an M&P 9 PC Ported

(the 4.25″ version on the left is what I’m interested in)

It comes with an Apex trigger (decent), ported barrel (meh), and mounting for mini red dots (awesome). It’s a little smaller than a G17 at the back of a grip, which means that with the right holster, I could get it to disappear. It’s also 17+1 with the stock mags, which is plenty. And I’m cool with the 9mm cartridge as long as I can come close to passing a bill drill.

The primary uses would be concealed carry when I can get away with it, home defense (open carry or nightstand), occasional use for playing at shooting USPSA Open (minor PF), and training.

And when I say playing, I mean playing. 9mm minor won’t really work a comp, so the ports won’t really do much, and I haven’t started reloading yet…I don’t want the first thing I try to reload to be super-hot 9mm Major. Also, I don’t think you can get 28 rounds into an M&P mag even with extensions….if they even make enough to get up to 170mm. So, I’ll be minor, a few rounds down, and not working the comp/ports. It’d literally just be for fun, and I’ll keep the “serious” competition to single stack (which I’ve already decided is going to wait until I make A to get upgraded).

Anyway…it seems like it ticks all the right boxes for what I’ve been looking for, including being what I consider very affordable (compared to a custom or semi-custom 2011 for one task and a wonder-9 for the others). And the shop has a 30-day “no regrets” policy…something I’ve never even heard of before in the world of firearms…so if I end up hating it, I can return it. And I like the idea of occasionally gaming out of my carry rig, which I can’t do right now (well, I could, but I don’t own enough mags or carriers and 7-round mags would be a nightmare).

So, does anybody have any experience with it? How have your M&Ps been as far as reliability and maintenance? Would you trust a Performance Center M&P to fire a couple thousand rounds a year in competition and training and also for EDC?

I’m pretty sold on it…like, considering ordering an RMR and going back to pick it up tomorrow sold. Somebody please either talk me off the ledge or push me…whichever.

TIA.

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