Going Steel: S&W M&P Metal Series

A recent trend in pistols has manufacturers taking their standard striker-fired handguns and replacing the pistol’s polymer frame with a metal one. This has several benefits, primarily recoil management and frame stiffness. Think, heavier guns generally have less felt recoil—there is simply more weight and mass to manage the physics of recoil. Smith & Wesson is one such company that has taken this trend by the horns and has introduced a host of new M&P pistols with Metal frames.

More Metal

The M&P Metal was introduced in 2022 and has been immensely popular. Its initial offering has morphed into the Performance Center Competitor as well as the 2023 Spec Series (which we discussed previously). For 2024, Big Blue has decided to extend the line further with additional offerings. Three new models—albeit one is CA-compliant—have hit Smith’s website. These are mainly continuations of the original model and are an offshoot of the Spec Series gun. The main takeaway includes a new color—FDE—and both (free-state guns) have threaded barrels. While most people will think a threaded barrel is for affixing a suppressor, compensators have taken over. Comps, like the one on the Spec Series Pistol aid in recoil management, making the recoil impulse flatter and more straight back. If you want a compensator, I recommend Herrington Arms (they are another great Ohio company). The only other addition is the inclusion of suppressor height sights. These will not only work with a suppressor but will also co-witness with an attached red dot sight. Everything else is the same as the first introduced model.

Final Thoughts

The continuation of the M&P Metal line is a good thing. For the customer, more options are always better, especially when they are coming from a reputable brand like Smith & Wesson. The M&P pistol line is popular, and both consumers and law enforcement officers have gravitated to it. Adding a threaded barrel and colorway options gives the end-user greater flexibility for outfitting the pistol for the given task. Pricing will hover around $899.99, which is only $50 more than the base model, so the value is there. These should be hitting dealer shelves shortly.