New Release: S&W Performance Center M&P M2.0 10mm

The venerable Smith & Wesson M&P pistol lineup just got a whole lot meaner. Big Blue originally added the superior millimeter cartridge to its semi-automatic M&P lineup back in November of 2021. The initial offering was aimed towards duty or defensive use with barrel lengths of 4” and 4.5” and with the option of adding a manual safety. These pistols came right off the design room floor optics ready and with 15-round capacity magazines. Immediately people were intrigued. The 10mm cartridge itself has seen a rather dramatic resurgence. What was once a cartridge designed for federal law enforcement and then scrapped, was relegated to limited use by hunters and outdoorsmen who frequented bear country over the past few decades. But within the last handful of years, companies released various models in the powerful cartridge. These included the Glock 40, Sig P320 X-Ten, FN 510, as well as a plethora of 1911s. Why the sudden escalation of pistols in 10mm? Because it is a very effective round with superior ballistics compared to 9mm and because it’s incredibly fun to shoot. The next evolution for S&W and the 10mm pistol was a trip to the Performance Center.

Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center is where guns go to get an upgrade. These essentially are semi-custom versions of their standard production guns. They up the features and enhance the ergonomics to make a better gun, albeit at a more expensive price. However, since these guns are built on a mass scale, the price is not as bad as other manufacturers’ custom shops. So, what did Smith do, then? For starters, the slide was elongated and compensated. The slide length will help deliver additional ballistic performance while the porting will aid in recoil management. Also, the longer, 5.6” barrel passes several states requirement for handgun hunting. Here in Ohio, a handgun must be .357 diameter or larger and have a minimum barrel length of 5”. While the barrel and slide received the bulk of the upgrades, the trigger also received the PC treatment. Smith state’s the trigger’s tuning gives it a crisp break and audible reset; however, their press release fails to give the actual trigger-pull weight. Otherwise, the pistol is the same as the normal model. It is optics ready with appropriate height sights for co-witnessing, has 15+1 capacity, can be had with a manual safety, and comes with a variety of backstraps to fit a wide variety of hand sizes.

As mentioned above, the PC version of the 10mm M&P really fits into the hunting category. Its longer barrel not only heightens the ballistics of the better millimeter, but also fits into individual states’ handgun hunting laws. This gun would also perform admirably in a chest holster while navigating the back woods of bear country. Could the gun be used for casual plinking and self-defense? Absolutely! 10mm guns are fun to shoot! The Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Performance Center is available now (manufacturers need to work on shortening names). MSRP is at $749.00, street pricing will be less.