Smith & Wesson is on a roll this summer with new releases. Hot on the heels of the new Carry Comp pistols are two more new product drops for EDC pistols. This time it’s the SD40 2.0 and the M&P 9 Shield Plus with threaded barrel.
SD40 2.0
The SD series was Smith & Wesson’s evolution of the Sigma line. The Sigma was Smith’s Glock competitor in the days before the M&P line came along. By all accounts they were solid guns, although the triggers were nothing to write home about. The SD series, and the 2.0 version in particular, go a long way towards fixing that, as well as updating some of the ergonomics. The SD40 2.0 has a flat-face trigger that they call their Self Defense Trigger, which offers a smoother take-up, a crisp break and audible reset. They also added more aggressive slide serrations to make weapons manipulation more positive, while keeping the form factor the same so that existing SD holsters and other accessories still work with the pistol.
Smith & Wesson dropped the 9mm version late last year and now have released the .40 S&W version as well. I mentioned on the last .40 release from S&W that I was kind of surprised by that as the round seems to be on the decline, but I imagine Smith knows the market better than I do. Despite there being a lot of police surplus .40s out there, Smith is making sure fans of the caliber still have access to new guns, with modern features. They’re really affordable as well with an MSRP of only $349. I have to admit, I’m really kind of curious to check one out either in 9mm or .40. I still have a pretty good stash of .40 on hand from all of the years when that was my work caliber.
Caliber: 40 S&W
Frame Size: Compact
Weight: 22.7 oz
Width: 1.29 in
Height: 5.5 in
Capacity:14
MSRP: $349
M&P 9 Shield Plus with Threaded Barrel
The other new release is the M&P 9 Shield Plus with a threaded barrel. It has a 3.7-inch barrel with 1/2″-28 threading, an optics cut, night sights and comes with the new 15-round magazine to add to the current line-up of the M&P 9 Shield Plus. It also has a flat-face trigger, as well as a new enhanced grip texture and an 18-degree grip angle that S&W says allows for natural point of aim. It’s finished with an Armornite corrosion resistant finish and comes with 10-, 13- and 15-round magazines, which is a nice touch. Even though I need a better pistol caliber suppressor, I like seeing factory options for suppressor and optics ready guns. I know James Bond isn’t typically a Smith & Wesson guy (although he has used some S&W revolvers in the past), but I feel like a Shield Plus with a suppressor would make a great spy gun in case any Hollywood prop guys are reading this.
Caliber: 9MM
Frame Size: Micro-Compact
Weight: 20.3 oz
Width: 1.1 in
Height: 4.6 in
Capacity: 10,13,15
MSRP: $569
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