In this week's episode of "I Carry," we have the new Smith & Wesson M&P9 Compact Carry Comp 9 mm pistol with a Meprolight MPO-DF red-dot sight carried in a Tulster Range+ outside-the-waistband holster.
Firearm: Smith & Wesson M&P9 Compact Carry Comp Performance Center
Trends are notoriously difficult to predict, but easy to spot once they get rolling. One such trend in the handgun world currently is the addition of ported barrels and compensators, and Smith & Wesson has added the M&P9 Compact Carry Comp to the M&P line in its Performance Center. While distinct grooves both fore and aft grace the slide for administrative handing, the most eye-catching and unique part of this new pistol is the integral compensator at the muzzle with Power Port to direct gasses away from the line of sight and optic.
Sizewise, the Carry Comp M&P maintains the dimensions of the standard M&P Compact: Overall length is 7.25 inches, with the 4.22-inch barrel; height is 5 inches and width is 1.4 inches, mainly with the ambidextrous slide release levers. Weight is 25.4 ounces, and magazine capacity is 15 rounds, although versions exist for people living in states where capacity is restricted. Four backstraps are available to fit the Carry Comp to the shooter’s hand, and the grip keeps the standard M&P 18-degree grip angle, which some prefer due to its similarity to the 1911 grip angle.
Up top is Smith & Wesson’s CORE optics-mounting system, which offers a number of polymer plates to match a wide variety of optic footprints along with two sets of screw holes to mount the optic directly to the slide. The various plates and screw combinations are identified in the Smith & Wesson owner’s manuals, which are also available online, making it simple to attach an optic. Since the slide of the M&P has two sets of screw holes that cover just about all optics, only one set of screws needs to be tightened down to hold the optic in place.
Lastly, of course, is the integral compensator at the end of the Compact Carry Comp. With a single port facing the top of the slide, muzzle blast is directed upward to help reduce muzzle rise. It is also designed to divert gases away from the optic, ensuring a clear sight picture even during firing. Lightening cuts in the slide add style as well as weight reduction to offset the potential weight of an attached optic, while the Performance Center slide serrations allow ample purchase for administrative operations. There’s a lot of value packed into the Compact Carry Comp for the concealed-carry practitioner.
1 окт 2024
