The gun we tested came with three high capacity magazines, several removable back straps to adjust grip width, night sights, and a carrying case. Putting in one more than the standard two mags is a nice touch and the back strap system is one that GLOCK would do well to get on board with. It makes it a natural choice for people who like a polymer framed pistol but balk at them because of the inability to adjust the grips. One size fits all just doesn't cut it any more.

The Smith and Wesson Military and Police sports an ambidextrous slide release and the magazine release can be changed to left hand use. The guns come with an optional magazine disconnect for law enforcement or military and an internal lock system that can be used or not.

So how did the S&W M&P perform? Well, I had a considerable advantage in evaluating this gun because it belongs to a friend who just had it issued as a duty weapon for his job with a federal security company. And to give it even more credibility, two more friends of mine who are his co-workers for the same company also had them issued as duty weapons. And as chance would have it, all three of them had just finished qualifying for their firearms requirements in the company. So, this particular gun had had 760 rounds put through it when it reached the range. The other two guys' guns had similar amounts. All had performed flawlessly and all of them had successfully qualified for the difficult course they had to run. During our range test, we put approximately another 250 rounds through it fast, slow and everything in between and it kept on going strong. Perfect performance.

Everybody who picked up the gun loved it. It pointed naturally, fit the hand nicely and was as accurate off hand as any tactical handgun on the market. Below is the owner of the gun, Eric, taking pot shots at reactive targets.

I shot the Smith and Wesson Military and Police also, and as much as it pained me to admit it, I liked it about as well as any of my GLOCKS. What companies like Smith and Wesson and others have done is taken a successful platform (GLOCK) and added some touches to the guns to make them more user friendly. And that's the future of polymer framed pistols because there's only so much that can be done with them that is considered "innovative".

The gun we tested could easily be carried concealed in an inside the waistband holster if you wanted to feel like a butter knife was being stuck in your side all day. Smith and Wesson now has a large selection of these guns and the compact models do not have the extended beavertail. But this gun could easily do double duty as a CCW weapon if not for that. It may make them look cool, but takes away some functionality unnecessarily.

Outside of that, there's not much to dislike about the Smith and Wesson Military and Police .40 S&W. Specifications of the gun are as follows: Model: M&P, Caliber: .40S&W, Capacity: 15+1 Rounds, Barrel Length: 4.25", Front Sight: Steel Ramp Dovetail Mount - Tritium Sights Optional, Rear Sight: Steel Novak® Lo-Mount Carry - Tritium Sights Optional, Trigger Pull: 6.5 lbs.,Trigger Travel: Rest to Fire .300 in. Trigger Reset: Approx. .140 in., Frame: Large, Finish: Slide and Barrel Black Melonite®, 68HRc, Overall Length: 7.5", Material: Zytel Polymer Frame, Stainless Steel Barrel/Slide and Structural Components, Weight Empty (No Mag): 24.25 oz., Overall Height: 5.5", Width: 1.2", Sight Length: 6.4". Several versions of the gun now have an external flip up thumb safety.

The gun we tested sports a passive trigger safety and a striker block safety, but no external safety. So, it's no different than carrying an out of the box GLOCK except that the trigger pull is a bit heavier. There is no external safety and keeping your finger off the trigger while handling is essential. Nothing is going to save you from a negligent discharge except for standard careful gun handling.

Something I appreciate that S&W didn't do was follow in the line of Springfield stupidly rating their trigger pull through a 2 lb range. S&W rates the trigger pull at 6.5 lbs so you don't have to guess what you're getting.

BOTTOM LINE: The Smith and Wesson Military and Police .40 S&W is a solid, dependable gun that takes a successful platform and adds features that the average gun owner will consider genuinely useful. The gun is obviously dependable and durable enough to be considered a valid choice for Law Enforcement and Military even after just a relatively short time on the market. Smith and Wesson got it right with the M&P line of pistols.