There are now three new Performance Center M&P pistols featuring the U.S. gunmaker’s Carry Comp technology headed to gun shops and website inventories. Yup, some of the most popular entries in the M&P 2.0 pistol line have gotten the integrated compensator treatment.
Comps, comps, everywhere. It wasn’t too long ago pistol compensators for 9mm handguns were firmly in the realm of competition shooters, race guns, and movie guns trying to look cool. They’ve been the fodder of internet arguments for ages at this point — in internet years, anyway. “Do they actually do anything? Are they worth the weight and added length? Should you ever have a comp on a carry gun? It’s just another thing to clean.”
And when you started seeing comps that weren’t threaded directly to barrels, people really lost their minds. First, it was bushing comps for 1911s, because everyone wanted the look of the pistols in The Punisher and because they were fairly cheap compared to getting a threaded barrel fitted with a timed compensator.
Nowadays, the new hotness in the ever-hungry gun marketing zeitgeist is integrated compensators, especially for carry guns.
This isn’t a new concept by any means. Back in the day, ported barrels and slides were a big thing, and a fairly common mod on semi-autos and revolvers as well, and they’re still around for some big bores. If you can find a gunsmith who will port a semi-auto for you these days, hang on to them like grim death.
The idea behind both ports and comps is to relieve some gas from the barrel before it all smacks the air in front of the muzzle after the bullet exits, while at the same time directing that gas upward, pushing the muzzle down — this all serves to mitigate felt recoil and muzzle flip.
So how is an integrated compensator or any compensator different from ports? Basically — the holes are bigger. In the case of the new S&W Carry Comp models, it’s one big ol’ cut in the top of the barrel behind the muzzle with a matching cut in the top of the slide and three generous cuts on either side. An integrated comp is just that, built into the factor barrel and slide so there’s no added overall length to the gun and no sacrificed barrel length.
The new entries include the Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Metal Carry Comp, which, despite its name, is a full-sized pistol with a polymer-covered aluminum frame. As with all the Carry Comp models, it includes the “ClearSight Cut” designed to “divert gasses away from your optic” so it doesn’t get blocked by gunsmoke — an issue with aggressive comps. It’s also optics-ready with a flat-faced trigger and includes a blacked-out serrated rear sight and a night sight up front. It ships with two 17-round mags. MSRP: $999.
The specs on the Performance Center M&P 2.0 Compact Carry Comp model are basically the same as the Metal version, only it has a shorter polymer frame and a 4.22-inch barrel. It ships with two 15-round magazines. MSRP: $799.
And in the micro-compact category, we have the new Performance Center M&P9 Shield Plus Carry Comp pistol (these model names are getting kinda long, S&W — just sayin’). It has the same features as the others with a short 4-inch barrel and a more compact polymer frame that accepts a flush 10-round magazine as well as extended 13- and 15-round mags. It weighs in at just 17.9 ounces. MSRP: $649.
M&P9 M2.0 Metal Carry Comp Specs
WIDTH: 1.4 inches
LENGTH: 7.25 inches
HEIGHT: 5 inches
WEIGHT: 28.1 ounces
CALIBER: 9mm
SIZE: Full
CAPACITY: 17 rounds
ACTION: Striker Fired
BARREL LENGTH: 4.22 inches
GRIP: Polymer
SIGHTS: Night Sights
OPTIC READY: Yes
SAFETY: None
FRAME: Aluminum
MAGAZINES: (2) 17-round mags
M&P9 M2.0 Compact Carry Comp
WIDTH: 1.4 inches
LENGTH: 7.25 inches
HEIGHT: 5 inches
WEIGHT: 25.4 ounces
CALIBER: 9mm
SIZE: Compact
CAPACITY: 15 rounds
ACTION: Striker Fired
BARREL LENGTH: 4.22 inches
GRIP: Polymer
SIGHTS: Night Sights
OPTIC READY: Yes
SAFETY: None
FRAME: Polymer
MAGS: 2 15-round magazines
M&P9 Shield Plus Carry Comp
WIDTH: 1.1 inches
LENGTH: 7 inches
HEIGHT: 4.6 inches
WEIGHT: 17.9 ounces
CALIBER: 9mm
SIZE: Micro-Compact
CAPACITY: 10,13, or 15 rounds
ACTION: Striker Fired
BARREL LENGTH: 4 inches
GRIP: Polymer
SIGHTS: Night Sights
OPTIC READY: Yes
SAFETY: None
FRAME: Polymer
MAGS: 3 (one of each available capacity)
READ NEXT – Smith & Wesson M&P FPC: The New Folding 9mm PCC
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