New Pistol: Smith & Wesson Now Shipping M&P45 M2.0

Smith & Wesson's M&P45 M2.0 should generate plenty of interest, mating the newly designed pistol line with one of the most popular self-defense calibers — .45 ACP.

As it is every year, the firearms market is awash with brand-new gear and evolutions of tried-and-true standbys. One of the more interesting products unveiled for 2017 came in the latter category.

Smith & Wesson set out to refine and progress its highly popular semi-automatic striker-fired pistol line. The M&P M2.0 retained a number of the popular features of the original handgun but also heaped on a slew of new innovations meant to make the pistol all the more effective and user friendly.

So far, with the release of the M&P9 M2.0 and M&P40 M2.0, the Massachusetts gunmaker appears to have hit all the right keys with shooters. And now it will see if it can go three for three with the recent announcement it is shipping the .45 ACP variant of the pistol.

Since the .45 ACP is one of the most preferred self-defense calibers after the 9mm, this gun should generate plenty of interest. The M&P M2.0’s enhancements should pair nicely with the large-caliber round, given the company has been all about making the line more manageable.

Smith & Wesson has vastly improved the line’s trigger, which was pretty good to start. It now comes with a lighter pull weight, a smoother pull and a cleaner break. It has modified the frame with a stainless steel chassis to provide more rigidness to the platform and reduce flex. On top of that, Smith & Wesson has further lowered the 4.6-inch-barreled pistol’s bore axis, keeping it more in line with a shooter’s arm and sending the recoil straight back. This desirable design point should pay dividends in the M&P45 M2.0, tempering the pistol’s muzzle flip, making it not only easier to shoot, but also faster on follow-up shots.

The company has redesigned the grips, retaining the 18-degree angle but incorporating a more aggressive texturing. This should make the 10+1 capacity M&P45 M2.0 more manageable, reducing any potential slipping during the shot with a firm, positive grip. And the company has ensured the grip fits any shooter’s hand with interchangeable small, medium, medium-large and large palm swell backstraps.

The Armornite-finished stainless steel slide, further coated with Cerakote, has had material removed near the muzzle to aid in keeping the M&P M2.0 at a manageable 27 ounces. And Smith & Wesson has integrated front cocking serrations in its trademark scallop pattern, giving shooters more real estate to work with in operating the slide.

The M&P45 M2.0 is engineered with both right- and left-handed shooters in mind. Smith & Wesson has kept the same slide release design as the M1.0; however, it has made it ambidextrous. The pistol comes with a reversible magazine release and is available with an optional ambidextrous thumb safety.

The M&P45 M2.0 is available in matte black or flat dark earth and has an MSRP of $599.

Specifications:

M&P45 M2.0
Caliber: .45 Auto
Capacity: 10+1
Barrel Length: 4.6 in.
Overall Length: 7.9 in.
Front Sight: Steel – White Dot
Rear Sight: Steel – White Two Dot
Action: Striker Fire
Grip: Polymer
Weight: 27.0 oz.
Barrel Material: Stainless Steel – Armornite Finish
Slide Material: Stainless Steel – Armornite Finish
Frame Material: Polymer
MSRP: $599

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