Smith & Wesson has just introduced the M&P9 M2.0 Metal frame pistol. The new offering sports all of the features of its polymer-framed brother but with a T6 aluminum frame. In recent years there has been a push among manufacturers to make guns lighter, smaller, and with higher capacity. While the race to make the smallest high-capacity 9mm carry gun continues, S&W realizes not everybody needs or wants a lightweight micro-compact.
Handsome Beast: The Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Metal
There’s just something reassuring about the weight and heft of the M2.0 Metal frame. It’s no lightweight. In fact, the gun weighs 30 ounces or about 18% more than the polymer-framed gun. This added weight contributes to the gun’s handling characteristics and makes for a soft-shooting pistol.
But it’s a handsome beast too. With its sculpted frame cuts and contours, the gun has the aesthetics of a custom gun and a great deal of appeal. There’s a comfortable ambi thumb shelf, and the frame cuts give shooters consistent indexing marks.
Both the aluminum frame and stainless-steel slide are coated with Tungsten gray Cerakote finish. Correspondingly, the black grip palmswell and frontstrap polymer insert contrast nicely with the finish.
Parts like the magazine release, take-down lever, slide-stop, extractor, sights, and barrel are given S&W’s proprietary Armornite® black finish.
A Rose by Any Other Name
The M&P9 M2.0 Metal pistol is virtually the same gun as the M&P9 2.0 with a polymer frame. In fact, even the holsters made for the plastic gun will work perfectly with the aluminum framed gun!
The gun also features bi-lateral slide stops, a reversible mag release, and a railed dust cover for attaching a tactical light/laser. S&W outfits the M&P9 2.0 with a stainless-steel 4.25-inch barrel. Two 17-round magazines are included with the gun.
Like the poly-framed M&P9 2.0 guns, the new Metal gun uses the same upgraded trigger. It has a blade safety in the trigger face and breaks crisply at 3 pounds and 5 ounces with a firm reset.
The gun also has an optics plate with a polymer cover. S&W includes seven different polymer optics adapter plates to handle just about any micro-red dot available. I attached a Trijicon RMR with a 3.25 MOA dot.
On the Range with the M&P9 M2.0 Metal
With its 4.25-inch barrel, I decided to test the gun for accuracy at 25-yards and brought along five different ammunitions. Four of which were defense loads to see if the gun showed any significant preference for bullet weight.
With the gun’s dust cover resting on a Millett BenchMaster, it was a simple matter to center the RMR’s red dot on the 2-inch diameter bullseye as I had the necessary pressure to break the shot.
I fired three 5-shot groups with each ammo, and the accuracy chart displays the best group.
| AMMO | VELOCITY | ENERGY | GROUP |
| BLACK HILLS 115-GRAIN JHP | 1176 | 353 | 1.35” |
| DOUBLETAP 77-GRAIN SOLID COPPER HP | 1515 | 392 | 1.04” |
| FEDERAL SYNTECH TRAINING MATCH 147-GRAIN TSJ | 1043 | 355 | 1.34” |
| FEDERAL PERSONAL DEFENSE PUNCH 124-GRAIN JHP | 1150 | 364 | 1.38” |
| FEDERAL SYNTECH DEFENSE 138-GRAIN SJHP | 1096 | 368 | 1.55” |
Groups ranged from roughly one inch to one and a half inches. That is outstanding accuracy for a service-grade gun firing self-defense rounds!
It was during my field exercises that the new M2.0 really shined. Its extra weight made shooting the Metal framed gun a delight. Working from Tulster’s new Kydex Contour holster, worn at the 4 o’clock position, I was able to draw and double tap my MGM BC C-Zone steel target, at 15-yards, with splits running around .18 of a second.
The gun’s added weight is great in helping attenuate muzzle disruption and gives the gun a decidedly soft-shooting feel. Even with defense loads. Again, the gun’s trigger, with a consistently crisp break and firm reset, makes this gun easy to shoot fast and accurately!
Smith &Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Metal is No Lightweight Performer
S&W’s new M2.0 Metal framed pistol is no slouch in the performance department. In addition to being very accurate, the pistol was utterly reliable with every load tried. In our brief 250-round evaluation, the pistol never once stuttered. And that is exactly what I have come to expect from S&W’s M&P line of guns.
If you prefer the weight and soft shooting characteristics of a metal frame gun, give the M2.0 a good hard look!
For more information, please visit Smith-Wesson.com.
Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Metal Specs
Caliber/Capacity: 9mm/17+1
Action: Semi-auto, locked breech, striker-fired
Overall Length: 7.4 inches
Height: 5.5 inches
Weight: 30 ounces
Barrel: Stainless steel, 4.25 inches, 1:10 inch RH with Armornite finish
Slide: Stainless steel with Tungsten Cerakote, slide cut for optics
Frame: T6 aluminum with Tungsten Cerakote finish
Finish: Tungsten Cerakote on both frame and slide
Sights: Steel sights with 3-dot pattern
Accessories: 4 palmswell grip adapters, 7 red dot adapter plates, two 17-round magazines, cable lock
Warranty: Limited lifetime
MSRP: $899
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