So, the last time we checked in on the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact, the rear sight had worked itself loose, resulting in a shifting zero. As expected, a quick trip to the workshop fixed the problem easily, requiring only an allen wrench, non-marring hammer and Loctite to fix. A couple magazines later, and it was confirmed that the point-of-aim was, once again, matching the point-of-impact. As far as fixes go, this was one of the easiest.
For this round of testing, three different ammunition types made the trip to the range. On the lighter side is the new NOVX 65-grain +P ARX projectile, reviewed recently by our Ammo editor. This unique round uses an Inceptor projectile and a stainless steel NAS3 casing to achieve significant overall weight reduction. The lighter projectile can reach velocities in excess of 1,600 fps, keeping the muzzle energy in line—or even higher—than traditional rounds. 104 rounds of this novel ammo (sold in boxes of 26) resulted in no failures. It’s also quite possibly the loudest ammo, although the light projectile offered the best felt recoil.
On the heavy side was SIG Sauer 147-grain V-Crown ammunition, a suppressor-friendly variant well under subsonic velocities. This is the heaviest bullet we’ve tested, and the SIG V-Crown ammo won our 2016 Golden Bullseye Award for performance and affordability. SIG’s reliability coupled with the (so far) unflappable Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact resulted in no failures of the 50 rounds tested. Some pistols have experienced difficulty cycling heavier 9 mm projectiles, but the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact has yet to complain.
Lastly, Hornady’s 124-grain +P Critical Duty Flexlock round brings the round count to 754. Designed for use in full- and/or duty-size handguns, the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact certainly fits that description with a 4-inch barrel. No failures of any type were experienced with the Hornady Critical Duty.
To recap: 104 rounds of NOVX 65-grain +P ARX, 50 rounds of SIG Sauer 147-grain V-Crown and 100 rounds of Hornady 124-grain +P Critical Duty ammunition were fed, fired and extracted from the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact without incident. Total round count in the torture test stands at 754, with zero ammunition-related failures to report. The Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact has not been cleaned or lubricated, and has only had the rear sight re-zeroed as part of this testing.
Stay tuned for more updates—the next one hits the halfway mark.
