The Smith &Wesson M&P9c is my go-to everyday carry gun. It wasn’t my first choice, but once I crunched some numbers and got it in my hand I realized it was the right choice. I started out carrying an M&P9 full-size (and sometimes still do), but found that in the summer it was just easier to carry a smaller, more slender gun. That persuaded me to buy a S&W Shield in 9mm, but I wanted more rounds before having to reload if necessary. That’s how I got to my final carry gun, the S&W M&P9c . . .
The 9c strikes the perfect balance between concealability, ergonomics and capacity. Sure, I could carry a GLOCK 19 and get three more rounds, but having the 17-round magazines from my full-size M&P9 at my disposal makes it easy to carry a full-size mag with an X-Grip grip extension if I feel the need.
I outfitted the M&P9c with a pair of XS Big Dot night sights and recently added a Crimson Trace green Laserguard. I’m left-handed, which is why I chose to use the Laserguard versus the grip-mounted laser. Having the laser out in front eliminates that issue, as well as allowing me to continue to use the ‘small’ grip insert which fits my hand the best.
The gun has somewhere around 1500 rounds through it so far, and has been boringly reliable and very accurate. I also installed an Apex Hard Sear which makes the trigger pull about a pound lighter and a lot crisper, but it does make the take-up much longer. This could be adjusted, but I like the longer pull as it doesn’t change the interface with the drop safety/striker block. The gun rides comfortably in an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 outfitted with Ulticlips.
