Smith & Wesson M&P

Smith & Wesson M&P 2005 in .40 S&W caliber

Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police) is a series of handguns named after the famous 20th century Smith & Wesson service revolvers. They are designed mainly for military, police and personal defense use. They are offered in calibers including: .22 LR, .380 ACP, 9×19mm Parabellum, .357 Magnum and .45 ACP.

History

In 1852, gunsmiths Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson formed the partnership Smith & Wesson. After having financial troubles, in 1854 they sold the company to a shirt manufacturer named Oliver Winchester. In 1866, Winchester renamed the company Winchester Repeating Arms Company. That same year Smith and Wesson formed the second company called Smith & Wesson, which is still in operation.

Early Smith & Wession M&P Victory model revolver

In 1899, the company produced their now-famous Military & Police pistol. It was a double-action which set a standard for modern revolvers. It also introduced what has become a very popular caliber, the .38 S&W Special. In 2005, the company introduced Smith & Wesson M&P model pistol. It was the first polymer handgun for S&W. It is available in 9mm and .40 S&W, and as of February 2016, in .45 ACP. It is recoil-operated and uses the Browning-type locking system.

In 2008 the name M&P expanded to became a series of handguns. It includes polymer pistols, (alloy) revolvers and AR-type rifles. The color, with a few exceptions, is usually black.

The M&P line has expanded to include the "Pro-series", "Shield-series" and "Bodyguard-series" guns.

References

  1. 1 2 Jim Supica; Richard Nahas, Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (Iola, WI: Gun Digest Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 2016), p. 391
  2. ↑ "Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police) Semi-Automatic Pistol (2005)". MilitaryFactory.com. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 "History of Smith & Wesson". Smith & Wesson. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Paul Scarlata (January 3, 2011). "Smith & Wesson M&P: A Semiautomatic Pistol Worthy Of Its Name". Shooting Times Magazine. Outdoor Sportsman Group. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 David Maccar (January 2, 2017). "Smith & Wesson M&P M.2.0 Gun Review". Range365. Field & Stream Network, Bonnier Corporation. Archived from the original on January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Ken Ramage, Guns Illustrated 2009, 41st Edition (Iola, WI: Gun Digest Books, 2008), p. 31

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