Remington 700 SPS Tactical, A Long Term Evolution (pt.2)

Remington 700 SPS Tactical

A Long Term Evolution (pt.2)

Part one can be found here

...

I began shopping around and asking a lot of people I shoot with if I could look through their optics.  A few really stuck out to me in terms of overall quality and value.  The big names out there all make really excellent stuff, much of it way too far out of my price range for me to even consider it.  

Schmidt&Bender glass is some of the best that I have ever looked through.  The turrets are top notch and the end products that they put out are arguably the best out there, period.  

I also looked through US Optics, which makes a very nice package, with clarity coming in as a close second to Schmidt&Bender, but with some really nice options such as the EREK turret that offers fine elevation adjustments, but also allows the shooter to dial in massive amounts of elevation in just one revolution.

Vortex and Leupold also offered a lot of value for money.  The Viper PST is a very good optic to beat, but the reticle options left me wanting more.  The Leupold Mk4 was another scope that was almost everything I wanted, but just not quite right.  The turrets were sub-par in my opinion and was really the ultimate reason why I passed up on it.

I eventually settled on a Bushnell HDMR with the G2DMR reticle.  It had everything I wanted, crystal clear glass with no chromatic aberration, a very good reticle that allows for precise windage and elevation holds (if you shoot the reticle instead of dialing the turrets) and the locking turrets feel rock solid with excellent tactile feedback when dialing in adjustments.  I was sold on it, and a little more than a thousand dollars later, I had one mounted in some 35mm Seekins rings and attached to my rifle.  

• The Bushnell HDMR scope mounted and the Falcon sitting next to it.

While I was upgrading the glass, I also decided to add a muzzle-brake and upgrade the ammunition feeding system as well.  I bought myself a Shrewd-Brake and a Seekins Detachable Bottom Metal conversion kit and inletted the stock to accept it.  While I was doing that, I gave my barreled action to Gary Eliseo of Competition Shooting Machine (www.gotxring.com) to thread the barrel for the brake.  Now I had a standard Remington 700SPS Tactical  in a nice stock with a good scope and the ability to feed it with 5 and 10 round detachable magazines.  

• The rifle with the Brake, Scope and DBM all installed, in the HS precision stock.

I was pretty happy with the rifle. It was shooting great and the scope was fantastic.  Unfortunately for my wallet though, I kept shooting matches with Gary Eliseo and some of the guys that have had Gary build chassis for their rifles.  I had the opportunity to shoot a couple of Eliseo RTS guns and decided that with all the adjustability and improved ergonomics and features that I should get myself one also.

So a few months ago, I called Gary up at his shop and told him just how much I wanted one of his RTS chassis'.  He obliged and put me on the list for one to be built.  I decided I wanted the "Varminter" model that offered a slightly shorter hand-guard, but still offered the fully adjustable butt.  I also decided I wanted it in Cerakoted in Flat-Dark-Earth.

Well about a month ago I dropped off my barreled action to Gary and let him go to town on it. I also dropped off a Timney tactical straight shoe trigger for him to modify (no-more mechanical safety) and install.  I got it a few days later fully assembled and beautiful.  I was shooting in one of Garys tactical matches in 2 days, so I mounted up my Bushnell HDMR, set the trigger to a crisp 1.5lbs and hit the range to get my zero's.  

• The new Eliseo RTS chassis. The evolution is complete.. For now.

Needless to say, I couldn't be happier with the overall evolution of this rifle.  I really am very pleased with it.  Now all I need to do is figure out what caliber to re-barrel it to if I ever become bored with the .308.  HA!

• Here is everything that the rifle went through leading up to the Eliseo RTS chassis.

1. Stock Hogue overmold stock
2. Falcon Menace Scope #1
3. Falcon Menace Scope #2
4. Seekins Detachable Magazine kit
5. HS Precision Stock
6. Factory X-Mark Pro trigger

Remington 700 SPS Tactical, A Long Term Evolution

Remington 700 SPS Tactical 

A Long Term Evolution

About half a decade back I purchased a brand new Remington 700 SPS tactical in .308 Winchester from Buds Gun Shop (www.budsgunshop.com) and had them send it over to my FFL dealer.

The gun came equipped with all the basic standard equipment.  It featured a Hogue over-molded stock that left the barrel free floated, until you put even a slight load on the fore-end that is.   The stock is at least aluminum pillar bedded for the action screws though, and the stock was quite comfortable to shoot with due to its super soft recoil pad.

The rifle also came equipped with the fairly new X-Mark Pro trigger.  I'm guessing that the X-Mark Pro is Remington's answer to the "very good for an off-the-shelf" Accu-Trigger that Savage offers.  The X-Mark pro is an adjustable trigger, allowing you to adjust pull-weight, over-travel, and sear engagement.  The lowest I was able to safely adjust my X-Mark down to was around 4lbs.  The trigger was better than say a stock Ruger 10/22 trigger, but it was nothing to write home about, ever.

The barrel on the SPS Tactical is a 20" varmint/tactical contour, featuring a 1-12" right-hand twist.  The chamber also has a fairly long throat like most factory barrels, but it doesn't seem to mind the long jump all that much, and over-all accuracy was quite impressive considering all the little things it had going against it.  The rifle easily pulled off Minute-of-Angle accuracy with factory Federal Gold Medal Match (FGMM) in both 168gr and 175gr flavor.  

Trying (then) to keep it a budget build, when it came to optics, I cheaped out and bought a Falcon Menace 4-14x44 scope, mounted it in some very nice, not so budget Nightforce Ti rings and put that combo on an EGW 20moa base.  The glass on the Falcon scope was decent for the price point (sub $400) and the turrets and reticle allowed for good ranging and adjustments while shooting at unknown distances.  I did learn my lesson about buying cheap glass however when the turrets stopped tracking correctly.  I was able to get a freebie replacement through some connections and was quickly back up and shooting with an exact replacement of the broken scope.  This time though, the glass was a bit cloudy and the turrets felt mushy and a lot less positive.  My guess is that quality control over the years has degraded and resulted in a much less than stellar product for the money now-a-days.  Bottom line is though, the gun still shot well, and if I was able to easily see the target through the sub-par glass, I was usually still able to hit it.

Here is how the rifle looked during the first stage of it's life.

Fast forward a couple of years and the gun is still in the Hogue stock with a stock trigger and mediocre glass.  The gun is a decent shooter as it sits, but I got the bug to start making it a better shooter.  First on the list (and cheapest) was a new stock.

I began browsing some of the rifle oriented message boards online and came across a very good deal on a factory Remington 700-5R 'Mil-Spec' HS-Precision stock.  These stocks are very good for a factory stock.  They offer a full aluminum bedding block that holds the action very well and centers it quite precisely.  The fore-arm is very wide and flat on the bottom to allow for shooting off of a rest and it is light.  The barrel also becomes truly free-floated.

Because of all of the benefits that this new (to-me) stock offered, accuracy improved.  I began seeing 3/4 MOA accuracy with the FGGM ammo and overall comfort was improved as well.  Comfort behind a weapons system, as I began to discover, can be a huge compliment to accuracy, or an even bigger detriment if you don't have it.

The rifle with the Falcon Glass and HS Precision Stock.

Another year went by.  The gun was a good shooter and I was getting more and more comfortable behind it.  Everything was good... Except the glass.  

Continues in pt.2 (here)

Precision Reloading for Rifle (pt.1)

A short guide to Precision Reloading for Rifle (pt.1)

Match Grade Brass Preparation (By Tom at www.BigSkyAmmunition.com) 

For years people have always battled over how to prep there long range brass.  It seems everyone everyone has a different method of prepping their brass, but is there a true right or wrong?  I can’t say yes or no to that, as long as its working for them.  Here at BigSky Ammunition though, when we have a customer contact us for either a custom prepared brass or a precision ammunition order for their rifle or for a rifle we built for them, it all starts in the brass preparation.  Brass preparation is always the foundation for precision rifle ammo.

Brass Preparation starts with a quality piece of brass, Lake City, Federal, Winchester, Remington.  All of these headstamps generally are good brass.  First, make sure you have cleaned your brass very well.  This starts a completely different dispute all together, but your brass should be cleaned before they ever touch the sizing dies.  

Dies are another big debate.  Standard or bench rest/competition dies.  In simple terms a good set of Redding dies will generally do everything that needs to be done.  If you are going out for 1000 yard bench rest competitions, and are trying to achieve the tightest groups possible then you might consider a set of custom cut dies to match the chamber of the rifle.  

Once you have the brass ready for sizing it would be wise to do a very close inspection of the quality and condition of your brass.  Carefully inspect them for any damage to the shoulder or head area.  One area that is commonly overlooked is inside the case, right above the flash cup.  This is generally where you see most of the case head separations.  One easy way to check for this is to take a paper clip and straighten it out for the length of your case an put a sharp 90* bend at the very end of the tip.   This will let you run it across the inside of the case to see if you have a lip or fissure inside.  If you find a lip discard that brass an go to the next.

Once you have found your brass that will be used you can start with your sizing process.  A good lube is a must.  A good thin lube is the best.  Lube liberally.  

A lot of people use also use a bushing style neck sizer set up and again there are so many options out there that it often comes down to what you feel confident in and how far you want to take it.  If and when a custom chamber is being sized for you will need to know the neck dimensions,  along with length, but with an off the shelf target or tactical style rifle a standard set of Redding or RCBS dies will be just fine.  

You can control the neck tension with different size expander balls, you want a firm tension on the bullet, but not so much that you will have to force it into the mouth.  

Where a lot of accuracy is lost is in trimming.  When trimming your case its very important to make sure each case is trimmed the same, when you have a 1 or 2 thousands difference you end up changing the neck tension by the length of neck area that your bullet is seated into.  Once you have gotten your trimmer set so you are getting the precise length every time you can head to the internal flash hole cleaning and forming.  It does not matter what tool you use here as long as it is doing the job, people will either look over this, or over think it.  This will really affect how your primer flash enters the case.  An odd shape flash hole  will cause a uneven start on your powder.  Just make sure that every primer cup and flash hole is clean and uniform.  

After this your once step closer to loading. 

To be continued in part 2, "Loading Your Match Prepped Brass"

Budget Optics Talk..

Budgets Optics and Why I Won't Do It Again...

Optics can be one of those things that can either make or break an otherwise decent rifle setup.  I know I have been though my fair share of less than stellar scopes, and I have had, well, mixed results at best.

My first personal foray into long range shooting was with a Bass Pro shops store branded hunting scope perched atop a sporterized Mauser 98 rifle that had been re-chambered from 8mm Mauser to .308 Winchester.  The rifle was accurate enough for shooting out to 600 yards at least, but the scope was a limiting factor in a lot of ways.  While the optics were crisp and clear, the IPHY (Inch per Hundred Yards) turrets and more so, the fine duplex reticle made it difficult to accurately dial in long range target and especially to make small adjustments on the fly.

The next combination I went with, was truthfully a major upgrade.  I bought a new Remington 700 SPS tactical model in .308 Winchester.  I bought good Nightforce rings, and a 20MOA EGW base right off the bat for it.  When it came to glass though, my budget was kind of blown, so I ended up pinching pennies and I bought a Falcon Menace 4x14x44 scope.

The Falcon Menace was truthfully a good bargain for the money spent.  It offered target style turrets that could be adjusted in 1/4 MOA increments, as well as a decent reticle that had distinct hash marks on the stadia for effective ranging and measuring, as well as on the fly shot corrections.  The optics were clear and it featured a First Focal Plane so that the reticle markers were correct at any magnification.  I grew as a shooter a lot using this scope and it served me quite well for a good 3 years. It did however begin to show a lack of repeatability as the shot count grew.  I finally did a "box test" on it after much frustration and it was clearly no longer serviceable.

That leads me to where I am today.. Same Remington 700 rifle as my go-to stick, but now it has some very decent glass atop it.  In my hunt for good, quality optics, I was lucky enough, through the generosity of good friends and a great shooting community, test and evaluate various scopes from a variety of manufacturers.

Leupold MK4, US Optics SN-3, Vortex Razor HD, Nightforce NXS, and Bushnell DMR were the standouts from my experiences.  After much deliberation and budgeting to be able to afford any of the above mentioned units, I decided to purchase the Bushnell DMR with the G2DMR reticle in a MIL/MIL format.

I went with the Bushnell mainly due to the optics clarity, (its amazingly clear, as good as the USO and better than the other offerings I tried) the reticle and the fact that it is First Focal Plane.  The reticle is the G2DMR reticle and offers a christmas tree of hash marks branching off of the lower vertical stadia.  This allows for better hold-overs for on the fly wind calls and elevation corrections.  Bushnell also offers a No BS "Bullet-Proof 100% Guarantee" on these scopes.  The other feature that I found to be terrific was the locking turrets.  Its a push-lock, pull-unlock system that works quite well and the click adjustments on the turrets themselves is very solid and audible.

Going from the Falcon to the Bushnell has been a night and day change.  The optics are so crisp and clear at all magnifications that I can quite easily see though mirage out to 1050 yards and beyond on a warm day, and still be able to read it for wind calls.  The reticle is not overly busy like some of the Horus offerings and is very easy to read.

I actually like this scope so much that I am considering purchasing another one for my Mauser 98 once it is re-barreled in 6.5x55 SWEDE and re-stocked in a McMillan A5.  That should make for a great 1500 yard gun easily.

A Foray into High-Power Rifle Competition (pt.2)

First NRA High-Power Across the Course Match

(A part 2 continuation of this story)

Once I had gathered all of the equipment that I thought I would absolutely need for my first match (web sling, rule books, shooting mat, etc) I set out to load some ammunition that would be suitable.  Premium,  off the shelf ammo, like Black Hills or Federal, would have worked fine for my rifle in this match, but the whole purpose for me was to get into competition High-Power shooting with as little investment as possible.  Unfortunately, due to the 1/9" twist rate of the barrel on my AR15, I am not able to utilize the heavier and more accurate bullets out there for the .223 platform.  The loads I did come up with however, were a 62grain Sierra Game King BTHP bullet for the 200 and 300 yard stages and a 69grain Hornady Match BTHP bullet for the 600 yard stage.  I loaded both of these bullets in some once fired Lake City brass, using H355 powder and CCI No.450 small rifle primers.

The course of fire for the match I had decided to shoot in consisted of:

Stage 1. Standing position at 200 yards, 2 sighting shots and 20 shots for record in a time limit of 22 minutes.

Stage 2. Sitting or kneeling position at 200 yards, 2 sighting shots in a time limit of 2 minutes and two ten (10) shot rapid-fire string for score in a time limit of 60 seconds.

Stage 3. Prone position at 300 yards, 2 sighting shots in a time limit of 2 minutes and two ten (10) shot rapid-fire string for score in a time limit of 70 seconds.

Stage 4. Prone position at 600 yards, 2 sighting shots and 20 shots for record in a time limit of 22 minutes.

Once I got to the range and started looking at the other shooters setups I knew right off the bat that, as far as equipment was concerned, I was fairly out-classed.  Many other shooters in the Service Rifle category were shooting various accurized versions of the the AR15 A2 platform, with the vast majority featuring White Oak Armament uppers.  However, I was not discouraged and I committed myself to shooting to the best of my ability. I don't have too much experience or practice at this point anyways, so my rifle is not likely going to be my weak-point.

The first stage was OK.  I have minimal experience shooting in the proper standing position for precision target shooting but was able to pull off a fairly decent score for a first timer.  Standing at 200 yards I managed a score of a 134-1X, which means 134 points total with 1 "X-Ring" hit.  The second stage was in the sitting position and things improved quite a bit; I scored a 161-1X.

The third stage, shooting rapid fire prone, went a tad sour for me.  All of my previous shooting competition experience is with IPSC pistol shooting, where the name of the game is to clear the course in the least amount of time possible.  This usually results in some truly rapid fire, and the targets are a lot closer and a lot easier to make hits on.  They are also usually reactive, so you instantly know when you get a good hit, and conversely you know when you miss.  This is COMPLETELY different, and my mindset was not easily changed.  When the targets went up, I proceeded to fire at a pace that was not conducive to accuracy.  I was one of the first ones to get rounds down range and I was easily the first one to fire all 10 rounds, and that netted me a score of 142-0X.  Time limit shooting in a scenario like this is something that I really need to work on.  A more appropriate cadence of fire, I later found out, is to get on target, take a full breath in and out, fire at you're natural respiratory pause and repeat.  This is most definitely something I will practice, probably with an egg timer and a .22 conversion kit at my local indoor range.

The fourth and final stage of fire was slow-fire in the prone position at 600 yards.  This is where I really found the weak link in my equipment.  I know I am not the best shooter out there, but I also know that I have fairly good fundamentals.  My rifle has a 1/9" twist, not the best choice when it comes to 600 yard shooting, mostly due to the weight limit it places on the projectile that you can accurately shoot with it.  Most of the people out there will shoot 600 yards with 77grain or even heavier bullets.  These heavier bullets are more resistant to wind deflection and other environmental influences.  My barrel forces me to choose something in the 73grain or lighter class of bullets, and with all I could find at the local gun store being 69grain I figured it was my best bet and it's a projectile that I know will do the job fairly well.  The other downfall of my rifle is the fact that the barrel is not free-floated, meaning the there are external forces physically pushing on the barrel from the hand-guard and sling loop.  When shooting in the prone position with the sling, the method of stabilizing the rifle is to disconnect the butt-stock portion of the sling and create a loop. You then put that loop around your support arm, above the bicep in such a way that it automatically cinches down around your arm with forward pressure on the sling.  This, very effectively,  pulls the gun into your shoulder and gives you a very, very stable platform to shoot from.  With a free floated barrel there is absolutely nothing contacting it that will torque it in any way, shape, or form and it  is the most accurate option available.  As a result, I was only able to pull off a score of 128-0X.  What was disheartening was the fact that I would be able to fire a round, hit the 9 ring, fire again, hit the 10 ring and then my next shot utilizing the same hold would be a miss.

As a result of this match, I have decided that the first modification I am going to make to my rifle will be a service rifle float tube.  At a total investment cost of $105 from White Oak Armament, if I want to be at all competitive on a tight budget, I can't afford not to.

Once I get the float tube, I will be posting another installment on this blog thread with both a walk-through of the installation and a review of the overall improvement (if any) that it nets me.


.

A Foray into High-Power Rifle Competition (pt.1)

The CMP Clinic and initial preperation

Recently I decided to take the proverbial plunge into High-Power competition.  It all began September of 2011 with a Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) clinic, followed by an introductory "match".  The clinic was very informative and went over the basic function and nomenclature of the M1 Garand rifle, as well as various shooting positions that best utilized the structure of the human body and the military web-sling.


For those of you who are unaware of what the CMP is, it was created by Congress in 1903 with the goal of providing civilians with an "opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called on to serve in the U.S. Military."  The CMP was formed with the precipitation of the adoption of the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle as the national service arm.  Most civilians up until this time were more familiar with the more popular lever-action rifles and were unable to achieve the same level of marksmanship and rate of fire with the new and unfamiliar bolt-action M1903 Springfield rifle.


The CMP's goals over the years remained.  Much like the NRA, the CMP offers programs to help youth and adults alike learn the fine art of marksmanship with military and match style rifles.  The CMP also offers members the opportunity to purchase surplus U.S. Military rifles at a fraction of retail costs.

I had originally decided to get into shooting high-power with my Springfield Armory M1A Loaded.  I went through the clinic using this rifle and did fairly well, though I quickly discovered the shortcomings and possible handicap of using this type of rifle vs. the AR15 platform.  It is heavy, not very ergonomic, the mag changes can be cumbersome and while the recoil is extremely manageable, it's still considerably more than that of an AR15.  Ammo costs were also a consideration here for me as well, and while I do reload the vast majority of my ammo, components are more costly for .308 vs. .223.

If you couldn't tell from the paragraph above, I ultimately decided on the AR15 platform as my competition rifle of choice, which means I will be competing in Modern Rifle.  I have a plain-jane 20" Stag AR15 A2 that I wasn't doing anything special with and I decided to use it for these competitions and upgrade as I go.  I also acquired a shooting mat from Dillon-Precision and a couple of military style cotton web-slings from Creedmoor Sports, and set out to shoot my first NRA "Across the Course" match.


Continue Reading by clicking here.


.

The Mad Minute Reborn

The "Mad Minute" Drill Reborn

More than a century ago now, the "Mad Minute" drill was conceived by the British.  The idea was to score at minimum, 15 hits on a 12-inch round target at 300 yards, within one minute, using a bolt-action rifle.  


Through the duration of the First World War, it was not uncommon for riflemen to exceed this benchmark, in fact many of them even scored 30+ hits.  It was not until 1914 however that Sergeant Instructor Alfred Snoxall set the highest record, that surprisingly enough, still stands today.  He was able to manage 38 hits.  An incredible feat even by today's standards.


What does all that have to do with today?  Well, we thought we would give the "Mad Minute" a try, but with a bit of a modern spin.  We decided to allow both period correct and modern bolt-action rifles, as well as modern semi-automatic rifles.


Once we gathered a group (it wasn't that hard to find people to shoot in a fun match quite honestly) we set out to the range.  We first allowed 5 sighting shots to make sure the shooter was dialed in.  Once everything was dialed in and the shooter was on-target, we then commenced with what is known as a "McQueen Drill".  A McQueen drill is simple, a random target is presented to the shooter for a limited amount of time.  The shooter has to acquire, aim and fire, before the target disappears.  We were using 3 second windows of opportunity at 300 yards.  Immediately following the McQueen drill, we gave the shooters a short time to re-load and re-prep for the Mad Minute drill.  


People showed up with a variety of platforms to try out.  Some even showed up with period correct Lee Enfield SMLE's (one even brought period correct cordite .303 British ammo)  I personally gave it a go with 2 of my AR15's, a 20" A2 clone and a 16" "M-4gery".  Gary Eliseo showed up with one of his "tube guns", a Remington 700 based RTM Tactical model, chambered in .308, topped with US Optics glass.  He also brought out a very cool, very tricked out AR15 topped with an ACOG.  We also had an SKS and a Savage Model10 in the mix.


When it was all said and done, and the cordite fumed smoke had cleared the air, we truly realized what a feat of 38 hits in one minute at 300 yards actually is, ESPECIALLY with a bolt-action rifle.  Out of all the bolt guns that gave it a try that day, Gary Eliseo took honors with his RTM, scoring 24 hits in the minute.  I managed to score 28 hits with my A2 AR-15 clone using irons, and was feeling pretty good about my score too.  That is until Gary pulled out his second rifle to give it another go.  With his ACOG mounted AR15, Gary managed to decimate my score as he made 49 hits.  Impressive to say the least.


Most importantly though, this was set up to be a "fun match", and that's exactly what it was, load and loads of fun.  We set this up for shooters to test the limits of their abilities with their equipment and to challenge themselves, all while having a good time.  -Mission accomplished.


-LRP
(http://www.youtube.com/LongRangeProductions)


P.S. If you are interested in watching Gary's run with his RTM bolt gun, check out the video below.

M&P 9mm Long Term Test

M&P9, The real deal.

Well, it's been a while since I picked up the S&W M&P9, and I am happy to report that everything has been great with this gun, albeit with a couple of minor issues.

The stock trigger leaves a lot on the table to be desired.  There really is no way around it.  The stock triggers on these guns just suck.  You can be fast and accurate with them for sure, but with the lack of a clean, tactile reset and a long spongy trigger pull, there is a lot to be desired.  This gun however still does have the stock trigger, though it has been slightly tweaked by me, giving it a much better reset, and a slightly better break.  Not much more to improve on without stepping up to an aftermarket trigger system.

The other complaint about this gun has been the factory night sights.  Though the sights are a good "Novak style" sight, the tritium insert on the front blade actually failed not more than 1000 rounds in.  The upside to this though is the fact that it is a Smith & Wesson, and that means that there is great customer support to be had from the factory.  I briefly considered buying and installing some Trijicons or similar, but ultimately decided to send the slide back to Smith & Wesson and have them replace the sights at no cost to me.  S&W sent me a free FedEx label to cover the shipping costs to them, and they sent it back for free as well.  Turn around time was very decent, as it only took about a week total from when they received it, to when it showed back up at my house, with brand new sights.  Another upside to sending it to S&W was that they also cleaned the crap out of the slide for me.  There was no more brass transfer on the breech face and not one spec of grime anywhere to be seen.  It was like new all over again.

Overall experience would be an A+ for the level of service I have always received from S&W customer service.  Just about the only other company out there that has ever matched or bettered S&W would be Springfield Armory, those guys are a class act for sure.  To summarize, you can't go wrong with either company for after the purchase, end user support.

The finish is very resilient and has held up against holster wear as well as the usual banging around while on the range.  Even if the finish did get damaged, the slide is made from stainless so it will hold up against corrosion quite well regardless.

Ergonomics are just fantastic.  The ambidextrous slide release is a very nice touch, as well as the placement of all of the other fire controls. The different size back-straps on the grip is a great touch, something that more and more firearms manufacturers are starting to do.  It is worthy to note also however, that one of the first main-stream manufactures, that I can remember anyways, that decided to design their firearms with a tuneable grip was actually Smith & Wesson/Walther with the SW99/P99 series of firearms.  I actually own a SW99 in .40 and it too is very ergonomic and comfortable to shoot.  Something that the M&P line just seemed to improve on. 

Reliability of this firearms has been great.  I have used the M&P to shoot in competitions and in real-world type training scenarios.  It has also seen everything from dirty reloads (WW231 powder) to premium self defense loads.  It eats everything I feed it.   115gr, 124gr, 147gr, this gun doesn't care.  It just gobbles everything up and rewards you with at minimum very decent accuracy.  I have even run this gun completely devoid of any lubricant, and while you can tell the action slows a bit, it still reliably fired an entire 50ct. box of ammo.

Here is a video from one of the competitions that I have shot with this pistol.

Capacity of this platform in 9mm and .40 is also excellent for the size of the package, with mag capacity of 17 and 15 respectively.  .45ACP is another story however with a maximum factory magazine capacity of only 10 rounds.  Acceptable at the minimum. 

Aftermarket support for the M&P platform is already quite strong and is growing rapidly.  Apex already makes a lot of great internal upgrades, from their hard sear to their AEK solid triggers to their complete trigger kits, as well as many other very durable, well engineered parts.  External accessories are plentiful as well.  Everyone from Bladetech to Safariland makes holsters and there are a handful of aftermarket sight options already out there, and it just keeps growing.

The M&P9 has made its way to the top of my short list of go-to handguns for the time being, and for good reason.  This gun is very good in all respects, and makes up for its few shortcomings with excellent ergo's and superb reliability.  If you have the opportunity, check one out for yourself.