New Product Highlight: Smith & Wesson M&P Carry Comp Pistols

I’d swear it was yesterday that only race guns came with compensators. Now, it seems like every manufacturer is rolling out pistols with compensators built into the slides to tame recoil.

The latest entries are three new Smith & Wesson Carry Comp pistols in the Performance Center lineup.

Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Metal Carry Comp Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Semi-automatic, striker
• Capacity: 17+1
• Barrel Length: 4.22″
• Overall Length: 7.25″
• Weight: 28 oz
• MSRP: $999

Features

• Full-size aluminum frame
• ClearSight Cut diverts gas away from your optic
• Four grip inserts

Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Compact Carry Comp Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Semi-automatic, striker
• Capacity: 15+1
• Barrel Length: 4.22″
• Overall Length: 7.25″
• Weight: 25 oz
• MSRP: $799

Features

• Compact polymer frame
• ClearSight Cut diverts gas away from your optic
• Four grip inserts

Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 Shield Plus Carry Comp Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Semi-automatic, striker
• Capacity: 10+1, 13+1, 15+1
• Barrel Length: 4″
• Overall Length: 7″
• Weight: 18 oz
• MSRP: $649

Features

• Micro-compact polymer frame
• Up-spec performance Center trigger
• Includes three magazines instead of two

These pistols come to use from Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center, an in-house shop that takes products to the next level with factory upgrades and extra attention to detail.

There are three to choose from – all burdened with the brand’s unwavering commitment to long product names.

All you need to know is that there’s a full-size M&P9 M2.0 with a metal frame, a compact M&P9 M2.0 with a polymer frame, and a subcompact M&P9 Shield that has a polymer frame and three capacity options included.

Both M2.0 models (full-size metal and compact polymer) also get a weight-relieving slide cut to reduce reciprocating mass.

All three are big upgrades over the already-popular M&P series.

Between the compensated slides, upgraded Performance Center triggers, and famously ergonomic M&P grip, these pistols are bound to be very sweet shooters.

The idea behind compensated pistols is that by diverting some of a cartridge’s spent gas upward through one or more holes in the barrel and slide (Power Port, in Smith & Wesson lingo), some of the energy that would otherwise be wasted can help nudge the pistol downward and reduce muzzle rise.

That’s a slick trick in the world of steel-framed competition pistols, but it’s equally valuable on a snappy CCW gun or duty pistol. We love how light polymer frames are, but 9mm ammo is notorious for making them feel like they’re trying to jump out of your hand.

Smith & Wesson lists an MSRP of $999 for the Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Metal Carry Comp, $799 for the Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Compact Carry Comp, and $649 for the Performance Center M&P9 Shield Plus Carry Comp.

What do you think of the new Smith & Wesson Carry Comp pistols? Let us know below. Looking to add a compensator to a pistol you already own? Check out our guide to the best pistol compensators.