Nice selection! I'm a dyed in the wool 1911 shooter and have been for damn near fifty years, but the M&P is very tempting. S&W really did their homework on this one. I'd have to have it in .45 though.
I have been pleasantly surprised by the pistol's performance. My agency has traditionally been S&W, which carried over when we transitioned from Model 10's in .38 SPL to 9mm semiautos in 1989-90. Several folks (myself included) have always griped about not carrying Glocks. When we transitioned to the .40, we just adopted the same basic pistol (5903 to 4003). When we started to see hairline cracks in some of the 4003 frames, our new range master (and dyed-in-the-wool Glockophile) thought he would finally convince the power that be to make the move. After testing several pistols for a full week with several shooters of various skill levels, the M&P came out on top. As I said, I was skeptical, but the pistol has made a believer out of me.
As a sidebar, do you know why the .45 M&P is offered with a safety?
Colt 1911 Gov't .45
Para-Ordinance P14-45 Gov't Stainless
Ruger Single Six Stainless (.22/.22Mag)
Ruger Mark I
S&W 9mm (can't remember the model)
S&W .38 Special Stainless Stub
Rather than list individual guns, I'll just list the cartridges I like to shoot.
.22lr
9mm parabellum
.30 mauser
45 ACP
44 AMP
6.5 Swede
7.62 Nato
45-70
I shoot multiple guns in all the above excepting the 44 AMP. I could only afford one of those pistols.
Wayne
"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." A. Brilliant
Colt 70 Series Gold Cup .45ACP
(Somewhat modified: throated barrel/Bowmar sites/Videki trigger/ambidextrous safety/mild beavertail).
Colt Python .357 Mag, (6” barrel)
S&W Model 41 .22LR
Last two actually with Dad’s collection at the moment, but “mine.” Haven’t fired them in a long time, but really the Gold Cup is all I want around (one razor, one brush, one gun – boring but consistent!).
BTW, NONE AT HOME! (in case anyone from D.C. law enforcement trolls on SMF).
Kept with 25 others locked up nice and safe in an armoury at work. Did I mention I'm in the Army?
Chris
"When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein
I've been using one pretty much since they were introduced (joined up in '88 ) and I've only ever had a few stoppages with it personally. OK so on one of those occasions I had to walk off the range with the rifle in 3 bits but that was because someone in the armoury had managed to put the bolt in the wrong way around which is supposed to be impossible
It's got way too much plastic on it for my liking but the plus side is it's a lot easier to carry than the old SLR and I can consistently hit a target at 300m.
It might not win any prizes but it gets the job done
Chris
"When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein
but... I might be getting back soon 
