Today I had a chance to do a quick comparison shoot between three strong competitors in the compact 9mm market. I had my Gen4 Glock 19 (unmodified except for Trijicon sights), Walther PPQ M1 (unmodified), and my new S&W M&P 2.0 Compact which I was trying out for the first time. First I ran 100 rounds of FMJ through the M&P just to break it in and familiarize myself with it, then I ran a few rounds through the other two which I've owned for a number of years just to get a comparison feel.
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Just a quick comparison, as can be seen they are all similar in size, with the PPQ slightly taller due to having a taller slide (the grip length is about the same as the other two). The width and length was within 1/8" for all three, with a slight edge to the Glock. Note however that the M&P 2.0 Compact is noticeably heaver than the other two (I weighed these on my postal scale). Obviously since they all hold 15 rounds the loaded weight would be proportionally greater.
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I wrapped up the range visit with a full magazine through each, one after the other at ten yards just to see if one stood out above the others and to rank them in my mind:
First up was the Walther PPQ M1.
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PROS:
1. The trigger pull is excellent, light and with a crisp break and short reset, as I'm sure most are well aware. I had no trouble lining up the sights and keeping them steady as I fired. I ended up shooting a group measuring 2 7/8" for all 15 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 115gr FMJ.
2. The grip feels very comfortable. I have the small backstrap on it which feels best in my hand.
3. The controls are all within easy reach and easy to manipulate. Mine has the paddle mag release which is very easy to press using the trigger finger.
4. The slide serrations are sharp and afford a good purchase, although it is lessened somewhat by the smooth-sided extractor which cuts right through.
CONS:
1. There is a noticeable amount of muzzle flip, much more than the other two. That is entirely due to the high bore axis created by the comparatively tall slide. While it didn't affect accuracy I could see it affecting fast shots against the clock.
2. While the grip is comfortable as mentioned, the texturing is very mild and the pistol does not stick to the hand at all. I could see it becoming a problem if my hands were sweaty.
3. The factory rear sight has a large .140" wide notch which makes precision shooting just a tad more difficult.
Next up was the Glock 19 Gen4:
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PROS:
1. The controls were as easy to use as the PPQ. While mine is a Gen4 without the ambi slide release, other reviews have indicated that the ambi controls on the Gen5 are easy to use as well.
2. I ended up shooting the best target with the Glock despite it having the worst trigger of the bunch. 15 rounds went into 2 5/8". I attribute that to my having by far the most trigger time through this pistol compared to the other two, at least 5,000 rounds by this point. Even through the trigger was a bit stiff the break was still clean, and the Trijicon sights I have on it were easy to pick up and align on the target.
3. The low bore axis reduced muzzle flip and made shot recovery noticeably faster than with the PPQ.
CONS:
1. The grip shape and feel flat out sucks. Wrapping my hands around it feels like holding a block of wood. This is by far the worst criticism I have of the Glock design, which in this day and age is starting to get a little stale compared to the newest guns on the market. The raked grip angle doesn't help either, at least not until you get used to it. The texturing is okay and it stayed planted in my hand, but that's the most I could say for it. I am not running any extra backstraps on mine, preferring the smallest grip size possible to help hold onto this thing.
2. As mentioned the trigger is the heaviest and thus the worst of the three, although it still isn't bad. The new Gen5 models are reportedly better in this regard, and of course I could easily go with aftermarket solutions if I wanted to.
3. The slide serrations are very shallow and not very sharp. Pulling the slide back with oily or sweaty hands without slipping can be difficult.
And finally I fired up the S&W M&P 2.0 Compact:
![Image]()
PROS:
1. The grip shape, feel and texturing is easily the best of the bunch. I ended up using the medium size backstrap instead of the small because the added palmswell made it fit my hand better. The stippling is aggressive and the pistol flat out will not move in the hand even if the palms are sweaty, but at the same time it's not so aggressive that it becomes uncomfortable after awhile.
2. Despite not being tritium the overall sight picture offered by the OEM sights is excellent. I preferred it above the other two. The dots are large and easy to see and the rear notch is just the right width and depth for me.
3. The trigger, while not as good as the PPQs is still excellent and my example is not rough or gritty like some have reported. Gone is the mushiness of the old M&P 1.0 triggers. For a defense gun I actually prefer it over the PPQ trigger because it's slightly heavier while sacrificing little in the way of a clean break or reset.
4. The accuracy appears to be very good and it hit right to point of aim, despite the fact that I shot the worst group with it. I believe that was my fault, not the gun's, as it's a brand-new pistol and I simply haven't familiarized myself with it yet. On top of that, the minute I began shooting this target somebody in the lane next to me opened up with an AR and the blast affected my concentration. Unfortunately I was nearly out of ammo by then and could not shoot a do-over target.
5. The low bore axis made it shoot very flat and with quick and easy recovery, just like the Glock.
6. The cocking serrations were the sharpest of the three and very easy to get a good purchase on. There are also some small ones up front, but they are of limited utility except for a press check.
CONS:
1. My example has the thumb safety, and I found it is too easy to bump on or off as it doesn't click up or down with much authority. When I used a low thumb hold my knuckle bumped it to the ON SAFE position twice and quickly learned to ride it with my thumb instead. If I decide to make this a carry gun I will likely remove the safety lever altogether (S&W offers plugs to fill in the frame holes) just to make sure nothing like that happens at the wrong time.
2. The slide stop is small and difficult to release on the normal non-ambi side, and flat out impossible to release on the ambi side. Unfortunately if you're a lefty that is going to be a consideration, as the ambi slide stop is apparently just for show. I tried releasing it with both of my thumbs but couldn't. Even the non-ambi side was stiff, encouraging me to use the slingshot method which I'm not accustomed to doing.
3. Loading the first round into the magazine is very difficult without using an Uplula or other mag loader. This is due to the shape of the follower which is slightly curved and which makes it hard to slide a round under the feed lips. Once that first round is loaded however the rest slide in just fine. Not a deal breaker by any means, but nonetheless very annoying.
CONCLUSION:
All three handguns are obviously more than capable, and as can be seen all three shot basically the same from my hands despite the marked differences in the grip shape/feel and triggers. Anyone in need of a defense gun would be well served by either one of the three. However, I said that I was going to pick a winner based on my own preferences, but rather than say that a particular one is "best" I'll simply state which one I would keep if I had to get rid of all but one of them. I'd keep the S&W M&P 2.0 Compact by virtue of its amazing grip, excellent trigger and sights, and practical accuracy. Yes there were some annoyances but they're not significant. If I were allowed to keep two I'd also keep the Glock, despite having the worst grip feel and trigger of the three. My reason is simply that the Glock 19 has a 30-year track record and can be counted on to do its part if you do yours, and that's good enough in my book. I put the PPQ in last place simply because the trigger is the best thing going for it, yet to me it's too light for a defense gun that you may have to point at another human being someday. The increased muzzle flip was also a minor annoyance.
Just a quick comparison, as can be seen they are all similar in size, with the PPQ slightly taller due to having a taller slide (the grip length is about the same as the other two). The width and length was within 1/8" for all three, with a slight edge to the Glock. Note however that the M&P 2.0 Compact is noticeably heaver than the other two (I weighed these on my postal scale). Obviously since they all hold 15 rounds the loaded weight would be proportionally greater.
I wrapped up the range visit with a full magazine through each, one after the other at ten yards just to see if one stood out above the others and to rank them in my mind:
First up was the Walther PPQ M1.
PROS:
1. The trigger pull is excellent, light and with a crisp break and short reset, as I'm sure most are well aware. I had no trouble lining up the sights and keeping them steady as I fired. I ended up shooting a group measuring 2 7/8" for all 15 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 115gr FMJ.
2. The grip feels very comfortable. I have the small backstrap on it which feels best in my hand.
3. The controls are all within easy reach and easy to manipulate. Mine has the paddle mag release which is very easy to press using the trigger finger.
4. The slide serrations are sharp and afford a good purchase, although it is lessened somewhat by the smooth-sided extractor which cuts right through.
CONS:
1. There is a noticeable amount of muzzle flip, much more than the other two. That is entirely due to the high bore axis created by the comparatively tall slide. While it didn't affect accuracy I could see it affecting fast shots against the clock.
2. While the grip is comfortable as mentioned, the texturing is very mild and the pistol does not stick to the hand at all. I could see it becoming a problem if my hands were sweaty.
3. The factory rear sight has a large .140" wide notch which makes precision shooting just a tad more difficult.
Next up was the Glock 19 Gen4:
PROS:
1. The controls were as easy to use as the PPQ. While mine is a Gen4 without the ambi slide release, other reviews have indicated that the ambi controls on the Gen5 are easy to use as well.
2. I ended up shooting the best target with the Glock despite it having the worst trigger of the bunch. 15 rounds went into 2 5/8". I attribute that to my having by far the most trigger time through this pistol compared to the other two, at least 5,000 rounds by this point. Even through the trigger was a bit stiff the break was still clean, and the Trijicon sights I have on it were easy to pick up and align on the target.
3. The low bore axis reduced muzzle flip and made shot recovery noticeably faster than with the PPQ.
CONS:
1. The grip shape and feel flat out sucks. Wrapping my hands around it feels like holding a block of wood. This is by far the worst criticism I have of the Glock design, which in this day and age is starting to get a little stale compared to the newest guns on the market. The raked grip angle doesn't help either, at least not until you get used to it. The texturing is okay and it stayed planted in my hand, but that's the most I could say for it. I am not running any extra backstraps on mine, preferring the smallest grip size possible to help hold onto this thing.
2. As mentioned the trigger is the heaviest and thus the worst of the three, although it still isn't bad. The new Gen5 models are reportedly better in this regard, and of course I could easily go with aftermarket solutions if I wanted to.
3. The slide serrations are very shallow and not very sharp. Pulling the slide back with oily or sweaty hands without slipping can be difficult.
And finally I fired up the S&W M&P 2.0 Compact:
PROS:
1. The grip shape, feel and texturing is easily the best of the bunch. I ended up using the medium size backstrap instead of the small because the added palmswell made it fit my hand better. The stippling is aggressive and the pistol flat out will not move in the hand even if the palms are sweaty, but at the same time it's not so aggressive that it becomes uncomfortable after awhile.
2. Despite not being tritium the overall sight picture offered by the OEM sights is excellent. I preferred it above the other two. The dots are large and easy to see and the rear notch is just the right width and depth for me.
3. The trigger, while not as good as the PPQs is still excellent and my example is not rough or gritty like some have reported. Gone is the mushiness of the old M&P 1.0 triggers. For a defense gun I actually prefer it over the PPQ trigger because it's slightly heavier while sacrificing little in the way of a clean break or reset.
4. The accuracy appears to be very good and it hit right to point of aim, despite the fact that I shot the worst group with it. I believe that was my fault, not the gun's, as it's a brand-new pistol and I simply haven't familiarized myself with it yet. On top of that, the minute I began shooting this target somebody in the lane next to me opened up with an AR and the blast affected my concentration. Unfortunately I was nearly out of ammo by then and could not shoot a do-over target.
5. The low bore axis made it shoot very flat and with quick and easy recovery, just like the Glock.
6. The cocking serrations were the sharpest of the three and very easy to get a good purchase on. There are also some small ones up front, but they are of limited utility except for a press check.
CONS:
1. My example has the thumb safety, and I found it is too easy to bump on or off as it doesn't click up or down with much authority. When I used a low thumb hold my knuckle bumped it to the ON SAFE position twice and quickly learned to ride it with my thumb instead. If I decide to make this a carry gun I will likely remove the safety lever altogether (S&W offers plugs to fill in the frame holes) just to make sure nothing like that happens at the wrong time.
2. The slide stop is small and difficult to release on the normal non-ambi side, and flat out impossible to release on the ambi side. Unfortunately if you're a lefty that is going to be a consideration, as the ambi slide stop is apparently just for show. I tried releasing it with both of my thumbs but couldn't. Even the non-ambi side was stiff, encouraging me to use the slingshot method which I'm not accustomed to doing.
3. Loading the first round into the magazine is very difficult without using an Uplula or other mag loader. This is due to the shape of the follower which is slightly curved and which makes it hard to slide a round under the feed lips. Once that first round is loaded however the rest slide in just fine. Not a deal breaker by any means, but nonetheless very annoying.
CONCLUSION:
All three handguns are obviously more than capable, and as can be seen all three shot basically the same from my hands despite the marked differences in the grip shape/feel and triggers. Anyone in need of a defense gun would be well served by either one of the three. However, I said that I was going to pick a winner based on my own preferences, but rather than say that a particular one is "best" I'll simply state which one I would keep if I had to get rid of all but one of them. I'd keep the S&W M&P 2.0 Compact by virtue of its amazing grip, excellent trigger and sights, and practical accuracy. Yes there were some annoyances but they're not significant. If I were allowed to keep two I'd also keep the Glock, despite having the worst grip feel and trigger of the three. My reason is simply that the Glock 19 has a 30-year track record and can be counted on to do its part if you do yours, and that's good enough in my book. I put the PPQ in last place simply because the trigger is the best thing going for it, yet to me it's too light for a defense gun that you may have to point at another human being someday. The increased muzzle flip was also a minor annoyance.
