Smith and Wesson M&P 40 Review

The Smith and Wesson M&P 40 is an excellent personal defense weapon for both home defense, concealed carry and recreation. The weapon includes numerous features that make it the choice weapon of over 250 law enforcement agencies in the United States, security companies and individuals alike.

The M&P 40 with Speer Gold Dot ammunition.
A top of the line load out I trust my life with everyday.

The M&P auto pistol comes in .45 ACP, 9mm, .357 Auto as well as the focus of this review the .40 S&W. I chose the .40 S&W because after firing both the .45 and the .40 I decided that the lower more controllable recoil of the .40 and increase capacity of 5 rounds were well worth the smaller caliber, while it still has greater hitting power than the 9mm.

I carry the M&P 40 for both personal concealed carry as well as for work while working as a security guard. I have full faith that should I need to use the weapon to defend myself it will not fail me when I need it most. After firing well over 1000 rounds through several different M&Ps I have not had a single malfunction while using Smith & Wesson factory magazines.

The Smith & Wesson website lists 19 variations of the weapon that are available to customers, including Massachusetts and California compliant versions. The name M&P series of weapons is designed for use by the military and police, and with a name like Smith & Wesson it is backed by 159 years of firearms manufacturing expertise.

The M&P 40 carries 15+1 rounds, in the full size models, and 10+1 in the compact models. The sights of the weapon are specifically designed to be low profile and carry friendly, additional sight options include Trijicon tritium night sights.

Another great feature are the 3 interchangeable grip sizes that allow an individual to customize the size of the grip to their hands. Because of this there are options to buy M&Ps with Crimson Trace Laser Grips, as well as buy them aftermarket with no additional gun smithing necessary.

Additionally the weapon is designed to be totally ambidextrous. The magazine release is reversible for both left and right handed shooters, as well as a dual side mounted slide stop.

For additional safety while cleaning or performing maintenance, the M&P includes a sear deactivation lever so it does not require pulling the trigger to dismount the slide.


I have included an additional review of the features of the weapon on YouTube the review does a great job showing the features of the weapon.

The Smith & Wesson M&P 40 is a great weapon for self defense or recreation. I would highly recommend it for those concerned about personal or family safety.