Smith & Wesson introduces the M&P M2.0 10mm Auto pistol series
Smith & Wesson re-enters the world of 10mm semi-automatic pistols for the first time since the mid-1990s with the launch of two 10mm Auto variants of the M&P M2.0 pistol design, packed with features and ready for service, defense, and recreational uses!
The Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto semi-automatic pistols series marks the return of Smith & Wesson on the market of semi-automatic pistols chambered for the hard-hitting 10mm Auto caliber, invented by Colonel Jeff Cooper in 1983 and first chambered by the legendary Bren Ten pistol.
10mm Auto enjoyed a brief moment of popularity in the United States between the 1980s and the early 1990s, and Smith & Wesson manufactured the 1000 Series pistols – Models 1006, 1046, 1066, 1076 and 1086 – in 10mm Auto from 1990 to 1995. The Smith & Wesson Model 1006 was officially adopted by the FBI as a replacement for their then-issued revolvers and 9mm pistols, but the large size and weight of the handgun and the excessive recoil of 10mm Auto loads led to its quick replacement by SIG Sauer and Glock pistols chambered in .40 Smith & Wesson – itself a derivative of 10mm Auto – by the mid-to-late 1990s.
Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto pistol – 4" barrel variant with manual safety
Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto pistol – 4" barrel variant w/o manual safety
For some years, now, 10mm Auto has been enjoying quite the comeback, especially in the United States, mostly due to the fact that modern-day materials and manufacturing technologies allow the firearms industry to manufacture more durable, more reliable, more manageable handguns that will better withstand the harsh stress caused by firing the powerful 10mm Auto loads – something that the 10mm-caliber handguns of the 1980s, including the legendary Bren Ten, weren't exactly known for.
Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto pistol – 4.6" barrel variant with manual safety
Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto pistol – 4.6" barrel variant w/o manual safety
Today, Smith & Wesson brings 10mm Auto back to its natural dimension – that of a service and defensive round – with two 10mm-caliber versions of their flagship striker-fired, polymer frame pistol design, the M&P M2.0, one of today's best known and most popular handguns worldwide.
As of today, the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto pistols series is comprised of two variants: a 4" barrel model – 18,2 cm / 7.92" long overall, weighing in at 788 grams / 29.3 oz. empty – and a 4.6" barrel model, which is 20 cm / 7.9" long in total but retains the same overall weight.
All the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto series pistols are built on the same polymer frame with extended rigid embedded stainless steel chassis as the .45 ACP variants of the line, allowing them to retain compatibility with the vast majority of holsters and accessories.
Both variants feed through the same double-stack metal magazines with polymer floorplate, offering an overall capacity of 15 rounds, plus an additional round in chamber. That's more than enough hard-hitting rounds for service, defense, or tactical applications.
Unlike other 10mm Auto caliber polymer-frame pistols, the new Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 offer a high level of durability and reliability even when used with the hottest-pressure loads: a must-have for defense against wild animals in the great outdoors.
All the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto series pistols are available with or without an ambidestrous frame-mounted manual safety and feature a modular optics interface machined right on the slide, compatible with most micro red dot sights currently available on the market; the white-dot sights are fixed and raised at optimal optics height.
Other features of the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto series pistols include a crisp, light flat-face trigger, with a tactile and audible reset, for consistent finger placement and more accurate and repeatable shooting; a 5-grooves, RH barrel with a 1:10" rifling pitch; a patented take-down lever and sear deactivation systems, allowing for disassembly without pulling the trigger; a durable Armornite corrosion-resistant finish on all metal surfaces; an optimal ptimal 18-degree grip angle for natural point of aim; and a set of interchangeable palmswell grip inserts (S, M, ML, L) for optimal hand fit and trigger reach.
The Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm Auto series pistols are already available on the US market, at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $654.00 for the 4" barrel variants and $665.00 for the 4.6" barrel variants. Prospective international buyers may want to reach out to their national Smith & Wesson importer or their closest retailer for further information concerning local availability and pricing.