Smith & Wesson announced yesterday the introduction of its upcoming C.O.R.E. (“Competition Optics Ready Equipment”) series. These guns will feature an optics mounting system that reportedly allows the use of six different popular mini red dot sights including:
- Trijicon RMR
- C-More STS
- Leupold DeltaPoint
- Docter
- Insight MRDSTM
- JPoint
Initially, 9mm and .40 S&W guns will be available in both 4.25″ and 5″ models.
While I’m not personally a fan of slide-mounted optics (which is a topic for another time), it’s not surprising to see more pistol manufacturers jumping on the bandwagon. Smith’s approach appears to be a simplified version of the innovative Unity ATOM that has received such rave reviews from testers. The Smith version appears to put the optic much higher on the gun than the ATOM, which is a negative. But without seeing a C.O.R.E. and an ATOM for the same model gun side by side, that could just be me.
Ironically, the addition of precise red dot optics on the M&P series pistols may further exacerbate ongoing accuracy issues the company has had with the full size 9mm guns.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
That looks great. I too have mixed feelings about slide mounted optics but based on that pic it looks set up for cowitness buis. That will make a nice starting point for an open blaster.
The first step towards IDPA legalizing optics equipped guns?
More talk about the make believe accuracy issues of the M&P 9mm. I am pretty sure if you track the IP address of the negative forum posters they either work for Glock Inc. or are based out of Austria. It’s amazing how quickly bad info can become a fact when people really want to believe it.
mlk18 — Sadly, no. I experienced the issue myself with my first M&P9. By then, Smith was aware of the problem and had already produced some prototype barrels to fix it. I’ve still got one of those barrels. If you follow the link in the post above it will take you to extensive independent testing done by GJM who is certainly neither a Glock employee nor living in Austria. He spent his own time and money to test seven different M&P pistols for accuracy and compared them to his results with other guns. GJM has been in two classes of mine and earned a slot on the F.A.S.T. Wall. There’s no question he’s a competent shooter.
You may not like the results others are seeing, but they’re honest.
How many M&P9 pistols have you benched at 25yd? How many different types of ammo did you use? What were your group sizes?
I’m not sure how you could equate this announcement with IDPA legalizing optic equipped guns. Their decision to do so or not will not be based on the availability of equipment, but on a fairly big change in thought. I wouldn’t expect that unless we see big (positive) change from the Tiger Teams that demonstrate more flexibility instead of arbitrary go-no go decisions on equipment.
My agency issues the M&P and tested numerous guns (based on the rumor of inaccuracy). At 25 yards using Speer Lawman ammo the smallest grouping was just over 2″ largest was just under 3.50″. We also qualify from 1 yard out to 25 yards. Scores have improved noticeably across the board over our former Glocks. I know many M&P owners and have yet to find one with an inaccurate gun. I don’t believe you are being dishonest, but I do not believe the claims of inaccuracy have been seriously blown out of proportion by in various forums and blogs.
mlk18 — Which model(s) of M&P does your agency issue?
I hate backronyms.
Great! I look forward to XDM, Glock, etc. following soon. As for game players-this is a big deal. Conceivably, in the future, you could buy one guy..say a Glock 35..and be competitive in nearly every USPSA division: Open, Limited, L-10, and Production – by adding or removing extras..without breaking any rule. Very, very cool. Now since the M&P9 (or at least the one I bought last year) couldn’t group better than 6” benched, I’ll have to wait for Glock or Springfield to follow suit
….and besides just games, there is a real application regarding electirc sites for defense that shouldn’t be overlooked.
When the gun cannot hold a down-zero of an IDPA target from a sandbag there are issues.
What is your issue with slide mounted optics?
The 9mm optics ready guns have 1/10 barrels, look for more models to adopt? I assume this is a change for the M&P
Great news. Even though I just purchased a new M&P9 a little over a month ago it’s nice to hear their coming out with one of these.
Don’t know if I’d get one, but if I had 1,000’s of extra cash not set aside for anything then I believe I would purchase this. However that Unity Atom seems like it would be better since it is lower. Can’t wait until I read about someone who has both of them in their hands and can do a comparison.
Thanks for the info ToddG
mlk18 Are you talking of M&P9’s or the 40’s. If the 40’s these are accurate out of the box, the 45 M&P’s even more so. I’m sure we’d all like to know.
Not sure why they didn’t make it work for the Aimpoint T1/H1 — arguably the most rugged of the optics suitable for this sort of pistol. The Unity Atom mount does work with the Aimpoint and I have a slide at L&M for that installation now.
On the accuracy issue, if S&W can make the Shield shoot as well as it does (crazy accurate groups reported in the 1.5-2 inch range at 25 yards), they ought to be able to solve the full size M&P’s accuracy problem, after they accomplish step one of that well established twenty step method for solving big issues — with step one being admit there is a problem.
The relationship of the optic and rear sight looks different, but as TLG points out, will need to see it in person, compare to others, and try holsters to figure out how it works.
2013 PT endurance test gun?
So, do you need to rebuild these M&P’s right out of the box with Apex triggers, sears and aftermarket barrels to make them useable?
Or has S&W built these to different standards from their other M&P’s? Regards 18DAI
Though an Apex Trigger upgrade will definitely improve the M&P factory setup, shooting a few hundred rounds through the factory trigger, especially the hard-sear Pro version will smooth it out as nicely as any other production gun trigger.
And the early unlocking (stringing/accuracy) issues of the early 9mm M&Ps are LONG gone.
The newer M&P 9s are equally accurate with the 40’s, the Glocks, the XDs, etc.
Jeff Ward
I have four M&P’s Two Pros and two FS in 9MM & 40cal As far as the 9MM goes my guns are more accurate then I am. The 9MM FS was bought in 2007. That said I have always thought the 1-18 twist was to slow for the 9MM. CZ’s are 1 – 10.
Ammo in my view, plays a large part in the accuracy department. I have shot 147gr Win Ranger ammo that would not group 5″ at 15 yards from a rest with my CZ’s that normally are well under an inch at that distance.
If S&W is going to a 1-10 barrel for the CORE model I’ll be looking at replacing my barrels on my 9MM M&P’s
Take Care
Bob