Smith & Wesson M&P

Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police) is a series of handguns named after the famous 20th century Smith & Wesson service revolvers.^[1] They are designed mainly for military, police and personal defense use.^[1] They are offered in calibers including: .22 LR, .380 ACP, 9×19mm Parabellum, .357 Magnum and .45 ACP.^[2]

Smith & Wesson M&P 2005 in .40 S&W caliber

History

In 1852, gunsmiths Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson formed the partnership Smith & Wesson.^[3] After having financial troubles, in 1854 they sold the company to a shirt manufacturer named Oliver Winchester.^[3] In 1866, Winchester renamed the company Winchester Repeating Arms Company. That same year Smith and Wesson formed the second company called Smith & Wesson, which is still in operation.^[3]

Early Smith & Wession M&P Victory model revolver

In 1899, the company produced their now-famous Military & Police pistol.^[4] It was a double-action which set a standard for modern revolvers. It also introduced what has become a very popular caliber, the .38 S&W Special.^[4] In 2005, the company introduced Smith & Wesson M&P model pistol.^[5] It was the first polymer handgun for S&W.^[5] It is available in 9mm and .40 S&W, and as of February 2016, in .45 ACP.^[5] It is recoil-operated and uses the Browning-type locking system.^[5]

In 2008 the name M&P expanded to became a series of handguns.^[6] It includes polymer pistols, (alloy) revolvers and AR-type rifles.^[6] The color, with a few exceptions, is usually black.^[6]

The M&P line has expanded to include the "Pro-series", "Shield-series" and "Bodyguard-series" guns.

Related pages

• Personal defense weapon
• Service pistol
• Smith & Wesson
• Smith & Wesson Model 10
• SWAT