M&P what's deal with beaver tail?

[Hotnhere]

I'm curious about this handgun, I've heard good things on the M&P 9mm and CORE series, tactical look is appealing and grips look they would fit like a glove but when I get to the end of the pistol there's that beaver tail? that looks oddly out of place on a polymer.

Does this bother anyone else? would like to hear input from owners or others who haven't bought one due to this as well.

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[edslhead]

Its plastic. Cant you just sand it off?

 

[Kristina]

I have often wondered why some polymer pistols have them anyway. I know why 1911s have them, but the lower bore axis of some (most? all?) striker fired pistols negates the need for a high hold and there is no hammer bite to worry about. Slide bite, is that even a thing? LOL, obviously I know nothing about plastic guns.

 

[RicInOR]

Might try this:
Want To Try



I own a FS and never gave it any thought.
I have seen some photos of those with it removed, didn't seem like it was much of a deal.

 

[Hotnhere]

Its plastic. Cant you just sand it off?

I was thinking same thing" wonder if anyone's done that on one of these? That may just kill any future sale of the firearm unless it turns out nice.

 

[Hotnhere]

Its plastic. Cant you just sand it off?

(totally unrelated but i like your avatar! good ol' days with Stabler & Biletnikoff though they look like a pretty good team with Carr at QB.) hmm... maybe i should put up an avatar?

 

[PiratePast40]

I've had a 9mm M&P Pro 5" for several years and the grip is just fine. Since there are 3 sizes of palm swells in the box, you can pick the one that suits you best. I've put grip tape on the front of mine since it is the PNW and competitions aren't cancelled because of rain. It's a very comfortable and natural grip for me.

 

[mkwerx]

Being an M&P fan and having owned multiple samples - I'm a fan of the beavertail. It actually does help negate muzzle flip compared to similar guns without them - I wished the compact guns had them, actually. They don't look as graceful as the rest of the gun, but they are very functional. And if you've got meaty hands - yes, slide bite is a thing, especially with a high hold on the gun. Nothing like having two parallel slashes cut into the fat part of your hand to make shooting more "fun"

Removing them isn't terribly hard unless you're a klutz, if you don't like it. A dremel, a small hack saw, and some sand paper and it's off. But resale will suffer, moreso than if you'd stippled the gun.

I missed the beavertail so much from my M&P's that when I picked up another Glock - I added the Gripforce beavertail to my G19 to duplicate the feel from the M&P.

 

[edslhead]

(totally unrelated but i like your avatar! good ol' days with Stabler & Biletnikoff though they look like a pretty good team with Carr at QB.) hmm... maybe i should put up an avatar?

Their doin so good now, they actually put the games on TV again

 

[Kristina]

...It actually does help negate muzzle flip compared to similar guns without them - I wished the compact guns had them, actually... And if you've got meaty hands - yes, slide bite is a thing, especially with a high hold on the gun. Nothing like having two parallel slashes cut into the fat part of your hand to make shooting more "fun"

My post probably sounded like I was taking a dig at non-1911s, but I was actually hoping for an answer/clarification because I didn't know and was curious why.

 

[mkwerx]

My post probably sounded like I was taking a dig at non-1911s, but I was actually hoping for an answer/clarification because I didn't know and was curious why.

No problemo

 

[Riot]

Slide bite, is that even a thing? LOL, obviously I know nothing about plastic guns.

Guys with fat hands or people who hold the pistol incorrectly (support hand-thumb crossed over) get slides bites ALL THE TIME.


You would be surprised at how many people make this mistake.

 

[Larrabee]

I own several M&Ps and the beaver tail does not bother me at all. I've seen them ground off and to me it looked odd.

 

[mkwerx]

For those not familiar with the GripForce adapters...



I like 'em and it will be standard upgrade to anymore Glocks I wind up with. It also helps index the grip a bit more quickly and consistently from concealment.

 

[Riot]

For those not familiar with the GripForce adapters...

View attachment 326778

I like 'em and it will be standard upgrade to anymore Glocks I wind up with. It also helps index the grip a bit more quickly and consistently from concealment.

I, too, added this feature to my G-22...I have very long fingers and this helped take some of the slack so I don't put too much trigger finger on the trigger.

 

[No_Regerts]

The beavertail keeps the gun locked in better to your hand in my opinion. When mu department bought them in 2008, we noticed fewer grip related malfunctions compared to Glock. Some have gone to the Gen4 beavertail and see the same improvement on the glocks. My duty M&P has over 10k through it and it is one of the most comfortable guns to shoot I've ever had, especially one-handed.

 

[MrMillspecer]

They are to avoid slide bite. You can grip them high w no worries. Like a hand stop.

 

[Kristina]

Guys with fat hands or people who hold the pistol incorrectly (support hand-thumb crossed over) get slides bites ALL THE TIME.
View attachment 326771

You would be surprised at how many people make this mistake.

Woah, that looks weird

 

[Hotnhere]

Being an M&P fan and having owned multiple samples - I'm a fan of the beavertail. It actually does help negate muzzle flip compared to similar guns without them - I wished the compact guns had them, actually. They don't look as graceful as the rest of the gun, but they are very functional. And if you've got meaty hands - yes, slide bite is a thing, especially with a high hold on the gun. Nothing like having two parallel slashes cut into the fat part of your hand to make shooting more "fun"

Removing them isn't terribly hard unless you're a klutz, if you don't like it. A dremel, a small hack saw, and some sand paper and it's off. But resale will suffer, moreso than if you'd stippled the gun.

I missed the beavertail so much from my M&P's that when I picked up another Glock - I added the Gripforce beavertail to my G19 to duplicate the feel from the M&P.

thanks! for you input, your post explained the beavertails function and what was i was curios about, its purpose makes sense now that you explained it. Im looking forward to shooting one now!

 

[L84Cabo]

I've got a M&P CORE 9mm (the shorter one), a M&P 45 (the shorter one), and a M&P .22. I'm a fan. I like the ergos over Glock. I think they're a hell of a value for the money...much like Glocks are...only not as ugly .

The beaver tail doesn't bother me...at all. I've actually never even thought of it being problematic or detracting from it's looks. And it's practical in protecting your hand from slide bite and helping to better control the gun during recoil. But to be completely fair, I've never shot a compact model without the tail so I don't have a basis for comparison.

Note that the factory trigger on the CORE is pretty good. The stock trigger on the 45 was horrendous. I've installed an Apex Flat Faced Trigger with forward set sear in both guns. As I said, the factory trigger in the CORE was very shootable but the Apex still offered a bit of improvement and I like that both guns sport the exact same trigger (I mean this from a functional standpoint not a cosmetic one). This wasn't a big deal to me as all my handguns usually get upgraded triggers. But it's something to consider if you're on a budget and don't want to have to spend extra money. If this is a concern for you, then I would probably go rent a Glock, a Springfield XD, a M&P, and a Sig P320 and see which gun you like the best. You really can't go wrong with any of these. The Apex trigger is simply excellent btw. I highly recommend.

Also consider if you have any plans for a running a red dot at some point. If you're thinking about a red dot at all, I think it's much more cost effective to buy a gun with the slide already milled vs. having to send the gun out. The M&P Core also comes stock with suppressor sights. I don't think the Glock MOS does so that's one more cost...plus shipping the gun out...to consider into the equation. Not sure about Springfield or Sig but I suspect they both have similar versions with milled slides but don't know how else they're equipped. If you intend to carry this gun with a red dot...or use it in a defensive role, then the suppressor sights are absolutely critical in the event the red dot goes out. If it's just going to be a range toy, then it's not as big of a deal.

I'm a big fan of red dots on pistols btw. I think ultimately this is the future for handguns. They're a blast to shoot but there is a learning curve with them. Picking up the dot on the draw does not come naturally to most people. Most people will suggest you line up your iron sights first and then transition to the dot in the process. I'm still not as fast initially picking up the dot as I am with irons. Still got a ways to go there. But once I have the dot everything is faster (follow ups, target transitions, etc.).

Picture of the girls...and I get that the red isn't for everyone. They come in black (obviously) and sometimes they put out special colors (they've got a stars and stripes version out and I think they did a limited run on purple once...might be wrong on that).