THE YEAR 2006 was notable for Smith & Wesson. Defying expectations, S&W introduced their first AR, the M&P15, and a polymer-framed, striker -fired pistol: the M&P. The timing was perfect, as many law enforcement agencies were encouraged to apply for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants to update their equipment and training, much of which hadn’t been updated since the 1990s. Within the span of a few years, hundreds of agencies were simultaneously shopping for a duty-pistol replacement and an AR-type carbine for patrol officers. The S&W brand was poised with offerings.
Through 2009, most of the agencies who adopted the M&P were switching from hammer-fired pistols such as the Beretta 92/96, SIG Sauer’s classic P-series or third-generation S&W autos. Many of those pistols featured manual safety levers or decockers…