Sootch00’s S&W M&P M2.0 Metal HD Review: Does Forged Stainless Soften a Full-Size 9mm?

Is Smith & Wesson’s forged stainless Metal HD actually softer and more controllable than an aluminum-frame M&P — or are you just paying for steel weight on a full-size 9mm? Sootch00 put the M&P 2.0 Metal HD on the range to find out.

What he covers: this is the Heavy Duty Metal HD — forged stainless steel slide and frame with a 5-inch barrel on the proven M2.0 platform, built for competition and home defense. He walks the C.O.R.E. optics mount that fits common micro red dots, and calls the flat-face trigger crisp and clean. Specs and shootability claims are his, not ours.

Here’s our take. Buy the Metal HD if you want factory stainless weight on a full-size optics-ready M2.0 without a custom frame job. Skip it if you are shopping a lighter aluminum Metal or polymer M2.0 for carry miles. Watch his range stretch before you treat steel as automatic insurance.

We stock the Metal HD he is talking about. On the shelf: the M&P9 M2.0 Metal HD — 9mm, 17+1. Related: the Metal HD with no thumb safety if that is your preference, and the 10-round Metal HD for capacity-limited states. Complete firearm transfers through your FFL.