I don't know for a fact, but I've been told that you can get them without.
The implication, to me, is that the magazine safety must be removable.

Yes, the M&P can be purchased without the magazine safety, and yes the magazine safety can be removed. I seem to recall that one of our members here, TOF, has done so himself. TOF knows a lot about the M&P pistols and I am sure he will join in with an answer shortly.

your looking far a 109303: 10 Rd, Std Sights, 2 Mags
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...-1&isFirearm=Y

Redwing I love you. I clicked on it before the post and didnt realize there was different model numbers with different features.

Now if I can just decide on the caliber. I am almost leaning towards a .45. But I like .40's. I dont know.

Originally Posted by Brevard

Now if I can just decide on the caliber. I am almost leaning towards a .45. But I like .40's. I dont know.

Either way , a great choice.....but I would definitely be leaning heavily towards the .45.....

May I suggest the 9mm? Cheaper and easier to shoot and with premium JHP the performance of the 9mm is as good as the .40S&W and .45ACP.

Originally Posted by Ptarmigan

May I suggest the 9mm? Cheaper and easier to shoot and with premium JHP the performance of the 9mm is as good as the .40S&W and .45ACP.

If this were true... why does the military use .45 s ??

I like the 9mm but the 45 will make the perp "Fall Down "and take notice

Originally Posted by BT2Flip

If this were true... why does the military use .45 s ??...

This is not a suitable subject for discussion, because it's a religious issue.
If you believe, truly believe, in the 9mm, it's as good as a .44 Magnum. But you gotta believe!

We are not going to turn this into a caliber war but the U.S. military uses the 9mm as the standard handgun round, as does all of NATO. Besides, my statement indicated that with premium JHPs the performance is the same. The military uses FMJ rounds. I could go on and on.

It's not a caliber war, it's a religious war.
Any pistol cartridge larger than .32 ACP is adequate for self-protection, and even for aggression, if used wisely and with accuracy.
Ask the French. No, cancel that... Ask the Russians. Ask the Belgians. Well, you could ask the French Foreign Legion, too.

The difference between .380 ACP and 9mm, and to some extent between 9mm and .45 ACP, is margin for error. You need to be much more careful about bullet placement with .380, than with 9mm. You need to be somewhat more careful with 9mm, than with .45 ACP. And so on...

DING!!! Shot placement wins 99% of the time. Learn to shoot the caliber you carry, not count on it doing a good job IF you hit the target.

Zhur

O.K. Given that I am a fuddy-duddy old revolver man, why on Earth would one enter a shoot situation uncertain as to whether the magazine were locked into place?

I've carried the M1911 at times, and there was no question in my mind concerning the magazine. When I loaded the pistol, I made sure the magazine was locked into place before holstering the pistol.

Bob Wright

Bob;
The big issue with magazine safeties is being able to fire the round in the pistol's chamber while in the midst of a reload. It's a save-your-life kind of thing.
The so-called "advantage" of the magazine safety is the ease of disabling the gun in the midst of a snatch attempt.
It's not a matter of not having a fully-seated magazine in the first place.

Originally Posted by Steve M1911A1

Bob;
The big issue with magazine safeties is being able to fire the round in the pistol's chamber while in the midst of a reload. It's a save-your-life kind of thing.
The so-called "advantage" of the magazine safety is the ease of disabling the gun in the midst of a snatch attempt.
It's not a matter of not having a fully-seated magazine in the first place.

Again, from an old revolver shooter, why are you wanting to reload a loaded gun? You've counted the shots you've fired? In fast shooting, I only knew to reload when the gun was empty, slide locked back.

And, you need to reload? Get a bigger caliber! If you've gone up against that many assailants, poor observation on your part.

Bob Wright

Originally Posted by Bob Wright

...[W]hy are you wanting to reload a loaded gun? You've counted the shots you've fired? In fast shooting, I only knew to reload when the gun was empty, slide locked back...

I was taught that I should reload at any lull in the action. Partly-empty magazines are not discarded, but rather retained (pocketed) for possible later use.
In the heat of a fight (or even in a practical-pistol match) it is very difficult to keep accurate count of rounds expended or remaining.
If you top-off your pistol every time you have a pause in which to do so, you're always fighting (or competing) with a full-up pistol. Less worry, I'd say.
Further, you get into action much more quickly if you have not emptied the gun all the way to slide-lock. And you have the advantage of being able to fire the one in the pipe, if someone comes at you while you're switching magazines.