Being a senior in college and majoring in Criminal Justice, my future career is in law enforcement. So I wanted to find a pistol for PP and also be able to use it for duty carry once I became an officer. This too was the first firearm that I ever bought. I wanted a reliable caliber and being made in America was a must! The M&P is just that. I purchased the 40 cal model, took it home and fired about 100 rounds the first day right out of the box. After a month 500 rounds had been put through it, then I cleaned it for the first time. The gun is well balanced, mag holds 15 rounds, the back of the grip is interchangable with 3 sizes, has a light/laser rail, when the chamber is closed there is a small hole in the back of the chamber which is visible from the top. This allows you to check the gun ASAP to see if a round is chambered or not. It has the trigger saftey that is so closely modeled after glock that glock tried to sue S&W becaused of it, personally i think they should of had a dual lol. when griping the gun and then firing the recoil isn't harsh @ all and is very smooth. shot 300 rounds through it all in one day and woke up the next morning, and didn't feel a thing. Comparing the grips of the M&P and a glock is like holding a stress ball vs. a 2X4, no comparison. There is not one thing on the gun that I dislike or have neutral feelings about. I love it. It is extremely acurate, balanced and reliable. My gun has never misfired on me and it has had about 1500 rounds put through it and has been cleaned twice. Go and look at one, and if you like the grip, the weight and how it feels in your hand, you will not be disappointed after going to the range, even if this is your first gun. The best firearm ever made! To any officers reading this: My model has a feature, which I didn't know about until I got home and read the book. And being a future LEO I'm very glad it has it. On my gun if the mag is released from the gun the firearm will NOT fire. Have you ever seen on those police shows when an officer gets into a struggle over his duty weapon with a suspect? With the M&P all that officer has to do is release the mag and kick it away, then that suspect can have the gun for all I care because it will not fire. This will give the officer time to draw his back up weapon and neutralize the suspect. What now Glock??? lol. But seriously the M&P is designed to protect you and your life. Its not a firearm, its a friend that I myself trust my life with.