Smith & Wesson has launched special edition versions of the M&P 2.0 every year, for the past few years now Known as the Spec Series, these handguns come bundled with hard-sided cases, extra magazines, unique accessories and commemorative items such as knives and challenge coins. To keep things “fresh” and well, special, Smith & Wesson announced its latest upgrade to the series at SHOT Show 2025 and further increased its reach a few months later by celebrating the latest Spec Series gun at the 154th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, Ga.
Compared to previous years, Smith & Wesson flipped the Spec Series script big time. The company didn’t ship another aluminum or polymer model. Instead, Smith & Wesson did something that many loyal M&P-series fans had been waiting for, completing the M&P 2.0 arc by launching an all-steel version of the M&P 9. This new gun is the fifth Spec Series model, and it comes in a Grey Cerakote finish with contrasting blue highlights. Officially, the gun is known as the Spec Series V M&P 9 2.0 Metal HD.
The Pistol
Other than the steel in the Metal HD’s frame, and its extra mass, the Metal HD is virtually identical to other M&P 2.0 Metal [aluminum] pistols. In fact, this upgraded pistol even fits in any holster meant for a standard M&P 2.0, provided the holster is long enough to accommodate the slightly longer 4.8″ barrel and compensator combination. Naturally, the Metal HD has a similar feel and handling characteristics. And yes, it takes about 300 rounds or so for the gun to really wear in properly. This is in line with my experiences shooting M&P 2.0 models in general. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that the first time I took the M&P 9 2.0 Metal HD out of its box, its heft made me think of one Smith’s classic third-generation traditional double-action semi-autos.
I’ve been busy shooting this new steel-frame gun since April, both in general and in USPSA matches, and am steadfast in my opinion that M&P 2.0s have some of the most ergonomic grips among striker-fired handguns currently on the market. The Metal HD is no exception, and this is one of the gun’s strongest assets. Whether polymer or metal, it’s likely that the M&P 2.0’s grip is one of the main reasons that many high-level shooters make the effort to shoot these pistols. In addition to the general grip profile, both the front and backstrap inserts have a coarse, “grippy” texture that works quite well without cutting into the skin.
Metal HDs keep the same futuristic slide-styling to what’s found in the 2024-released M&P 2.0 9 Carry Comp variants. In addition to the Charcoal-Grey finish which also matches that of the Carry Comp’s, the Metal HD’s slide includes slide lightening cuts. There are two smaller ones on the upper corner of the slide directly behind the muzzle that look like flared nostrils, and there’s also a single large cut on the upper portion of the slide between the breech and the front sight. Unlike the Carry Comp, the Metal HD includes taller, red-dot-friendly iron sights.
Trigger & Accessories
It wasn’t long ago that Smith & Wesson updated its entire full-size and compact M&P 2.0 product line with a newer style of polymer trigger. Unlike the older “crescent-shaped” M&P 2.0 trigger, newer versions can be easily identified by their flatter and wider profiles. Metal HDs obviously include the newer trigger, however, the units fitted to these pistols are also fully machined from aluminum. This detail is easy to miss, but it’s also a first for the M&P 2.0 family. Shooting-wise, the trigger has the same characteristics of any other M&P 2.0 Metal trigger that I’ve handled. The trigger pull on my gun breaks at 3 lbs., 15.9 ozs. Honestly, I would have preferred that Metal HDs shipped with a more performance-driven trigger—something akin to the Apex Tactical FSS.
Besides its steel construction, the other prominent features of the Smith & Wesson M&P Metal HD include various small parts and accent pieces, finished with a shiny metallic-blue PVD (physical vapor deposition) finish.
These parts include:
- 4.8″ (½x28 TPI) threaded, 1:10″ twist Metal HD barrel; exterior of barrel is decorated with spiral fluting and blue PVD finish
- Steel magazine well
- Performance Center extended ambidextrous slide-release
- Magazine release
- Takedown lever
- Steel S&W C.O.R.E. optics cut slide cover
Though not finished in the PVD metallic-blue, another critical component of the Spec Series V M&P 9 2.0 Metal HD is the Strike Industries single-port compensator. The unit comes preinstalled on the pistol, but I recommend verifying that both of its setscrews are torqued correctly. Otherwise, it’s not difficult to remove in order to access the threaded-barrel to shoot the pistol with a suppressor.
Shooting The Spec Series V M&P 9 2.0 Metal HD
For this review, I skipped the S&W C.O.R.E. shims and used an Apex Tactical ACRO-pattern optics-plate to install an Aimpoint ACRO P-2 enclosed-emitter red-dot sight. With or without the added compensator, the pistol itself shoots fantastically. This is partially due to the way M&P 2.0 slides are sprung and how the slide interacts with the frame. Besides praising the pistol’s grip’s ergonomics, the other thing is how well the slide tracks and how reliable these pistols are. Though the compensator may change the equation (depending on the load being fired), I’ve found that 9 mm M&P 2.0 pistols generally have no problem cycling standard-pressure 9 mm Luger ammo: this includes everything ranging from subsonic 147-grain loads, +P rated 124-grain duty loads and garden-variety 115-grain ball target ammo.
Part of my range test included shooting a few magazines through the M&P Metal HD with a Silencer Co. .45-cal. Octane suppressor while using HOP Munitions 147-grain Poly RN ammo, along with the booster and can on the front; the Metal HD’s slide tracked swiftly.
For the remainder of function testing, I re-installed the compensator and primarily shot Remington Range 115-grain FMJ target ammo. In addition to this Remington load for formal accuracy testing, I grouped Hornady’s 124-grain +P Critical Duty JHP and American Eagle’s AE9FP 147-grain flat-point loads–one of my favorite standard-velocity commercially available 147-grain 9 mm options. Accuracy-wise, the Metal HD favored the Hornady load. I’m sure the XTP-based bullet and its decent velocity were contributing factors. The AE9FP wasn’t far behind either.
Plate Racks & Bill Drills
This is a pistol that is quite easy to shoot, which is likely due to the added heft in combination with accessories; they all work in tandem to edge out the Metal HD’s overall recoil impulse. I like to say that a pistol’s real character is revealed through controlled rapid-fire, so I decided to burn down a few Bill Drills just to get a feel of how the Spec Series truly handles. Between its “grippy” texture, the lip of the magwell helping to lock the support hand in position, the compensator and the easy-shooting feel of the 115-grain Remington Range rounds, I managed to shoot a Bill Drill personal record while from concealment: 2.10 seconds clean. The other two results were 2.27 and 2.14, but neither were clean. Nonetheless, the Spec Series M&P Metal HD is easy to drive aggressively. During these strings, I fired splits as quick as 0.15 seconds.
Besides Bill Drills, I took advantage of my gun club’s plate rack at 20 yards. Just as it was easy to shoot Bill Drills on demand, it was easy to lay down plates and transition from left to right. From concealment, my best times were in the mid-three-second range (but not clean).
The Takeaway
Besides the compensator re-directing gasses to keep the muzzle flat and the extra mass from the steel frame, this Spec Series pistol, like all other M&P 2.0 variants, tend to have a certain synergy between their frames, slides and recoil-spring assemblies. The result is a handgun that tracks quite consistently during rapid-fire. Over my time with the latest Spec Series V M&P 2.0 pistol, I’ve shot more than 500 rounds of various types of 9 mm without issue. Although, it should be noted at this point, this unit does not work with standard 17-round M&P mags, however, the factory-supplied 23-rounders worked flawlessly. More than half of my test sample’s round count comes from shooting in fast-paced match conditions, not to mention my afternoon testing session where I dragged it across that plate rack and shot Bill Drills. While this steel-frame gun isn’t a traditional “race gun,” it can still be treated like one. And it will do its part.
My biggest critique about the M&P Metal HD has to be the factory C.O.R.E optics-mounting system. I really dislike its use of 5/64″ hex-screws, which can be harder to torque down compared to the star-shaped Torx screws provided with most firearms and optics applications. I’ve shot this pistol with the C.O.R.E. system, and even after torquing down the provided screws (with threadlocker), they still became loose.
The original Smith & Wesson M&P, whose name is an abbreviation for “Military & Police,” has been around since 2005. Twelve years later, Smith gave its flagship striker-fired duty pistol a facelift with the launch of the M&P 2.0 series in aluminum. The fact that the company is rolling out steel frames is another step in the right direction. Personally, I hope Smith & Wesson continues to roll out steel-frame variants and not just leave as a Spec Series-only item. With the right aftermarket parts and accessories, a steel-frame Smith & Wesson M&P 9 2.0 could give most 9 mm, double-stack, M1911-style pistols a run for their money.
Smith & Wesson Spec Series V M&P 9 Metal HD Specifications
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
Action Type: striker-fired, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Barrel: 4.8″ stainless steel; blue PVD finish
Slide: stainless steel
Frame: stainless steel
Finish: Charcoal Grey Cerakote
Magazine: 23-round detachable box
Sights: drift-adjustable, tall, three-dot night
Trigger: 3-lb., 15.9-oz. pull
Overall Length: 8.75″
Height: 5.81″
Width: 1.67″
Weight: 36.96 ozs.
Accessories: owner’s manual, (3) 23-round magazines, optics mounting system hardware, challenge coin, folding knife, steel magazine well, single port compensator, thread protector, extra backstraps, hard case
MSRP: $1,699