Smith and Wesson and Viking Tactics collaborative efforts are producing another M&P firearm with the VTAC moniker pasted on it, the M&P VTAC Pistol. I first saw this pistol surface when I noticed that the Smith and Wesson rep who was in Magpul’s Art of the Dynamic Handgun was using a tan M&P; well, it looks like after 2 years they’re finally going to be available to the public. The S&W VTAC Pistols have been seen at trade shows such as the NRA Annual Meeting last year in Charlotte and at this year’s SHOT SHOW, but now they’ll finally be in our stores soon.
Aside from the obvious differences from the standard M&P pistols such as color, the new Smith and Wesson M&P VTAC pistols will feature VTACs Warrior Sights which are basically dual stacked 3 dot sight systems–one set of dots are fiber-optic sights for a high viz sight solution during daylight, and standard tritium night sights located about .5 mm underneath the fiber optic sights. The dual purpose sight picture seems like an ideal solution for combining the best possible methods for gaining a clear sight picture in both lighting conditions without compromising the effectiveness of either system by directly combining them as seen with other combination sights.
The S&W M&P pistols will be offered in 9mm or .40 (no word on a .45 yet). Along with the VTAC Warrior sights, Smith and Wesson enlarged the trigger guard for the VTAC line of M&Ps making it easier to operate the pistol with gloves on. Other than that the new Smith and Wesson VTAC M&Ps feature a 17+1 capacity for the 9mm with an unloaded weight of 24 ounces and the .40 will be able to hold 15+1 with a barely noticeable heavier feel of 24.25 ounces unloaded and both models feature a picatinny rail. S&W M&P VTACs will feature previous attributes of the M&P pistol line such as an ambidextrous slide release, reversible magazine release, and interchangeable grip inserts. So most of the features you would expect out of the popular M&P line are still there with some added tactical features and a tacti-cool color to create the new M&P VTAC. Expect the MSRP to be around $650.
