Spurred by the liberalization of concealed carry laws in some of our more enlightened states, the quest for the perfect carry gun goes on. There is a slug of pretty good revolvers, autos and derringers out there--just about anything to suit your fancy, really--so one sometimes wonders if the makers can keep coming out with anything that's that much better than what's already available.

Perhaps "better" isn't really the operative word here; maybe "innovative" or "ingenious" would be more accurate adjectives to describe some of the new pocket pieces, and at the risk of taking some of the suspense out of this story, I have to acknowledge that my recent experience with the new Compact version of the superb Smith & Wesson Military & Police auto pistol more than lives up to those appellations.

I don't know about you, but the amateur mechanic in me really enjoys seeing a company take some new (or even time-tested) platform and do fancy things with it. In the past, makers have found that one of the more difficult stunts to achieve is to take a standard-size auto pistol, shrink it down and still make it work.

To enlarge this image of the Smith & Wesson M&P Compact, please click HERE

A good example of the vexations of such an endeavor was the attempt, not too many years ago, to try to make a pocket-sized .45 Government Model style function properly. There were many failed efforts to try to get it right, but eventually Yankee ingenuity came through and the task was accomplished successfully.

Now, to be fair, some designs and calibers lend themselves to diminution more than the 1911 .45 ACP, but still it's not an easy task--as witnessed by all the .22, .32 and .380 pocket autos that were pretty much standard for the genre for one heck of a long time.

Service-caliber concealed-carry guns until recent times pretty much ran in the direction of snubbie revolvers and derringers. Happily this is no longer the case, and the M&P is a prime example. About a year or so ago, S&W brought out the new large-capacity, polymer-framed M&P.

SPECIFICATIONS S&W M&P Compact
MAKER:	Smith & Wesson
ACTION:	Striker-fired semiauto
CALIBER:	9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 Sig
CAPACITY:	9mm, 12+1, .40 S&W and .357 Sig, 10 + 1
BARREL LENGTH:	3.5 inches
OVERALL LENGTH:	6.7 inches
WEIGHT:	21.7 ounces
SIGHTS:	Drift-adjustable three dot
GRIPS:	Textured, integral w/ frame; interchangeable palm swell
FRAME:	Black Zytel polymer
PRICE:	$624

This standard-size auto is chambered for 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W and .357 SIG. Before the gun hit the stores, I, along with a number of other gun writers, got a sneak peek at it.

Now, gun scribes are a cranky lot at best, and you can be sure that if there is anything wrong with a piece, they'll be more than happy to gripe about it. During our extended firing sessions I cannot remember one complaint about the M&P; in fact, approval of the new auto was universal.

All predicted a rosy future for the gun--a prognostication that for Smith & Wesson has happily come true. It has since turned into a hot item both among civilians and law enforcement personnel.

Named after one of Smith's most popular products ever--the classic Military & Police revolver that made its debut just before the turn of the 20th century--the M&P auto also promises to have a similarly distinguished career. Its frame is of rugged Zytel polymer and features an integral grip with removable palm swells that allow the piece to be custom tailored at home or the range to suit just about any shooter's hand.

	(This is article appears in the April 2007 issue of GUNS & AMMO magazine, which is on sale now at your local newsstand. Click HERE for a look at the other great features and stories available in the April 2007 issue)