M&P 2.0 vs Glock 19

There are a lot of similarities when comparing the M&P 2.0 vs Glock 19. This comparison is going to be about the finer details. The Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Compact was the first gun on the market to match the Glock 19 in overall size.

There are a lot of guns that came close, but none were the exact same size as the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Compact. 

There are significant differences between the two guns when it comes to the trigger, grip, just overall ergonomics of the firearm.

Due to that, this comparison is going to have a lot of drastic differences in it, so I think it should be pretty easy for you to decide which gun is going to be right for you.

Size

M&P 2.0 vs Glock 19 Concealed Carry

Both of these guns are virtually identical in height, being less than one 100th of an inch different. So as far as concealment goes, there is not going to be a bit of difference from the actual size of the firearm.

Now, the grip on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Compact is going to be slightly beefier than the Glock 19, but not by enough to matter. The slightly thicker grip is also going to be well-rounded. That rounding means that it’s going to conceal a little bit better. Assuming the garment you’re wearing over it does happen to cause the gun to print. 

Now we’re going to get to the tricky part. We’ll cover texture in depth later. The texture on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 is very grippy. A lot of different clothing articles are going to want to stick to the gun. That’s going to cause the gun to want to print.

Glock 19

Glock 19s In Stock

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Glock 19s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

If your clothing is drawn towards the grip, the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0, that’s not a good thing when it comes to concealed carry. That’s going to be a major disadvantage. Now, all clothing will not do this.

If the clothing does not do that, the shapely grip on Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 is actually going to conceal slightly better than the Glock. But there’s a lot of clothing out there that’s going to want to have a static-like connection to the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0. Which causes your gun to print through your garment.

SW M&P 2.0 Compact

In Stock 2.0 Compacts

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock SW M&P 2.0 Compacts

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

Because of that, I have to give the Glock 19 the win versus the M&P 2.0. The Glock 19 is going to work better in a wider variety of situations. You have a 95% to 98% chance the Glock 19 is going to work concealment-wise. Whereas with the Smith and Wesson M&P, it’s either going to be 100% it will work, or 100% it will not.

Ergonomics 

Frame

The frames on these two firearms are also quite different. Both of these guns have the ability to change the grip. The Glock 19 comes in three variants; generation 3, generation 4, generation 5.

Generations 4 and 5 have removable backstraps that you can add to the grip to increase the trigger reach well as make the grip a little bit larger. Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 has three different backstrap sizes and the large backstrap size. So it also gives you the ability to change the trigger reach.

Smith and Wesson did a very good job with how these backstraps install.

The backstraps actually install using a tool pin that you can then use to disassemble the pistol as well. For the Glock 19 backstraps, you’ll have to have a punch or Glock tool to drive the pins in and out of the gun. Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 does not have finger grooves nor does the generation five Glock. But generations three and four do. This gives the advantage to the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 and the generation 5 Glock for the majority of shooters.

If the finger grooves work for you, great. But if they don’t line up to your hands perfectly, then they’re going to be more of a hindrance than a help. Now, as far as the feeling and shape of the grip, the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 series feels just a little bit better in the hand. It’s still not super ergonomic. It does fill your hand more and I think most people will like the feeling better. 

Preferences

But again, this is always a personal preference. It’s not quite as blocky as the Glock grip. So people do tend to like it better. I find that the Glock has its own certain amount of charm in that you’re able to get a lot of leverage on the gun. You can still get a similar amount of leverage on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 series.

SW M&P 2.0 Compact

In Stock 2.0 Compacts

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock SW M&P 2.0 Compacts

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

Now, when it comes to grip length, these guns are absolutely identical. The amount of space between the undercut and the magazine base plate is identical on both these guns. So for that reason, I really can’t give an advantage to one over the other. No matter what your hand size. These guns are going to work about equally when it comes to getting leveraged and seeing the gun well.

Texture

Now the texture is where things get a little bit complicated. The texturing on the Glocks, again, vary depending on the generation you get. Gen 3 texture tends to be very slick.

Gen 5 texturing is much more aggressive. The generation 4 texturing is a little bit of a hybrid. Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 texturing on the other hand is incredibly aggressive. It’s probably the most aggressive texture I have ever seen on a handgun. 

Now the downside of this texturing is, if you plan to carry this gun concealed. It will take some getting used to more than likely. I know a lot of guys take light grit sandpaper and sand the actual part that is going to touch their body. So it doesn’t chafe. This grip is not for the lighthearted.

Personally, it’s something I can get used to. It’s definitely not so uncomfortable you can’t get used to it. But I think the majority of people will not find it comfortable right out of the box. If you have sensitive skin then it may never work. So that’s just something to take into account. 

Slide

Now, the slides on the gun again are going to differ depending on the variation you get when it comes to the Glock. 

There are different packages as far as forward serrations for all the different Glock models, so I can’t speak to each gun specifically. The Glock 19 though, does have the options on some models for forward serrations. The forward serrations on the Glock are better than the forward serrations on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0.

Glock 19

Glock 19s In Stock

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Glock 19s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

The forward serrations on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 are just very small. There are only about an eighth of an inch tall and they don’t give you enough to grab. They help when you’re press checking. If you plan on doing any more than press checking using the front of the gun, then I wouldn’t suggest going with the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0. They’re just not effective for more than that.

The rear serrations, on the other hand, are much better than the Glock. The serrations are just better designed. They have a more aggressive feel to them. So if you only plan on manipulating the gun using the rear of the slide, then the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 is going to be better than the Glock. The Glock slide is going to be better overall from a manipulation standpoint.

Sights

Stock

The sights on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 normally come with a three-dot metal sight setup. These sights are decent, but they’re not great. If you’re really into shooting, you’re probably going to want to replace these sights with whatever your preferred iron sights are. 

Whereas the Glock, they come with the plastic slot fillers that aren’t my favorite. Or they come with the excellent AmeriGlo sights that are a great upgrade from the factory. The AmeriGlo sights have a bright orange front that really pops when you’re shooting the gun in daylight, and they work well at night at night time or dusk as well. One of my favorite factory sight offerings.

SW M&P 2.0 Compact

In Stock 2.0 Compacts

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock SW M&P 2.0 Compacts

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

Aftermarket

There are a decent number of aftermarket options for the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0. But not nearly as many as the Glock. Every pistol sight made has probably been made for a Glock 19, so there’s no comparison there. That said, there are definitely a lot of good quality options out there for the Smith and Wesson M&P.

You’ll likely be able to find your favorite set of sights for that gun. There just won’t be as many options as you have with a Glock 19.

Red Dot Optics

Mounting a red dot to both these guns is doable. Smith and Wesson have released the M&P 2.0 Compact with an optics mounting solution. Glock has a similar setup as well. The downside of both these setups is you’re going to have to replace the iron sights to get the optics to co-witness in most cases. 

Shoot Better With Mini Red Dots

Check Primary Arms for the Best Deals on In Stock Mini Red Dots

Shop Primary Arms

There are some optics that will co-witness with the lower sights that come standard on the gun, but you’re probably going to have to replace sights if you’re running something like a Trijicon RMR, or a Holosun 507C.

Controls

Safety

One nice thing about the Smith and Wesson M&P variant is it does have the option to add a thumb safety. The Glock 19 does not come with safety as you are likely aware. But you can get ambidextrous thumb safeties on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 series. The Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 thumb safety is really well-designed and is somewhat similar to a 1911 style safety. 

Smith and Wesson did an excellent job and it’s a great safety. You can ride your thumb on to give you a little bit of help when you’re controlling recoil on the gun. I really liked the way they designed their safety. So nothing but praise for that. If you’re going to run a safety on a striker-fired handgun, you’re going to be hard-pressed to beat the M&P 2.0.

Trigger M&P 2.0 vs Glock 19

So the trigger is going to again, be a multiple variation situation with the Glock. The Gen 3 trigger has a super stiff wall. The Gen 4 trigger has a not so stiff wall, but it’s not a rolling break either. Generation five triggers are definitely a rolling break. All the triggers have light take-up before you reach that wall rolling break area. Once they break, they have a fairly short reset right back at the front of the wall or rolling break. That’s Glock triggers in a nutshell.

Glock 19

Glock 19s In Stock

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Glock 19s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 on the other hand, has a hidden style trigger. Which I am not a big fan of just because it feels weird. On the Smith Wesson Shield, it really doesn’t work with my hand size. I actually have trouble disengaging the trigger safet. Whereas on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 I don’t have that issue, but you may. 

So once you go to pull the trigger, you’re going to feel a light take-up. You’re going to immediately get a wall. Once you get to that wall, you’re going to feel just the tiniest bit of creep before the trigger breaks. The break on this trigger is really clean and fairly light. I honestly really like the trigger on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 series. If it weren’t for that hidden shoe, I’d say it’s better than the Glock 19 Factory offerings.

SW M&P 2.0 Compact

In Stock 2.0 Compacts

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock SW M&P 2.0 Compacts

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

There are aftermarket trigger shoes for the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0, and if I were to carry one of these guns, I would definitely get one. But that is going to add to the overall cost. 

Slide Lock

Depending on the variation of Glock, the slide lock options are going to be different. Generation 3 and generation 4 guns have a slide lock mounted on the left-hand side of the gun only. The generation 5 gun is ambidextrous. 

The Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 is also ambidextrous. So when you’re comparing the slide locks side by side, the Smith and Wesson M&P looks to be slightly better designed than the Glock, and it looks a little bit better. But in my opinion, it’s a little bit harder to manipulate than the one on the Glock. They’re very close though, the Glock beats it by about 10%.

M&P 2.0 vs Glock 19 Magazine Release

The magazine release on both these guns is somewhat similar. They both have a similar reach and you can reach both of them without breaking your grip. Now, one thing I will say about the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 series is the magazines on my gun do not drop free. Partially, I believe because of just the thinness of the polymer on the grip.

The grip just seems slightly undersized for the magazine well. It seems slightly undersized for the magazine and because of that, the magazines want to stick versus dropping free as they should. 

This is a pretty big complaint because that means you’re going to have to rip the magazine out of the gun. Now you can probably check for this in the store to see if it works, but unfortunately, this happens in my Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0. It does not happen in all of them though, so this is something you’re going to have to check for. I’ve never had this problem in a Glock, as long as I’m using factory mags. 

Magazine Well

The magazine well’s another advantage for the Glock if you’re running the Gen 5 series. The Gen 3, Gen 4 is comparable to the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0. But the generation five Glocks have a very wide beveled magwell. Which is great if you’re shooting a sport like USPSA and production divisions.

Since you are not allowed to add an aftermarket magazine well to the gun, reloads are very important to your overall score in the game. If that’s the case, the Glock is going to beat the Smith and Wesson M&P hands down. Especially when the mags on the Smith and Wesson may not drop free.

Glock 19

Glock 19s In Stock

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Glock 19s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

M&P 2.0 vs Glock 19 Quality

Quality-wise, both of these guns seem pretty similar.

The slide seems to be a little higher quality on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0. Just due to the finish they use and the serrations on the rear. But the frame polymer doesn’t seem quite as good as the polymer that Glock uses. It seems to scratch a little bit easier and it just isn’t overall as durable. Not a huge deal for me, honestly, as a user, but you’re asking about quality. So the Glock seems to be a little bit higher quality of a gun.

Aftermarket

Aftermarket, there’s no comparison. There are not many accessories to the M&P 2.0 besides trigger shoes and sights, while the Glock 19 has every part ever made multiple times over by multiple manufacturers. You can build a Glock 19 without using a single Glock Factory part. You can do that using multiple manufacturers. There are just so many combinations of aftermarket parts of the Glock, it can’t be beaten when it comes to the aftermarket.

SW M&P 2.0 Compact

In Stock 2.0 Compacts

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock SW M&P 2.0 Compacts

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

Aesthetics 

Aesthetically, both these guns are not knockouts. They’re decent looking guns, don’t get me wrong, but there’s nothing about them that says true elegance or standout. Due to that, I’m going to call it a tie. I think some people are going to prefer the way the M&P looks while others are going to prefer the Glock. They both have their own look and style. I wouldn’t say one’s more attractive than the other. Let’s say it just depends on the look you’re going for.

Shooting

Shooting the Glock 19 has always been a good experience for me. The gun shoots very flat and it cycles very fast. As somebody who shoots a fair amount, this is an easy thing to control and really helps you get back on target fast. But if you’re a newer shooter, that can be a little bit of an issue. The Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 on the other hand, shoots pretty similarly. 

It’s not that different, but a big difference is an extreme texture on the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 series.

It gives you a lot of leeway where you can have a slightly bad grip on the gun and still get really good grip sizes. I was surprised when I took the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Compact to the range. How well I shot with it at 15 yards. The gun is just a tack driver if you do your part.

The Glock 19 is similar, but you have to work a little harder for your results. I’m going to say the better shooter is definitely the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0. But it’s not so different that it can justify some of the other downsides such as the magazine sticking and the lack of aftermarket options.

It really just depends on what you’re looking for in a gun. I really liked the gun. But for myself, there are some features that just don’t work for me. If they were addressed, I might be carrying a Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Compact instead of a Glock 19.

Price/Value

As I write this we are in the most high-priced gun market that I’ve seen in my lifetime. Guns are at an all-time high. Smith and Wesson have never had consistent pricing even in normal times so now their guns are going for a premium. Before the market upturn, Glock’s normally went for $40-$50 more than a comparable SW M&P 2.0 Compact. Now they tend to cost the same.

Glock 19

Glock 19s In Stock

Grab A Gun

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Glock 19s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

In previous years the M&P had a slight advantage in value but now I’m going to have to say it’s a tie. You really have to look at the features to see which is the better gun for you.

Related Articles

• SW M&P 2.0 Compact vs Shield
• Sig P365 vs Shield
• CZ P10c vs M&P 2.0 Compact
• S&W Shield 9mm Review
• CZ 75 Compact vs Glock 19

Pros/Cons

Glock 19 Pros

• Aftermarket

S&W M&P 2.0 Compact Pros

• Texture for shooting 

Glock 19 Cons

• Everyone owns one

S&W M&P 2.0 Compact Cons

• Texture for Carry
• Hinged Trigger