S&W Performance Center 10mm M2.0 Pistol: Put to the Test

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Just a few months ago, Smith & Wesson unveiled their latest addition to the M&P 10mm M2.0 pistol series, the upgraded Performance Center variant. Building upon the strong foundation of the M2.0 lineup, this new Performance Center model brings an array of exciting enhancements to the table. With an extended and ported 5.6″ barrel/slide, a precision-tuned flat M2.0™ trigger, and optic-height tritium night sights, it secures its position as an exceptional member of the series.

Staying true to its heritage, this pistol retains sought-after features like an optic-ready slide, a 15+1 round capacity, an external safety, and a precise 1 in 10˝ twist M&P® M2.0™ barrel for exceptional accuracy. In this review, we’ll delve into the impressive features and performance of the Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P® 10mm M2.0 Pistol.

Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P® 10mm M2.0 Specifications:

• Width: 1.3 in 
• Length: 8.6 in 
• Height: 5.6 in 
• Weight: 31.4 oz 
• Number of Magazines: 2 
• Capacity: 15 
• Sights: Night Sights 
• Threaded Barrel: N/A 
• Grip: Polymer 
• Optic Ready: Yes 
• Size: Full Safety: Thumb Safety 
• Color/Finish: Black 
• State Compliance: CO,DE,IL,OR,VT 
• Performance Center: Yes 
• Caliber: 10mm 
• Barrel Length: 5.6 
• Barrel Material: Stainless Steel

Out of the Box

Smith & Wesson has been cranking out reliable and feature-rich products for years and this new 10mm is no exception. From the factory, this package comes in a hard plastic case with two 15-round magazines, four interchangeable palm swell grip inserts, the C.O.R.E.™ (Competition Optics Ready Equipment) slide and optics mounting kit, gun lock, and owner’s manual.

Barrel and Slide

One of the most distinctive features of the Performance Center 10mm M2.0 is the ported barrel and slide. In contrast to both the original and the latest 10mm models, which feature a 1 in 10˝ twist stainless steel M&P® M2.0™ barrel sporting a corrosion-resistant Armornite® Finish, Smith & Wesson breaks the mold by introducing an extended 5.6″ compensated barrel for the Performance Center edition. This extended slide, coupled with barrel porting, results in a significantly more controllable 10mm handgun. The long slide with porting in the barrel makes this a considerably more manageable 10mm handgun.

My first shot out of this pistol gave me quite a surprise. Anticipating recoil stiffer than a 45 ACP, the felt recoil was comparable to a non-comped 9mm S&W M&P9 pistol. It was minimal and made shooting this comped 10mm a breeze. For those who may have reservations about managing the potent force of a 10mm, Smith & Wesson has effectively addressed this concern. While dependent on the type of ammo used, 10mm projectiles pack almost twice the ft-lbs of energy of 9mm, so I have to give credit to S&W for taming this beast.

SEE MORE: A Leadoff Home Run: Smith & Wesson Adds the 10MM AUTO to its M&P Pistol Line 

10mm M2.0 Sights

While the Performance Center 10mm M2.0 is optic-ready from the factory, it also features a reliable set of Tritium night sights. These provide a clear sight picture day or night. These iron sights are also “optic-height” and are compatible with most pistol optics on the market. For the duration of my review, I attached a Bushnell RXM-300 to the slide. This reflex sight has a taller base than most in the industry, yet I could still see the tops of the irons without them obstructing my field of view. 

In addition to these iron sights, S&W provides 7 different baseplates to work with most red dots on the market. In this day and age, I believe all modern semi-automatic pistols should be optic-ready, so it is good to see S&W offer this as well as the base plates straight from the factory. Throughout my testing, the optic plate holding the Bushenll RXM-300 locked down tight and worked without an issue. 

Frame

For those well-acquainted with the S&W lineup of pistols, the grip acts, functions, and feels quite similar. It offers four interchangeable palmswells to cater to individual hand sizes and trigger reach preferences. Although the grip appears slightly elongated to accommodate the larger 10mm magazines compared to my M&P M2.0 9mm, the difference is minimal. The grip’s aggressive texturing plays a key role in maintaining a secure hold and effectively managing recoil by ensuring it stays locked firmly in the user’s hand. With its natural 18-degree grip angle, I’ve found that quick presentations come effortlessly. While different grip styles can certainly be accommodated for through training, this one feels natural right from the start.

10mm M2.0 Controls

Again, the controls for this new Performance Center 10mm M2.0 are quite similar to the other pistols in the S&W M2.0 lineup. It utilizes both the takedown lever and magazine release on the left-hand side. The slide stop and safety are both ambidextrous. The inclusion of a safety is not new but is fairly unique among the other S&W offerings. I find it to be easy to activate, while low profile enough to not interfere with my high and tight grip. I ended up using it as a convenient “gas pedal” or support for the thumb of my dominant hand. 

Performance Center Trigger

The trigger is one of the most interactive parts of a firearm, so having a quality interface is imperative. Smith & Wesson elevates this pistol’s trigger by incorporating the enhanced Performance Center tuning into the flat M2.0 trigger, ensuring a top-notch shooting experience. As I measured the pull weight of the trigger, I consistently found that it fell right around 4.5 pounds. The takeup of the trigger is smooth, the wall is well-defined, and there is the tiniest bit of creep past that before the pistol fires. When pulling the trigger I can’t even feel it, but when watching myself pull the trigger I can see just a hair of movement. After the break, there is a short and positive reset that puts the trigger right past the wall, ready for the next shot. 

Precision

Throughout my testing, I was very impressed with the accuracy of the Performance Center 10mm M2.0. From shooting groups on paper to shooting reduced-sized steel silhouettes out to 100 yards, this pistol put rounds where I wanted them. From 10 yards, I proceeded to shoot 5-round groups with various Hornady and S&B ammunition. I got sub-quarter-inch groups with both Hornady 135gr MONOFLEX, and Hornady 175gr FlexLock minus one flyer I acknowledge was my own doing. Other than that I was still able to get tight groups with the rest of the ammo I tried out. This 5.7″ barrel was both precise and flat shooting. Combined with a good trigger, I am very happy with the accuracy of this pistol. 

Smith & Wesson Performance Center 10mm M2.0 Reliability

Throughout this review, I was able to put a couple hundred rounds through the Performance Center 10mm M2.0. Most of the ammunition used was 180gr S&B supplied by Ammuntiontogo.com. They are the official ammo sponsor for this Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P® 10mm M2.0 review and offer a wide selection of competitively priced ammunition. For this review, I ordered some 10mm 180gr S&B ammo and it was on my doorstep 2-days later. Easy to use online website, insanely quick shipping, and competitive prices. Go check them out! 

Performance

For the few hundred rounds of S&B ammunition, I put through this pistol for the review, I had only two failures to feed. After adding some oil, I didn’t have any other issues. All the S&B and Hornady ammunition I put through it afterward ran flawlessly. The slide locked back on every empty magazine, and the mags ran without issue.

As previously stated, the ported barrel dramatically reduces recoil. Shooting 180gr 10mm projectiles moving at 1275fps felt similar to shooting 115gr 9mm out of my non-compensated pistols. While recoil may still have been slightly more, it is definitely comparable. I shot rounds varying from 135-180 grains, and the 155gr Hornady XTP had the most felt recoil moving. It was moving at a whopping 1410 feet per second which is zipping for a pistol round weighing 150gr. The recoil still wasn’t bad, but it felt more like the typical 10mm I was expecting without a ported barrel. 

Shootability

In addition to good reliability, the Performance Center 10mm M2.0 is also very shootable. The ported barrel makes this a considerably flat shooting pistol considering the circumstances. I had no trouble burning through rounds quickly while staying on target. Shot after shot, this pistol ran great and helped keep me on target. From quick draws and mag dumps at 10 yards to shooting steel out to 100 yards, this pistol is a serious performer. One thing I noticed is that this pistol can heat up quickly. After a few magazines, both the slide and barrel were hot enough that I didn’t want to touch them. Regardless, it still ran great. The combination of controllability and precision of the Performance Center 10mm M2.0 is tough to beat. For those who want to see this pistol in action, I posted a short video using it to my Instagram page as seen below:

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A post shared by That_gun_guy_ (@that_gun_guy_)

Summary

Overall, I am highly impressed with this Smith & Wesson Performance Center 10mm M2.0 pistol. As a long-time admirer of the value offered by S&W’s other pistols, this model continues to deliver in terms of quality and performance. Throughout my testing, I experienced a very shootable pistol and achieved exceptional accuracy on paper targets. The flat-shooting capabilities of the Performance Center 10mm M2.0 enabled me to quickly burn down various shooting stages. To make things even better, this optic-ready, comped pistol comes with an MSRP of only $749. For this price, I think the Performance Center 10mm M2.0 is a bargain and I intend to purchase it myself. For anyone seeking reliable backcountry protection, this pistol not only meets but exceeds all of my criteria for a top-tier choice.

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