Last year, I posted several reviews, including full-size M&P 10mm pistol with an upgraded spring, Crossbreed’s modular purse and bellyband holster, a Blackhawk T-series open carry holster for the desert and woods, and Primary Arms’ version of the Holosun 507C-X2 with a chevron reticle.
It’s been a little over a year, so I wanted to give readers a follow-up on how going with all of that gear. Long story short — everything is doing pretty well with some minor issues that have cropped up with the Crossbreed purse board.
The Gun and the ‘Sun
I’m pleased to report that I’ve had no problems with the Smith & Wesson M&P 10mm. I know that other reviewers had issues, which is why I upgraded the spring. That seems to have been the ticket, because I’ve had no malfunctions in over 500 rounds of live-fire with lots of racking and dry-fire along the way.
Like all springs, it broke in and it still soaks up a lot of that 10mm recoil just as it should and returns it all to battery reliably.
In the review for the spring (which was also a review of the pistol), I explained my reasoning for carrying a 10mm pistol. Fortunately, I haven’t had any need real-world live-fire defensive fire. But on the range, I’ve found that if I can rest on something or assume a kneeling position, this gun is quite accurate out to 100+ yards.
A big part of that accuracy is the chevron reticle in the sight. Instead of relying on a multi-MOA sized dot, you have a tiny aim point at the top of the chevron that allows for much tighter groups with more speed than is possible with irons or a traditional red dot.
At 100 yards, it’s pretty easy to hit a four-inch steel plate by putting the chevron on top of the plate like a hat, which adjusts for the bullet drop. That allows for accurate fire beyond point-blank range.
After about 11 months, the Holosun’s included CR1632 battery ran out. The 507C-X2 warned me that was coming by flashing the reticle…unlike most other red dots I’ve used. I went out and bought two new batteries, putting one in the sight and one in my wallet for a quick change next the time it flashes (that should be a long time as the site is rated for 50,000 hours).
My Purse Board Broke, But It’s OK
On a trip through Texas, I stopped at a good BBQ place in New Braunfels. The food, of course, was excellent (it was New Braunfels, after all), but the booth we sat in was a little tight. On the way out of the booth, I accidentally put my weight on my purse without realizing that the bottom of the purse board was resting on the corner of the table. The result was a loud SNAP sound that the whole restaurant heard but couldn’t identify.
Back in the car, I figured out that the whole bottom of the board had snapped loose from the main board that holds the gun. I could see that over time the weight of the 10mm had weakened the corner of the board, which was probably designed with a smaller pistol in mind.
I tore the fabric and discarded the bottom segment, and was left with a Pack Board instead of a Purse Board. For my purse setup, that wasn’t a problem because other things in there keep the gun vertical and secure. For women with a different purse setup, that could be problematic.
The T-series Holster Is Still Like New and Unexpectedly Useful
The Blackhawk T-series OWB holster gets at least some of the credit for keeping the number of defensive gun uses down to zero. Not only has it held up through tons of outdoor activities and yard work, but it holds the gun in such a way as to be not only visible, but very visible. Add to that the fact that I’m carrying a full-sized pistol with a big holographic sight on the top, and it makes for a very gnarly-looking rig.
During the summer months, I spent a lot of time out doing yard work at night to avoid the heat. The neighborhood I thought was a nice “manufactured home subdivision” full of nice abuelos and abuelas turned out to be a totally different place after midnight. We figured out that there are several drug houses along with one that had been taken over by a homeless bike theft gang that takes advantage of a mentally disabled guy who lives there.
On one occasion, one of the unhoused (isn’t that the preferred polite term in 2023?) bicycle appropriators decided he’d come up into the yard to see if he could let us know who the boss in the neighborhood was…or something. When I turned to face him and he saw the big pistol riding on my hip, his tough guy walk suddenly turned into the human equivalent of a dog with its tail between its legs. He muttered a quick apology and left.
It seems that attitudes can change. Between this and other occasions where they tried to threaten some other women in the neighborhood, the gang has seen the gun on my hip dozens of times, including once outside the holster when we helped an elderly woman clear some sheds they’d been sleeping in against her wishes. The useless local police in this Democrat-run city won’t do anything about the gang and the activities they engage in, but they seem to have learned how to be nice to other people in the neighborhood between bike thefts and fentanyl binges.
Before you jump into the comments and accuse me of telling tall tales, keep in mind where I live. Having a durable, visible, and fast deterrent on hand might not be necessary in the gated communities in the functional states some readers come from. But, if you spend enough time in New Mexico, you’ll figure out that the normal concealed carry Fudd rules often don’t apply here in the Land of Enchantment.
Stay safe out there.