Glock G17 Gen5 9mm vs Smith & Wesson M&P 9 M2.0 Full Size OR 9mm

These two full-size 9mms carry the same 17+1 rounds in nearly identical footprints — within 0.04" on width and 0.03" on height — and the weight gap of 0.17 oz is too small to notice. The real differences are the trigger, the optic cut, and the magazines in the box. The G17 Gen5 breaks at 5.5 lbs against the M&P's 6.5 lb pull with a long, soft take-up that most owners eventually swap for an Apex Tactical kit. The M&P Full Size OR ships with an optic-cut slide that the standard G17 Gen5 lacks (Glock's MOS variant is a separate SKU). The G17 ships with three magazines to the M&P's two, and it sits inside the deepest pistol aftermarket on the market.

Pick the Glock G17 Gen5 if:

• You want a 1 lb lighter factory trigger out of the gate (5.5 lbs vs 6.5 lbs), since most M&P owners eventually install an Apex Action Enhancement Kit to close that gap anyway
• You want the deepest aftermarket of any pistol — more holsters, sights, triggers, and replacement parts than the M&P line, which is itself second only to Glock
• You want three magazines in the box instead of two, plus parts compatibility with every Glock 17-pattern magazine including aftermarket 33-rounders

Pick the Smith & Wesson M&P 9 M2.0 Full Size OR if:

• You want a factory optic cut included on the base model — the standard G17 Gen5 has no cut, and the Glock MOS variant adds height-stacked adapter plates rather than direct mounting
• You want the Armornite stainless finish, which owners in humid and coastal climates report holds up better against sweat and corrosion than Glock's nDLC
• You want the more aggressive grip texture for wet-hand retention, accepting that it can chew through thin undershirts during appendix carry

Both are striker-fired polymer full-size 9mms with the same 17+1 capacity, comparable barrel length, and Picatinny rails for full-size weapon lights. The decision lands on the trigger pull gap, the optic cut, and how much aftermarket depth matters.