The pistol is designed for holster use from the ground up, the front of the slide being tapered for reholstering and the weapon being free of bumpy controls. The ambidextrous slide release is there, but after seating a fresh mag, it's easier to give the wavy slide cuts a slight tug and let it fly forward. The toe of the mag well and mag base forms a gentle hook for ease of draw, and there is a mild stippling of the frontstrap area and palm swell.

"Jam, doggonit!" All the author's histrionics failed to stop the M&P, regardless of ammo, angle or grip. Shooting like this can wear out the range officer's patience, especially when goofing on Brad Pitt's Kalifornia technique.

The conventionally located mag release is unique in that its straight spring also retains the piece. Hooking into a curved notch, it is easily accessible when the slide is removed. Just move it over with a pencil or finger, and unhook it--the release then falls out and is tossed into the other side, and the spring is rehooked. With practice, it takes about 30 seconds.

As with just about everyone else in the industry, S&W chose to go with the ubiquitous Novak LoMount three-dot sights. I've grown to like them, and with the exception of a Heinie, I can think of no other that I'd rather have. The only parts of the gun made outside the U.S. are the magazines, of which the tubes are formed in Italy. Although stamped with the S&W logo, the 15-rounders look suspiciously like Beretta mags.

Again, thinking of gender-mixed LE and military applications, S&W incorporated three different palm swells, which can be changed faster than Hollywood marriages. During my examination, Bergeron asked me not to show the inner design of the swell--not because it's secret but because the grips will be supported differently on the production models. And, yes, there is a 1913 rail on the chin for the full range of applications.

Perhaps, on that big design day two and a half years ago, there were too many Euro pistols on the sampling table, or maybe Curry had stayed up all night watching old James Bond movies. Maybe there were designers from Walther in the room, but for some reason they tossed in a magazine safety. Yes, a mag safety. It's so much a part of the design that rotating it out of the well is part of the disassembly procedure. But let's not dwell on this glitch; besides, it's optional for LE/military.

In the hand, the M&P is mighty comfy. It's not nose-heavy like a 1911 or a Glock, nor does it sit back on the hand like a Luger or P38. It has a sort of neutral balance. I really liked the kicked-forward toe and the rich feel of the grip on the web of my hand. It came naturally to the eye like an XD, and the trigger, though deeply curved, didn't bite the finger on double action.

Alas, for those of you hoping for a classic S&W trigger, especially after S&W's triumph with the S&W 1911, this was a bit, well, polymer-esque--a tad spongy, if you will. The trigger interacts through the chassis, so it should be as crisp as an overcooked Pop Tart. One must remember, however, that this was a prototype. By the time it gets into production, it may be refined.