When it comes to ‘What We Carry’ you knew it wouldn’t take long for us to get to the M&P M2.0 and specifically the 4.00” Compact 9mm model. And that shouldn’t be a surprise considering nobody knows as much about the M&P’s fire control system as we do. Smith & Wesson expanded their M2.0 lineup with the Compact model in late September of 2017, and it immediately took off as a top choice among those seeking an everyday carry gun with more capacity. The double-stack design holds 15+1 9mm rounds, and that’s before adding any mag extensions. It also has the upgraded features of the overall M2.0 line, like a more aggressive grip texture and an extended stainless-steel chassis, which many found helped improve the shootability of the M2.0 over that of the original M&P. All-around, the M2.0 Compact was, and is, an ideal choice for concealed carry, and for Chris at Apex the availability of the thumb safety model made it his EDC gun of choice. The full factory specs for the M&P9 M2.0 4" Compact Thumb Safety are available online. But, as you know, we don’t do stock. And no matter how “improved” they say a trigger is, it’s gonna be one of those proverbial 'Hold My Beer' situations for Apex. As soon as the M&P M2.0 was announced the first question we got was, “Do you have a Flatty for it?” Unfortunately, we did not. We only got our hands on the new pistol about a month or so before its release and that was not enough time to design, test, redesign, test and manufacture a new trigger kit for the new fire control system of the M2.0. But after a little time – OK, it was more like a lot of time – and extensive testing, we finished work on the Flat-Faced Forward Set Trigger Kit for the M2.0, which was just shortly after S&W released the M2.0 Compact version. The timing was perfect for Chris who as a competition shooter was accustomed to 1911 single-action triggers and knew that going with the Forward Set Flatty was a foregone conclusion. Especially considering that the Apex Forward Set Trigger Kit is as close to a 1911 single-action style trigger as you can get in a polymer framed striker-fired pistol. The Forward Set Trigger Kit is an incredibly responsive trigger with a short take up, crisp break and a short reset for faster follow-up shots. And the flat face design of the trigger itself allows you to take advantage of the leverage afforded by placing your finger at the bottom of the trigger body itself. And for those of you asking why a thumb safety M2.0 model, well, with all that time behind a competition gun, reaching for the thumb safety after drawing from the holster is second nature for Chris. After replacing the stock, hinged trigger with Apex’s flagship trigger kit, Chris next turned his attention to the sights, selecting the excellent Trijicon HD Night Sights. The Trijicon HD sight sets are available with either a yellow front outline or the orange front online which Chris chose. This highlighted front sight configuration allows for quicker sight acquisition in daylight hours, which is an important consideration for anyone planning to carry throughout the entire day and well into the evening. For daily carry the M2.0 Compact rides in a Left-Handed Crossbreed SuperTuck, which features a premium leather backing with a molded and mounted kydex pocket. It is designed to be carried towards the rear of your draw side – 3:30 to 5 o'clock for right hand draw, or in Chris’s case at the 7 to 8:30 for left hand draw. All combined – pistol, trigger, sights and holster – this is an excellent carry option if you are considering an M&P M2.0. Of course, there’s also a 3.6” Compact, if you are looking to go even smaller. Regardless of which M2.0 model you select, the Forward Set Flatty, like the one seen here in Chris’ setup, will fit. So, go big, go small, it doesn’t matter because Apex has you covered.