Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Extended Slide Stop/Release Lever
I purchased my first M&P 2.0 many years ago and have owned many variations since then. And the common thread among the many 2.0 pistols which I've own/owned is I want to modify them with anything that will improve on an already fantastic pistol. I took a few of my 2.0 pistols to the furthest extent I thought possible with aftermarket triggers, optics, slide work, porting, magwells etc. and I considered them to be 100% complete; as in there was nothing else I thought I could do to improve them. That was true until I bought this pistol;
This is the M&P 2.0 5" Performance Center pistol. It came from the factory, optics ready, ported, suppressor height sights AND EXTENDED SLIDE STOP/RELEASE LEVERS! My mind was blown. I knew right then I needed the extended slide stop/release lever on my other highly modified and "complete" 2.0 pistols. So I called Smith & Wesson and asked them if I could purchase the extended slide stop/release levers separately and was told they would NOT sell the upgraded part separately. I was disappointed but undeterred. I proceeded to swap the extended slide stop/release lever from the Performance center pistol over to my custom 5" 2.0. 
Once the extended slide stop/release lever was swapped onto this beauty I was happy to feel like it was 100% done. . . again.
After making the swap I was thrilled with the outcome but I still had a few custom 2.0's which were lacking; and there was no cost effective solution to find the better extended slide stop/release levers. And then I bought from a friend a matching pair of the new optics ready 2.0 4.25" pistols which have the new forward slide serrations.
I was thrilled to see Smith and Wesson had now started to ship the better extended slide stop/release levers on these new pistols despite them not being Performance Center models. I planned on keeping one and eventually selling the other which meant I had just gained another set of extended slide stop/release levers I could swap over onto one of my other custom 2.0's!!
Here is a little tutorial on how to perform a swap over to the extended slide stop/release levers if you ever find yourself fortunate enough to acquire one!
(Warning: perform any modifications to your firearms at your own risk! If you do not feel confident to work on your own guns safely, please hire a professional gunsmith)
The tools I use are as follows;
-3/32 punch, 1/8 punch and a 3/16 punch
-Wheeler punch block
-Brass and Nylon hammer
-(Brownells patch optional but cooler if you do)
You can see the difference between the extended slide stop/release lever and the "stock" one in the picture above. I will highlight the differences in greater detail once we get the levers removed from the pistols.
First step (obviously) is to remove the slides from the frame.
There are two pins which need to be removed. The forward pin here is the first pin needing to be removed. 
Now is your chance to use the 3/16 punch to drive the trigger pivot pin all the way in.
The second pin needing to be removed is the trigger pivot pin shown here. But keep in mind, this pin is bigger on one end, and therefore I remove both pins from the opposite (right) side of the pistol.
When you flip the pistol over, make sure this take down lever is flipped in the down position as if it is not, it will block the trigger pivot pin.
Use the 3/32 punch, the block and the hammer to drive out the forward pin.
Next use the 1/8 punch, block and hammer to drive out the trigger pivot pin.
Next use the 3/32 punch to wedge in-between the frame and the frame rail block and lift up slightly. Once it is moved up a bit, you can just pull out the frame rail block (also called the locking block) by hand.
Next you can just lift up and out the extended slide stop/release levers.
Here are some side by side pictures of the two different slide stop/release levers.
Here is an interesting observation for y'all; the "stock" or non-extended slide stop/release lever comes with a small looped spring which applies spring tension to the lever, and the extended slide stop/release lever has no spring. The little tab which holds the little loop spring has literally been cut off on the extended slide stop/release lever. And since at this juncture owned three pistols outfitted with the extended slide stop/release levers, I checked them all and all of them were sans the loop spring. I have no idea why the extended version did not require the spring, and I doubt Smith and Wesson will tell me if I call, but if they do I will update this post.
To put everything back together, you set the slide stop/release levers back in place.
It is helpful to push in on this little spring loaded detent with your fingernail which will allow the slide stop/release lever all the way down.
Next you push the rail/locking block back in place.
Next use the 3/32 pinch to line everything up making sure you capture the loop on the trigger return spring.
Next you want to continue to "work" the punch a bit while you push the trigger pivot pin back in place (from left to right) and use the tip of the punch to make sure the trigger return spring loop catches the pin.
Next I like to just hammer the forward pin down the majority of the way and then finish it off with the 3/32 punch.
Last thing to do is to reinstall the slide and perform a complete function check. Make sure you insert a magazine and ensure the slide locks back on its own. 
It is hard to highlight the difference between the two levers, but once you have experienced the extended slide stop/release lever it make a huge difference. I have seen them pop up on eBay once but I doubt its a common occurrence. So you can either wait for one to pop up for sale or you can be like me and just keep buying more and more and more guns!
I hope this post helped you in some way and you enjoyed it!
If you want to watch the video version of this tutorial, you can find the YouTube video at the following link;
If you want to purchase a Smith and Wesson 2.0 series pistol like what has been featured here, you can find it through the following link to Brownells link;
If you want to purchase some of the weapon mounted lights which have been shown here, you can find it through the following link to Brownells link;
If you want to purchase some of the tools used in this post, you can find it through the following link to Brownells link;
Remember, Faith Kills Fear!
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