For more than 50 years, Ed Brown has set the standard for quality and performance in the 1911 market. Brown parts are found on the bench of most custom 1911 gunsmiths and are used by many of the industry’s leading manufacturers. One of the hallmarks of the company is that it is never static. The Brown crew is always looking to improve its existing line of products. And the Ed Brown Fueled MP-F4 is a shining example of this philosophy.
The Ed Brown Fueled MP-F4
In 2018, Brown decided to introduce a custom line of Smith & Wesson M&P pistols under the name of Fueled. The Fueled line would be a significant leap over the base pistol. In other words, Brown intended to do more than add a few aftermarket parts and make a few cosmetic changes. The result is a truly custom M&P that takes the design to the next level.
Fill ’ER Up
When Brown receives a new M&P, they “discard” the factory slide, barrel, and locking block. They also discard the factory guide rod, recoil spring, trigger assembly, and all pins. In other words, with the exception of some small parts, the only factory component on the Fueled pistol is the frame.
Starting with the top end, Brown machines a new slide from 17-4 stainless steel. The Fueled slide is enhanced for improved service life by beefing up high-impact areas. Reliability is improved with a redesigned custom extractor that is cut to match the contours of the slide.
Brown also manufactures a new captive flat wire recoil spring and recoil spring guide. All of the internal parts are polished to complement the enhanced Apex trigger.
The slide features relief cuts and forward and rear cocking serrations. Likewise, windows are cut on the slide forward of the ejection port, as well as on the top. In addition, Ameriglo suppressor-height sights are standard on the Fueled M&P.
The front blade features an orange dot with a tritium insert, while the rear sight is plain black. Unlike the stock M&P, the front sight on the Fueled is mounted using a screw, making it easy for the owner to replace.
The Fueled slide is cut for a direct-mount red dot. Our test pistol came from Brown with a Trijicon RMR Type 2 with a 3.25-MOA dot.
The Ed Brown Difference
Brown has a reputation for making some of the best pistol barrels on the market. The Fueled M&P barrel is match grade and made from 416 stainless with button rifling. It has a 1-in-10 twist, an enhanced feed ramp, and a nicely recessed crown.
Fueled pistols can be ordered with a standard or threaded muzzle and come with Brown’s unique “Thread” pattern flutes. Barrels are available in black, Spectrum, and Titanium Nitride colors.
The frame receives a complete rebuild, starting with an oversized locking block, which features Brown’s enhanced accuracy rail and is hand-fit to the slide and barrel. As a result, this significantly improves the accuracy of the Fueled.
Brown goes so far as to manufacture a complete set of new pins for the M&P. These pins work with the match barrel and custom locking block.
While Brown manufactures most of the new parts for the Fueled pistol, they also understand that there are times when there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Such is the case with the trigger.
Brown partnered with Apex for the Fueled Trigger. The Apex Tactical trigger has a clean break, minimal over-travel, and a short reset. Correspondingly, the trigger on our test pistol averaged a very nice 3 pounds, 14 ounces.
Brown retains the factory 2.0 stippling on the frame. They have designed a new, low-profile, 360-degree magazine well that is machined from aluminum. The mag well provides a large opening without being obtrusive for daily carry.
Brown retains the Smith & Wesson factory magazines but adds a machined aluminum baseplate. These are extremely durable and are available in a low-profile or high-profile size.
Brown’s webpage lists four models for the Fueled series, the MP-F1 through MP-F4. The only difference between the models is the color of the barrel and slide.
Running the Fueled MP-F4
Our test pistol was an MP-F4 with a black slide and frame and an extended Titanium Nitride barrel. I have four M&P pistols in my vault: two M&Ps in 9mm and two in .45 ACP. There is absolutely no comparison between the stock guns and the Fueled.
The first thing I noticed is that there is no play in the barrel lockup. The Apex trigger pull is short and clean, and the flat face makes it feel like a 1911.
I broke out a large sampling of 9mm ammo that ranged from 147-grain subsonic suppressor loads to the hot Super Vel 90-grain +P JHP. The Fueled F4 shot all loads without any issues.
For the formal testing, I selected three of my favorite personal defense loads and one 147-grain subsonic load. All loads performed well and produced groups in the 1-inch range as long as I did my part.
I did attempt to run the Fueled F4 with my Sig SRD9 suppressor. The pistol ran well with the full-duty ammunition. However, when I switched to the Super Vel Hushpuppy loads, I found the loads did not produce enough pressure to function reliably with the standard 15-pound recoil spring.
The combination of this recoil spring, the weight of the suppressor, and the light Super Vel ammunition did not work. I called John May, and he advised that Brown sells lighter recoil springs for customers who want to run suppressed with subsonic ammunition.
I ran a few standard range drills and then finished off the range day shooting steel at 50 yards. The combination of the Apex trigger and the custom barrel/locking block made distance shots easy. Not to mention, the fun factor was high.
Fueled Goodness
The Ed Brown Fueled M&P series brings a lot to the table.
First, the M&P fits the hand better than many other polymer pistols. The replaceable backstraps are available in three different sizes and enable the owner to find the best fit for their hand size.
Second, many shooters find the M&P points and indexes better than other pistols. Another positive feature is the Smith factory magazines. The magazines are well-designed and durable.
The early M&Ps were notorious for poor accuracy and loose tolerances. Brown has changed that equation with their oversized locking block and hand-fitting the slide and a match-grade barrel. Finally, the addition of the Apex trigger solves the mushy stock trigger.
Another important feature is the new slide is machined for the Trijicon red-dot footprint, eliminating the need for any mounting plates. This improves accuracy potential as well as makes the mount more durable for hard use such as duty or competition.
As tested with the RMR, the MSRP on the MP-F4 is $2,695. Considering that this price includes the Trijicon RMR, I think it is very reasonable. To coin a phrase, the Ed Brown Fueled is “high speed and low drag!”
It is well suited for personal defense and competition. It is also a great-looking pistol. In the end, I liked the Fueled very much and really could not come up with any criticism.
For more information, please visit EdBrown.com.
Author’s Note
It is with great sadness that long-time industry colleague and friend John May, the Sales and Marketing Director at Ed Brown Products, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, September 2, 2022. John May will be greatly missed by many.
Ed Brown Fueled MP-F4 Specs
| Caliber | 9mm |
| Barrel Length | 5 inches |
| Overall Length | 8.3 inches |
| Weight | 29.7 ounces (empty) |
| Grips | Textured polymer |
| Sights | Suppressor height |
| Action | Semi-auto |
| Finish | Matte black |
| Capacity | 17+1 |
| MSRP | $2,195 |
Performance
| LOAD | VELOCITY | ACCURACY |
| Federal HST 124 JHP | 1,187 | 1.3 |
| Speer Gold Dot 135 Carry Gun | 1,090 | 1.8 |
| Super Vel 115 SCHP | 1,240 | 2.1 |
| Super Vel 147 Hushpuppy Subsonic | 838 | 1.5 |
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second (fps) by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best five-shot groups at 25 yards.
