Hi all, I've had my Shield 45 for a year or two now, carry it off duty constantly, and shoot it better than I should. I also carry an M&P 40 on duty, and I swapped the mag release over to the right side for faster mag changes. I sniffed around online, but I can't find any threads about doing the same to a 45 Shield. Is it possible? My thumb is just short enough that I have to turn the gun in my hand to reach the release with my shooting hand, if it were on the other side I could use my middle finger without moving anything.

Anyone done this, or is the design different?

papajohn,

When holding my Shield 45 in my left hand, I find I can easily curl my trigger finger backward and place the tip of that finger on the magazine release button on the left side of the frame and press it to release the magazine easily. I can do this without changing my grip on the gun. May take a bit of practice, but this movement can become instinctive with that practice. I am right handed and am actually considering changing the magazine release to right side activation IF I can do this on all my S&W M&P semi autos. I have not done so because I have some other brands of semi autos on which I cannot do this. I would much prefer have ALL my semi autos operate in the same fashion so as not to be confused depending on which one I might be using. I too have to reach a bit with my right thumb to reach the magazine release, and I find myself (not under pressure) using my left thumb to pop the mag loose before I remove my left hand from the gun after shooting to reach for another magazine so as not break my right handed grip on the frame.

I have not investigated whether or not the mag release on the Shield 45 can be switched to the right side so I cannot answer that question for you. The operators manual should provide that information, I think. In your case, using the left hand trigger finger as I have described could well be a solution for you assuming you are left handed. Once this method becomes second nature, it should work as well or better than using your thumb.

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So long ... Ken

That's the problem........I'm not left handed. :-(

I now see, said the blind man! LOL! I jumped to the conclusion (or did not take time to correctly read your post! Landed in the mud, eh? I understand now what you are saying. When I am able to access my owner's manual, I'll take a look and see what it says about switching the mag release on the Shield 45. Like you, I really do like mine!

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So long ... Ken

Anything in the owners manual? I'd be kinda worried about incidental contact with something bumping the mag release with the button facing outward.

I haven't tracked down the owner's manual yet, but I don't worry about incidental contact.....This gun is always carried in a Versa-Carry holster, which has a fairly large paddle over the trigger guard, nearly to the mag release itself. Since it's an IWB rig, the odds of something pushing it in far enough to release the mag should be pretty slim.

Frankly, I'm more worried about the mag being released accidentally when it's on the left side......it's totally exposed.

Due to differences in the frame openings on each side of the frame that are designed to accommodate the release, and the design of the part itself, the mechanism is not reversible.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Gracias! That settles that. :-)