I recently bought a new M&P 9mm full size. I've put 150-200 rounds through it (Federal range & target 9mm ammo). It is consistently ejecting the shells backwards towards me and either hitting me in face, chest or right arm. anyone else experience this problem or have any suggestions? Is there possibly an issue with the ejector mechanism or possibly just another ammo brand would work? Any help would be appreciated

Mine usually rains about 5 0'clock and 4-5' feet from me.

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Greg
M&P9 & M&P22

Mine usually hit me in the head after first bouncing off the range stall partition.

If you are shooting at a range that features lane dividers you are probably catching brass that has bounced off the divider. In that case you may just have to suck it up. However, one thing that may help is to allow more muzzle flip when shooting. While that may seem counter intuitive allowing a bit more muzzle flip can redirect those ricochets off the sidewall behind you.

Note, loosening up on the recoil control to allow more muzzle flip will impact your split times in a negative manner. If you are working on trying to improve your split times at an range with lane dividers you may just have to suck it up and get pelted.

If you are shooting at a range that is open at the firing line you'll want to stiffen up your grip and control the muzzle flip more firmly. Doing this will get the brass moving in a more horizontal path away from you.

If indoors I would take a step back from the rail. Generally that will redirect the spent case.

Thanks for the help guys. Will try your tips this weekend and see how it goes. And I learned my lesson to not wear a polo shirt as I got some nice hot brass stuck into the collar and have a nice small burn

I just got the same pistol and am having the same issue with my first range sessions, and 115gr. walmart ammo......i am 5-10, 190lbs and am NOT limp wristing, haha, Is this an issue with this pistol? My friend bought the same pistol , the same day, from the same gun store, and never had one shell hit him. *** ??

My M&P40 when setup to fire 9mm will eject WWB all over the place. Backwards, sideways,even stovepipes a couple times. I equate it to the less than stellar ammo.
Setup in .40S&W, it ejects fine...but then again, I've only shot Fed Champion and Alum Blazer


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Not trying to be funny but are you holding the gun sideways and holding it close to your body?

As stated in earlier responses if you are at a range with a divider the ejected casings can bounce off the divider and pretty much go ... well anywhere. If this is the case wear proper attire like a baseball cap and a shirt that isn't open allowing a hot case to get under your clothing.

I was hit by casings twice today but it is part of what happens when firing a weapon of this sort and at a range with a divider that allows casings to go just about anywhere, I have even been hit by casings from an adjacent lane so keep this in mind!

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59,M&P9,40,40C,357,(2)45,G26

I am NOT at a range with a divider, NOT holding the gun sideways or close to my body.

I am original poster and was having the issues... believe it was just the new gun and now that I have put a few hundred rounds through it, it is ejecting much better. occasional on comes at me but rare now. Lotsip... just keep putting the rounds through it and it should clear up and start ejecting the shells better

thanks so much csimmssu !!.......just what i wanted, another excuse to go fire my new baby

I haven't experienced this at all in my pistol. But I'm wondering if the extractor claw has anything to do with this? Sounds like it might not be holding onto the rim of the case enough to eject well to the right. I dunno, not a gunsmith so I can't be sure.

I'm a little new to this, don't even know what an extractor claw is, but, I will find out Also, am gonna call the gun store where i got it, they sell a lot of pistols, they might have an idea.

must learn judo !

best block no be there !

no can block ?

Well, I cleaned the new m&p 9 pistol today, very easy to break down, unlike my Ruger MkIII. I bought some 147gr Winchester luger JHP ammo at walmart the other day, we'll see how that works. 147 isn't too heavy for the pistol, is it ?

No 147 gr is not too heavy. Should do fine and I'm almost positive your problem will fix with more rounds fired also.

Ok, thanks......phew. ! My best friend and i bought our m&p 9's the same day, at the same store......so, we are gonna go to the range together this week, swap pistols for a few mags , to see if its something I am doing wrong, don't think so. (his pistol ejected fine when we shot them for the first time last week)

hmmmmm, decision to make here. S&W emailed me today and offered to "take care of my M&P 9 issue" for me....... What do you think guys, should I run a few hundred rounds through it and see if the problem goes away, or , send it straight to S&W now. I mean, I only have like three mags through it so far.

I'd send it to S&W, something is probably out of spec, they aren't supposed to send brass to your face, unless you're right handed and hold the gun sideways...

If it's thier dime heck send it to them. If nothing else you'll get back a perectly in spec pistol that will stop throwing brass at your head once breaks in alittle..lol Peace of mind is worth alot.

Thanks guys! great advice, am gonna ship it back. contacted S&W for the free shipping label just now........hmmmm, wonder how long this will take......makes no difference, its still fishin season and the stripers will be coming back soon

I just picked up the M&P 9mm FS and took it right to the range. I was torn between the glock 19 or the M&P. After much hesitation I chose the M&P and in the first 100 rounds, I was hit in the head almost every time. Very annoying. I called S&W and they are mailing me a label 3-4 days for it to arrive. Then 2-4 weeks, but the guy was honest and said they are backed up so it might be closer to 4 weeks.

Wish I had bought the glock.

Got mine back from S&W in about 2-3 weeks, they replaced the barrel, works fine now, don't have to wear a helmet on the range........lol..... still debating on the trigger job.

WWB has a thin rim for the extractor to grab and the extra space that the .40S&W extractor probably doesn't get a firm grip on the 9mm WWB brass.

I have had the brass shower problem, but only with 147 gr ammo. I'm a light bullet hi-velocity fan so it doesn't bother me. I do wear a cap on indoor ranges to keep the brass out of the glasses.
Geoff
Who goes for 115 gr 9mm ball and HPs.

I am the opposite. I bought the Glock first.

I got a new G17 Gen3 (California) in May. I got a constant shower of brass to the face and FTEs. I took it to a Glock amorer and sent it to Glock twice. Glock ending up replacing it. I exchanged the new replacement at my LGS for an M&P 9 and have had no issues since. It eats any ammo I give it and I don't have to wear a hat at the range to keep burning brass off my face.

I love the M&P. No more Glocks for me.

Spent casings from my M&P9C hit me a few times when I first fired it with 115gr ball ammo. As I've fired better ammo and put more rounds through it, it doesn't do it anymore. It was very annoying when it did though! I'm just glad "it broke in" and I didn't have to send it in...

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M&PC FS BG Shield+ 642 686+

My MP9 throw my handloads in my face 80% of the time, but if I put blazers brass 115,124s, it will eject properly.
IT can be the shooter or it can be the ammo, try different ammo brands, bullet weights before sending the gun to SW.

I've shot only one of these: I don't own own one and am not likely to buy one.

I shot my son's a few weeks ago. It consistently ejected into my face! One casing caught between the frame of my shooting glasses and eyebrow. Left a burn on my eyebrow that took three weeks to heal.

This was an outdoor range (my club - I hate indoor ranges).

I shoot Colt 1911's very regularly - my carry - use pistol. I'm very familiar with autos.

I've never experienced such a consistent defect in a pistol!

The ejector needs to be fixed - preferably by a gunsmith who knows how.

Or You should send it back to S& W and ask for your money so you can get a pistol that the manufacturer has designed and properly tested before releasing on the public.

Sorry for the rant. I'm really angry at S&W for this - no great gun maker should allow such a thing!

This is why eye protection is so important!

P.S. I tried four loads with this thing. Similar problem with each!

This isn't an ammo question. It's not an operator error issue. It's a design or quality control issue!!

A novice would develop a flinch (who could blame 'em?) first time out. Imagine needing to use one of these and having a factory, built in defect like this.

Get rid of it!

Apologies for the rant again. I feel pretty strongly about this.

Ive had mine back 3 times. Its better this last time in, but its the one gun i'd sell given the opportunity. (Without taking a big loss on it) Just not the pleasurable experience I was hoping for from an M&P. Seems to be my last choice when it comes time to go shooting.

While shooting have someone observe where the brass is dropping. I have read there should be a consistent pattern (I.e. 5 o'clock etc)

When I owned a Beretta Nano light loads would strike me in the head right out of the weapon and those that cleared would travel 3 ft. However, when I used NATO it would eject with authority 10 ft at 5 o'clock.

Russ

Actually, it is also caused, in part, by the slop between the cartridge rim and the extractor as a result of the fact that the .40 caliber breech face is too big for the 9mm case head.

Mine does the same, i kept getting hit in the face and the safety glasses.

I'm sure glad I got my M&P's before reading all the stuff on this forum, I would have never bought one. I would think there has to be a problem with that particular (or those particular) sidearm(s). The only time one of my shell casings hit skin when it hits the guy in the next lane (or 10 ft behind me). They never even get close.

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Minimize the variables

My wife and I are both new to shooting as of a couple of months ago. We have an M&P22, and a 15-22.

Just got an M&P9 FS last week, went to the range last Saturday. Had 115 and 124 FMJ ammo.

My first magazine, ejection seems weak and throwing back in my face, a couple go off my hat. I let my grown nephew and a friend shoot it, they make no comments.

My wife shoots it, and it's raining brass on her - almost had one get stuck in her bra.

Nephew tries it again (he's the experienced one), no issues. I shoot it without any issues.

My wife shoots it again, same problem. My nephew loads 3 rounds of 147 in it, my wife shoots it perfectly.

So the only thing it seems like *in this case* is due to the size of my wife's hands (her ring size is 4&3/4) the lighter loads don't eject well for her. Seems like 115 is out.

I do want to have her try some more 124, so I can get a better idea of what ammo to shop for (I only bought a couple hundred rounds at first).

Although the grip of the shooter & type of ammo is probably the problem but I've also heard that S&W had some extractor trouble. Some have polished it & the problem went away. Others have shot a bunch of rounds through it & the problem went away & then again some have sent it back to S&W & they fixed it except for two cases that I heard where the bad extraction was still occurring. That tells me that the original extractor or the replacement extractor was tested at Smith with a different ammo & they found no problem.

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Former USN, Retired US Army

OP must be new to autoloading pistols.

Every autoloader I ever had has spit cases down my shirt, into my pockets, and all over.

the only way to fix it is to switch to a revolver.

I discovered M&Ps because I was going to buy a Glock but learned of the brass to the face issue. So then I was going to get a Glock 3rd Gen but discovered that late model 3rd Gens were no better than the 4th Gens (keeping the 3rd gen around was a marketing move because they knew people didn't trust 4th gens).

Then I discovered the M&Ps and I love them. I put all kinds of **** ammo through it and not one shell came back towards me... so I would send it to S&W just in case, if nothing else you get addition QC for your piece and that's a good thing.

My 9 was the same way when I first got it. The first few times I cleaned and lubed it forgot to look at or clean the ejector. It had a piece of metal stuck in the hook. I've noticed since that the hook is the dirtiest of all the parts in the pistol when I break it down for clean and lube. Also when I pressed on it it didn't have much movement. Got some penetrating oil into the sides and loosened it up. When I get time I'll take it off and clean it good as I don't think it should need oil being under spring tension. I thought for several hundred rounds it was the ejector but it ejects great now. I also have the Apex DCEAK and the new poly trigger so now it's as it should have been out if the box. Accuracy is much much better.

Of course I meant to say clean the extractor. Proof read before posting!

The M&P 16lb recoil spring is common to both the 9mm and the 40SW. With ammo ranging from 9mm 115gr to 40SW 180 gr, the spring works best in the middle of the spectrum. It is too strong for the light 9s and too weak for the heavy 40s. This translates to weak ejection for the former and increased felt recoil for the latter. Both ISMI and Wolff springs offer reduced power and extra power springs. I use 14lbs for my 9mm and 17 lbs for my 40SW.

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Audemus jura nostra defendere

Hey modraker, Did the Wolff 14lb spring( spring# 53214) clear up the brass in the face problem? They list the factory spring as 16lbs. Anybody else make the switch, and did it make a difference? Thanks Ron

Our 9mm has this issue some times. A spring change would be a nice easy fix.

Keep us updated.

I have a 52 that did the same thing. Sent it back to Smith and now ejects 2 o'clock and about 5-6 feet, now at bullseye matches the guy to my right has to deal with it.

Yes, the reduced power recoil spring solved my "brass to the face" problem. It even cured the "aluminum to the face" problem that I was having with Blazer ammo which was the worst offender of all.

Incidentally, the Wolff part number for the 14 lb spring and guide rod is 53314. The Wolff spring is uncaptured and requires the use of a different guide rod than the one in your M&P. If you want to save buying the guide rod, you can buy a 15 lb spring from ISMI. It will fit on your existing guide rod but it's a pain to install and you'll have to shoot no lighter than 124 gr.

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Audemus jura nostra defendere

I've been around auto loading pistols everytime I go to the range. I own a M&P. buddies own rugers, spring fields and 1911's. and no one I know of ever has that problem. Don't thinks the auto loaders fault.


Now my sks, that's different. There's never any telling.

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Safety not Included!!

Inclined to agree!

The only input I have on the subject is to shoot a new gun at least 500 rounds with full power ammo before deciding there is something wrong with the gun.

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Centennial Every Day