M&P slide to frame fit *update 11/8*

[dbracin]

I just purchased a new M&P PRO. I didn't notice the slide to frame fit until after I got it home and cleaned it prior to it's first range trip. What are your thoughts? You can actually see the spring thru the gap in the lower photo.

[TahoeDust]

That is how all that I have seen have been. There is a visible gap but no vertical or lateral "play" in the mating of the slide and frame. Someone once told be it was designed this way to allow dirt, sand, etc to fall out if it was to find its way into there...not sure how true that is.

[MichiganScott]

That's not right, although some frame droop seems to be the norm.

Several members that have had similar problems have heated the polymer up with blow driers on high heat or heat guns on low and bent the dust cover back in place and held it there by various methods until it cooled.

Personally, I'd contact S&W.

[Smith357]

Mine drooped like that when it was new, not that bad though. Glocks have a similar issue and they call it pig nose. I searched the net for pig nose glock and learned how to fix it, gently heat the dust cover, then wired it up to the slide and let it cool.

[Bkreutz]

None of mine (3) look like that. I don't remember any of the other ones I have handled looking like that. Break it down and make sure you don't have some foreign object in there. Does it rack and feed rounds normally? Did the takedown lever pop back into place by itself when you put the slide on or did you have to manually rotate it into place? I think I'd be sending it back to S&W if I couldn't find an obvious reason.There is a gap to all M&P's but it is even front to back not at an angle like yours.

[Gunsnwater]

Funny my first thought was hair dyer. Not really slide frame fit as dust cover droop. Just anther thing to look for. They must be running them faster and dropping them out too hot. Good thing its plastic.

[DocSunShine]

Ive noticed some of that with the 5 inch guns and 4 1/2 inch .45 M&Ps but I must say, that doesn't look right. Call S&W and/or E-mail them the picture.

[dbracin]

I contacted S&W today and their emailing me a shipping label. I've never put a round thru it and it's on it's way back to the factory. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[jss4uva]

My Pro CORE looks like that also, but seems a little less exaggerated than yours. I put 600 rounds through it over the weekend and the only problem that I had was two FTE's from the first box of PMC Bronze ammo. My Take down lever snaps back into place on its own, and everything else seems fine. I am going back to the shop this weekend and will look at some others to compare. Functionally mine was top notch though so I will keep on keeping on with it.

[BIGMAC116]

I'd be calling S&W right now. FIX!

[Rastoff]

I'm curious to see what they do. That is definitely not normal.

[Martya]

I worked for a plastics IM company, there are a lot of factors that work for and against you forming plastic parts like this - temperatures, lot to lot plastic variation, pressures, mold temperatures, gate sizes, gate design, gate wear, ring heaters failing, and on and on. Just looking at that lower I can imagine that some minor pressure / temperature would cause that end of the lower, the part without the metal substrate, to deform as it cools or is staged after being formed and perhaps fixtured for assemble while still hot.

These parts are molded with tons of pressure and [likely] 400+ degrees of temperature in some parts of the plastic flow process. They take a 'set' inside the mold, then are released probably warm. That one could have fallen into a corner for a moment, or maybe it was a fan used in the summer to cool the workers, or any number of other variables. Using a hair dryer could change the 'set' but unless you fixture it properly as you heat it to the correct temperature (whatever that is) you could cause a worse condition.

I'd send it back and let S&W deal with it. I am curious what their answer is - perhaps they have a fixture that they can fit the lower in and heat it up and re-"set" it.

My 45FS has a bit of a bend to it, you have to look for it to see it, but it seems to function just fine .

[dbracin]

S&W called this week. They are replacing that pistol.

[M&P Freak]

That's great news, good job.

[MSG Glenn]

That certainly is good news because I have both a full size M&P40 & a compact & neither look like that. You shouldn't have to heat up the polymer frame & bend it back in place on a brand new gun.

[tonesurfer]

That looks like utter ****. Glad S&W is replacing it for you.

[patsfan1281]

Originally Posted by dbracin

S&W called this week. They are replacing that pistol.

Awesome. Seem like the S&W people are great when it comes to issues with their weapons