I just bought a Shield in 9mm (no safety model). Inside the slide the metal looks like it has been milled very thin and has cracked and broken away. You can see the white underneath which is the firing pin housing inside.

I've sent an email to S&W, I'm sure they'll fix it under warranty, but it is a bit concerning as it looks like a problem of milling specs. Has anyone else seen this?

The white threads in the picture are from Q-Tip fibers that got stuck while cleaning in the gap. A bit hard to see since it's such a contrast between black and white, but here is the best image I could get.

Yeah, that would be leaving about the time I got the return authorization. I'd be calling about that instead of wasting time on emails. It doesn't look like a "crack". Much worse than that.

please forgive the newb question, but this makes me curious should it ever happen to me. If something like this occurs with a new gun does it still go directly to the manufacturer for repair/replace or are there instances where it could/would be instead returned to the dealer for a replacement.

again just curious and thanks

It'd go to S&W.

OP: At least you'll get a new slide. Out of curiosity what does the breech face look like and what kind of ammo where you shooting?

That depends upon the level of service provided by your dealer. Some LGS's will do all the work for you, and some tell you it's between you and Smith.

Even being a Shield, which there have been issues with (mainly the 40 S&W), this is bad. Send it back. It should not look like that. Do not shoot it.

Damn.
And, I was wanting a Shield 9.

Hopefully, it's an isolated incident.
One of those things that can happen when demand outstrips supply.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

Ranger: Very logical question. If the new owner contacts S&W customer service (CS), most likely after hearing his story, CS will e-mail a free UPS return label. The owner would box it up and put the label on it. Then the owner would take the package to UPS local hub, who will ship the gun to S&W for repair. A week or two later, S&W will ship the repaired gun back to the owner at his residence.

If you want to take to dealer, sometimes the factory is not so generous to dealers and you may have to do a transfer too in addition to paying a small shipping fee. Last year I had a problem with brand spanking new Ruger SR9c and the factory sent me a label and had the gun back to me in a week. My dealer recommended that I contact Ruger CS and the dealer was right, it was easier and faster. I guess there are variables and you will just have to see which works best for you at the time.

My LGS has sent guns back for me, but when they come back I have to do a new transfer form. If I send them back on the factory label, they come back to me directly without paperwork

I've seen this same thing on another forum. I think it was the M&P Pistol forum. Just wondering if this is the same gun, or if two different guns had this problem.

That's what I was hoping to ask.

That is the second one I've seen in two weeks. Someone on another forum posted the same problem. Best of luck with that. I wonder when that was produced. Would you mind posting your build/purchase date?

I went back and checked on the other forum. This one actually looks worse than the other one. Probably two different guns, the other fella said S&W sent him a shipping label on 20 August.

No it doesn't. It has everything to do with faulty quality control.

Very surprising, I have to admit, I opened this thread expecting to see something normal that was being called a "cracked slide".

That is no joke right there.

Anyway yeah, what everyone else said, it needs to go to S&W to get fixed or replaced. And fixed = new slide, replaced = new everything.

Damn, it came out of the box that way? Shines a new light on the "breakdown/no breakown at LGS" thread... .

this is brand new from the factory...no rounds shot by me, just took it apart for cleaning

I just purchased this gun and received it 2 days ago. I've never posted it anywhere else.

As mentioned in a previous post, I received it only a couple days ago. How would I find out it's build date?

I'll update this thread once I get a resolution, but as mentioned, it is a bit concerning to me that it even happened. To me it means that part is generally milled very thin, so even if it doesn't come cracked, I would assume it's not so strong.

Then again, it probably doesn't need to be that strong as the metal is a lot thicker on the other side and should always hold the firing pin assembly in place, still it seems like a bit of a poor design. I guess small guns always give up something in the way of tolerances to shrink the dimensions.

Interesting - two guns with the same machining problem. If two showed up on the web, how many more are out there?

I have a tough time believing this was a brand new gun. The slide shows clear signs of the slide catch dragging on the side rail, as well as wear marks on the center rail. Either this gun has been fired repeatedly, or somebody has been racking it vigorously. I'm more inclined to believe it's the former.

Sorry to cast doubt on you story, if indeed you are dealing with a serious problem, but something is not adding up right...

My new M&P 9FS showed similar wear before I fired it. In fact, I asked the gunsmith at Gander Mountain about it before I took it home, and he said that was absolutely normal since it was fired at the factory.

EDIT: I just took mine apart, and it does not look as worn as the shield pic and still looks new. Here's a pic from today with 600+ rounds fired through it:

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None of mine looked like that brand new. One test shot - or even a handful - does not produce wear marks like that.

On rare occasions, I've had gun counter clerk try to pass pistols that obviously have been handled and fired repeatedly - though still looking relatively fresh - as brand new. Don't worry, they say... it's because they test fire at the factory. I just politely ask if they have a different one. If they don't, I thank them for their time and walk.

I also do not let any store send my firearms to the mfr for service, even if they offer to do so for free as a courtesy. Had a less than stellar experience that told me people are not always on the up and up.

I'm really not sure what you're getting at here? I've never purchased a firearm that wasn't test fired from the factory...mine came with a bullet casing as proof as do pretty much every gun I've ever seen.

It of course requires racking to and manipulating the slide to get the gun apart, and I've done a bit more than that...but no drops or abuse. It's literally brand new.

Other than my broken pistol which I'm sure will get fixed, my only intention with posting here was to see if this factory defect was an isolated issue, or if it's generally a problem with other pistols.

If appropriate, I can post where I purchased this from. I haven't contacted them yet because I assumed it was a factory defect. It was purchased online...

Here are some more pictures showing more detail.





Here we go, higher res now.

Also, each time I have a problem with a gun I learn a bit more. This lesson has taught me to learn how to field strip a gun before I purchase it, and at least do that before receiving it at my FFL. In this case I could have then refused the firearm and gotten a different one.

Still, the rest of the gun looks brand new to me, I hadn't even considered it could have been a used gun they sent me. But I'll contact the place and send them pictures and see if they offer anything. In my experience, once you receive the firearm there isn't much they ever offer or can easily do. I guess the paperwork for them to get it back and send a new one is a hassle.

Here's more pictures of the rest of the pistol. Although from the outside it doesn't look like much if any wear...the inside is a bit worn IMO.







So what do you guys think...used? It almost looks that way to me, or excessive "testing" at the factory.

Here's what the place I bought it from responded:

Wow, that is crazy.

My understanding is the same as yours regarding inspecting the firearm prior to going through with the FFL paperwork.

I'm not sure anyone can really fault you for not field stripping the gun at your LGS though...I certainly can't. I generally just lock the slide back, check the breech face, ramp, put the slide down pull the trigger, reset, the feel of the slide function, and check to make sure the mags drop free. Other than that I just look at cosmetic stuff.

IMO, even if the store you originally purchased the gun from sold you a used gun, or even if you raked the **** out of a brand new one, it should still never crack like that.

The example you have is just a bad gun period that was poorly milled and/or bad metallurgy. They make zillions of them and like any machine, sometimes they don't turn out as designed and still make it past QC. My guess is that it left the factory without the crack so it probably passed a quick visual inspection and maybe even the test fire.

But based on how thin that area was milled it was just a matter of time. I'm glad you caught it before you shot it.

I wouldn't be surprised if S&W replaced the entire gun vs. just replacing the slide. To many 'what ifs' for Smith to take a chance on other unseen issues/damage to your frame. I'd think they'd have records on which lot your slide was machined and they'll also probably check the machine yours was build on to check its program.

I'm gonna show my coworker who owns a Shield these pics tonight. He's gonna **** his pants, LMAO!!!

From everything I've heard about Smiths CS they'll definitely take care of you. It might take you a little longer to get the warm and fuzzies back but in the end you'll hopefully be happy/confident in the brand/model in short order.

Thanks for posting those pics. Please also update us on what happens.

Yeah, as you mention, I'm fairly confident S&W will take care of the problem. I've heard great things but never had to deal with them. I went with email instead of phone so I'd have written documentation, but other than that all should be fine.

My only main problem right now is that I'll be continuing to carry my larger Glock 19 until I can get this one back...but it sure felt nice to have such a thin gun by comparison. I carry pretty much exclusively in a Smartcarry and the difference is quite nice.

Your gun came with a fired case in a sealed envelope and it has a date on it...also what is the pre-fix of your gun's serial number?? The NS Shield is a fairly new product/offering from S&W. Something just doesn't seem right...you should know this info...

All I was trying to say was that you can never be sure how that firearm got from the factory floor to your hands, and what transpired in between. When things go wrong, it can be anything from QA/QC problem at the mfr to some person(s) mishandling (or misrepresentating) in between... or both.

I have purchased pistols that came with the typical witness spent casing, but the firearm itself showed absolutely ZERO sign of wear. And some of them were conventional bluing. Melonite is one tough finish in comparison.

Regardless, it's on S&W to make it right.

I'm not sure why I should have known that info was there, I thought maybe the serial number was the only way to find out and wasn't sure how...

I don't really look much at the spent casing and didn't realize that info was there, but here's a picture.



Looks like the date is 7/14/2014, is that the manufacture date? Or just the test date? Or are they usually pretty close?

Serial number you can see in the photo, I guess I don't see much of a reason not to post it.

I had thought that Melonite was more of a hardening process to the steel, and that afterwards they coat it with black nitride or something? My glock finish seems to wear off from holster use pretty easily, but underneath is the hardened steel that doesn't rust or degrade very easily.

Either way, even the place I bought it from did agree it seems like there's excessive wear on the pistol for it being new.

I'm also starting to wonder if the No-Safety model is maybe quite a bit different from the standard model and required all new tooling? It may explain some of these issues..

On our receipts at work in the fine print, it clearly states that should there be a problem, the customer has to deal with the mfr directly. Also, you want to send the gun to S&W directly, because if you have the store send it in, & then you want to call S&W to ask about the progress of your gun, they won't tell you anything as you didn't send the gun, the store did, & you're not the store. Just a few tips I've picked up over the years. GARY

In the last four months, I purchased three new semi's and each one of them had some light rubbing wear on the friction points. I don't buy the notion that it should show zero wear out of the box, just my experience so far.

On a different note, that Shield slide should have never ever left the factory. There's been far too many postings with M&P problems lately. I feel lucky that my M&P looks and fires fine. With that being said, my one and only S&W purchase will be my last S&W purchase.

I'm not that convinced yet to completely write off S&W. If my experience with customer service goes well, and the new slide doesn't look extremely thinly milled in that area, I'll be happy and assume this was an isolated incident. Anything can happen, but if they make it right I'll be happy.

I would expect them to correct that problem. And for all the furor, makes no difference if the gun is brand new or has ten thousand rounds through it.

I would hope quality control would catch that. If not Houston we have a problem. You might have a used gun with some hot loads ran through it. No way a new unfired gun should look like that.

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Bishop

No certainty, but I would expect that as the firing to get the casing would be at the end of the manufacturing process, unless they had a backlog, there should only be a few days start to finish for assembly. When the component parts are made is potentially another story. But the test firing is the start of the weapons life as a complete entity.

They did look up mine, and it was over a week's span from mfg to test-fire.That was how they researched a barrel issue.

I wonder where all the guys/LGS employees are who are adamantly opposed/refuse to allowing a customer to field strip a gun before they purchase it. I understand that this was ordered online, but you still can inspect it at your transferring dealer before completing any paperwork.

Yes, I think my FFL would have been just fine with me doing pretty much any kind of disassembly before receiving the gun. I just didn't and until now didn't feel it was necessary. If it was a used gun off gunbroker or something I probably would have looked over it much more in detail.

At a LGS, I can understand they don't want people field stripping the guns, but if you're a serious buyer and ready to buy, they should do the field stripping for you for your inspection. I'll insist on this in the future.

Maybe the slide wear is from even just the "test" firing and racking... rubbing from the obvious horrendous condition of the slide machining??

There is NO excuse for this to ever leave the factory, and management should be made aware of this situation. At least the OP cleaned this nasty excuse for a new pistol.... and was not injured by firing it....

I know it will get worked out, but THAT is not something that even an automated QC line should ever spit out the door. SHAME on SW for this one.
YMMV

Wow, there are some amazing posts here.... it's a new gun with the required test fires. It doesn't show anything abnormal in the wear department. Obviously, there was a machining incident. It may have occurred in several slides, but no doubt was caught at some point.. the area obviously did not affect the initial firing, just send it back, they'll replace the slide and you'll be a happy camper.

Once again, it was just an error in machining that will probably never happen again. It happens in all manufacturing facilities at some point.. quality control didn't go down the tube...

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Jack C

This further reiterates my utter disbelief that anyone would just take their gun from the box and run rounds through it without first inspecting, cleaning, and lubing it. I just cleaned my 15-22 for the first time before operating it and it was amazing how much machining material was in the barrel and action.

Anyways, this gun is a nightmare and thankfully you took the time to inspect it before firing it. That likely saved your life. There's no excuse for this leaving the factory, but one should also consider the failure rate of S&W before writing them or any other manufacturer off. For every one issue we see, there are thousands to tens of thousands or more that have no issues at all. Just saying.

Another reason to avoid online gun purchases. What would the LGS do? He doesn't give a ****, as he doesn't have a dime into the gun, & won't let you do anything until you pay him his transfer fee. Now after the fee is paid, the gun is released to you, & you can have him send it back to the on line dealer, but you will have to now pay shipping, & his transfer fee back to the online dealer. When the replacement gun with a different ser # comes back to the LGS, you will have to pay another transfer fee to receive the second gun. And yes, I have seen this happen several times at work when an online purchase has a problem. This is why I would never buy a new gun online unless I was saving a bundle. GARY

I've got 2 shields in 9mm and 2 M&P 9mm's. I have never seen a crack, defect such as that, S&W should definitely make that right. Also I have at least 1000 rounds through each weapon. They all work good.

Melonite is the QPQ process that produces the final finish. The last part of the Quench Polish Quench gives the work piece that black finish.

I just find it hard to believe something this obvious could've slipped past QA/QC. As for this being a one-off slip-up in mfg... I don't buy that either. With everything being auomated CNC'ed these day, you'd typically get a whole batch just like this if the CNC machines were miscalibrated.

Still doesn't add up... Somebody somewhere in the delivery chain had a hand in this.

I would have to say that this is 100% a quality control mistake. I love s&w but this should not leave their facility. I know mistakes happen but just glancing at the slide from all sides could have caught this. That crack is VERY noticeable. the OP is lucky he did not fire that, could have had another kaboom gun blamed on ammo