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Old 04-30-2015, 10:31 PM
wegriffin8642 wegriffin8642 is offline
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Default M&P .40 Shield Magazine Issue

I went to the range today to fire a couple of boxes of .40's through my new Shield. It was very difficult loading more than 4 rounds into the 7 round magazine and 3 rounds into the 6 round magazine. They have the stiffest springs that I have ever encountered. I tried my uplula speed loader on the magazines after I got home and I can fully load the magazines using the uplula....I will take it with me for use from now on. Am I getting weak fingers or has anyone else noticed the stiff springs?
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Old 05-01-2015, 12:19 AM
rsrocket1 rsrocket1 is offline
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M&P mags have always been stiff. I have no problems loading the double stack or the 7 or 8 round Shield mags although they are very stiff. I load them on the shooting bench so I have an advantage. I hold the mag on the table with my left hand, then simply push the bullets with my thumb over the rim and using the rim to push either the follower down or the previous bullet down. I start the next bullet by pushing the previous bullet down with my left thumb, then press in with the rim of the next bullet and slide it in. I am very thankful I don't have arthritis or other ailments in the hands

An Uplula is a good reloading too but I haven't had the need for one (yet).
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Old 05-07-2015, 11:22 AM
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My .40 shield mags are the same way....very stiff. Strongly considering buying a uplula (sp?) loader to save my thumbs.
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Old 05-07-2015, 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by wegriffin8642 View Post
Am I getting weak fingers or has anyone else noticed the stiff springs?
LOL... If you were to do a Forum search for 'Stiff Mag Springs' you'd get pages of threads discussing this, so no... You're probably NOT getting weak fingers.

At least you're ahead of the game, since you already know the bliss that's called UpLULA.
Many come here not knowing about its benefits.
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Old 05-07-2015, 12:51 PM
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Here ----- > Maglula UpLULA Universal Pistol Magazine Loader | Bass Pro Shops
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Old 05-07-2015, 02:16 PM
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LOL...he has one already
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Old 05-07-2015, 02:26 PM
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I went to the range today...
The magazines will get better

Interesting that you have been a member for a year yet starting this thread was your first post!
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Old 09-14-2015, 07:07 PM
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Talking M&P SHIELD ISSUES WITH LOADING MAGAZINE

Not complaining about the weapon. I love the feel and concept. I am having issues with loading the mags. cannot get three rounds loaded the spring stiffens up due to flexing against the walls of the mag. I swapped out springs from the six rounder to the seven rounder, 90% of the issues went away. Wish Smith would address the issue. Found that when folks are carrying the Shield and do not clean and oil after a lengthy carry, corrosion seems to build up on mag release, this may cause the issue of mag dropping. I have been keeping vigilant on moisture on the release causing retracting issues. I have had three gun stores try and load more than three rounds into the seven round mag. and the look on the guys faces, wow an eye opener, no more than three loaded. Hope wolf springs or someone comes out with a softer calibrated spring. I love this little guy.
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Old 09-14-2015, 08:11 PM
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I had the same trouble loading my Shield 9mm mags until I bought an Uplula loader. Now , no more pain or difficulty loading the mags. I also use an old mouse pad to keep from scuffing the mags on the shooting bench. tom.
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Old 09-14-2015, 08:40 PM
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Originally Posted by wegriffin8642 View Post
I went to the range today to fire a couple of boxes of .40's through my new Shield. It was very difficult loading more than 4 rounds into the 7 round magazine and 3 rounds into the 6 round magazine. They have the stiffest springs that I have ever encountered. I tried my uplula speed loader on the magazines after I got home and I can fully load the magazines using the uplula....I will take it with me for use from now on.

Am I getting weak fingers or has anyone else noticed the stiff springs?
I think this is a well-known issue with owners of the M&P Shield.
When I first got my Shield 40, even my instructor could not load the 7-rd mag.

So I bought the UpLULA, as you did, and I am now able to quickly load all of the Shield's magazines.

It is not clear to me why the Shield magazines are so stiff, but I have to accept that the Shield designers deemed it necessary to always ensure proper loading of the next round. So, if I have to use an UpLULA, then so be it.

Otherwise, I love my Shield 40!
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Old 09-15-2015, 08:32 AM
sschrick sschrick is offline
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load the mags and let them sit for a while. that will also help to "soften" the springs.
I, too, could not load the full capacity on my new shield mags when I got them. Now, after about 200 rounds through the gun and cycling the mags, I can load them fully no problem.
also, might just want to disassemble them and make sure there is no dirt or debris inside the mag. Additionally, make sure there are no burrs or rough spots inside that could be causing the follower not to move easily.
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Old 07-11-2017, 03:23 PM
Timinbhm Timinbhm is offline
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Default Shield Mags eating my Uplula

Recently purchased a Shield .40 as a daily carry weapon. Previously, I carried a Sig 226 in .40. I am 6'4" and 270lbs, by the way.

Immediately realized the magazines were too tight to load by hand. Happy to say I'd seen Uplula used in a couple of YouTube vids and bought one right away along with two add'l OEM magazines.

After a single trip to the range, the tongue on the Uplula that presses the prior round down was bent upward 1/4 inch by the force of loading rounds into the Shield mags. Banged it back down and kept using it but the metal is now weakened and eventually moves back up and out of position.

Next, I found the tongue was getting stuck between shells in the mag and couldn't be pulled out. I noticed the edge of the shells had eaten the paint off the tongue, which could be part of the sticking problem.

I will replace the Uplula with a new one, because this one can't function properly now. Like another poster, I'm not sure of the plan if I needed to hand load these mags in an emergency.

Is this really "normal" and acceptable? Guess it's back to carrying the full size Sig until this is resolved.
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Old 07-11-2017, 03:29 PM
Nonuthin Nonuthin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timinbhm View Post
Recently purchased a Shield .40 as a daily carry weapon. Previously, I carried a Sig 226 in .40. I am 6'4" and 270lbs, by the way.

Immediately realized the magazines were too tight to load by hand. Happy to say I'd seen Uplula used in a couple of YouTube vids and bought one right away along with two add'l OEM magazines.

After a single trip to the range, the tongue on the Uplula that presses the prior round down was bent upward 1/4 inch by the force of loading rounds into the Shield mags. Banged it back down and kept using it but the metal is now weakened and eventually moves back up and out of position.

Next, I found the tongue was getting stuck between shells in the mag and couldn't be pulled out. I noticed the edge of the shells had eaten the paint off the tongue, which could be part of the sticking problem.

I will replace the Uplula with a new one, because this one can't function properly now. Like another poster, I'm not sure of the plan if I needed to hand load these mags in an emergency.

Is this really "normal" and acceptable? Guess it's back to carrying the full size Sig until this is resolved.
There have been numerous reports of counterfeit Uplula's being sold at a discount on eBay, Amazon, Gunbroker, etc. for some time now. Go to maglula | Tools for loading and unloading magazines for details.
You may have gotten a fake. I can assure you that the real thing would never do that. I have several and so do my friends. They would distort and dent the brass case long before they'd bend.
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Old 07-11-2017, 04:18 PM
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There have been numerous reports of counterfeit Uplula's being sold at a discount on eBay, Amazon, Gunbroker, etc. for some time now. Go to maglula | Tools for loading and unloading magazines for details.
You may have gotten a fake. I can assure you that the real thing would never do that. I have several and so do my friends. They would distort and dent the brass case long before they'd bend.
I bought one from ebay, knowing it's a knock-off, and it works just as well as the overpriced original uplula. I've compared them side by side and can't tell a difference in quality or strength.
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Old 07-16-2017, 01:41 PM
Timinbhm Timinbhm is offline
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There have been numerous reports of counterfeit Uplula's being sold at a discount on eBay, Amazon, Gunbroker, etc. for some time now. Go to maglula | Tools for loading and unloading magazines for details.
You may have gotten a fake. I can assure you that the real thing would never do that. I have several and so do my friends. They would distort and dent the brass case long before they'd bend.
Thanks. I bought the original UpLULA on Amazon. Returned to them and ordered another. They were great about the return. Paid $28 for each and the markings appear to be identical. New one has been working much better.

The other issue is the Shield mags. I'm spending hours now loading and unloading the mags to cycle them and loosen them up. Have four OEM mags and one is much tighter than others. Can't load the last round even with UpLULA after about a dozen cycles.

Understand the need for the springs to be tight. I don't find it acceptable that they can't be loaded w/out a tool like UpLULA. What do you do in an emergency when you need to hand load?
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Old 07-16-2017, 03:31 PM
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Like Nonuthin, I am suspicious about the source of Timinbhm's Uplula. I have used an Uplula (a real one) for the past three years to load all of my semi-autos, some 30,000 rounds worth. It is as tough as an anvil, and I suspect it will last as long. While I guess it's possible to get a defective one, I think the Israelis who manufacture it are pretty strict about quality control. After all, where is it more critical to load one's semi-auto in a hurry than in Israel?

As to the magazine springs, I have an M&P 40c (9000 rounds), a Shield 9 (4500 rounds), and a Shield .45 (2500 rounds). The springs do loosen up with use. I can get the final round in by hand on all of them. However, they are strong enough to last a long time. My 40c magazines still have their original springs, and they are working just fine.
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Old 07-17-2017, 11:09 AM
Timinbhm Timinbhm is offline
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Default Mag update

Quote:
Originally Posted by swsig View Post
Like Nonuthin, I am suspicious about the source of Timinbhm's Uplula. I have used an Uplula (a real one) for the past three years to load all of my semi-autos, some 30,000 rounds worth. It is as tough as an anvil, and I suspect it will last as long. While I guess it's possible to get a defective one, I think the Israelis who manufacture it are pretty strict about quality control. After all, where is it more critical to load one's semi-auto in a hurry than in Israel?

As to the magazine springs, I have an M&P 40c (9000 rounds), a Shield 9 (4500 rounds), and a Shield .45 (2500 rounds). The springs do loosen up with use. I can get the final round in by hand on all of them. However, they are strong enough to last a long time. My 40c magazines still have their original springs, and they are working just fine.
Thanks for the comments. After spending some time yesterday loading and unloading the new mags, they are loosening up as several folks suggested. Will head back to the range with the new Shield .40 this week.

The new UpLULA is working perfectly. Take care when ordering stuff on line, is the takeaway.
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