Hey everyone. I'm new here, but, I did search and all that. I didn't find enough information so I'm asking for help. I got my shield about a month ago. It has been my EDC and I've put 3-400 rounds through it. I've had a few FTE but I think it was me, and now that I think about the grip it hasn't happened. Anyway I'm in MA so I had that awful 12# trigger, and like most others here I got an APEX kit and had it installed by a smith. I ran about 150 rounds after getting the kit installed without an issue. Saturday night, I was concentrating on follow up shots and only letting back until the reset and the trigger never came back. I cleared it and put it away for the night. This morning I took it all apart, looking for something jammed up inside when I realized that the actual trigger it self was stuck behind the stop. I googled it and it let me to believe that (I don't know the exact terms sorry) the sear activator, it's a little curly bit of steel that trips the sear, was squished and in turn set to far back in the trigger pull. So, I checked the gap then reassembled it and checked where the trigger released the pin to find it was all good. The release is about .5 CM before the stop, maybe a little more. It's right where I would suspect.

It comes down to this. I don't know where to go from here. I haven't shot it and won't likely get to until next weekend. Should I send it to S&W or try it again. Did I just man handle it or is there something bigger wrong that I can't see. Any help is appreciated.

Since it's due to an Apex kit, sending it to S&W would most likely get the original parts reinstalled. I'd start by taking it back to the Smith that installed the Apex kit for you and have him check it.

You're talking about the trigger bar loop, but it won't help making wild guesses when you don't really have an idea, it just misdirects folks who assume you're correct.

What do you mean by "stop"? The little nub inside the trigger guard behind the trigger, or were you assuming something about the internals?

Based on the vague details given, my money's on something like the trigger return spring being put in upside down.

By stop I mean the outer piece of plastic underneath the trigger. Upon further observation it seems that the trigger bar was to the shooter's right of where it was supposed to stop. The bar internally that goes back has the stopper to keep it from going too far and that will keep the trigger from going past the external stop. It's not bent but if I pull the trigger I can push it outwards and make it of to the shooter's right of the stop. Somehow that happened when I was shooting. I think if I give it a little bend back inwards it will keep a bit of spring pressure back towards that rear sear housing bit that it activates. I don't know if its supposed to be like that or what, or maybe I bent it outward when I took the gun apart.

When comparing to my glock, that trigger bar is in a little pathway to keep it moving right to left. The shield doesn't have that, it's all just kind of open. Maybe it takes a little tension holding it in to keep that from happening?

The M&P trigger bar loop is supposed to move left/right.

It moves straight back to trip the sear, then as the slide reciprocates, it pushes the trigger bar loop to the right and out from under the sear to reset the sear. Then you release the trigger to bring the trigger bar forward and it gets back into line with the sear.

With the slide off, pull the trigger and hold it. Manually push the trigger bar to the right so the loop comes out from under the sear. Release the trigger. Does the trigger return forward on its own?

Yeah it goes back on its own. No issues. What could have caused it to get stuck?

Your trigger stays back. You clear the weapon (racking the slide, I presume).
Then you 'took it all apart' - can you detail how it is you did this process while the trigger was stuck to the rear the whole time, even after taking it apart?

I think pictures would really help since you seemed to conclude the trigger was hanging up on the external hump but then go talking about internals.

What Apex kit are you talking about? Is it an Apex trigger as well? Or just springs/sear?

Although through it all I think you should just take it back to the guy who did the install, since you probably shouldn't try to change anything.

It only happened once. When it happened at the range I dropped the mag and cleared the round. By took it apart I mean I field stripped it to check it out. You can use the little yellow lever to take it down with the trigger back.

It hung up externally and was shifted internally. I think the external hump was the thing keeping it from returning to normal position.

The apex kit was the apex duty kit that leaves the stock trigger.

I know I may sound like an idiot, but I think it's from my lack of knowledge of gun terms. I'm not. I'm new to guns so excuse my naivety. This is stressing me out because it's a new gun and it was my carry piece, so i'm kind of rushing to get a post out, but I should consult the manual for proper terms before posting.


If the trigger bar is supposed to move to the right after the round is fired, is it possible that when it's being pushed to the side of the internal stop, that my continued pressure on the trigger after firing, (because i was concentrating on only releasing until the reset and not letting the trigger out completely) cause meet pull it physically back over the hump, and then never return? I'm large with very strong, large hands.

I don't know what internal stop you're talking about. Apex parts don't change factory trigger geometry in relation to the trigger guard hump.

Holding the trigger back, regardless of how much of a He-man you are, would not let the slide rack but not push the trigger bar aside. That is, unless your gun has a piece sheared off or something, which I doubt is the case.

Try to recreate the stuck trigger and get a pic. I'm interested in seeing that.

I'd rather not force it past again. It happened once at the range halfway through a magazine, I fired as normal and the trigger never returned. I left the range when it was like that. On inspection the next day I realized the trigger itself had caught behind the little bump in the guard. More inspection showed that the trigger bar was shifted toward the right to allow that to happen. In a previous post I just learned that the trigger bar moves right when the gun is fired. I would rather not push the trigger bar to the right and pull the trigger past the plastic external stop just to show what I'm talking about.

If the kit install eliminated all over travel at the trigger the resulting recoil shock may have caused this. It's just a theory but the trigger does need a very small amount of over travel which can be achieved by adjusting the trigger bar loop.

This Apex video might help you understand the function better so you can discuss it with your 'smith:

I have about 5 mm travel after it drops the pin right now. I bought the apex trigger itself. It's longer than the stock trigger so it should be held up by the nub better. The more I'm learning the more I think I just pulled too hard.