Okay at the risk of sounding like an idiot...

I am a complete noob when it comes to firearms. This Shield 9mm is my first. Aside from purchase, breakdown, clean/oil and dry firing I have not been to the range yet.

I have read many topics on the slide lock and that it is not a slide release. Though some have differing opinions this is not meant to be a debate. My problem or seeming my problem is that when I rack the slide back and it locks in place I can not get the slide to release by just pulling the slide back a bit further and 'slingshotting' it. I have to rack the slide back further and press the lock lever down. Is this normal operation?

Again, go easy on a noob. I am quick learner but I was always told the only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.

It's normal if you have an empty mag in it. If you pull the mag, or have a loaded mag, the release will drop and allow the slide to go forward.

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Dave

Wee Hooker, thank you for the prompt response. This may be the case! As there is an empty mag in it. I will remove the mag and see if it produces different results. Thank you!

Read the manual that came with the pistol . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Sorry, I can't help you.

Never had such a problem with my Colt 1911's or the various other autos I own.

Worked fine, Wee Hooker. Thanks.

Muss Muggins, I have read the manual and either does not mention this exact question or it went through both ears so to speak. I'll look at it again. It is all good though and I understand your statement. RTFM.

I asked the question at the expense of sounding like an idiot but hey like I said whatever.

You're not an idiot. We all had to learn.

It's not a "best practice" to remove the magazine and let the slide slam on an empty chamber. It is a best practice to let the slide run forward unrestricted to strip a live cartridge from the magazine and feed it into the chamber. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

There is nothing wrong with asking "dumb" questions, that's better than doing dumb things and getting injured. I strongly suggest taking a firearm safety curse specially if you plan to carry it. Be safe and enjoy the gun.

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M&P 9, Shield9.

To further your understanding... It's the magazine follower piece that push's up on the slide release when it's in the top most position in an empty mag that is in the gun. This feature is what locks the slide back on an empty mag after the last round is fired by design. Conversely, when the mag follower is held down/away from the release by a stack of ammo, the slide release stays in the down position and allows the slide to operate freely back and forth. This can be demonstrated to yourself by inserting a mag with a snap cap or two into the gun then cycling the slide. ( Not a good idea to learn with live ammo here.) You''ll notice the slide will move back and forward back into battery freely until the mag is empty. Then it will lock open by design.
hth

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Dave

We've all been there, cas0585 . It's my 1st and only gun too. I second Shield9mm. Enjoy it, it's a great choice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

First, congrats on your Shield, good guns. For practice, get yourself some snap caps or dummy rounds and put those in your magazines. With those in there, you can dry fire, practice releasing the slide, and do misfire drills without harm to you or your firearm.

Next, get some training. Firearm safety and defensive pistol classes will prep you for concealed carry. Beyond that, practice, practice, practice.

Good Luck and good shooting.

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SFC, US Army, Retired

I love an opportunity to help someone learn. I will not just drop the ubiquitous "go read the manual" because it's entirely possible that this, or many other aspects of the operation, was missed. So get comfortable, this may go a little ways...

How the Slide Stop works in conjunction with the slide and magazine.


When the magazine is empty, the mag follower presses upward on a little tab. This moves the slide stop up and will then engage the notch in the slide as the slide moves rearward.

Here it is from another angle:


If there is still a round in the mag, the follower doesn't contact the slide stop tab:



In the manual, it does not specifically say that the mag should be removed to allow the slide to go forward. In fact, if enough downward pressure is put on the slide stop, it will overcome the pressure of the mag follower and let the slide go forward. That is a considerable amount of pressure for the Shield.

Even so, the last sentence of the last paragraph on page 20 describes how the magazine works in conjunction with the slide stop after the last round is fired. I suppose the "go read the manual" people are expecting you to infer that the slide stop will not drop, unless the mag is removed or a loaded mag is inserted, from this paragraph.



By all means continue to ask any question you like. Yes, there will always be those who will berate you for asking. They tend to forget that at one time they had these same questions. Don't sweat it, someone will come along and get you the answer you're looking for. This is a great site.

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Freedom isn't free.

Thanks for the encouragement as well as the explanations. I learned quite a bit. I want to be well acquainted with it. It does seem like this is a nice community of S&W owners. I won't hesitate to ask any questions in the future.

BTW, I assume these snap caps will work well for practicing. As of course I was hesitant to load live rounds to figure out the issue I was having.

Whether the device being discussed is a slide stop or a slide release may depend upon how the gun maker chooses to describe it, or how you choose to use it... I've seen it described both ways in different owner's manuals.

The part in question is, in addition to STOPPING the slide in the rear-ward position when the mag is empty, can also be used to RELEASE the slide when a fresh magazine is inserted. If the device didn't have dual functionality, there'd be little reason for a "push here" tab on the device, but 99% of all semi-autos have that tab.

The "slingshot" release method of releasing the slide (in which the rear of the slide is pulled back like you would pull back the pocket of a slingshot).

The "hand-over" method, in which the shooter puts the off-hand hand over the rear of the slide to push the slide to rear (with that hand going on back in one quick, smooth motion) and off the rear of the slide, are both commonly advocated by many shooters.

The US military found that the hand-over method could be a problem with the standard-issue Beretta M9s, as using that method could inadvertently decock the weapon.

According to an acquaintance who works as a trainer with Special Ops troops at Ft Bragg, the US Army, some years back, stopped training handgun users to use the slingshot method because of a rash of failures to go into battery under combat conditions. That may have been a function of the horrible climate in Afghanistan and Iraq (either very cold or very hot, with sandy or rock environments); many (maybe most) people wore gloves when in the field, for protection of one sort or another.

The DoD, the last I heard, now train reloads using the slide stop/release. And while it may seem awkward, it can be done with the OFF hand or with the strong hand (depending on the shooters hand or dexterity. (I now use the off hand and several fingers of my off hand to find and depress the release. I have found it very reliable and fast, and I don't have to shift my grip -- which I had to do with many of my handguns when using my strong-hand thumb.)

Being a 1911 guy since the 60's (1960's, not 1860's, as some of my co-workers will swear), I was trained and have it burned into my brain to slingshot the slide. Except of course when there is no magazine / round present, and you want to close the slide for storage / holster (yes, we carried a lot of unloaded firearms back in the day). Then you ride the slide with your support hand to close without slamming on an empty chamber.

I get in quite the discussion with the HK guys, who are burned-in with "slide release". Everyone has a routine. Get some training, learn a routine (aka manual of arms), and practice it until it becomes second nature.

Yes, those will work, but don't buy them. Instead, get these:

The snap caps you listed look too much like real cartridges. It's just too easy to get a live round mixed in and that's bad. The AZoom cannot be mistaken for a live round. I've been using the AZoom snap caps for years without issue.

More importantly, you don't need snap caps at all. All dry practice can be done without anything other than the gun. Dry firing your gun will not damage it.

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Freedom isn't free.

Firearms use is deceivingly complex for the uninitiated. Feel free to ask whatever you like.

The AZOOM snap caps are MORE DURABLE than some snap caps, and well worth the price.

What's the harm in letting the slide ride on an empty chamber?

Clearly my bad. I read the Shield manual online, and that information is not present. It probably should be . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

None . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

That's what I thought.

Everyone has an opinion on this. I passed on what I was taught. Do some research from a variety of sources then decide "best practice" for your personal weapons. Welcome to the bright side. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

While you're doing that research, make sure you do complete research. By that I mean research all sides of a discussion not just what you want to hear.

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Freedom isn't free.

I believe the concern about dropping a slide on an empty chamber originated with 1911s and lightened/tuned triggers. The process of chambering a round from the magazine slows the slide speed and cushions its stop as it goes into battery. Dropping the slide on an empty chamber could cause "sear bounce", allowing the hammer to follow the slide as it went forward. The sear would be caught by the hammers half cock notch, possibly damaging the sear engagement surface.

I doubt that dropping the slide on an empty chamber on most (if any) modern pistols will cause any problems.