M&P "Failure" Mode

[Pondoro]

Just sharing something that I learned. This being the internet I am sure someone ill say, "That is impossible" but it happened to me.

I have an M&P compact that lives in a safe when it is not near me. I put it in my left hand (I'm a righty) so that I could open the safe with my right hand. I did not grasp the grip in a "shooting" grip, I grabbed the whole gun - muzzle up at about a 45 degree angle. Firm grip, nothing hanging out in front of the muzzle, safe direction.

The muscle and or fat makes a bulge just below the index finger. This bulge released the magazine. The first time I thought I had not properly inserted the mag. But the experience repeated a few months later.

So note to self - NEVER walk around with the gun in a left handed grip. A dropped mag as I open the safe is one thing. A dropped mag while I search for the cause of "a bump in the night" would be bad.

I also need to practice left handed "shooting" grips.

[Arik]

As a lefty I'll tell you for a fact that if you hold the gun like it was meant you won't have any problems with the mag. It's not a "failure". The gun functioned as it should. A failure would be if you pressed the release and nothing happened. If I grabbed all guns by the mag release then I would have the same problem.

As you can see my hand isn't touching the mag release



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[Ranger17]

Can be a good point, to be conscious of how one grips or holds their gun in their off hand. But the title to me sounded like a problem with a gun itself and I dont see that as being any issue.

Apologies just my .02 in how I read it

[Shield9mm]

The mag release will need more direct pressure than just a palm grab to release the mag, I bet it wasn't inserted correctly in first place.

[BigDog48]

“This being the Internet”, you get to title a post M&P failure mode when it is a human error. I appreciate your sharing of a lesson, but I practice shooting with my “off” hand (left) regularly, and have never had that happen. But since it happened to you, I’ll watch for it,

[InsideWaist]

Originally Posted by Pondoro

I also need to practice left handed "shooting" grips.

Part of qualifying with a pistol for my CCW permit required shooting one-handed with your weak hand (left hand, for right-handed folks).

The first time I did this, I thought I would miss the whole target completely. However, I found that it was much easier than anticipated and my groupings were surprisingly consistent.

[Saudade]

I always shoot a mag worth with my M&Ps left handed when I visit the range. Never had an "negligent mag drop".

[Pondoro]

Originally Posted by Arik

As a lefty I'll tell you for a fact that if you hold the gun like it was meant you won't have any problems with the mag. It's not a "failure". The gun functioned as it should. A failure would be if you pressed the release and nothing happened. If I grabbed all guns by the mag release then I would have the same problem.

As you can see my hand isn't touching the mag release

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I put failure in quotes, but it was indeed a human error. Still in 20+ years of being trained and reading about guns I had never heard this mentioned as a possible error or even something to be avoided. Grabbing a gun in a non-firing grip seemed OK in a non-firing situation and I never heard it taught against nor did I think about it causing an unintended consequence. So I thought the experience was a reasonable thing to share. But it did repeat and I have since been able to reproduce it - I pick up the gun left handed with my thumb over the slide and the four finger wrapped around the bottom of the trigger guard and frame. A slight squeeze pops the mag free. Once again I'm not criticizing Smith. Just sharing an experience that I'd never heard about or thought about.

[hexnut]

I tried mine left handed and I cant make the mag pop out. Even when I tried to make it release by holding it.

[bigwheelzip]

Have you removed the mag release and examined it?

On my Shield, the Mag release is steel that rusts readily once the coating wears away. It almost seized in the grip before I realized it. Perhaps something like that is keeping it from fully engaging the mag.

[rwsmith]

... in that you should be able to handle your gun without inadvertently operating any controls. It does sound far fetched that just some inadvertent pressure would unlock the mag. Now if the mag latch is weak, that can be fixed. But if it's not get used to handling your gun in any situation. I'd try hard to duplicate the action to see what caused the mag to drop.

[richardw]

Great topic. Once I made noncom in the Corps I had to qualify with the 1911. First time was in noncom school. We had to nbe able to shoot with either hand, while it was expected and accepted that you would do better with your dominant side.

My trainer was so precisely clear about the difference between dominant and weak side shooting side shooting that it rang my bell. He simply said "There ain't no friggin difference. Get your head screwed on right. Whatever you can do with your right hand you can do with your left if you work at it."

Well he was correct. Once you got past the notion that you were more capable with your dominant side when shooting the psyche barrier went down. Mind over matter as they say.

While I do better with two hand shooting than with one hand, I do equally as well with left or right hand only shooting only. The difference is not dominance. It is stability. Two hand shooting is more stable, and that is all. Get passed the notion you are better with a given hand than another and you will find that you can shoot well with either hand. You just have to get past the psychological barrier of preconception.n

[Dennis]

This may sound cold-hearted, but like my Dr. once told me, "Stop doing like that". lol.
Just hold it properly next time.
Just a bit of humor, but you get the point, right?