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  #1  
Old 01-16-2017, 09:42 AM
M.Yurco M.Yurco is offline
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I have a new Shield pistol in .45 caliber.I am a left handed shooter and this is my 4th Shield pistol.2 or 3 times per mag, the magazine drops out to the gun. I do not see where my grip is causing any problems.Anyone else have a problem with the mag disengaging?

Mickey
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Old 01-16-2017, 11:43 AM
grimes1965 grimes1965 is offline
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For what its worth, left handed Shield shooter here and had the same problem with the difference that mine is a 9mm and only occured with 8 round magazine. After considerable trial and error and watched closely by a spotter I was hitting the mag release with the middle finger of my left hand. It only happened with a very strong 2 handed grip, holding as high as possible on the grip. Using a slip on Hogue grip sleeve eliminated the problem (slightly changed the position of my fingers on the grip?) but I dislike slip on grips sleeves. So, a solution I found here and a few other places was to use a punch and put a slight raised "bump" on the magazine catch slot on the magazine so that the mag catch grabs a larger section of the magazine. Crude but it works. In 1,500 rounds since this modification mags are retained 100% of the time.
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Old 01-16-2017, 11:01 PM
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I'm a "righty" but no such problem through 600 rounds. Does it happen with all of your magazines (i.e., determine if it is a mag issue or a gun/shooter issue)? You might let someone else have a go with it to see if they have the same issue (or have them watch you closely to see if you are bumping the release). As a last resort, call S&W to discuss the issue.
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Old 01-17-2017, 11:39 PM
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I had that happen to my 7 round magazine. As a matter of fact, it happened to 3 shooters on the same day. Sent it back to S&W and got it back with new innards.
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Old 02-08-2017, 06:42 PM
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Originally Posted by M.Yurco View Post
Anyone else have a problem with the mag disengaging?
My .45 Shield, purchased new, dropped both the six and seven round mags. Even after 500 rounds through it, the six round mag would drop every time, usually after the third round. Sent back to S&W for repair, they replaced the mag catch and sent it back to me in a few days.

The next range session, the seven round mag dropped a few times, but the six round mag dropped about every third mag, even with multiple brands of ammo. It dropped when firing one handed, it dropped with a firm two handed grip, it dropped with a relaxed grip, it dropped with fingers intentionally held out of the way of any potential touching of the release, and it dropped even when observed from the side by RSO's (Range Safety Officers).

The range had a rental .45 Shield and they let me use their mags in mine. They dropped. I rented the range's .45 Shield and their mags and no drops. I used my mags in their gun (shhh, don't tell them) and they didn't drop.

The gun is currently back at S&W for a second time. It's been several weeks with no word from them, but with around 800 rounds through the gun, I can't afford to keep blowing $100 on ammo to test a "fixed" $400 gun.

My buddy has one, I've shot it, loved it, and bought one because I enjoyed it so much. Of his, the range rental, and mine; mine is the only one to drop mags and I'm really hoping the second fix is for real. If not, I'm not sure what I'll do.
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Old 02-08-2017, 07:46 PM
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Any pistol that drops mags like that is obviously useless as a sd gun.

Sounds like Smith needs to go back to the drawing board, at least on the 45 for leftys.

Perhaps the geometry of the wider 45 makes direct transfer of the mag release mechanism from the 9 unworkable.

Sounds like it needs reengineering in the 45
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Old 02-08-2017, 11:06 PM
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Nope. Can't say it's happened to me in either hand, but I have small hands.
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Old 02-09-2017, 12:01 AM
shawn mccarver shawn mccarver is offline
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Originally Posted by M.Yurco View Post
I have a new Shield pistol in .45 caliber.I am a left handed shooter and this is my 4th Shield pistol.2 or 3 times per mag, the magazine drops out to the gun. I do not see where my grip is causing any problems.Anyone else have a problem with the mag disengaging?

Mickey
Here we go again.

Mag drops, light strikes, etc., etc.

What is wrong with S&W these days?
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Old 02-09-2017, 08:25 AM
MP1SG MP1SG is offline
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I have a Shield 45 where the mags dropped (6 and 7 round) when first bought. Replaced the Mag catch and the fixed the problem.
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Old 02-09-2017, 04:42 PM
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I am a lefty also, I have a 45 shield, have not had a magazine drop yet. Own 3 mags for this gun, I have fired 1,000 rounds through the gun thus far.

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Old 02-25-2017, 10:18 AM
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Yes, same problem here developed after about 150 rounds. Both magazines and frequency is getting worse. Definitely not me. At first I just thought I may have hit the mag release or maybe did not fully seat the mags. I verified mags were in and engaged, watched to make sure I was not hitting the release, shifted to one hand only, and they still drop. My first S&W product, so not a good start. A google search revealed the same issue on the .40 Shield on this forum a couple of years ago. I'll give them a shot at making it right, but my confidence in it for CCW is greatly diminished...and CCW is the whole purpose. It shoots and handles well, but mag drops which also causes a difficult to clear FTF will get you dead.
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Old 02-25-2017, 10:31 AM
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I truly wonder, if anyone having all of these problems, looks inside the mag well with a flashlight, to see the actual problem. I see too many complaints, where the new owner makes claims of unreliability, can't trust this piece of c-r-a-p, would never CC this thing, and so on.

It's really simplicity of operation. Doesn't take a lot of mechanical aptitude to see what's happening. I'm just surprised that so many will just send it back, without really taking a bit of time to see just what is, or isn't happening.

And yes, I'll probably take some flak on my opinion. Thing is, I've always had that bit of mechanical ability, to figure out some things on my own. I just don't wholesale dismiss the product, as so many appear to do.
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Old 02-25-2017, 10:41 AM
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I'll get right to the point. Look in the mag well. You'll see the the spring steel rod connected to the mag release button. It pushes a small catch back & forth, that slips into the notch of the mag. Extremely simple! All most everyone should be able to see if there is a problem here. I believe that most Shield owners should already know what the exact problem is, or isn't, before writing their complaint.

Same thing happens on the AR forums. Especially where owners try building their own weapons. Some don't have a clue about what's going on, and don't take the time to find out. It's just complaint city.
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Old 02-25-2017, 11:14 AM
Wee Hooker Wee Hooker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LAA View Post
I'll get right to the point. Look in the mag well. You'll see the the spring steel rod connected to the mag release button. It pushes a small catch back & forth, that slips into the notch of the mag. Extremely simple! All most everyone should be able to see if there is a problem here. I believe that most Shield owners should already know what the exact problem is, or isn't, before writing their complaint.

Same thing happens on the AR forums. Especially where owners try building their own weapons. Some don't have a clue about what's going on, and don't take the time to find out. It's just complaint city.
While inspection of this point may be helpful, the problem may/may not be visible in that mechanism. I had a Glock once that dropped mags. The spring was in place and looked just fine. After much experimentation it turned out to be that the mag catch itself was a few thousandths under sized.
To the point though, it's not unreasonable for the OP who paid $400 for a new gun, to expect it to run right out of the box. He wasn't badmouthing the gun. Just asking a simple question. Not everybody has the want or skills to dig into their guns. That's what warranties and gunsmiths are for. Clearly if S&W intended only sell to mechanically inclined folks, it would be a much smaller company today.

FWIW, I would agree that there is allot of whining on other sites where folks cobble AR's, 10/22's (and others) together without proper skills or knowledge. I don't see that here though.
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Old 02-25-2017, 11:27 AM
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Quote:
While inspection of this point may be helpful, the problem may/may not be visible in that mechanism.
As to the Shield, it's very visible. There could be a piece of paper caught in it, etc. Does the user tap the bottom of the mag, to make sure it's seated, etc. As far as my thoughts go, this doesn't apply directly to the OP. Just a generalized reaction, to comments in this thread, as well as other threads of this type. With the Shield, it's really a easy product to shine a flashlight in the mag well. A problem should be very obvious. If something is broke, it's broke. If anything is catching the mechanism, then clean it out.
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Old 02-25-2017, 11:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LAA View Post
I truly wonder, if anyone having all of these problems, looks inside the mag well with a flashlight, to see the actual problem. I see too many complaints, where the new owner makes claims of unreliability, can't trust this piece of c-r-a-p, would never CC this thing, and so on.

It's really simplicity of operation. Doesn't take a lot of mechanical aptitude to see what's happening. I'm just surprised that so many will just send it back, without really taking a bit of time to see just what is, or isn't happening.

And yes, I'll probably take some flak on my opinion. Thing is, I've always had that bit of mechanical ability, to figure out some things on my own. I just don't wholesale dismiss the product, as so many appear to do.
It doesn't seem like expecting a newly purchased item to work as advertised is unreasonable. It's not like he bought the buggy BETA version or something. And why not ask if anyone else has the same problem? Wouldn't be much of a forum if nobody ever asked any questions.
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Old 02-25-2017, 11:58 AM
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I'm right-handed and having the same problem. Tried some left-handed and it didn't happen.

I've shined a flashlight in the mag well. Still does it.
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Old 02-25-2017, 12:18 PM
Pistolpete2 Pistolpete2 is offline
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I'm having the same problem I'm going to roll the dice and try a new magazine release.


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Old 02-25-2017, 12:32 PM
outflyin outflyin is offline
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Seriously though, I haven't had any mag drops since working on improving my grip, but haven't done enough shooting yet to confirm.
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Old 02-25-2017, 01:12 PM
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Um, yeah LAA....I shined a light in and looked all by myself. It looks fine, but she no work. I dare say the catch is undersized providing minimal engagement and recoil is sufficient to cause it to disengage. Could be a design issue, could be a manufacturing anomaly. Your right, it's a simple problem, and hopefully S&W will fix it once and for all. I'll certainly give them that opportunity.
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Old 02-25-2017, 01:20 PM
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I agree the magazine catch appears to have minimal engagement, but my Ruger LC9 has even less engagement and has never dropped. The LC9 magazine seems to be a much tighter fit in the mag well though than the .45 Shield, so it probably has less play between the magazine and the release catch and doesn't need as much engagement to work well.
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Old 02-25-2017, 02:24 PM
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Either your not seating the mag properly or your hitting the mag release while shooting. Take someone to the range to try and watch your grip to see if its operator error.
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Old 02-25-2017, 03:51 PM
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Nah, I made damn sure it wasn't me. Verified solid mag engagement and was nowhere near the mag release button. Just insufficient mag to mag catch engagement along with some excessplay between the mag and the mag well. All of the above are stacking up to allow the mag to drop under Recoil. The catch itself needs to be bigger to give more engagement or the mag dimensions need to be changed to provide reliable engagement without impacting drop free operation while reloading. I'm gonna send it back and let S&W figure it out. I know some have did the Rube Goldberg magazine fix using a punch on the magazine body to create more engagement, but I'm not keen on such kitchen table modifications. This does not fix the root cause of the problem and you open yourself up to other problems. Hopefully it is just an isolated defective mag catch that can just be replaced. But, it seems like others have the same issue indicating a bad manufacturing run or a dimensional design problem. Should be easy to resolve as long as S&W identifies the cause and corrects it. I'm sure they will.
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Old 02-25-2017, 08:34 PM
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Ran 4 more mags through without a single drop, using a different grip technique.
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Old 02-28-2017, 06:47 PM
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Lot of posters on this thread don't seem to be reading all the comments prior to posting suggestions.

And update to my previous post in this thread:

I've since sent the .45 Shield back to S&W for a second time. The first time they replaced the mag catch, the second time, they replaced it again and gave me new followers to replace. After the second time it came back "fixed" it still dropped magazines.

Nothing stuck in the mag catch. Magazines were fully seated (please...). Multiple types and manufacturers of ammo were used. Fired the gun with one hand, so touching the mag release couldn't happen. Fired while an RSO watched. RSO fired the gun, too. I again rented the range's .45 Shield and fired it with no mag drops. The mag drops on my gun continued...

This is after S&W claimed it was fixed and tested, twice.

I noticed that the six round mag dropped between round 4 and 3, which is where the follower passes by the mag catch slot. I would load the six round mag full, get to the third round remaining, the mag would drop, and I'd add one round. Fire. The mag would drop again. Add a round, fire, mag would drop again. Add a round, fire, mag would drop again. Add a round, fire, mag would drop again. After I did this for 10-12 times, I decided I'd had enough.

Criticize me all you like, blame the fact there is a piece of paper in the mag catch spring, or claim I can't correctly place a magazine into a gun, but I've seen enough of the .45 Shield. I'm only passing this along so others can be aware and make up their own minds. Maybe there is a defect in the polymer grip, but I'm not going to own this gun long enough to find out if a fix comes in. With over 1,000 rounds through it, I can't afford to keep playing "see if S&W has fixed this gun."

As always, before you carry a carry gun, make double sure it operates correctly.
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Old 03-01-2017, 08:23 AM
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747
you def got a lemon of a gun. Like I've posted in this thread my Shield 45 had the same problem. I have the mag catch replaced and that fixed the issue (I am fortunate to live about 1 hr from S&W).
I would hope S&W would refund the gun or the shop where it was bought. It be somewhat comforting that the Other Shield 45s you tested were problem free. Sounds like an entirely new gun would be your next course of action.
Love my shield although love my Glock 22 better
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Old 03-01-2017, 11:10 AM
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Thanks MP1SG. The wild thing, is that I absolutely love my Shield 9. I carry it daily and with several thousand rounds through it, not a single hiccup. That is one fantastic gun. It's against that backdrop that surprised me so much about the Shield .45. I figured it was a lemon and actually asked S&W for another gun, or at least another "lower" polymer section, but they ignored that request, so I'm not sure what I'll do with it. It was also frustrating to come back twice as "fixed".

The gunsmith at my range said, "Time to make you a Glock man." LOL
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Old 03-01-2017, 11:48 AM
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At this point (if it were mine) I would probably suspect a twisted or otherwise magwell/grip. You can insert the mag into just the frame (slide off) and check clearance of the mag, side to side. I once had a cheapo polymer pistol with that problem.

I hear your frustration with S&W and agree. Sounds like they just tried mags with no rounds, and mags engaged correctly at the factory. Had they duplicated your loading, etc, they might have experienced the same issue.
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Old 03-01-2017, 07:12 PM
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Damn, that sucks bro. Just shippped mine back today. Customer Service guy was real nice. Seemed like he knew of the issue and said they definitely needed to check it out. Asked me if this was the first time I sent it back, so I had a hunch they are seeing return trips for the problem. I too don't want to blow through 500 rounds every time to prove the gun. Gets expensive real fast with .45 ACP. Hopefully, they get it right the first time. I definitely will need to run a bunch through because my problem started at the 150 round mark. If it happens again, I'm not sure what I will do with it. I spoke with another guy at work and I told him I was having the issue, and he said, "Wow, my brother just bought one and he experienced dropped magazines last time out, but he thought it was maybe something he did." Nope....Houston, he's got a problem.
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Old 03-01-2017, 07:42 PM
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I would send it back, with the mags.... and make a call to the center manager to explain your issues and lack of resolution. They must make it right. The Shield 45 design functions just great for almost all of us, so the center's job is to make your pistol function properly or replace it. I would want it replaced if'n it was mine, along with testing prior to shipping and a message from the center manager to that effect. This is a defensive weapon and MUST be stone reliable as well as effective.
Mine works great, and I would not accept anything else.

YMMV
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Old 03-01-2017, 07:55 PM
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Will be interesting to see what the problem is. Seems like the 45 has been out around a year now. For the most part, these 45's have been very reliable, considering so many positive postings over this last year. Doesn't sound like a design problem, but something in manufacturing. Perhaps a twisted polymer grip, as someone suggested.

Personally, I've shot all kinds of factory ammunition through mine, as well as hundreds of reloads in various bullet weights, types, and design. Not a single malfunction.
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Old 03-01-2017, 08:34 PM
Wee Hooker Wee Hooker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LAA View Post
As to the Shield, it's very visible. There could be a piece of paper caught in it, etc. Does the user tap the bottom of the mag, to make sure it's seated, etc. As far as my thoughts go, this doesn't apply directly to the OP. Just a generalized reaction, to comments in this thread, as well as other threads of this type. With the Shield, it's really a easy product to shine a flashlight in the mag well. A problem should be very obvious. If something is broke, it's broke. If anything is catching the mechanism, then clean it out.
Perhaps I should have used the word "evident" instead of "viable". I understand that the spring is easy to see ( as in all M&P's). My point is that the fact that it's there and in place does not give you a 100% solution to the probable cause. In the case of my Glock, the problem was not obvious at all (and was not the spring). It was eventually solved by methodical parts inspection, comparison and replacement.
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Old 03-01-2017, 09:03 PM
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The best result would be: we found X part out of tolerance, replaced it, and tested it thoroughly with success, and if it happens again, we will replace the gun.

It gets sketchy when they just Easter Egg the likely components and hope they got it. If it fails after going back once, then it means they don't know what to fix and probably can't fix it. Given the other positive experiences people have had, I am hopeful to have a good outcome. I really like the gun, and had a custom holster made after 150 flawless rounds. I was gonna run a couple hundred more rounds through and call her solid for duty, then this occurred.

If I have a second failure, then I will insist on a replacement or refund. Too expensive to play the Easter Egg game, and I am not going to dump a lemon on some other poor unsuspecting soul. I would rather have it melted down and move on. I will let you all know how my warranty work goes after I get it back and thoroughly test it. So far, my experience with customer service has been top notch, and I will give them the benefit of the doubt.
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  #34  
Old 03-01-2017, 11:23 PM
thomast thomast is offline
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If this is true the follower is popping the release open...Probly not.

Do this, take the slide off your m&p. Then take a mag apart. Insert the mag into the frame and then look and see how much the mag release engages the cut out. Giggle the mag. I suspect the mag catch/release is short. Ask s&w for a couple different mag release and measure them and replace yourself. Or bend the notch in the mag slightly out to catch the release.

S&W outsources a lot of parts and springs. They assemble and test. If they have a bad batch of mag release then tell them you need another.

Otherwise tell them you want a new one. This one is ****.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 747 View Post
Lot of posters on this thread don't seem to be reading all the comments prior to posting suggestions.

And update to my previous post in this thread:

I've since sent the .45 Shield back to S&W for a second time. The first time they replaced the mag catch, the second time, they replaced it again and gave me new followers to replace. After the second time it came back "fixed" it still dropped magazines.

Nothing stuck in the mag catch. Magazines were fully seated (please...). Multiple types and manufacturers of ammo were used. Fired the gun with one hand, so touching the mag release couldn't happen. Fired while an RSO watched. RSO fired the gun, too. I again rented the range's .45 Shield and fired it with no mag drops. The mag drops on my gun continued...

This is after S&W claimed it was fixed and tested, twice.

I noticed that the six round mag dropped between round 4 and 3, which is where the follower passes by the mag catch slot. I would load the six round mag full, get to the third round remaining, the mag would drop, and I'd add one round. Fire. The mag would drop again. Add a round, fire, mag would drop again. Add a round, fire, mag would drop again. Add a round, fire, mag would drop again. After I did this for 10-12 times, I decided I'd had enough.

Criticize me all you like, blame the fact there is a piece of paper in the mag catch spring, or claim I can't correctly place a magazine into a gun, but I've seen enough of the .45 Shield. I'm only passing this along so others can be aware and make up their own minds. Maybe there is a defect in the polymer grip, but I'm not going to own this gun long enough to find out if a fix comes in. With over 1,000 rounds through it, I can't afford to keep playing "see if S&W has fixed this gun."

As always, before you carry a carry gun, make double sure it operates correctly.

Last edited by thomast; 03-02-2017 at 01:00 AM.
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Old 03-08-2017, 10:15 PM
M.Yurco M.Yurco is offline
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Thanks for the reply guys.I am a retired Sergeant from an Ohio Sheriff's Dept. with 40 years of shooting experience.I am also a Glock armorer.The mag releases are similar.
I had my son video my shooting grip.We could not see where I hit the mag release.I recently bought 3 new magazines to try out.If that doesn't work, I will send it back to Smith & Wesson.
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  #36  
Old 03-08-2017, 11:30 PM
outflyin outflyin is offline
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In my case at least, it appears to be related to grip. I haven't had a mag drop since I started working on changing my grip. I have now done a lot more shooting with the new grip as well as a new stance and have not had any of the problems I was having before, including mag drops. No more failures to feed or slide problems. It all seems to have to do with recoil management.

I never had a grip problem before, but I never had such a small and light .45 either. I think the gun requires a different grip than what had been working fine for me with other guns.

This may not be case for everybody, but it sure is having a big effect for me.
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  #37  
Old 03-09-2017, 07:34 PM
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I had a mag drop twice when loaded with Federal Premium Hydra-Shok 185 g (+P). When I loaded the same mag with Freedom Munitions 230 g remanufactured ammo, the mag did not drop. I loaded other mags with Speer LE Gold Dot 185 g and the Freedom Munitions, and none dropped.

The extra recoil of the (+P) ammo caused the muzzle to flip up more than with the other ammo, which caused my right-hand thumb to accidently engage the mag release. Once I figured out what was going on, I adjusted my grip. Also, I will not be using the Hydra-Shok or any (+P) for SD in the .45 Shield.
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Old 03-12-2017, 10:34 PM
19ontheslide 19ontheslide is offline
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My own experience with the M&P 45 Shield mimics that of outflyin. The first two or three times I shot it, I had several instances of mags dropping during firing, and the problem seemed to be worse with the extended 7 round mag than the flush-fit 6 rounder. I immediately thought to myself, "Oh, crud. I'm one of the unlucky people who got one of those MAG-DROPPING pistols!!" But then I decided to make extra double sure that it was a gun problem and not a user problem. Once I deliberately started shooting one handed and consciously keeping all digits well away from the mag release.....lo and behold, problem solved. My beloved, FLETC-inspired two hand choke hold on the gun had been inadvertently hitting the mag release, causing my problem. Now, it's important to remember that I am NOT saying that all M&P 45 Shield mag dropping issues are simply operator error; it's very possible that there are some examples out there that do need to go back in for repair/replacement. All I'm saying is that I thought for a long while that I was the recipient of one of those guns and it turns out....I wasn't. I was just running the gun incorrectly. FYI.
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Old 03-14-2017, 06:31 AM
AlHunt AlHunt is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 19ontheslide View Post
My own experience with the M&P 45 Shield mimics that of outflyin. The first two or three times I shot it, I had several instances of mags dropping during firing, and the problem seemed to be worse with the extended 7 round mag than the flush-fit 6 rounder. I immediately thought to myself, "Oh, crud. I'm one of the unlucky people who got one of those MAG-DROPPING pistols!!" But then I decided to make extra double sure that it was a gun problem and not a user problem. Once I deliberately started shooting one handed and consciously keeping all digits well away from the mag release.....lo and behold, problem solved. My beloved, FLETC-inspired two hand choke hold on the gun had been inadvertently hitting the mag release, causing my problem. Now, it's important to remember that I am NOT saying that all M&P 45 Shield mag dropping issues are simply operator error; it's very possible that there are some examples out there that do need to go back in for repair/replacement. All I'm saying is that I thought for a long while that I was the recipient of one of those guns and it turns out....I wasn't. I was just running the gun incorrectly. FYI.
Maybe someone should make a low profile mag release button. Maybe flush with the grip. We seem to be seeing more than a few reports of inadvertently dropping the mag. Adjusting for it is fine but in a stressful situation it may not be the best strategy.
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  #40  
Old 03-14-2017, 07:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 747 View Post
And update to my previous post in this thread:

I've since sent the .45 Shield back to S&W for a second time. After the second time it came back "fixed" it still dropped magazines...This is after S&W claimed it was fixed and tested, twice...I decided I'd had enough...I've seen enough of the .45 Shield...I can't afford to keep playing "see if S&W has fixed this gun."
I have a recently purchased .45 Shield. I haven't experienced your problem. That said, although I like the trigger, I like the grip texture, and I like the way they did the loaded chamber indicator...there's something about the pistol that just doesn't feel right when I'm shooting it. Nothing has malfunctioned so far and there's nothing tangible I can put my finger on that seems wrong. The pistol simply doesn't inspire confidence for me. Maybe it just doesn't feel solid in my hand, I don't know. I'm probably going to sell or trade it soon. I've already stopped carrying it and gone back to my Glock 30S. The Shield was an impulse buy, anyway, and the impulse has passed.

So I'm with you on this. Matter of fact, you're way more patient than I'd have been. Stop playing the ship-back-and-forth-to-S&W game. It's past time to ditch this pistol and get something that works, something you are confident in and can depend on.
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  #41  
Old 04-19-2017, 02:15 AM
Ray M Ray M is offline
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Well, 6 weeks later and my Shield .45 is back from warranty work. All they did was replace the mag followers in both mags and test fired. So, I just happened to have 2 different mags with bad followers and that is why this thing was dropping mags? Really? 6 week wait for THAT? I will take it out and burn 150 rounds through it, but I have zero confidence in the "repair". Maybe they fixed it. I'll report back in a day or three.
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Old 04-19-2017, 07:13 PM
Ray M Ray M is offline
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Well, I'll be damned. It would appear that the folks at S&W made me whole with the new mag followers after all.....despite my initial extreme skepticism. I just ran through 220 rounds including Rem UMC FMJ, Blazer FMJ, Golden Sabre, and Federal HST. Absolutely flawless operation. Zero mag drops or any other malfunctions. Deadly accurate at 10 yards and I wasn't even trying to be precise. Before I sent it in, both mags were dropping every time. Weird that it took 150 to start occurring. I wish they would have sent the old followers back to me to compare. I am really curious if there was an obvious difference. I will go ahead and buy more mags and test them out. In any case, looks like I can trust my life to it with confidence. I'm happy to say that. It's a nice pistol and made in the USA.
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  #43  
Old 05-13-2017, 06:22 PM
M.Yurco M.Yurco is offline
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Update.Smith and Wesson has had my .45 Shield since April 10th.No word back yet.
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  #44  
Old 05-14-2017, 03:46 PM
Bigmaxdog Bigmaxdog is offline
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That's a shame you have been waiting so long. Just like Ray M my issue was the magazine followers- I just had S&W CS mail me new ones, received in mail in less than a week. I installed them myself and so far I have been 100% reliable with about 250 rounds so far.

The old follower design was hitting my mag release tab that secures the mag in place - the new followers have a notch cut in them to prevent this from happening.

Here is a pic, one on bottom is new one with notch.
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  #45  
Old 05-15-2017, 09:01 AM
gqllc007 gqllc007 is offline
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WOW I just called S&W to get the new followers and the customer service rep said absolutely NOT did they redesign the .45 Shield followers. I stated that I have seen the pictures of them on this forum. He said not possible. There is no changes to the followers UNBELIEVABLE
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  #46  
Old 05-15-2017, 11:44 AM
Bigmaxdog Bigmaxdog is offline
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Call them back again- and hopefully get someone else who knows what they are talking about. Even offer to email them the picture I posted as proof.

Wish I wrote down the name of the guy who I talked to, but I didn't, sorry.
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  #47  
Old 05-15-2017, 02:23 PM
gqllc007 gqllc007 is offline
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I just called back and the guy tried to be very vague and then said sure I will send you 4 new .45 Shield followers. So we will see. I told him I could email him the picture and he said no need he has seen the picture before
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Old 05-16-2017, 07:01 PM
cornbeefsammich cornbeefsammich is offline
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My own experience so far, I sent my 45 in on 4/17 and it was received 4/19. They started working on it (per the email they sent) on 4/24. haven't heard anything since then.
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Old 05-25-2017, 02:26 PM
cornbeefsammich cornbeefsammich is offline
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Just received the email today, my 45 is being shipped and I should have it back by next Tuesday. So that's about 5 weeks in their hands to fix the problem.
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Old 05-26-2017, 07:57 AM
M.Yurco M.Yurco is offline
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Update: I sent my shield .45 in for repair on April 10th. I received it back yesterday, 5-25-17.The repair slip stated that they replaced the followers.They had the black line down the center as others have observed.I disassembled my mags.I did not see any rounded edges.Last night,I fired over 200 rds.(both training and self defense rds.) through the gun without any malfunctions. I do not believe anything else was replaced on the gun except the followers.
P.S. One of the mags was returned that was reassembled improperly.It was the extended magazine.The side tabs on the inside base plate protruded out of the base.The gun still functioned, but I was surprised that the technician missed it.
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