I picked up this brand new Shield last night. I was too excited to just take it home and trusted the store so I didn't do a microscopic inspection of the gun. I brought it home and checked it out in bright sunlight and noticed a lot of brass residue on the breech face and the barrel is filthy. Seems excessive for a factory test round. If the gun required more than one test round it still seems excessive. Anyone else experience this, is this normal, or did I get a return sold to me as new???

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I have bought used guns that don't look that bad!
My new shield 45 had a little brass scuffing on the inside of the slide.
I would bring that one back.

Clean her with a little clp, keep it and enjoy it!

Darn. Heartbreaker. Plus I'm not looking forward to the 6 hour round trip...

Does the FFL have a range too? Perhaps some previous shoppers shot it (test drive). To be honest, since you inspected and accepted, going back to claim it's "dirty" is not likely going to go your way.

Anyway, clean it, lube it enjoy it.

No bud, no range. You're right about it being dirty, but there's no range so the other likely thing is that it was a return and restocked item. Not good business to sell it again as new though.

Guns get dirty anyway. If there was a mechanical problem with it, then yes but i've never heard of returning a pistol because it's dirty. Good luck with that (I certainly would not drive 6 hrs to try to return). Just clean it!

My guns sometimes look like that after a few rounds. Don't know which ammo manufacturer since I'm shooting anyway and it's going to be dirty anyway.

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I'm not a lawyer (thankfully) but I don't think it could be a returned/resold gun legally. Once it was sold, with the appropriate paperwork filed, they can't sell it again (legally) as new. I'd call them if you must, but otherwise, I'd just clean and enjoy it.

Thanks for responding bud. Valid points. I wouldn't return just because it's dirty, nor would I make a drive because of that haha. The fact that it's dirty though, and how dirty it is, is a good indicator that it's been fired multiple times beyond just a couple factory test rounds. So, it leads me to believe it was returned from a previous sale. My issue is 1) was it returned for a mechanical issue, 2) I purchased as new, and paid new pricing...not used

As many guns S&W test fire on any given day would lead me to believe they buy very cost effective (cheap) test ammo so it probably isn't the cleanest ammo out there. And who knows, maybe your pistol was a quality control check pistol and more rounds fired than the usual number.

I bought a new M2.0 at the first of the month and took it home and gave it a good cleaning and then gave it a good inspection and then lubed it and reassembled it.

Give yours a good cleaning and lube and go shootin!

FWIW, the last time I asked in one of my M&P pistol armorer recert classes, we were told that all new M&P pistols were test-fired with 15 rounds of new factory ammunition. It was explained that "test mags" were used for the test-firing, not the brand new mags shipped with the guns, and was done firing 5 rounds from each of 3 test mags. This is more rounds than they commonly used to test-fire in the 3rd gen pistols, BTW.

I've also been told that the factory uses different fresh factory ammunition, made by one or another of the major American ammo makers, as they rotate through different brands.

I've got another M&P recert coming up soon, and I'll try to remember to ask if it's changed. I can't remember if it's my 4th or 5th M&P pistol armorer class, as they all start to blur together with my other armorer classes, like the 5th Glock class I did last Fall.

Did the gun store DROS the gun as new? I've certainly seen some of my pistols look that dirty, even firing new "premium" duty ammunition, after only 3 magazine's worth of rounds.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Makes sense. They do take returns with a 25% restock but it would seem guns couldn't be returned. Who knows what the gun was used for prior to return, right?

Well this is reassuring. I was under the impression that unless there was adjusting of some sort to be made the factory only fired off one test round. 15 rounds makes more sense of it generates that much residue. Yes, it was DROS as new.

For trivia's sake, in one of my Glock classes (previous to recent one, according to my notes) we were told that Glock test-fires each new Glock with 2 proof loads and 5 standard loads. They defined proof loads as being 130% of standard pressure for caliber.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Yes it does look dirty but I have purchased new handguns that were factory fired that weren't the cleanest. To be fair though, you had the opportunity to inspect it before accepting it. Don't let it spoil it for you. You are going to shoot it and that's why you purchased it. Clean it, lube it and shoot it and enjoy it. IF an issue arises with it, that's why S & W has a service department.

If I remember correctly. when I bought my 9 Shield, I broke it down and cleaned and used it. At the time, when I cleaned the barrel I remember thinking that the bore was dirty - much like I'd been shooting my Bulls Eue rreloads in it. It cleaned up just fine and has worked flawlessly.

Have fun and enjoy!

That is correct.


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This is the dirt on the slide of my new out of the box 9L Pro Series after factory test firing and before any cleaning. Bought this online from Buds.

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