Hello All,

I just picked up my new Shield yesterday (could not resist PSA's sale along with S&W's rebate), and can't wait to take it out to the range.

Both of the magazines that came with it (a 6 and 7 rounder) looked be (mostly) new, except for the fact that each of their orange follower's have a fairly heavy 'smudge' mark down the middle of them.

Were 6 and 7 rounds (or more) fired from each to test the function of the gun and mags, or were 'used' mags packed with my Shield?

I am sure that the mags will work just fine (I hope), but I am curious if anyone else's mags had this wear on them.

Thanks in advance!

Best Regards,

Rob

Mine were the same. I was surprised to see the magazines in this condition. This is my 3rd Shield and first one to experience this. Had to send the extended magazine back to S&W as it kept dropping while firing.

Thanks you for the reply 'xcutter'!

Did the replacement magazine function o.k. in your Shield (was it your .45 that the mag was dropping out of)?

They all come like that, pretty easy to clean. No issues with my 45 mags.

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M&P 9, Shield9.

Purchased my first Shield 45 from Kentucky Gun Co. in October. When I picked it up from LGS, the mags looked new. I purchased a 3 pack of 7 rd. mags from Quantico Tactical, and they looked new. Picked up my second Shield 45 last week that was shipped from Palmetto. The mags had the black stripe on the follower and the gun was heavily oiled unlike my first one. All mags have functioned flawlessly so far, as have both guns.

I have not had a chance to try the new magazine. The six round mag works fine. I hope it is not the gun.

Got my shield 45 about 6 weeks ago. My mags have the black mark down the middle. Gun was oily too.

I figured the mark meant the mag passed testing. ??

Mine were same as tbrock's mags and greasy pistol. I believe they test fire each mag.

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Loving retirement!

Mine had the dirty mags and oily gun as well. I haven't shot it yet. I'll be off a few days next week. So hopefully I'll get a chance to shoot it.


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Mine were the same. Figured it's the same gunk that's in the gun, probably transferred when test firing it.


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Thank you for the replies everyone!

And yep, my Shield was pretty 'wet' too as NIB.

My new 9mm shield had marks on the grey followers. No biggie. Maybe a test-fire at factory.

But I did disassemble the mags and noted one had a spring in backwards...

It wasnt the gun. They developed a new follower to rectify that problem.

Both of mine were "wet" also. Clean lube and reassemble. Mags too. See the thread on 7rd mag re-assembly for tips

I bought two new 7 round Shield 45 mags to go with the 6 and 7 that came with the gun. Shot yesterday using them all. They shot great, 150 rounds worth. No malfunctions, but now I have 4 mags with dirty orange followers. A quick wipe down, and they look good as new. The mags are loosening up a bit, and are easier to load by hand now. I still like using the Uplula to load them though.


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Did they come with the new followers?

I'm not sure. They have orange followers. How do I tell if they have the new followers?


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Check the corner of the follower at the mag release notch. They should be flattened like the 90* corner was sanded off.

S&W determined that the "dropped-mag" issue was being caused by this corner of the follower pushing the mag lock back outward as it passed by. Solution? Sand the corner off a touch

Just look in the notch to see if the corner is sanded off or not.

Found the piccy in the other thread....

I bit on the PSA 45 offer too. NIB both mags had smudges, the gun was "wet" and the feed ramp was polished. Was wondering what everyone thought about the work on feed ramp might mean. If the pistol had been worked on is it new? The production date was about two months ago. Thanks to all the folks on the forum for their knowledge and help.

PS Went to the range and put 100 rds Winchester WhtBx through it. Ran like melted butter. Love this gun. Love all my S&W's, just like dad did and my granddaddy before him.

Mine came with a shiny feed ramp but it didn't look polished. The wet is to protect the finish and not a lubrication.

Anyone know if the Manufacture date is the date the frame was made or the date of complete assembly?

My new 9mm Shield came with magazines exhibiting those same smudges.

S&W has been marking new M&P mag followers with some type of marker, making a lengthwise line down the middle, for some time. I've seen light followers get a dark line, and dark followers get a light line. Of course, this might change at any time if the vendor or the company decide to change things. Revisions happen all the time.

Last I heard in one of my M&P armorer update classes, they still test-fire new M&P's using designated test mags, not the mags shipped with the guns.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

My new shield 45 from psa came similar to how others have described, but I'm pretty certain the black smudge across the top of the follower isn't just dirty from firing. It makes more sense that they marked it if they were correcting followers in production, as Fastbolt said. I noticed after breaking in the gun that the follower was certainly dirty (cheap ammo) , but it didn't look anything like the stripe on it out of the box. The soot from shooting stayed almost completely on the entire front end, not a stripe at all

This is true. I sent mine to S&W because of the mag drop issue. They sent back 2 followers, like you showed in your other post, with the flat corner.

I sanded down the original followers a couple of thousands like the other thread recommended to get the flared corner flat.

Hope this works out because I really like the Shield 45.

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Shield 45

My Shield is dated 3/1/17 and came with old style followers.
Sent S&W an e-mail last week and got 3 new style followers in today.
Got em just in case.

What's the best way to get the follower off the spring? Just pry back on the spring a little?

Yep, I just slip my favorite punch under it and give it a gentle pry.

Ok cool that's what I ended up doing. Didn't know the best way to do it.

My Shield 45 followers had this black mark as well, but to me it looked like a magic marker, not from use. Maybe it's to highlight the '45 auto' recessed in the follower. Maybe S&W put a mark that wears away with use, so once that mark is worn away you've officially run enough rounds for break in.

It's been years since I bought my 9mm Shield but I think I remember the grey 9mm followers had this mark as well. Never seen it on any other magazine.

Mine has a lot of brass rubbed on the breachface. Plus brass on the rifling. I have the dark lines on the magazines. It had without question been fired a bit.

Maybe this will put this thread to rest...
I called the factory and here's their abbreviated explanation of the grease pencil mark on the followers:
1. It's a grease pencil mark that they use as both an inspection mark and to highlight the caliber marking molded into the follower of the magazines they pack with pistols as they move down the production line.
2. The grease pencil mark is dark or black for light-colored mag followers and light or gray for darker colored mag followers. Easy to see.
3. There is no grease pencil mark on accessory magazines because they aren't subject to the same risks of mixup, etc. that pistols moving down an assembly line are.
4. The grease pencil mark is easily removed if you rub it with Hoppes #9, Break-Free CLP or some other gun cleaning solvent.

Seems like a reasonable explanation to me. What about you?

I call Bravo Sierra on this explanation. Someone is screwing with this supposedly "new" pistol and people are getting a gun that is used. This is no doubt being done by the same cabal that is screwing with the rebates.

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Forum consigliere

Well, according to your scholarly legal opinion, which I'm sure must be based on direct evidentiary knowlege, I have received 12 used Shields since April 1st, which were shipped from S&W to my LE distributor to my local LE dealer where I picked them up.
I suspected all along that these desperados had been shooting my new Shields and then putting those now-used guns back in their boxes and selling them to me as "new" because every one had those grease pencil marks on the followers and they all had dirty barrels...
According to your interpretation of the facts, I've been had!
Where can I find a good lawyer? I want to sue the whole chain of conspirators for monetary damages in excess if $15,000 plus treble punitive damages and continuing medical expenses for the treatment of my chronic PPTSS (Post Purchase Traumatic Stress Syndrome).
In fact, I want to make this a Class Action lawsuit and file in Federal Court so we can expedite our appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court post haste.