Hey everyone, new to the site, first post. First off I love this gun, but I have a few questions/issues. I did clean it prior to first use. I've put a total of 100 rounds through it over a weekend. I bought 230 grain full metal jackets, cheap ones, about $20 for a 50 round box. Is that the right grain for just target practice? Also it shoots high and to the left, am I holding it wrong? Never shot anything besides a 22 pistol when I was a kid. My 7 round mag that came with it jams, is that because i leave it fully loaded for long periods of time? Any help appreciated. Thanks

I have used this shot chart when i noticed i kept shooting to the left. It helped me correct my grip. I have also used youtube for tutorials on grip (watch a few to weed out the dummies). Cant answer too many of your questions but it shouldnt jam because you leave it loaded for long periods of time. I like to cycle rounds every now and then but for the most part i keep it loaded at all times.

Welcome to the site.

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$20 isn't cheap at all for range ammo. I think the last box of .45 I picked up was $13.99 online. 230 grain is probably the most popular weight you will find. As for the magazine jamming- you may want to elaborate on that more. What is jamming? Is the cartridge case not ejecting? Is the new cartridge getting hung up? Leaving the magazine loaded shouldn't cause that. Might be the ammo you chose? Maybe something needs to be lubed inside? Maybe it just needs to be broken in?

Congrats on your Shield 45 selection, mine has simply been awesome!
Your best deals are likely to be in 45 cap 230gr rounds. Pretty much the standard round for 45acp.

Take a close look at your front sight, is it dead centered in the groove or is it a little off to the left when looking at it from behind the gun?? This may tell you why you are shooting to the left.

Concentrate on the front sight being dead flush in the rear sight recess, the short sighting radius is pretty demanding on technique. How high at what distance?

As far as ammo, you may find better deals on the 100pks of ammo, Remington, Winchester, Federal, American Eagle and Blazer ammo are common name brands.

Just remember the chart being offered on Pistol Correction is for a 'single' right handed shooter, not a two handed shooter or a 'single' left handed shooter.

Karl

My $0.02.
Take apart the magazine that's giving you issues and make sure everything looks ok and it's clean. Do not use oil on the magazines, you can clean it with a silicone impregnated rod and reel cloth if you want. If nothing looks amiss , call S&W. There's been some guys on here talking about having springs in backwards from the factory.

As for your shooting issue, it could be the sights, your trigger control and/or your grip. Find a GOOD instructor and get training. You can post pictures and videos all day and not get the correct answer. We got a 9mm shield in that shot high at first, but after a couple hundred rounds it shot itself in. Might have had a burr or tolerance stacking of some sort.

As far as ammo, you can usually do better buying by the case on line, check around. Don't worry, if stored properly it'll last a long time.

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Leaving it loaded will help relax the spring. It will stay good for a long time. If you are a right handed shooter shooting left is normal. If you dry fire you will see that the muzzle moves left is you don't pull the trigger straight back. Let us know about how high and how left. Let us know what distance.

Trigger control takes practice. Your hand muscles pull different directions. Dry Fire (empty, check three times) practice helps. If you see the sights move during dry fire that's what's happening during live fire. Practice.

Congrats and fine choice for a first pistol. Good thing it is only the 7 round mag. How often is it "JAMMING" and elaborate on the malfunction. Is the nose of the bullet getting stuck down on the feed ramp?

I purchased a Shield .45 in February. Initially, I had the same problems you are having. It shot 3"-4" left at 15-20 yards, and had persistent failures to feed, where the bullet tip would get hung up just below the lower feed ramp. Here are my suggestions:

1. Shoot from a bench rest.
To check if my shots to the left were caused by my grip or the sights, I shot my Shield from a bench rest. The shots continued to go left, even though the Shield was essentially being held by the rest, confirming that the front sight was off. One of the range officers kindly adjusted the sight until the shots were centered. Having a sight adjustment tool helps, as the Shield's front sight is notoriously difficult to move. The rear sight is not adjustable. I've had no shots-to-the-left problems since.
Now if my initial shots from the bench had been centered, then I would have known that the problem was caused by my grip.

2. Polish the lower feed ramp.
I got some mild car polish and rubbed a small amount of it all over the lower feed ramp area with a cleaning patch. The lower feed ramp is the one that remains in the grip assembly after you've removed the slide. I polished both the ramp and the vertical wall just below it where the bullet tips would hang up. I used a clean patch and Q-tips to remove the residue. The ramp and wall felt notably slicker after that. I did not polish the upper feed ramp (which is attached to the barrel) because it was never involved in the failures to feed.

3. Clean the insides of the magazines and the followers.
If your followers are not sliding smoothly up and down the insides of your magazines, they could cause jams by not placing the cartridges in the proper position for loading. After cleaning, push the followers down several times to make sure they're sliding smoothly without hanging. Lubing the inside magazine walls is usually not necessary, and should be done only as a last resort. If you do decide to lube, use only a very light application, and then buff the heck out of it after that.

Since polishing the lower feed ramp and cleaning my magazines, I've shot over 500 rounds with no failures of any kind.

4. The 7-round magazines are "unique".
The Shield .45's 7-rounders have a unique base plate design that makes them difficult to reassemble, at least initially. Use the Forum search feature and you will find some excellent tips and at least one video that will be very helpful. Once you've done a few reassemblies, it becomes fairly easy.

5. $20 per box .45 ammo is not "cheap".
Search the internet, and you can find quality .45 target ammo like American Eagle and Winchester Service Grade for $15-$16 per 50 round box.

My Shield now has about 2500 rounds through it, and I love it. It is reliable and very accurate and has joined my trusty M&P 40 compact as my second carry gun.

Welcome to the Club!

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What, me worry?

Excellent post. Thanks for saying all that. (I might copy that some day )

First a vid of the 7rd mag disassembly/re-assembly....

Second a vid to help you with grip...

$20 is expensive for range ammo. Should be $5 - $7 cheaper.

Doesn't matter what grain you use for practice.

Your mag should be able to be left loaded for decades so if it jams there's a problem. How does it jam? It might not be the mag.



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Welcome A Board and congrats on new firearm . You won the daily double Awsom gun , Awsom forum.

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Spin The Wheel

Wow thanks for all the replies. The "jamming" is the nose of the bullet getting stuck on the feed ramp just before it slides into the barrel. But it doesn't do it when I use the 6 round clip, only the 7. I'll watch the vids and check the sights out and let u guys know. Thanks again for all your help