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View Poll Results: Shield 9/40 quality... improving or declining?
I believe it has improved over time. 10 29.41%
I think it has declined over time. 4 11.76%
I don't think it has changed at all. 6 17.65%
I can't tell one way or the other. 3 8.82%
Sorry, I only own one! 11 32.35%
Voters: 34. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 08-17-2017, 02:10 PM
TTSH TTSH is offline
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Default Shield 9/40 quality... improving or declining?

Question for any member who owns more than one Shield in 9mm or .40: In your opinion, has quality control and reliability of the gun right out of the box... 1) improved over time or, 2) declined over time or, 3) stayed about the same?

The Shield has been out and available in the free states for about 5 years now. As noted in a couple other threads, price has declined very significantly causing many owners to buy one or more additional Shields just because they are so inexpensive now.

What I'd like to know from members who own multiple Shields is has there been any variation, good or bad, in build quality and reliability as bought (right out of the box... not as later fixed by S&W CS or others). On the one hand, S&W's experience making the gun is much greater now. On the other hand, they are pumping them out like candy these days.

Non-scientific survey, of course... but folks have asked me and so I'm asking what you think. Thank you!
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  #2  
Old 08-17-2017, 02:30 PM
Arik Arik is offline
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Shield 9/40 quality... improving or declining? Shield 9/40 quality... improving or declining? Shield 9/40 quality... improving or declining? Shield 9/40 quality... improving or declining? Shield 9/40 quality... improving or declining?  
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In my opinion it stayed about the same. The difference is in how many people bought since the rebate was announced.

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Old 08-17-2017, 05:39 PM
jejb jejb is offline
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We own 4 of them, 9's and 40's. All of them have worked very well out of the box. No mods on any of them, but 2 are PC editions. So I'm not sure how to answer your survey. I could say I don't think they've changed at all, but the way it's spelled out, it seems a negative category, like they've always been bad or something, which is decidedly not our experience.
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Old 08-17-2017, 06:44 PM
TTSH TTSH is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jejb View Post
We own 4 of them, 9's and 40's. All of them have worked very well out of the box. No mods on any of them, but 2 are PC editions. So I'm not sure how to answer your survey. I could say I don't think they've changed at all, but the way it's spelled out, it seems a negative category, like they've always been bad or something, which is decidedly not our experience.
Please don't read the poll that way. There is no agenda here. I'm only trying to assess the effect, if any, of 5 years production time on Shield 9 & 40 quality and reliability. Put another way, with the continuously dropping price and ongoing rebates and deals, has the initial standard of quality and reliability been maintained?
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Old 08-17-2017, 06:56 PM
Arik Arik is offline
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I have no way to prove this so it's just my opinion. But I don't think there is a difference. The reason I think that is because I believe SW was building up stock in 2016 in preparation for the inevitable rush that would come after the election. They looked at what's been going on, especially after Sandy Hook, and wanted to be ahead of the game...at least a little. When the election came and went they waited and waited and the industry showed that firearms and ammo aren't moving. In April they decided to run a sale. Upon hearing the sale many many many people jumped on it. I have an uncle whos not a gun person....not to be confused with anti gun....and even he bought one. He'll probably shoot it sometime before 2050. With all these people buying immediately at the same time we get a lot of posts on problems. These problems possibly existed way before but it would have taken a long time to sell the guns if there was no sale. And thus the posts on the problems would have been spread out over months maybe years instead of days and weeks.

I could be completely wrong and this is just my guesstimation but the only real way to tell is to know when each and every was built

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Old 08-17-2017, 07:14 PM
TTSH TTSH is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arik View Post
I have no way to prove this so it's just my opinion. But I don't think there is a difference. The reason I think that is because I believe SW was building up stock in 2016 in preparation for the inevitable rush that would come after the election. They looked at what's been going on, especially after Sandy Hook, and wanted to be ahead of the game...at least a little. When the election came and went they waited and waited and the industry showed that firearms and ammo aren't moving. In April they decided to run a sale. Upon hearing the sale many many many people jumped on it. I have an uncle whos not a gun person....not to be confused with anti gun....and even he bought one. He'll probably shoot it sometime before 2050. With all these people buying immediately at the same time we get a lot of posts on problems. These problems possibly existed way before but it would have taken a long time to sell the guns if there was no sale. And thus the posts on the problems would have been spread out over months maybe years instead of days and weeks.

I could be completely wrong and this is just my guesstimation but the only real way to tell is to know when each and every was built.
Great post with many relevant points... especially the part about the likely build-up by the mothership before the election. But whether the bulk of new... possibly excessive... Shield production was mainly in late-2016 vs. early/mid-2017, the question still stands. Namely, with increased production and a steadily dropping price point, has the initial level of quality and reliability been maintained or changed, for better or worse?
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  #7  
Old 08-17-2017, 07:18 PM
Arik Arik is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TTSH View Post
Great post with many relevant points... especially the part about the likely build-up by the mothership before the election. But whether the bulk of new... possibly excessive... Shield production was mainly in late-2016 vs. early/mid-2017, the question still stands. Namely, with increased production and a steadily dropping price point, has the initial level of quality and reliability been maintained or changed, for better or worse?
I don't think the dropping price point and increase production are the same thing. While increase in production can cause issues a dropping price is only a sales problem. If we can't sell at $500 drop to $450. Can't sell at that? Drop to $350....etc.. There are great guns that I see for sale now simply because they aren't moving at the typical prices. What would you say if I told you I can get a Sig 239 in like new condition for under $400 OTD. This is something that typically sells for $450+ on the used market.im very torn about buying it. On the one hand it's a good single stack 9mm. On the other hand with only 8+1 it's as wide as a Glock 19, as long as a Glock 19 (barrel and grip) and heavier than a G19. Essentially I'd be carrying something as wide and as long and even heavier then my G19 but with 7 less rounds

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Last edited by Arik; 08-17-2017 at 07:25 PM.
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  #8  
Old 08-17-2017, 07:33 PM
TTSH TTSH is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arik View Post
I don't think the dropping price point and increase production are the same thing. While increase in production can cause issues a dropping price is only a sales problem.
Well, in this case the two are go hand-in-hand. They are selling far more because of the price drop. And yes, the primary concern would be the effect on quality and reliability from significantly increased production... but at the same time, it's hard to ignore the lower profit and what additional effect that could have.

Then again, this could all be offset by learned manufacturing efficiencies, lower materials costs (now that they own the injection molding company) and other experience with the Shields gained over time.
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  #9  
Old 08-17-2017, 08:42 PM
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mlk18 mlk18 is offline
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I bought a Shield the day they were released, another 3 years ago, another last year and a PC Shield this spring. All are basically the same well made reliable gun. Never had an issue with any of them.
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Old 08-17-2017, 10:14 PM
cvalenti530 cvalenti530 is offline
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I remember how impossible these guns were to find the first year of their release. I bought one recently and got the $75 rebate just the other week
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Old 08-24-2017, 02:01 PM
TTSH TTSH is offline
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Smile The Results!

Well, voting in the polls is essentially over and it's pretty clear that of those who had an opinion about quality either going up or going down, it was better than 3 to 1 thinking that quality and reliability has improved. That is clearly a good thing. But no surprise... a whole lot of folks either couldn't tell or felt that things were about the same regardless of early vs. late production.

Put in an even more positive light, just a small percentage of members felt that quality had suffered as a result of the combination of much ramped up production and, at the same time, greatly reduced pricing in order to blow them out!

That's exactly what I wanted to know.

Many thanks to all who participated in my poll!
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