I’m afraid this will be long so you may just want to ignore. I am a 71 y.o. Very small woman. Started out months ago with a Shield 380 EZ. Did well, got my TX LTC and proceeded to get gun range practice along with hubby. IDK, the EZ was just not enough of a challenge so I began to want the Shield 9mm.
Hubby got me one! A Shield 2.0 9mm! Even tho I’m older, I’m in good shape, we have a small horse ranch and I do lots of outside work with the horses, I,e. Carry 50 lb feed bags, ride my horses at a gallop. I know, has nothing to do with hand strength, just that I don’t think I’m a typical “old lady”, ha! I’m 5’4” 104 lbs tho. Anyway, I was so proud, I had no initial issues with my new Shield 2.0 9mm, can rack the slide, recoil no problem. And lock the slide back to a point.
So very happy with this new 9mm until it came to reassembly after its first cleaning, (Hubby cleaned/reassembled it before first trip to range). So I can lock the slide back to dissassemble but CANNOT lock it back to begin to reassemble. Now hubby is saying I need to just stick with the Shield EZ. Very very frustrated! I do not want to give up my Shield 9mm and don’t want to have to rely on hubby locking slide for me!
I have been exercising daily with 5lb weights to strengthen my arms, and practicing locking the slide back 10 times in a row, on the fully assembled gun (mag out). BTW, there is nothing wrong with the Shield, hubby locks it back for me when I can’t, no problem for him. Any advice for me on this final step to lock back AFTER cleaning, that might make it easier? Please no mention of a Handi Racker, not interested, want to do it myself. Although, I will say, do love the Uplula to load magazine (hubby could not do that either).
Apologize for the very long post.

I'm not sure why you're having trouble locking it back. If you just need to push it further, make sure you're actively pushing from both directions. As in pushing the frame with one hand while pushing the slide in the opposite direction with the other.

There are various ways to improve hand and grip strength. Spring "grippers" that you flex should be easy to find. Or you could use a tennis ball or something similar. Also, grip strength can be improved by wrapping a string around a small barbell and tying a small weight to it. Then rolling and unrolling it repeatedly while holding it horizontally with both hands. You'd be amazed how it will make your forearms burn.

Here's an example of a spring gripper:

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Rather than try to describe the technique that I recommend, I’ll post a video. When locking the slide back, you may find it easier to insert an empty magazine first. Manipulating the slide lock can be difficult while holding the slide to the rear.

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Thank you both. I did learn the push with both hands to lock the slide when I first locked the slide back and am able to lock that slide back except after reassembly. I learned it was important to get that recoil spring centered back correctly. But it’s only AFTER reassembling I can’t get that final fraction back far enough to lock. Hubby can, so I must be inserting that recoil spring back correctly. IDK
And yes, I thought entering the empty mag enabling an easy lock back was the answer. I CAN do that if I want with disassemble but on reassemble, that empty mag will not reinsert the last 1/2”. Maybe has to do with that little yellow seer still down, IDK. I could try it by pushing that seer up by hand before trying to insert the mag, but that little seer lever seems so delicate I didn’t want to sidestep the manual instructions. Or maybe mag won’t insert at the time because takedown lever is still down.

Put the slide on the frame until it sits at the normal at rest position.

Insert empty mag in mag well. Push the mag in until it stops.

Pull the slide back an inch while the mag is in this position, then release the slide.

Finish pushing the mag into the well.

Now pull slide back to lock.

Good luck.

OP - With my v1 Shield I had a similar issue when I first purchased it. After assembly getting the slide to lock was a bear and I am 6 foot 235lb so it may not be you.

Some say turning the recoil spring so that the end of the coil faces up helps and also make sure the recoil spring is dead center on the slide.

I also have a Performance Center Shield and had no issue with it. When I swapped the recoil springs between the two the issue followed the spring. I called S&W and they sent me another and it’s much better. It’s still stout but I have no issue with it. The Shield will loosen up some but after thousands of rounds. They built them tight.

I used a HANDI RACKER until things loosened up to the point where it was no longer and issue.

s&wchad, thanks for posting that great video. I've been thinking of getting my wife a semi auto but before I do I'm going to show her the video.

This afternoon I took the Shield down to the point of taking the slide off. No problem locking back the slide for that. However, I did not take the recoil spring out. I did study it’s position closely since I knew the gun had gone back together correctly last time. Then I put the slide back on the rails and LOCKED it back, no problem. Moved the takedown lever up, unlocked the slide and inserted the empty mag. I wanted to see if the reassembly step of locking the slide all hinged on the correct (picky) placement of that recoil spring on the lug. Yep, I think that’s it! I quit for today on a good note. My arms are sore from all my tries yesterday. But I will try again to do the entire process until I master it! Thanks for all the comments, this is a great forum for beginners to get help.

Your wife would have no problem at all racking the slide on a Shield 380 EZ. Everything about it is EZ.

Probably no one cares at this point but I wanted to do a final update with in case someone reads this in the future with the same problem. Yesterday I took my Shield 2.0 9mm down field stripping it following exactly according to the Manual instructions. No problems locking the slide to disassemble. Turned down takedown lever, took out recoil spring/guide rod and lug barrel. Note my update post #9 above, I did not take out recoil spring. So When reassembling the recoil spring, I was very careful to get it back on as low down on the lug notch as I could. That seemed to be the secret, didn’t make any difference how the coil ends were pointing. Also made sure it was properly centered. As both of these were pictured in the Manual, I figured they were the clue to the slide properly locking back. And yes, in reassembly, the slide locked back as smoothly as it did in disassembly! So I am a happy lady! I can manage my new gun myself from firing thru cleaning. I think I am ready to begin carrying for the first time in my life (yes I have a LTC)

Way to go!
I have several Shields and have had the same problem at times. Frustrating!

GunsNParadise great post!

You go girl.

We are all proud of you!

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LEO(retired)

Yes we are!

You did good. Sometimes it's just a really little thing that needs changed a bit. You got it down now.

Thanks all, it’s a good feeling knowing I can handle it from start to finish.

If "that much" muscle is needed, something aint right. If frustrated, a time out to cool off & reevaluate how you are doing things can go a long way. When all else fails read/re-read the instructions or try a U-tube video. At least you avoided the WALK OF SHAME into the gunsmith with your gun in pieces in a shoe box.

I thought Texas horse people carried revolvers.

The smallest things can make all the difference.
Yes, the position of the RSA is beyond critical in reassembly and for proper function.

I had a conference call with a CS rep and one of the gunsmiths at S&W as I was trying to get my early Shield 9 to run at all. We came to this conclusion, and the CS rep actually took mine to the range to test it before sending it back.

You did well to figure it out without trips back to the factory. Mine is now my EDC. And it is good for range use, just big enough to handle and aim well.

Way to stay with that problem to it's conclusion!!!! Good Job.
It may have bucked but didn't throw you........

Randy

I've owned and carried a 4 different shields and m&ps and found this to be the case. Wondered for the first couple yrs why reassembling the m&p pistols was such a PITA until i randomly kept making sure the end was facing up and boom, problem solved.