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View Poll Results: How many .380 EZ owners have last-round stovepipe feeding problems?
My EZ never has feeding problems 43 48.31%
My EZ has feeding problems with certain magazines 7 7.87%
My EZ has feeding problems with any magazine 23 25.84%
My EZ initially had problems but they stopped after some use 16 17.98%
Voters: 89. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 02-28-2020, 06:04 PM
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Default .380 EZ Feeding Problem Poll

How many .380 EZ owners have last-round stovepipe feeding problems?
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Old 03-01-2020, 04:45 PM
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to the top of the list for visibility
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Old 03-01-2020, 09:34 PM
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I had one stovepipe on the 2nd or 3rd round of the very first magazine I shot. Since then NO issues whatsoever.
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Old 03-02-2020, 11:41 AM
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No problems yet
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Old 03-02-2020, 12:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robrossk View Post
I had one stovepipe on the 2nd or 3rd round of the very first magazine I shot. Since then NO issues whatsoever.
Same experience here...
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Old 03-04-2020, 04:01 PM
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Had a couple early on, over 1200 rounds of handholds later and everything is good.
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Old 03-04-2020, 06:24 PM
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My wife's stovepiped a live round, on the last round of each mag from the first mag through the gun. It made three trips back to the factory. Each time the same issues returned no matter what ammo we used or who shot the gun. Eventually, S&W nutted up and took it back to be destroyed. I got a new M&P 9 2.0 from S&W and my wife got my 2" S&W model 12 round butt.
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Old 03-05-2020, 03:10 PM
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Default 380 EZ

Mine started doing it. I returned the gun to SW and waited 4 weeks. They returned it (replacing the barrel) but it does the same thing. I then called SW they had me send them my mags.

They also said that for my trouble they would send me a mag while they repaired mine.

Yesterday I got a call from SW they cant send me my mags to someone without an FFL (They said Mass Law) I am having them sent to a gunshop.

Funny they can send me back my gun but not magazines


Then I got a call from the service rep who promised my a free mag. He cant send me the mag again because of mass law.
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Old 03-05-2020, 03:21 PM
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So -- with the limited # of responses to the poll so far, there are 64% of people who have had or have feeding problems with the pistol. No thanks, I'll pass on that one.
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Old 03-05-2020, 07:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wavygravy View Post
So -- with the limited # of responses to the poll so far, there are 64% of people who have had or have feeding problems with the pistol. No thanks, I'll pass on that one.
You, of course, can do as you please but this poll isn't exactly inclusive of all owners. Those who experience problems will understandably be disappointed and are much more likely to post. Initial bugs are common throughout every industry with at least some new products and firearms aren't immune. Ruger has been making the Mark series of pistols since 1949 and still had a recall on the MK IV. You would think they would have it ironed out after all that time but the changes they made needed some tweaking. Didn't slow me down a bit...there are now four in my family and all work perfectly. I would expect the same with the 380EZ. If a person is interested in the gun I wouldn't pass it over based on some initial bumps. I haven't looked at it seriously yet but it may replace my wife's Shield at some point as it fits that need very well.

I know I'm not telling anyone here anything they don't already know but just thought I would chime in. You may disregard my opinion at any time.
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Old 03-08-2020, 05:20 PM
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Weekend bump - I would really like 100+ responses to take to S&W.
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Old 03-08-2020, 05:49 PM
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Default Getting better?

Last time out none in about 75 rounds. First time with none. Maybe 500 rounds so far.
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Old 03-08-2020, 05:59 PM
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It would help to know When these problems came up.
What was the date your problem EZ380 was made?

Many times issues are found in early models that are corrected by the factory in later production runs. My VERY early Kahr MK9 was sent back because many of the early samples could not chamber the Speer Gold Dot. Kahr said the "ogive" of that particular bullet was longer than most others. They recut the chamber and this solved that issue.

Last edited by geeollie; 03-08-2020 at 06:57 PM. Reason: first wrote PM9...it was an early MK9
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Old 03-08-2020, 07:22 PM
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Mine vote should be worded in past tense. I had one from the initial release, it was a jam-o-matic. Also the mag would pop out a live round toward the end of the magazine. It was quite strange really. I got rid of it.
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Old 03-10-2020, 09:35 PM
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My wife's pistol was purchased in July 2019.
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Old 03-14-2020, 06:36 PM
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Weekend bump for more votes!
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Old 03-14-2020, 11:44 PM
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My gf's .380ez has a date of Nov. 2019 on the box. It has last live round stove pipes using both magazines (yellow springs) that came with the gun.
After 200 rounds of this nonsense I researched this forum and added an empty .380 case to the magazines between the spring and the magazine lock plate.
The .380 case made a noticable difference in the force required to push the follower down while in the upmost position.
Each magazine was then fully loaded and fired 3 times with 95 gr. Aguila FMJ.
Those 6 attempts at firing the gun were successful! Hooray, we at least have a temporary solution. 2 magazines, fully loaded 3 times each were fired without any malfunctions at all.
I ran out of time to do further testing. It's possible the magazine springs will take a set under this new pressure and the same problem with last live round stove pipes will return.
I have 200 more rounds of various factory 95 gr. FMJ ammo that I plan to shoot in about a week. I will post the outcome of that range session here on this post.
Love the .380 ez, hate that S&W has let this problem go on for so long.

Last edited by FWG; 03-14-2020 at 11:48 PM.
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Old 03-21-2020, 04:06 PM
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Weekend bump for visibility
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Old 04-01-2020, 10:56 AM
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Mine ejected live rounds with both original mags. I've since installed S&W's replacement springs and roughened-up one of the mag's followers. After this CV19 quarantine is over I'll test it again. I expect that the roughened mag follower will not eject the last live round, while the original, smooth follower will continue to do so. The mag with the roughened follower definitely requires a bit more force to push the last round out, whereas the last round almost jumps out of the original, smooth follower magazine. I will report my results when my LGC re-opens. -S2

ETA: see Phil Lockwood's post from 02/04/2020 for a description of roughening/scuffing the followers.
New .380 EZ Issues

Last edited by Speedo2; 04-01-2020 at 11:10 AM.
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Old 04-01-2020, 07:33 PM
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As of this post, 67% have had some feeding issue. That's horrific.
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Old 04-01-2020, 11:00 PM
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Sheila has fired around one thousand rounds through her 380 and has never had a problem of any sort...
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Old 04-11-2020, 04:28 PM
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weekend bump
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Old 04-11-2020, 05:25 PM
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Unfortunately, your poll includes only response options for folks who own or have owned these guns.

That means a person considering buying one of these things can’t see the results of the poll and therefore can’t use information that may be quite useful in making a purchase decision.

That’s a drawback of the poll feature here.
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Old 04-11-2020, 10:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rpg View Post
Unfortunately, your poll includes only response options for folks who own or have owned these guns.

That means a person considering buying one of these things can’t see the results of the poll and therefore can’t use information that may be quite useful in making a purchase decision.

That’s a drawback of the poll feature here.
Here are the poll results as of 4/11/2020 @ 10:00pm
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Old 04-12-2020, 12:07 AM
overanalyze overanalyze is offline
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Mine did it once on the first or second magazine but hasn't done it since. Only have shot approx 150 rounds though.
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Old 04-23-2020, 09:53 AM
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I do. It’s back at S&W now for the third time for that reason
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Old 04-23-2020, 11:41 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rpg View Post
Unfortunately, your poll includes only response options for folks who own or have owned these guns.

That means a person considering buying one of these things can’t see the results of the poll and therefore can’t use information that may be quite useful in making a purchase decision.

That’s a drawback of the poll feature here.
Huh? If I am logged in there is a link under the poll to the right that says "View poll results".
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Old 04-25-2020, 11:59 AM
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Default Two S&W .380 EZ's and both have stovepipe problems

Just joined this outstanding forum for one reason........to track what S&W does to finally fix the "stovepipe", "last round" problem.


The first EZ now has 732 rds fired, and the second EZ has 213 rds fired. The first one was for CC for the wife, and the second one was to train her with.


Both guns have the "stovepipe" problem, and they were purchased about one year apart.


I will not send either of these guns into S&W until they have actually fixed this problem. I think they know what the fix is but it would be expensive, and they are choosing instead to wait until they get sued for loss of life, in a gun fight involving the magazine problem. This problem is well documented on the internet. This is the real deal, and if you do not have this problem then God Bless You, for you are one of the chosen!!


My wife "carries" this 6-shot gun daily. Our training impresses upon her the need to count rounds.........as she will have one in the chamber, and five reliable rounds in the magazine. If she burns through all six rounds then she must, must, change magazines.


We both love this gun for all the reasons that other's have posted. We are both elderly, she is 73 and I am 76. We train weekly at an indoor range or outdoor range determined by the weather. I have a 22 year military leg infantry background. I am qualified to teach my wife, but we are very disappointed in S&W not stepping up to the plate. I will not sell these guns, as we both appreciate above everything else the ease of manipulating the slide, as both of us have arthritis.


Thank you to the Forum for allowing this discertation!


Maj Terry E. Tibbetts
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Old 04-25-2020, 12:22 PM
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Looking at the 9EZ magazines, S&W already know how to fix this issue. Whether they will or not is another matter.
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Old 04-25-2020, 01:14 PM
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this has been very helpful, the EZ now crossed off the purchase list. If it doesn't shoot reliably out of the box, why own it. Sig had an issue with the 365 when it first came out, corrected it, the 365 has been very reliable since.
Sure wish Smith would go back to making a .32 Mag 6 shot J-frame, it would immediately become this 70 year old's EDC, it is the biggest hole in the Smith lineup.

Last edited by LCC; 04-25-2020 at 01:15 PM.
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Old 04-25-2020, 05:17 PM
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Default After installing new springs from S&W

Purchased my 380 Ez (03/2020). Shot over 500 rounds. EVERY magazine I have used, has an issue with the last one or two "stove piping". Ejecting live rounds, and/or not locking slide after last round has been fired. This weapon is less than a month old. tried over 5 brands of ammo as well as two magazines from another weapon that has no known issues. This is a gun problem, NOT a magazine issue.

Updated: after contacting S&W, I was sent 2 new magazine springs, They both were about a spring and a half longer than the OEM springs. After replacing the springs, we shot about another 100 rounds threw the gun. The problem still exists. Absolutely nothing has changed. Still Stove piping last one/ two rounds. still ejecting live rounds out of the chamber. The only thing the longer springs has done, Well... Nothing. Made the loading a little stiffer.
We loaded the magazines to half capacity, still having the same issue. ( not as much) but still exists.
This weapon is marketed as a self defense weapon. Marketed as a weapon for people with difficulty with heavier weapons. It was purchased for for my wife. I don't feel the S&W 380 EZ is reliable enough for self protection. AS of now, this weapon is not even reliable to take to the gun range ,or considered be safe enough for target practice. ( ejecting live rounds is NEVER considered safe In any setting!!! A jamming weapon is also never considered safe.

Last edited by Metalbigman; 05-06-2020 at 05:12 PM. Reason: after contacting S&W. I recieved new springs
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Old 04-25-2020, 05:24 PM
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my 380EZ is less than a month old. Having issues with the last one/two rounds "stove piping". it will at times eject a live round, as well as the slide not staying back after the last shot is fired. NOT very happy with a new weapon having this kind of issues right out of the box. I have fired over 500 rounds of 4 different brands of ammo. Even used clips from another 380 EZ. ( this weapon had no issues ) NO CHANGE.
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Old 05-05-2020, 10:39 PM
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Default My First Stovepipe

Hi everyone! I'm a first time gun owner and I'm so glad that I came across this forum as its definitely helping me learn a few things. "Stovepiping" being one of them!!

I recently went to the range to fire my gun for the first time and I had this issue happen to me once. I fired 200 bullets and that mishap occurred within the first 16 bullets fired.
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Old 05-20-2020, 07:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speedo2 View Post
Mine ejected live rounds with both original mags. I've since installed S&W's replacement springs and roughened-up one of the mag's followers. After this CV19 quarantine is over I'll test it again. I expect that the roughened mag follower will not eject the last live round, while the original, smooth follower will continue to do so. The mag with the roughened follower definitely requires a bit more force to push the last round out, whereas the last round almost jumps out of the original, smooth follower magazine. I will report my results when my LGC re-opens. -S2

ETA: see Phil Lockwood's post from 02/04/2020 for a description of roughening/scuffing the followers.
New .380 EZ Issues
At last (...que the Etta James song) I finally got to shoot my 380EZ, with both magazines updated with S&W's stronger springs; one with its follower "roughened" and the other left au natural. I had no last cartridge fly-overs with either magazine. Both functioned perfectly with just under 50 rounds fired from each. I think that Phil Lockwood's solution is valid, but can't fault S&W's method either. -S2
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Old 05-20-2020, 09:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speedo2 View Post
At last (...que the Etta James song) I finally got to shoot my 380EZ, with both magazines updated with S&W's stronger springs; one with its follower "roughened" and the other left au natural. I had no last cartridge fly-overs with either magazine. Both functioned perfectly with just under 50 rounds fired from each. I think that Phil Lockwood's solution is valid, but can't fault S&W's method either. -S2
The new springs "solution" from S&W is a temporary bandaid fix...the problem will return.
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Old 05-20-2020, 10:45 PM
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My wife bought one for herself to carry and, according to the log book, has fired 4150 rounds through it.

She just told me she gets either a stove pipe and/or a double feed every time she takes it to the range, each session with the pistol usually consisting of 2-3 50 round boxes of MagTech or Fiocci 95 grain full metal jacket.

The stoppages have occurred at random and not just with the last round in the magazine.

Despite the round count, her pistol appears to be in NIB condition cosmetically, but it’s not as reliable as it should be IMO but she’s got an injured risk and likes the ease of manipulation the pistol provides.

She’s also got an older production model M&P 9c which she used to carry, but can no longer manipulate the slide.

I wonder how reliable the new 9mm EZs are proving to be because I’d like her to stop carrying the .380 EZ due to reliability concerns.

Last edited by Oldsalt66; 05-20-2020 at 10:46 PM.
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Old 06-15-2020, 04:59 PM
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We picked up a M&P Shield .380 EZ last week for $289
Serial# NDM726*
Now I'm finding all these problems with it..
Talked to a guy at the local indoor shooting range, He has replaced the springs twice in the .380EZ rental gun = Both Magazines & Recoil Spring Assemblies..

Just went to see the .380EZ & found ours has the yellow magazine springs BUT they seem very week from being loaded for a few weeks..
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Old 06-16-2020, 06:33 PM
51 Ashton 51 Ashton is offline
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My wife got her pc380ez back in may of this year. It has been flawless since right out of the box and she loves it so far although it has less than 500 rounds through it. Ammo used with clean gun was blazer from cci and federal. My 9ez works the same way, clean gun and ammo used is pmc and blazers plus my own reloads from said brass.
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Old 06-21-2020, 07:28 PM
Mike J Mike J is offline
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We took a brand new 380 EZ out for the first time today. We had one stovepipe out of 58 rounds. She really likes the pistol. Has anyone found a fix for this.
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Old 06-21-2020, 09:53 PM
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We took a brand new 380 EZ out for the first time today. We had one stovepipe out of 58 rounds. She really likes the pistol. Has anyone found a fix for this.
Scuffing the follower will fix the stovepipe issue. See link below.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/140805030-post191.html
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Old 06-23-2020, 08:18 AM
boondocker47 boondocker47 is offline
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Been out of town, and now trying to catch up to this "EZ" .380 "stovepiping" problem, regarding whether or not S&W has resolved this problem!


I have two of these guns, both well broke in with 500/200 rds respectively, and both have the above stovepiping problem.


These guns are not street safe to use in this conditon. In practice my wife cannot remember to perform a tactical reload on round 5 which eliminates "stovepiping". Which IMO is the only way to use this model for CC.


So, based on your comments I will be communicating with S&W asking for "the fix" to be performed or money credit given back to me for purchase of other more reliable S&W models of which I will sell off and that will be the end of my association with S&W. Screw me once, their fault, screw me twice my fault.


Thank you!
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Old 07-03-2020, 04:48 PM
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Thanks to forum members (not S&W) I finally fixed the stovepipe problem that I was having on the two .380 EZ handgun's I own.


I have attached an image to show what modifications I made to all of the .380 magazines.


I disassembled the magazines (4) and inserted a fired .380 casing in the very bottom of each magazine. This fixed the problem in both guns. Since the fix was applied each gun has been fired over 150 rds w/o any stovepiping. The fix may not last for the life of the gun but works perfectly now. There is one downside to this fix, the magazines will only hold seven rounds after the modification, instead of eight.
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Old 03-15-2021, 06:29 PM
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Bought the wife a Performance Center 380 EZ for Christmas. We shot it for the first time about 2 weeks ago now. It stovepipes last live round sporadically our of both mags that came with the gun. S&W sent me plunger that just arrived today. Mags updated and probably going to the range this week to verify if it works. Hope it does and quick as 380 is not only hard to come by these days but expensive to shoot. Something tells me it's not a fix.

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Old 03-15-2021, 06:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boondocker47 View Post
Thanks to forum members (not S&W) I finally fixed the stovepipe problem that I was having on the two .380 EZ handgun's I own.


I have attached an image to show what modifications I made to all of the .380 magazines.


I disassembled the magazines (4) and inserted a fired .380 casing in the very bottom of each magazine. This fixed the problem in both guns. Since the fix was applied each gun has been fired over 150 rds w/o any stovepiping. The fix may not last for the life of the gun but works perfectly now. There is one downside to this fix, the magazines will only hold seven rounds after the modification, instead of eight.
Shouldn't have to do that. Are you keeping S&W on the hook for a fix?
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Old 03-15-2021, 06:35 PM
rsmith6120 rsmith6120 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 51 Ashton View Post
My wife got her pc380ez back in may of this year. It has been flawless since right out of the box and she loves it so far although it has less than 500 rounds through it. Ammo used with clean gun was blazer from cci and federal. My 9ez works the same way, clean gun and ammo used is pmc and blazers plus my own reloads from said brass.
I just got the wife a PC 380ez. How long did it take for them to fix the weapon and return it? You have any idea what they did?
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Old 03-15-2021, 07:06 PM
D.L.Quick D.L.Quick is offline
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6120, What is a plunger that was sent to you???
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Old 03-15-2021, 07:18 PM
rsmith6120 rsmith6120 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D.L.Quick View Post
6120, What is a plunger that was sent to you???
The plunger(aka follower) is the part of the magazine that the round sits on that sits on the spring. Looks like a stock plunger with no real change. I thought about getting the calipers out and taking some measurements. Eyeballing it they are exactly the same.

Last edited by rsmith6120; 03-15-2021 at 07:30 PM.
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Old 03-15-2021, 08:22 PM
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Unless Smith has increased the friction on the face of the follower that makes contact with the round casing, the "new plunger" will do no good. Scuff the follower to increase friction to better hold the casing/round and your last-round stovepipe issue will disappear.
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Old 03-15-2021, 10:33 PM
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Mine shipped from the factory on 9/19/2018 and has never failed to shoot to slide lock on the last round. No mis-feeds of any kind. Several age ten or there about (little skinny kids) children have emptied magazine after magazine, and even they have never caused my 380EZ to choke.

No argument here. Just stating my personal experience.
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Old 03-16-2021, 10:19 AM
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Tested the new follower (aka plunger) moments ago with no success. I called Smith & Wesson and they sent me information to ship the weapon in for their gunsmith to take a look.
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