I have a new SD40VE that I just took to the range today. Overall I like the "feel" and it's accuracy outta the box. The Slide Stop is another issue. Don't know why S&W would make something so thin and "flat" that your thumb can't get much of a purchase to release the slide. I am now looking for an after market replacement that may look like a GLOCK release.

Now my REAL problem... inspecting the spent brass after only two 12 round mags fired I noticed a half moon bulge on one side at the base of ALL fired cases. I marked a round with a pencil and fired a test shot. The "bulge" was on the bottom. I then disassembled down to the barrel and inspected with a small flashlight. It appears that just in front of the "Feed Ramp" the Chamber is slightly "dished" out so there is no contact with the brass casing. At detonation the brass expanse forming the slight bulge. It extracts fine but the brass is now useless for reloading. The brass is SPEER in a 180gr load. I have a report into S&W but that is like 5 days away from a response.... Anyone else experience this prob????

The bulging brass is common and quite normal. The chambers are not fully supported (also common) so bass will bulge some.

You're the first that I recall complaining about the slide release. Most Glock guys go for something aftermarket that is more similar to what comes on the SD series. If anything more complain that it release is too large and they accidently trip it with their thumb...

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~isaac

Galloway makes a slightly wider takedown plate for the SD. Wide Body Take Down Plate for SD VE

I don't see take-down plates (aka slide lock levers) for the SD-series on the NDZ Performance internet site, but they seem to have black and stainless versions for sale on EBay S&W SD9 VE 9mm Extended Slide Takedown Lever Stainless | eBay and S&W SD40 VE 40cal Extended Slide Takedown Lever Black

Bulged brass from unsupported .40 S&W chambers is somewhat normal -- often mentioned in conjunction with Glocks in that caliber, too. It is a high pressure round. But I see modest bulges in both .38 and 9mm brass fired from a variety of guns, too, which generally returns to normal when re-formed by the sizing/de-capping die in the reloading process. I always watch for split brass (a sign of metal fatigue) and bulged primers (as sign of overpressure) when reloading. Anything dubious gets thrown away.

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S&W Rover

All of my .40s have the bulge. You're fine, just watch the reloads.

Bill

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Remember the Alamo!

I got one from NDZ for my SD9VE. It's less than 1 mm longer than stock but works just fine.

Mosey on over to youtube, search "glock bulged brass" to safely resize the entire case.

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NRA Benefactor

There are BOOKOO (Cajun, for A LOT!) Glock parts that are MUCH cheaper in price than S&W parts, that fit perfect on the SDVE/SWVE/SD series of guns. I have been installing cheaper priced Glock parts on my SD/SW hand guns for well over 12 years now.

****Click on AMAZON in the blue box

For a Glock 19 only $8.99 vs $15.00 for a SD9VE

There is a bulged case wall and then there is a crease left in a case wall. A bulge will size just fine. A case with a crease (often called a Glock Smile) shouldn't be reused as it creates a weak point. Bulged cases are normal and fine.

I think this is the worst slide release I have ever encountered, I can only pull it using my fingernails which have no way broken to the point I can't. I ordered a longer slide release from Galloway but when I depressed the spring to release the lever the spring stayed depressed. Working on getting a replacement now.

When installing the new take down bar, ALWAYS push it through as it pushes the other one out.

Thousands of rounds through my SW40VE over 10+ years and nary a GLOCK SMILE nor bulge from any of my fired rounds...

Have found a few in spent cases picked up at the GHR&P upon occasion, but these are easilly culled in the reloading process, usually long before they ever see the RCBS Universal Hand Primer. I can recall only once having to decap and toss a primed 40 S&W case prior to seating a bullet.

Cheers!

P.S. Factory fresh ammo and a bulge...? Were these the DoubleTap 200gr HCWFNGC "Bear Fodder" by chance?

The brass bulge on the SD40's seems to be a non-issue. Apparently the barrels were designed to have a better feed and have a small unsupported area at the 12:00 O-Clock position. Almost everyone acknowledges this fact when posting. What about the SW40's? Is the barrel design not the same? Owners' have posted they do not have "Bulges" in their spent brass!

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It's The Carbonaro Effect!

Sadly, the unsupported chamber is the thing holding me back from ever buying a SD40VE. I reload and love my M&P40 (over 55,000 rounds through it) and here in Kommiefornia (the state assembly just passed a law that says it's OK for members of the Communist party to work for the state) the Shield 9/40 and SD9/40VE's are the only S&W SA guns allowed to be sold to us proletariat's. LEO's can buy anything they want because they supported these bans.

I would have loved to buy an M&P45 (no longer "safe" in CA) or even an SD40VE, but with the unsupported chamber, reloads will eventually overwork the brass at the base and an unlucky overworked case positioned right in the unsupported part of an SD40VE barrel and pfffft-pop! A blown out magazine and possibly broken frame. Warranty? Not on using reloads.

So I bought an XD45 service this weekend for $400 and with the 4 free mags etc, it is just about as good as the SD's at $295 after rebate.

The SD40VE is the only S&W gun that I know that has the unsupported chamber.

Sorry for the rant, I simply get a little frustrated when I see the rest of the free country exercising its 2A rights while we sink further into tyranny and companies like S&W tip-toeing by keeping some guns on the roster (Shield 9/40, SD9/40VE) while letting others fall off (M&P's) and taking the attitude "let the idiots in CA fight for their own rights"