There are plenty of posts on those questions in the forum...

The simple answer is: as was previously mentioned, the Uplula is a must--period. Second, I found it really helped to load up my magazines and leave them that way. After a while, manual loading was so much easier--I still continue to use the Uplula--it just makes it a breeze.

You might want to try leaving your slide lock back for 24-48 hours before you take it to the range for the first few times. After you get more rounds through the pistol, you should find that racking the slide gets a little easier.
I have shot 1,600 rounds through my Shield over the past several months and it is a joy to shoot, mag springs are just right and the slide, although a little stiffer than other makes...has improved greatly with use.

Go shoot the heck out of it--and as others have said before me, watch out for this Shield flaw: It is hungry for more ammo--what can I say? It makes me look forward to Range Day every week.