M&P Shield 9 garbage wish I hadn't bought

[mrmrules]

Just wanted to post my experiance with the new M&P shield 9. I bought my girlfriend for Xmas. It took months for me to locate one of these ever since we saw it online she wanted it. I bought just in time for Xmas and put it under the tree.

All was good until she started loading the snap caps into battery. It was then we found an issue with the slide failing to return fully forward and go into battery with a snap cap. It stopped about 1/4 of an inch from returning to fully forward. I tried it with different bullets and it did the same. I took it apart and cleaned it and oiled it up. Same issue. If you fully pulled the slid back as far as it would go and let it slam forward it would return fully. If you did it any other way or let it go not fully back it would bind up. We took it out and shot it and it shot ok but half the time cocking it the thing bound up.

Dissapointed I went online and saw similar people had the same issues. I called Smith and Wesson and talked to the lady in the warranty dept. She was snippy and rude from the get go. She basically told me that unless it was binding up when shooting it was for us to deal with. None of my other guns have this issue and I wish I had not bought this gun we are so dissapointed we will NEVER buy another smith and wesson. In good faith I cant even sell it to someone knowing that it does not perform correctly. I am going to return it to the store and take whatever they give me for it. They made it seem like with the lifetime warranty we were all set when they sold us the gun covered for any issues. We have shot 50 rounds through this gun and it is useless. Smith and Wesson service is a scam in my opinion.

Any one have any other ideas? Thanks

 

[jibbr71]

So the main complaint is that when you ride the slide, the firearm doesn't go into battery? That's what I get from your post....pull the slide back all the way to the stop and let go. Asking the gun to function any other way is not the design intent. If you still can't get it to work right, let me know what you are offered from the selling store, and I will buy it....sight unseen for that much + shipping

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[xswilly]

shoot a couple of hundred rounds thru it
it will wear in

 

[MP1SG]

Hi
I have both the Shield 9 and the 40. Both weapons have functioned flawlessly and have been very accurate. IMO snap caps are a poor way to judge if the weapon will function. You said youself that when you "Pull the slide back as far as it would go then it would work" Actually thats what your supposed to do, anytime you ride the slide forward or baby it, you are begging for a problem. Also IMO 50 rounds is not nearly enough ammo to make a determination if a weapon is a Piece of garbage" and if you fired only one typr of ammo thats another issue. I just bought my 7th M&P and have not had a single issue, The Shield are great great guns and will continue to be sought after for a while to come. S&W Customer service is second to none as far as i am concerened never ever had an issue with them. They have always been very friendly.
I think you should give that Shield another chance Its a great gun
Thanks
out here
1SG

 

[mrmrules]

Thank you for the replies. Yes if you pull it all the way back and hold it there and let it slam from there it will go forward. If you release it from any point short of full back it wont go into battery. The gfs hands arnt as strong as mine so she has more of an issue with it then I do. We were thinking of trading it in for the walther pk380 because that slide was way easier to operate then the one on the shield.

 

[Indynj13]

So the gun is garbage if you don't operate it correctly....ok

 

[rraisley]

Thank you for the replies. Yes if you pull it all the way back and hold it there and let it slam from there it will go forward. If you release it from any point short of full back it wont go into battery.

So, it's working exactly as it is supposed to. If you shoot it more (especially, if /she/ shoots it more), it will loosen up a bit, and she will become more adept at pulling and releasing the slide. It's as much habit as it is strength. Few women will not actually be strong enough to properly rack the slide of a Shield.

 

[mrmrules]

Hi guns going for sale in section Im going to get her something else. Local sale perferred. Its not for us I will spend more and get her something that works out of the box not something we have to hope breaks in after time. Thank you for the replies. If anyone in NH is interested in the gun as is make an offer and come get it otherwise Im giving it to the dealer Friday when I go get something else. Thank you.

 

[PH-2]

Perhaps a Taurus revolver might suit your capabilities?

Mike

 

[pacocop]

With all due respect, its a girlfriend's hand strength issue, not a weapon issue if she's having trouble drawing the slide to full tension. Expecting normal function with snappers is unrealistic, and normal function is for a weapon to lock when
the slide is released from full tension, not partially-carried into battery.
If the rep was rude I would call and speak to a supervisor or write a letter, I know I absolutely can't stand when someone complains about how they were treated by one of my employees to someone else, or the paper, or city management without ever letting us know so we can try to correct the problem. It is not really fair to hold the action of one person against a company if they were never given a chance to address the issue, just my opinion.

Hope you get the issue addressed. Smile, you have a GF that is happy getting a gun for Christmas!!!

 

[mrmrules]

Yes the rep was def rude thats what put me over the edge with this gun. No sense wasting my time writing a letter they prob dont care anyways. Were just dissapointed in the product and even more dissapointed in the customer service. I have 5 handguns and none bind up like this one. Maybe its just how the gun is, maybe it has an issue with my gun but either way I dont want to waste any more effort dealing with smith and wesson after dealing with that woman... Thank you all for the replies and helpful advice.

 

[RussC]

Pm me what the store is willing to pay you for the garbage Shield.

I have a friend with a FFL. If the price is reasonable for a flawed gun I will take the gamble plus 10% over what store is willing to offer for trade.

Russ

 

[Harrison]

Actually the poster is right. Women are carrying these days, and there is no reason for a manfacturer to produce pistols that the average petite woman, who is not a weight lifter cannot operate. It's great that strong guys can rack a shield, but to make it so that many women cannot operate it shows a lack of marketing research and engineering. The gun is a 9mm, we are not talking about a cartridge powerhouse here. There is not reason the shield could not be engineered with a lighter and easier to operate recoil spring. Acatually she might be better served with a J frame revolver.

 

[mrmrules]

Thank you Harrison. She is 5-7 and 150 lbs so shes no tiny person. She can operate my Springfield XDM and XDS with NO issue whatsoever. We thought this would be awesome because its a little smaller and fits her hand better. Were going to get her a springfield or the 380 walther PK.

 

[insomniac]

flawed, garbage shields are going for $150 down here in FL

 

[ocracokenc]

I just dont think he gets it. I love reading a post like this and looking what the replies are. I think if I was working at SW and I recieved this call I would hang up. If he does this to a $1500 custom gun he will find the same thing. They are made to function a certain way. It is like buying a new car and getting on the interstate with the car in low gear and saying it is junk because it will only go 20 mph. Things are made to work a certain way. He should give it a chance. I know I have had roll pin issues and my front sight dot fell off but SW has been awesome with customer service. When I pull the trigger it goes boom and were I want it to hit everytime

 

[compshootfl]

Another hater...don't waste your time with them.

 

[M29since14]

Actually the poster is right. Women are carrying these days, and there is no reason for a manfacturer to produce pistols that the average petite woman, who is not a weight lifter cannot operate.

They make plenty of models an average lady can operate. Apparently the Shield these folks bought is not one of them, in her case. If you want a light recoil spring on a 9mm you are going to have to offset it with a little slide weight. S&W obviously wanted to keep the design light and handy.

I agree with the poster who said the logical thing is to look for a revolver. I'm sorry the OP had bad luck with the Shield but the selection was obviously not a good one. Hopefully they will have better luck with the next purchase.

 

[pyro]

All of my semi autos have to have the slide pulled all the way back to strip the bullet from the magazine. Actually with the Kahrs, you have to use the slide release to chamber a round. I get that this may be difficult for your girl friend, but I don't get how this makes your shield junk.

 

[2tango2]

mrmrules you have a PM