Why do Some 9mm Shields have FTE? And what is the real cause?
- Thread starter DeeBee
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Every gun out there has a problem or 2 at some point.. The Shield has been a great gun from the beginning. What you are seeing is a few guys posting all over the place... I wouldn't worry about it. I own both, 9 and 40 Shields... zero issues that I've experienced and several guys I know, not a problem...
Oh ya, as far as ammo... I've shot quite a few varieties, including lots of WWB...
checkmyswag
Member
Wow.
So far in this thread, I have learned that "lots" of Shields have issues and S&Ws are known to be finicky with ammo.
It's like I woke up and the world changed.
So far in this thread, I have learned that "lots" of Shields have issues and S&Ws are known to be finicky with ammo.
It's like I woke up and the world changed.
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DeeBee
Member
You wouldn't worry about it? What kind of statement is that? I don't know about you but I will not trust my life to a 9 mm Shield that had 10 FTEs in 1000 rounds causing a phase 3 malfunction.
Sold one of mine today. When S&W calls to replace my other one, I will ask for a refund or have them send me a .40. No more 9 til they fix the problem. Which they don't seem too interested in doing. They need to get an engineer on this to resolve a known problem.
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PHATSPEED7x
Member
Well I took my shield over to my cousin's place, and between both of use we ran another 450 rounds though my shield. Only failure I had was when I intentionally limp wristed the gun. I feel 100% confident in using this gun for carry. Will be rotated between my other M&P pistols.
My cousin's Glock 26 Gen 4 also ran 200 flawless rounds. Was a good day of shooting.
My cousin's Glock 26 Gen 4 also ran 200 flawless rounds. Was a good day of shooting.
I agree every make out there has an issue here and there. I was just curious because the only shields in my circle of family and friends, including my own are 2012 build and not heard anyone complain about them.
Sucks some are having issues. This is by far my favorite sub compact. Hope it gets resolved for you all.
I agree wholeheartedly with you. Hate to see anyone have trouble...
I have a 9mm Shield made in July 2012 that is just over 1500 rounds, mostly WWB. Have had one FTE, when I was practicing one handed weak side shooting. I'm willing to chalk that up to a limp wrist situation.
There is no doubt that there are some problem child Shields out there, just as there are for every make and model. Maybe out of spec components, maybe tolerance stacking issues, etc. I wouldn't be happy if I had one that wasn't running right, but those trying to claim there is a design defect or that the Shield is unfit for self defense are off base IMHO.
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There is no doubt that there are some problem child Shields out there, just as there are for every make and model. Maybe out of spec components, maybe tolerance stacking issues, etc. I wouldn't be happy if I had one that wasn't running right, but those trying to claim there is a design defect or that the Shield is unfit for self defense are off base IMHO.
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DeeBee
Member
So you with your 2 posts are an expert, when it comes to my decision not to use this Shield for self defense? With 10 phase 3 malfunctions in 1000 rounds , you can carry it! Not me!
It is difficult to say how many Shields are having this issue. It is a S&W forum so folks are going to post if they experience issues with the gun. It is possible they got a bad batcch of parts whether it be extractor spring or the extractor itself or the machine that makes the slide is out of calibration/spec. so it's hard to say. S&W will never tell you even if they know they have a supplied part issue or manufacturing equipment issue. I hate the fact that the gun I looked so much forward to is failing on me and I hope S&W is going to fix it right the first time. I was going to use the Shield to replace my LC9 but looks like the Shield is going to have to go through a lot of ammo before it can be trusted. My LC9 has been flawless so far but other had issues so it happens everywhere. People hardly post and just to say their gun is perfect so I guess we will never know completely. I will keep all posted on my gun's status.
Bodhisatva
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My Shield 9 is with S&W right now for the "FTE thing". I am not sure that I will be able to trust it until I have put MANY flawless rounds through it. I am already planning on picking up a .40 to replace it... My wife and I both love the Shield platform, and I hope they get my 9 right. We'll see.
Yep! Gotta love the GLOCK! I've run nearly 1000 through mine too and flawless! I chose the 9mm Shield as a carry over the Glock due to it being narrow and compact next to the GLOCK 26. My other consideration at the time was the Springfield XD (glad I didn't make that choice. At least Springfield has made it known and dealing with it with it's owners).
Is it possible that the mags (If the spring in the mags are the problem) are outsourced and made by a third party and had a bad run? I worked in machining many years and know that tolerances change with worn tooling. Did the manufacturer change supplier with their spring steel? Maybe not processed properly? There are many variables in machining and outsourcing that aren't noticed until the consumer has issues. Then it's QC trying to backtrack to figure out how long and how many before IF any a recall on the item.
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Bkreutz
US Veteran
The mags are made by a 3rd party (Mec Gar who make mags for a lot of the manufacturers). Not saying that they are the problem (or if there is a problem), just answering your question.
Never claimed to be an expert, although I admit I've never understood why some people equate post counts with knowledge.
I wouldn't trust my Shield if it had the types of failures you've had with yours. I didn't comment on your decision to not carry it. I hope SW gets your gun running right.
But I don't think failures with some guns means the entire lot is faulty and shouldn't be trusted. I do think there is something causing problems in some examples, especially with certain types of ammo. But as I mentioned, I'm leaning more towards something being slightly out of spec, or some sort of tolerance stacking issue. In other words, something that affects a fairly small number of guns, and hopefully something that SW can identify and easily correct.
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PHATSPEED7x
Member
My cousin just bought a shield today from the same dealer I did. His was test fired on 10-22-2013 (One day after mine). He wasted no time getting to the range. Gave it a quick cleaning, and ran a Remington UMC 250 bulk pack though the gun. Then he ran 50 rounds of Tula Steel cased. Then 50 rounds of Winchester PDX though it. Not a single malfunction.
forrestinmathews
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I like this quote. It might just be the best thing to come out of this whole thread.
I'll caution you that the mega posting "experts" often have sidekicks. So you'll have to use your noodle and make them all look like the pontificators of ignorance that they are. They're all blowhards for the most part. I for one like the seldom posters that think before they speak. I just never could shut up long enough to be one. Vaccinated with a phonograph needle.
Hey DeeBee, not to kill the suspense, but are you going to sell the shield and be done with it or what!?! The post is getting too big and goofy to follow and I'm curious when the saga will end.
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DeeBee
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If you took the time to read the posts you would see that I already sold one, and the other one is still at S&W. I am waiting for either a refund or I will take a .40 as I know they work when needed.
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DeeBee
Member
Ah but you did comment on my decision not to carry. You said in an earlier post. You said that calling it unfit to carry for self defense was off base.
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