Sadly - Another .40 Shield Kaboom

[NCooper]

I only know of 4 ammo choices that match the ops post.

Federal hst
Winchester ranger
Cor bon double tap
Underwood.

What I find interesting is this is the first non 180 grain kaboom, That I've read about.

Would love to see the serial numbers of all three guns.

 

[TheMystro]

No way this is not a defect or at least a combination of ammo and gun. I would call a attorney about this if it happened to me. There is a pattern here. Don't ever expect S&W to admit anything. No way their legal dept would ever let them. This has got damage control written all over it.

 

[feelinlucky]

a defensive load he was shooting. I loaded 4 rounds of the different manufacturer's .40 S&W 135-grain JHP defensive load.

What brand? What type? What charge? Why can't the ammo be spotlighted like the Shield was?

and then the last 2 rounds rapid fire.

Was there a squib? Was there a chamber rupture? Was there a case rupture?

the firearm and ammo were comprehensively evaluated.

And this was the conclusion of the firearm maker:

After a thorough review, we have determined that the damage to this weapon was not the result of a defect in the materials or workmanship of the weapon

the rounds remaining in the box and another full box from the same lot were tested and determined to be within SAAMI specifications.

By whom? What were their conclusions?

It seems we are seeing a lot of gun explosion reports, but I have not yet seen one where ALL the pertinent information about the event has been clearly revealed. JDW, I am glad that you were not injured, and I do believe your report, but I do want to point out that there are large potentially significant pieces of information missing from it.(As there have from all the previous kaboom reports)

There are enough reports of kabooms here to be worth taking serious notice of, but none of these reports have conclusively ruled out faulty ammunition.

Now, I'm sure Rastoff will be along shortly to tell you what I'm really thinking.

 

[vipermd]

Feelinglucky: Rostoff is not on right now, maybe later. To save space I will not re quote you- since they were the same questions. SN#'s, Ammo manufacture,Squib,case,barrel, and WHO performed the SAAMI test on the ammo?/? My only addition would be a thread of the SN#'S of kabooms, photo(s), Ammo-brand, bullet weight, reload data if applicable. At present it is like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle by mail without all the pieces. Maybe we could get some answers that may keep people safe and answers from S&W. Be Safe

 

[OilTrader]

I agree with those that call for identifying the ammo used. To not do this is a disservice to everyone here.

 

[MSG Glenn]

I was going to buy a Shield 40 but the wait for it would have been too long so I got an M&P40C instead. Now I'm glad I did. Not that I think that most Shields are bad & this seems to be a fluke but didn't S&W already have a recall on Shields? I have to wonder if the great popularity of Shields doesn't have an effect on slamming them together at the factory to meet the demand with the corresponding loss of workmanship & care required to manufacture a firearm.

I'm glad you & everybody else walked away with just a stinging hand bit I'm not glad that S&W blew you off with the offer to purchase a new one at $344 - $4 cheaper than I got my brand new 40C with 3 mags & the Nation's Finest $50 rebate.

 

[jdw1951]

Sorry All - I just got back to my computer since I have a lot going on today. I see there are many legitimate questions that I will answer to the best of my ability.

I am not sure about the other kabooms serial number data but I included my serial number HPJ0xxx.

S&W did not provide any information to me about their testing processes or results except to state there were no defects in materials or workmanship. I am requesting S&W to return my Shield and will possibly ask an independent lab to look at it.

The OEM ammo was manufactured by Underwood. After my hand was functioning properly I compared the cartridge dimensions to SAAMI standards and the remaining rounds were within spec. At the same time I contacted S&W I also contacted Underwood. Within one hour of receiving my original email notification, Kevin called me to let me know they would carefully examine each round and let me know the results no matter if they had produced an improper round or not. I sent the remaining rounds with the exception of the 10 I mentioned earlier. My brother-in-law also sent the remaining full box when he returned to his home in another state. Underwood inspected each round, pulled bullets, checked powder charges, and fired rounds to measure pressures. Kevin Underwood subsequently called me and indicated each round was within SAAMI specs. My brother-in-law and many members of his shooting club have used a significant amount of Underwood ammo and that is why I tried it to see about using it as a defensive round. All my research indicates their customer service is excellent.

So hopefully everyone can see my dilemma. I have two highly reputable companies who indicate their product was manufactured properly. In the case of the ammo, as I stated earlier, my brother-in-law was shooting the same rounds simultaneously in his M&P Compact and had no problems.

I have more photos I will post I will post but I just purchased a new Mac and need to obtain some photo software to size them for posting. The photos above were sized by a friend who is not available now.

Give me some time to put up more images later and take care of normal weekend responsibilities. And, hopefully understand I have no intent to hide any information. I am not a gunsmith but will try to describe what my personal examination of the Shield was before I mailed it to S&W. I believe all of us want the same thing: to make sure no one else gets hurt.

 

[Roger S&W]

Thank you for posting. I'm glad you weren't more seriously injured.
I can imagine 135gr defensive ammo is pretty hot.
Please follow through with us and reveal who the major manufacturer is.
You may save some of us from suffering pain, economic loss and possibly even death (if the KaBoom were to occur in the middle of an assault/gunfight.)

Edit: I see your posting just made. Underwood is known for high quality but yet potent and hot ammo. I'm not pointing blame at them. I'm just shocked we've got another KaBoom with factory ammo.

 

[2001gmc]

No disrespect to anyone's opinion or Smith&Wesson but there is no telling how much of this is happening that we don't even know about. Lots of folks with guns out there that don't even get on the net much less join a good forum filled with good folks like this one is. I'm very concerned about this. I dont want to see anyone get hurt because there 40 shield blew up or any gun for that fact.

 

[Hamfisted]

Glad nobody was seriously injured with this. Look at the mag in the photo. Half the follower is gone ? Broken extractor? This was some kind of weird out of battery discharge, where it looks like the round exited the right hand side of the frame. Was the slide or safety block damaged (cracked ?) changing the rear sight out? Something knocked it out of whack. What else causes out of battery discharges? My Shield 9 runs like a swiss watch, but I wish we knew the whole story on this one. I guess with polymer guns we're likely to see more of this.



-Mike

 

[Bagstrap]

Seems to be isolated to shield .40's...haven't heard of shield 9's having this issue.

 

[Roger S&W]

Look at the mag in the photo. Half the follower is gone ? *** ? This was some kind of weird out of battery discharge, where it looks like the round exited the right hand side of the frame. Was the slide or safety block damaged (cracked ?) changing the rear sight out? Something knocked it out of whack. What else causes out of battery discharges? My Shield 9 runs like a swiss watch, but I wish we knew the whole story on this one.



-Mike

This ongoing situation with Shield 40s exploding is horrendous and unacceptable. Someone who suffered this really should pursue justice.
Don't worry about your Shield 9mm.
Just as when Glock was suffering the KaBooms years ago, it didn't involve any of their 9mm pistols.
Only those chambered in .40S&W.

 

[jdw1951]

On more thing before I get back to work around house, Underwood told me BEFORE I heard from S&W or any testing was done that they guarantee 100% customer satisfaction with their product.

 

[Roger S&W]

On more thing before I get back to work around house, Underwood told me BEFORE I heard from S&W or any testing was done that they guarantee 100% customer satisfaction with their product.

Underwood is well known for high quality ammunition.
They are highly respected by hunters and shooters having a huge loyal customer base.

 

[JFR]

On more thing before I get back to work around house, Underwood told me BEFORE I heard from S&W or any testing was done that they guarantee 100% customer satisfaction with their product.

jdw, could you also provide your shield's build date if known?

 

[poordevil]

On more thing before I get back to work around house, Underwood told me BEFORE I heard from S&W or any testing was done that they guarantee 100% customer satisfaction with their product.

Does that mean that they will replace your Shield? If Smith and Wesson did not manufacture a defective product, then Underwood did.

If, in the past, S&W has cautioned about using ammo with less than 125gr in 357 mag Titanium revolvers, do they proscribe any ammo in the .40 Shield?

 

[hanken]

I am not blaming anyone. I have been a plant manager for over thirty years and was a machinist ten years before that. I have seen small mistakes made all the time. With all the shields sold in the past three years, how many mishaps have there been. It could have been a over charged round or a defect in the steel the gun was made from but not dectiable now.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[Smithpride]

That's crazy. Glad you're ok. I wonder why S&W wouldn't just replace your firearm? It's got to be less expensive than even an hours worth of their attorney to respond to a letter.

Hope it works out for you!

 

[federali]

Fixing Cause and Responsibility

Considering that during shooting, there's an interaction of gun, shooter and ammunition, Smith and Wesson may not want to assume responsibility if perhaps the ammunition could be at fault.
Yet, these guns are tested with proof loads before they leave the factory. Maximum pressures for the .40 is 35,000 psi. Apparently, Smith's polymer formula is not up to the task and if these kabooms continue, The Consumer Product Safety Commission might step in and Smith may have to eat all the .40 shields, including the ones that haven't blown up yet.

This is a scary event and it could have easily resulted in serious damage to the shooting hand. So glad you were not seriously injured.

 

[Comrad]

I don't have a dog in this fight but got curious and did a search on ".40 s&w shield review" and was a little surprised to see glowing and rave reviews about what a fine handgun it is.

I don't reload but read something about bullet setback and how it can drastically increase pressure and since the .40 apparently is already on the edge could that be a factor?

I would be concerned if I owned any .40. How accurately is the setback on factory ammo?

Teats, Bulls and the .40 S&W | The Bang Switch