HappyPuppy
Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2013
- Messages
- 28
- Reaction score
- 9
I have a shield 40 and have not had an issue with the recoil spring assembly. I looked at mine and it's fine. Sometimes in manufacturing like anything they get a bad lot.
Should I risk buying shield?
- Thread starter Loxk
- Start date
The Shield is a relatively small gun that comes in full size calibers, but it seems to take the abuse well if you treat it right.
I've had my Shield 40 for a couple of years and about 1,000 rounds down range. I've read a number of posts about return spring assembly problems. A couple sounded like a part failure, but most sound like people getting the thing in crooked and bending it either racking the slide as suggested earlier, or firing the gun.
Is it a "defect" that you can put your gun together with the RSA crooked? I don't think so. But it is something that a Shield owner should keep in mind and double check on reassembly. It's not hard.
I've had my Shield 40 for a couple of years and about 1,000 rounds down range. I've read a number of posts about return spring assembly problems. A couple sounded like a part failure, but most sound like people getting the thing in crooked and bending it either racking the slide as suggested earlier, or firing the gun.
Is it a "defect" that you can put your gun together with the RSA crooked? I don't think so. But it is something that a Shield owner should keep in mind and double check on reassembly. It's not hard.
CaptRon956
Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2014
- Messages
- 646
- Reaction score
- 548
I got 4 brand new Goodyear Wrangers out of the deal! (free)
I have to date fired 3800 trouble free rounds thru my M&P Shield 9. Just put 50 rnds thru it this evening during our local club IDPA match. It's also one of my carry guns. I would trust my life to it.
Bought a M&P Shield 40 couple months ago, put 200 rounds thru it, no problems... Love it.
I'm not at the very least worried about the recoil spring assembly in either pistol. I'm not going to get paranoid about it...
Last edited:
Occasionally things break, the question also factors in how the company deals with the problem and based upon the fact that apparently no one can get the RSA from SW, including people who literally just purchased the gun, it's not looking good.
In fact even Taurus(now) has better service than this. Ironically it appears it's easier to get a Brazilian, Austrian and Croat gun fixed than an American made one....
CaptRon956
Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2014
- Messages
- 646
- Reaction score
- 548
I'm not sure why you're on this forum, seems like you've already made up your mind. But as a parting gift I thought I'd share this with you...
Taurus Recalls Nearly 1m Pistols (PT-111 Millennium; PT-132 Millennium; PT-138 Millennium; PT-140 Millennium; PT-145 Millennium; PT-745 Millennium; PT-609; PT-640; and PT-24/7) - The Truth About Guns
Where are you hearing this garbage? Clearly, you need to visit a gun shop and look at these things in person. Then decide for yourself which one looks better to you. Sounds like you're leaning toward Taurus; perhaps they have something that will better suit you. Good luck.
Just two threads down is a guy whos shield has been disabled for over a month because SW apparently is unable to provide an RSA assembly.
In another thread this happened to a new gun...
I'm leaning towards an XDs or G43 simply because of the fact I could get a gun with a f##ked up RSA and be unable to use it for months.
- Go through ALL the RSA Complaint threads and count the different handles actually having the problem.
- Compare how many individuals are posting about having this problem (not the same people posting over and over... how many different people) and compare that to how many Shields have sold over the last 3yrs.
If you're up in the air about it, put your money aside, sit back and watch for a while longer. Go to XD-Talk, or Glock Talk and check their complaint posts too.
If though, your gun purchase money is burning a hole in your pocket and you Just GOTTA have a New Gun NOW... Go get that XD-S, or G43 (and consider the G26). They're all good pistols. The XD-S has been pretty good since it MAJOR RECALL a couple years ago... And I think all the Gen4 Glock RSA problems have passed. Name a Brand... It's had (or has) problems.
I have a G19 and G26 and love them both. I have an XDMc and love it as well. I didn't like the XD-S nearly as much as I enjoy shooting my Shield. If I had liked the XD-S better, I'd have bought IT 3yrs ago, instead of the Shield.
Oh yeah... My Shield is over 3yrs old, with over 7K flawless rounds and is my EDC pistol.
and oh... Don't forget to look at the LC9S as well... It's pretty good since it's Recoil Spring problem a couple yrs ago.
Last edited:
Rastoff
US Veteran
All mechanical devices fail. This is just life. Most will be fine, but a few will have problems.
Just out of curiosity, did you actually read those threads you're talking about? Out of all the posts, how many did you see that said they had many thousands of rounds through their guns without trouble? How many posts had RSA failures or customer service failures?
There's your answer.
p.s.
This is a S&W forum. Did you really expect to get a lot of posts telling you to buy something other than a S&W? Did you go to the Glock and XD forums and ask the same question?
Considering how many Shields have sold, you'd have to be pretty lucky/unlucky to end up with one that is dysfunctional. Who knows, maybe a lot of new shooters are doing something wrong to wreck these guide rods. It hasn't reached recall-worthy status yet.
That being said, if money is tight and you want a single stack 9mm, go with the Taurus 709. It's a great gun and if your opinion on guns is based on forum complaints, the 709 is leagues ahead of the Shield.
That being said, if money is tight and you want a single stack 9mm, go with the Taurus 709. It's a great gun and if your opinion on guns is based on forum complaints, the 709 is leagues ahead of the Shield.
My 2 cents. I just got my 9mm Shield last month, so far 400 + rounds no issues, I did order a spare RSA so I have the spare just in case I ever need it,, SO 12$ shipped is not going to break me 
Also if someone here needed one ASAP I would sell it to them ! Google Shield reviews and you will see tons of great reviews and very few complaints,Read reviews on Taurus Not so good on their autos. Now the older Taurus was a good gun! Welcome to the forum!
Also if someone here needed one ASAP I would sell it to them ! Google Shield reviews and you will see tons of great reviews and very few complaints,Read reviews on Taurus Not so good on their autos. Now the older Taurus was a good gun! Welcome to the forum!
Get the Shield
I am one of those who initiated a thread about the problems I had with my Shield's RSA. It came from the factory with a bent rear RSA spring retainer disc. At the time, I did not know what effect it might have on its performance. Now with 1000 rounds through it, I know the answer: very little. The Shield has performed very well, though not perfectly, since I bought it. My only concern is that it has an FTE rate of about 1%, which I regard as higher than desirable for a self-defense weapon. (In contrast, my M&P 40c has an FTE rate of 0% through 3000 rounds. S&W set the expectation bar pretty high with the 40c.) Overall, though, I think my Shield is a fine, fun-to-shoot gun with an excellent trigger and a surprising degree of accuracy for such a short barrel. And its FTE rate may be ammo-related – I'm still experimenting with different brands and weights.
I have continued to contribute to my original thread because my problems are not with the Shield as much as they are with my attempts to get an undamaged RSA. It has now been about 2½ months and I still have no functional replacement. Things have been so strange, I am beginning to find it amusing. It's kind of an adventure now, wondering what S&W will send me next. (I would not be so amused if my Shield was out of action.) Nonetheless, I have posted many positive things about my Shield in various threads. For an example, check out my post under "Rastoff's Challenge II" in the Concealed Carry section of General Topics.
All of the above has been a long prolog to my main point: You should get the Shield.
It is a great gun, and you can ensure that it will be so from Day 1, if you give the RSA a thorough inspection before you buy. Here's what you should do:
(Do not deal with any seller who won't let you do this.)
First, lock back the slide, and gently pull and twist the disc on the front of the RSA's protruding inner guide rod. It should be tightly attached to the rod. If there is any movement of the disc at all, the RSA is defective and will come apart in the near future. Move on to another Shield.
If the front disc passes the test, have your friendly salesperson remove the slide and the RSA. Examine the RSA's rear retainer disc. If there is no sign of bending, you're good to go. If it is bent, you can do one of two things: look at another Shield, or; if it isn't bent too badly and you're willing to take a risk that it won't hurt the Shield's performance, use it as a negotiating tool to drive down the price.
Finally, once you get your Shield, make sure that the RSA is fully inserted, straight and level, whenever you reassemble it. Then your only problem will be with your ammo budget, because you'll find yourself shooting a lot of it through your new Shield.
I am one of those who initiated a thread about the problems I had with my Shield's RSA. It came from the factory with a bent rear RSA spring retainer disc. At the time, I did not know what effect it might have on its performance. Now with 1000 rounds through it, I know the answer: very little. The Shield has performed very well, though not perfectly, since I bought it. My only concern is that it has an FTE rate of about 1%, which I regard as higher than desirable for a self-defense weapon. (In contrast, my M&P 40c has an FTE rate of 0% through 3000 rounds. S&W set the expectation bar pretty high with the 40c.) Overall, though, I think my Shield is a fine, fun-to-shoot gun with an excellent trigger and a surprising degree of accuracy for such a short barrel. And its FTE rate may be ammo-related – I'm still experimenting with different brands and weights.
I have continued to contribute to my original thread because my problems are not with the Shield as much as they are with my attempts to get an undamaged RSA. It has now been about 2½ months and I still have no functional replacement. Things have been so strange, I am beginning to find it amusing. It's kind of an adventure now, wondering what S&W will send me next. (I would not be so amused if my Shield was out of action.) Nonetheless, I have posted many positive things about my Shield in various threads. For an example, check out my post under "Rastoff's Challenge II" in the Concealed Carry section of General Topics.
All of the above has been a long prolog to my main point: You should get the Shield.
It is a great gun, and you can ensure that it will be so from Day 1, if you give the RSA a thorough inspection before you buy. Here's what you should do:
(Do not deal with any seller who won't let you do this.)
First, lock back the slide, and gently pull and twist the disc on the front of the RSA's protruding inner guide rod. It should be tightly attached to the rod. If there is any movement of the disc at all, the RSA is defective and will come apart in the near future. Move on to another Shield.
If the front disc passes the test, have your friendly salesperson remove the slide and the RSA. Examine the RSA's rear retainer disc. If there is no sign of bending, you're good to go. If it is bent, you can do one of two things: look at another Shield, or; if it isn't bent too badly and you're willing to take a risk that it won't hurt the Shield's performance, use it as a negotiating tool to drive down the price.
Finally, once you get your Shield, make sure that the RSA is fully inserted, straight and level, whenever you reassemble it. Then your only problem will be with your ammo budget, because you'll find yourself shooting a lot of it through your new Shield.
Arik
Member
So they keep sending you RSAs but they are all damaged?
amcline82
Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2015
- Messages
- 289
- Reaction score
- 159
Think you answered your own question. I am sure your aware but if you do go with a Glock or XD there is about a $125 difference which seems to be out of your prince range.
Last edited:
amcline82
Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2015
- Messages
- 289
- Reaction score
- 159
I ordered a should 40 a couple weeks back and finally get to pick it up Monday. I found out about the RSA issue after my order and I never once thought to cancel the order. If I have any RSA issues I will just order the stainless RSA and problem solved. Knowing the issue I am going to be extra careful putting it back together as to not bend it.
CaptRon956
Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2014
- Messages
- 646
- Reaction score
- 548
I'm convinced Loxk is just trolling.... I mentioned that fact back in post #10 & he's still talking about how S&W sucks & he's gonna buy a Taurus... C'mon Mod's.. lock this up
Last edited:
Sigsavvy
Member
My take is this: The Shield is a great gun and I love it. Would I buy another one? Yup. Is it a quality firearm? Yes. Does the RSA share the same level of quality as the rest of the gun? Nope. Would I immediately fib and tell CS that I need a new RSA just so that I get in the queue to get a backup? Yes. The fact that I feel I would need to do that tells me that there is a real problem with the quality of the RSA and with the delays in shipping. I do like the Shield enough that I would take the chance and buy one however. Odds are still good that I wouldn't have any issues at all.
Being an engineer that is all too familiar with mandates to reduce cost, it's apparent to me that the RSA took the biggest hit in cost reduction efforts. As I've mentioned before, I'd love to see the original design. My opinion is they backed the quality out of it to the hairy edge of proper functionality and reliability. The smallest margin of error in manufacturing will quickly tip the scale toward future part failure. There needs to be a balance between cost and quality and I think cost won this time. Combine that with the fact that they are always on backorder and it can be frustrating for those who do need a new one. A redesign of the RSA would be simple but I imagine that S&W has ordered a bazillion of these things and can't back out. Once inventory is exhausted I bet there will be a "new and improved" RSA in the next gen Shield.
In short, I would agree that most Shields experience no problems with the RSA whatsoever. For the ones that do, it was completely preventable which is what is so frustrating.
Just do what you feel is right and spend lots of time on this forum (it's one of the best). Just the fact that you asked the question means that you are a more educated consumer and can go in knowing what to look for.
Being an engineer that is all too familiar with mandates to reduce cost, it's apparent to me that the RSA took the biggest hit in cost reduction efforts. As I've mentioned before, I'd love to see the original design. My opinion is they backed the quality out of it to the hairy edge of proper functionality and reliability. The smallest margin of error in manufacturing will quickly tip the scale toward future part failure. There needs to be a balance between cost and quality and I think cost won this time. Combine that with the fact that they are always on backorder and it can be frustrating for those who do need a new one. A redesign of the RSA would be simple but I imagine that S&W has ordered a bazillion of these things and can't back out. Once inventory is exhausted I bet there will be a "new and improved" RSA in the next gen Shield.
In short, I would agree that most Shields experience no problems with the RSA whatsoever. For the ones that do, it was completely preventable which is what is so frustrating.
Just do what you feel is right and spend lots of time on this forum (it's one of the best). Just the fact that you asked the question means that you are a more educated consumer and can go in knowing what to look for.
Similar threads
