380 Shield EZ Question

[dcandas]

Hi there,

I bought a new 380 Shiled Ez for my mom as birthday gift. I took it to the range before giving it to her. Instead of feeding 8th live round into the chamber it stovepipes it. It does this %50 of the time. So I sent the gun back to S&W. They sent it back with a new magazine.

Then I took it to test. Only loaded 3 rounds per mag to save money while doing tests. Both new and old mag ran good numerous times. Then I loaded the mag full. Issue happened again. Then I tested mags loaded with 7 rounds. No issues. I am puzzled. Issue only happens when mag is fully loaded with 8 rounds and after firing 7 rounds with no issue. it tries to eject 8th live round.

Does anyone have a clue what may cause this to happen ?

 

[algaeguy]

What are you feeding it? I had these issues in my 9mm EZ with blazer ammo. Not enough pressure to reliably reset

 

[dcandas]

What are you feeding it? I had these issues in my 9mm EZ with blazer ammo. Not enough pressure to reliably reset

I tried with Blazer, Winchester, Monarch, and another brand my range sells. It does it with all.

What I don't understand is why last round of 3 or 7 doesn't do it but last round of 8 does.

 

[gc70]

Feeding problems resulting in last-round stove-pipe failures were common enough when the Shield 380 EZ was introduced that S&W switched to stronger magazine springs marked with yellow paint. That apparently eliminated feeding problems for most owners. Some pistols, including my wife's, still had feeding problems. Workarounds included using stronger springs from other pistols, putting a spent casing under the mag spring to increase tension, scuffing the top of the magazine follower to prevent the last round from moving forward on the follower, and probably some other things I have forgotten.

Carefully document your pistol's problems and send it back to S&W. Keep on S&W until they make it right. It took three years before S&W ultimately fixed my wife's pistol by replacing the barrel. Since the barrel was replaced, I don't think my wife's pistol has had a single malfunction, even using magazines with the original weaker springs. Nevertheless, I did replace the springs in three of her magazines with Wolff +10% springs.

 

[CajunBass]

I've seen this several times. The plastic the follower is made out of is very slick and flat. I've found taking an emery board, or a piece of sandpaper (or even a pocket knife blade) to it and roughing it up a bit gives the cartridge a bit of "purchase" on the follower. I can't swear it's stopped the problem 100%, but it's sure cut back on it. Why only the last round? It's the only one touching the follower.

I picked up a new (to me) EZ 380 a couple of weeks ago. The mag followers looked like new. I roughed them up and have had one stovepipe like you describe in over 300 rounds over the last two range trips. The only malfunction the gun has had.

 

[dcandas]

I've seen this several times. The plastic the follower is made out of is very slick and flat. I've found taking an emery board, or a piece of sandpaper (or even a pocket knife blade) to it and roughing it up a bit gives the cartridge a bit of "purchase" on the follower. I can't swear it's stopped the problem 100%, but it's sure cut back on it. Why only the last round? It's the only one touching the follower.

I picked up a new (to me) EZ 380 a couple of weeks ago. The mag followers looked like new. I roughed them up and have had one stovepipe like you describe in over 300 rounds over the last two range trips. The only malfunction the gun has had.

Not the last one always the 8th. As if pushing a round into 8th slot makes something to it. If you load 7 rounds last one fires fine.

 

[tarheel13]

That is strange. Have you tried loading 8 and then emptying the mag manually and reloading with that suspect round in a different position? That would tell you if the round is somehow damaged by being at the bottom of a fully loaded mag. Also, visually inspect that round for case crimping etc.

 

[dcandas]

That is strange. Have you tried loading 8 and then emptying the mag manually and reloading with that suspect round in a different position? That would tell you if the round is somehow damaged by being at the bottom of a fully loaded mag. Also, visually inspect that round for case crimping etc.

Good idea. I'll try this as well.

 

[swincolo]

I have also experienced this personally. Take some sandpaper, try 200 grit and rough up the top of the magazine follower, crosswise not lengthwise. (pics attached)

The quick explanation- when round no.7 is loaded into the chamber, round no.8 is pushed forward also just enough from the friction of no.7, and causes the the stovepipe when it tries to load it next.
You can simulate this pretty easily, by loading your magazine and emptying it by racking or by by quickly pushing out each ammo and looking at the last ammo to see how it is sitting on the follower.

After roughing-up the follower on mine, no stovepipes at all after a thousand rounds.
I also did not change the mag springs.

Please let us know if this fixes your stovepipes.
Thank You