Hello. I am a first time poster, but I have been shooting for a while. I just bought an S&W M&P 9c. I shoots very nicely but I am experiencing an odd problem. When the slide is locked back, and you insert a fully loaded magazine, the slide releases automatically.

And actually, if you insert the magazine 'gently' the slide release stays back, but if you insert it with any force, the slide releases automatically. And if the magazine is not fully loaded, the slide release stays back no matter how hard you insert it.

I called S&W and they said this was a design feature and that I shouldn't be inserting magazines with any force. They said it was a design feature. This doesn't sound right. Any similar experiences or suggestions? Thanks.

You should be able to slam a loaded magazine into any fighting pistol.

The Smith rep sounds like they are talking out of their rearend.

I suspect the slide catch and/or spring is out of spec and needs to be swapped.

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Stu

And I love that this happens on my M&P's especially in an IDPA/USPSA match....speeds things up for me to say the least.
Randy

I wish it would happen everytime. I've been caught a couple of times where I was expecting it to happen and it didn't.

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N.R.A. BENEFACTOR Member

My full size M&P 9 will do the same thing but you really have to slam the bottom of the magazine to get it to release. I practiced this technique when inserting a magazine because my hand is not big enough to release the slide stop by pulling down on it. I have to grab the slide and pull it back.
Don't know about the 9c. Have not tried to make it release when inserting and have never had it release just with normal insertion of the magazine. The 9c I can release the slide stop one handed.


If you have to be careful to gently insert a magazine or it releases I would say that is not been my experience with either my 9 or 9c. They are both in original condition, no trigger jobs etc., no safeties.

Glocks do this as well. It is a design feature (so I'm told and read) at least in a Glock. My Glock 27 does it, but you do have to ram it fairly hard, whch I'm sure you would do in a stressful situation. I would assume M&P would be the same. Since I sold my M&P 9, I can't check.

Ditto WillBill...except for the selling part. I still have mine.

It's a design feature, and competitors love it.
It's easy to control with a little practice.
Just keep your booger hook off the bang switch when reloading.

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Science plus Art

10mmauto - I have a 40c and got it new from S&W and mine does the same thing when you slam the mag home. Personally, as a former LEO with LEO & military training, I love this "feature" of the firearm. I want to be "ready to go" as soon as humanly possible after reloading and that is just one less step I have to go through (slingshot to load a round) when reloading. Especially if I'm facing a BG.

If I had to go through a 10 round (40c) mag and need more, then that means I probably need it NOW; so the faster I can have the firearm ready, the better. So, personally, I look at it as an advantage.

Plus, as per previous posts, competitors love it because it helps them in competition and makes them ready faster. Same should go for SD/HD situations. At least that's how I take it.

As OKFC05 says, as long as you keep your finger off the trigger (which you should do no matter what until you are actually firing anyway), it shouldn't matter anyway.

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Mat - M&P 40c & 40 Shield

Thanks, R1. But here's my problem with that. You play like you train, so if you are constantly training to slam the magazine (which has been my habit for years) and have the slide automatically go forward, the hitch comes when that DOESN'T happen or when you are shooting any other gun which doesn't have this "feature." It's hard for me to believe that Smith 'designed' this into the gun.

Thanks everyone else for the other comments. It just seemed weird to me.

I her ya.. my f/s and compact both do it ..occasionally so i just practice as if it wont so when it does its just a plus.

I've experienced the same thing with my FS M&P9.

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Ed

In engineering talk, a "design feature" is a bug that they don't know how to fix yet.

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VIVERE MILITARE EST

I worked in an electronics research/design/manufacturing plant for 4 years alongside electrical and software engineers and you are exactly right. There were always "feature vs. bug" jokes flying around.

I've never slammed mags into my M&Ps hard enough to release the slide. I'm going to check to see if that "feature" exists in mine though.

If you load with your thumb on the slide catch, you'll never know whether it did it on its own or you helped.
If you're "practicing like you're going to fight", every reload should be done as quickly and efficiently as possible.

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Science plus Art

I just tried it with my 45 FS, same thing. Normally I just push the mag in, release the slide lock, and shoot. This time I slammed it home, and the slide released and chambered a round. I don't think there is a lever or bar or anything that the mag actually hits, is there? I believe when you shove that much weight into the well you are simply overcoming the retention force of the slide lock?

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Marty 4513TSW 13-1 642 60-10

my 45 midsize does the same thing. I think the force of slamming a full mag in jars the slide lock free. But, then again maybe it actually IS a "design feature" ")

I wasn't aware it was a design feature, but I never heard that it really caused any harm other than someone said that inserting a full sized mag into a baby Glock with force would damage the ejector....
My M&P 45 does it. All the Glocks I've owned and fired have done it.

You don't need to slam anything. Just push on the back corner of the magazine firmly as you insert it up into the gun, and it'll lock forward every time. No slamming and I can do it 100% of the time with my 9 Pro Series M&P.

A number of years ago I had an officer slam his Sig P229 40 partially loaded mag home hard enough to cause the slide to go forward. He had slammed it home with enough force to cause the rounds to compress the magazine spring and unfortunately not chamber a round. We were able to duplicate it easily. Don't know if it can happen with a M&P, their springs may be stiffer.

My 9c didn't do it at first, but after a many slide releases, it does it when I slam it home and I'm greatful it does. It certainly saves time, not only in matches, but when you have to do a lifesaving reload. Look at it as a benefit.