I can't say for sure, but the polymer "pinky" piece on the bottom of the extended mag used to slide up and down the mag as it was really loose. It appears to be more snug now. So unless they did something to actually increase the circumference of the mag...I'm guessing it's a different mag.

The paperwork said "New Mag," but again, not certain.

The "new" mags that were sent back with the gun appear to have been modified by hand. It looks like they used a hammer and punch to push out the top of the mag catch slot on the right side in order to provide more engagement with the mag catch. If you compare the slots on the right and left side, the left side is flat while the right side now has a small "bump."

I say that it was done by hand because there is a slight difference in the appearance of the "bump" on the two mags, so it looks like the mag was modified after manufacture.

Seems like S&W should be having people send in their mags, not their guns. I sent in my pistol without the mags and got back the pistol with two new mags.

Just got my Shield .40 back from repair they said they replaced the Mag Catch. The mag seems to be snapping in with a more noticeable snap to it. Plus the mag seems to be more firmly seated now. Have to go to the range this weekend to test it out.

Installed my new mag catch and it did not work - got mag drops on both magazines. Both catches were a solid magnetic part. The original was embossed with a small "1" and the new mag catch was embossed "2". I measured various dimensions of both parts with a caliper and could not find a dimensional difference between the two parts. Therefore, it is not surprising that the gun is still malfunctioning. I have concluded the best solution is to push out the mag hole slightly as others have stated.

Same problem here. Extended mag drops every time I shoot it.

No problem with short mag.

Called S&W customer service, the guy I talked to had no idea about the problem. He said there are about 20 people taking calls, and mine was the first one he heard about dropping the mag.

If this problem is this widespread, how come they (S&W customer service), acted as if mine was the first one they heard about.

I will be selling it at the gun show this weekend.

Just wanted to stop by and post that my Shield with serial number DXX hasn't shown any sign of the problems listed in this thread after 100 rounds today. Tested with one in the chamber and a fully loaded extended magazine. No problems whatsoever.

Will run another hundred through it next week for further testing.

I have been following this thread with great interest, being a .40 Shield owner. This morning I decided to call S&W and inquire about the issue. Did not get the same of the service rep. I stated I had heard of the mag drop issues and wanted to make sure that 1) they knew about it and 2) my gun was not affected. He stated they knew about the issue and asked me how many rounds I have through the gun. I told him 500+ and he said if I had not had an issue yet I should be fine. To confirm, he asked for the serial number of the gun. He looked it up and said it was "produced this year" and none in that batch were affected. Serial number is DXT25xx. I wonder if he was just blowing smoke. Maybe another owner not having issues should call and inquire about the mag drops. Just a thought.

My serial number is DXVxxxx, which would seem to be produced later than a DXTxxxx serial number. Have had mag drop problems with both mags.

My Shield 40, serial number DXV, was having the mag drop issue. I sent it back to S&W and after a week and a half, got it back two days ago. They said they replaced the mag release and all of my mags. The mags fit a lot tighter, and they now have a lip on them where it contacts the mag release.

I took it out shooting today. I put over 350 rounds through it. No mag drops, no FTF, etc. I was very pleased. Several people shot it and nobody had any issues. I am now very confident that the issue has been fixed

It seems as though S&W came up with a solution to everybodies problem. I hope everybody else is as lucky as I was!

Aren't all Shields "produced this year"??? Or did they start ramping up production pre-rollout all the way back to 2011? If not, he was definitely blowing smoke.

He was blowing smoke. My ser. # is DXX---- and mine has the problem. Guy I talked to said this was the first time he had heard about it.

Mine is SN DXXxxx, and has the extended mag drop issue also.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I was not having any problems and went to the range to see if I could re-create the problem for myself. Low and behold the mags did start dropping on me!

My serial starts with DXX.

I have been using the .40 Shield as my EDC and wanted to make sure everything was working flawlessly. Damn, now I don't trust the gun and will have to send it back to Smith for repair.

I didn't read through this entire thread, so it may have been discussed already. Is this problem mostly occurring with the extended magazine? If so, it's possible the magazine is being pulled out of the gun by the shooter's pinky finger under firing. Many people wrap their pinky very tightly around finger extensions, and the stiff recoil of a tiny pistol can be enough to overcome the strength of the magazine catch. The heavier upper portion of the pistol flips back, while the pinky and magazine extension region remain relatively fixed, prying the mag out. This was an issue with a Keltec PF-9 I used to own.

have same problem not as worried as i am about other issues with the gun gonna contact smith monday!!!

The problem is with both mags, but more common with the extended mag.

However, S&W appears to have developed the fix. The new mags that were returned with my gun and were modified as described in my earlier post appear to work. Went to the range this afternoon and put 120 rounds of Federal 180 grain FMJ through the gun. Both mags performed flawlessly.

No mag drops at all. Before the modification, both mags were dropping anywhere from 30% to 70% of the shots. Now, not a single mag drop through 120 rounds, including rapid fire sequences.

I'm a happy camper, particularly because now that I'm not fighting mag drops and FTFs, i was able to appreciate how well the gun points and shoots for such a small pistol. Perfectly comfortable to shoot, shoots to POA and easily managed recoil considering it is a .40 cal cartridge in a subcompact package. I'm going to enjoy carrying this one.

Fabius,
Same general report back from me. Range yesterday with my Shield40 using the modified magazines back from S&W and no issues. I, however, only tried the extended mag but put 100 rounds through. No drops. No FTEs/Stovepipes. I shoot at an indoor range that sells their own ammo, so had to use Blazer 165gr TMJ. No issues. But, as you point out, toward the end I was able to get a feel for the gun and was putting multiple shots in the red from 5 yards. Started to get some groupings.

That said I'm not as happy as you are overall, however. I only own 2 pistols and just think that when you purchase something like a firearm it should work "correctly." Guess I'm a bit hypocritical because I'm keeping the gun after the whole ordeal. Don't feel comfortable selling it. Put some Talon grips on it last night to boot.
Actually glad to hear/read your comfort in the gun knowing yours had the same issue as mine. It helps. Hopefully over time my initial confidence and comfort with the firearm will return.

__________________
G19, Shield40, BG380

MacDanny - I've owned all sorts of fullsize, compact and subcompact pistols and each size involves compromises. Full size tend to be more reliable, more accurate but harder to conceal. Compacts are easier to conceal, but harder to shoot accurately and can be less reliable.

Subcompacts tend to come in less powerful packages - .380 typically because they can use a straight blowback design for the action in a .380. At 9mm and above you need locked breech, short recoil action, which has more parts and is harder to fit in a subcompact and more prone to malfunction if you do. There is a reason why we are only recently seeing subcompacts from major manufacturers chambered in 9mm, .40 and now even .45.

What i like about the Shield is that the action appears to be totally reliable. I can insert a magazine on a closed slide and operate the slide by hand, riding it forward all the way, and the round still chambers every time. My 1911 won't do that and my Kahr CW9 wouldn't either (traded it for my 9c because of that). That tells me that as long as the mag stays in place the gun will be just as reliable as my larger pistols and probably more reliable than my 1911.

Also, because of the tight tolerances, compact and subcompacts typically require a breakin before they can be considered reliable. Both my Kahr and M&P 9c took 250+ to breakin. The Kahr owners manual tells you not to consider the gun reliable until after 250 - 300 rounds.

I'm happy because I have a subcompact .40 that, during its breakin period, but 120 rounds downrange without a hiccup.. Other owners are reporting the same. That is a significant engineering accomplishment. The mag drop was a simple fix. Getting a subcompact .40 to feed and extract reliably is a much harder challenge. It looks like S&W has solved the engineering problems for that. We'll see.

I got my Serial Number DXV____ Shield .40 back. The paper work said that the mag release was replaced and mag was replaced.

It now has a noticeably more positive, “good-feeling” mag engagement than before (on both the 6-round and the 7-round mags), but the release button force is still just right and the release itself is smooth and clean. Also, the extension sleeve or “boot” on the new 7-round mag fits much more snugly. Perhaps the mag's "body" was too small on some of the original 7-round mags.

Took it to the range after receiving it back from S&W and put about 150 rounds through with zero problems. A few hundred more flawless rounds and I’ll start trusting it for concealed carry. I’m glad they were able to fix it because it is a good shooter – very controllable, handles well, with good accuracy for such a small, short-barreled gun.

I'm a happy camper so far -- hope things stay that way. Good luck to all on getting yours fixed.

Fabius,
Thanks, man. Many, obviously including you, are WAAAY more experienced and knowledgeable then I and it helps me tons when people like you explain more. It just seemed to me that others (serial # DXP, DXT) had pistols that "worked," and I got one (DXV, DXW, DXX) that was incorrectly put together - but made to function with a funky work-around. That's all I knew. It was my second handgun and just seemed second-rate somehow. Bugged me.

Reading your post I actually have a better appreciation for both the situation and the fix.

Seriously, thanks for sharing. Learning this is important to me. Eventually I'll have a history for perspective of my own. Until then I'm reliant upon others. Appreciate it.

Dan

__________________
G19, Shield40, BG380

Glocknug - good information on the mags with a lip on them. Can you take a picture and post. I'm curious whether this looks like a hand punch modification to the mags or something done during manufacturing.

Looks like a hand punch. Below are pics of a mag that came with the gun and one of the "new" modified mags that S&W sent back with the gun.

Old mag that came with the gun.



"New" mag sent by S&W.

Dan - just passing on my impressions. A few observations that I've made that might add to your comfort level. The first is that I can chamber a round even if I ride the slide forward. Every gun that I've owned that will do that has proved to be reliable.

Also, when you break the gun down to clean it, notice that there are no unusual wear marks on the slide or frame. The wear marks are all in the right places and are not excessive. Glocks are like that. Other guns, particularly in .40 cal, will show wear marks in unusual places or excessive wear.

I like the magazines, too. The stack and a half design presents the top bullet at a good angle and holds it securely. A lot of true single stacks, particularly the Kahr, don't hold the top round very securely, so it can move around. The 1911 magazines are the weak point of that pistol's design. People have been trying to fix them for a hundred years.

The other factor is how controllable the recoil is in such a small .40 cal pistol. My old Glock 23 was less comfortable to shoot than the Shield. Don't know how they did it, but the Shield is pleasant to shoot. Not all .40 cal pistols are.

I haven't shot the Shield enough to verify its reliability, but my first impressions are favorable, so I'm going to hang on to mine and keep shooting it. I really want it to work out, because it is the only .40 cal subcompact on the market that has all the features that I want. In any event,it is not a second rate gun.

Checked the mag fitting in the mag well of my 40 Shield and my 9C and the were some slightly loose. No problems with them yet but under 100 rounds each. The did both failed to go into battery if I rode the slide home. Using the slide stop/release they worked as designed. Then checked my 40FS and the were looser so I checked 7 of my Glocks and boy did they rattle!

My serial number is DXT0xxx. Why does not EVERYONE with a problem indicate their serial numbers and see if we can establish a bad run!

Stay Safe!

On Thursday, August 16, 2012, my wife and I bought a S&W M&P Shield (.40 S&W). We went to the range yesterday, August 19, 2012. We loaded it with Remington UMC JHP (7+1 fashion). My wife fired it and the magazine popped out of seat. She slapped it back in, moved the action and fired again. The magazine popped out. I took over, reseated, cleared, fired, and the magazine popped out. We emptied the magazine and compared it thoroughly to the six round one. We put one in, then the other, over and over. We shot both. The 6+1 holds perfectly. The 7+1 will not hold at all. When placing the magazine in the gun, the 6+1 slides in some noticable friction. The 7+1 does not. It slides in, clicks into place, and has a little giggle to it once seated. I thought maybe it was our finger pulling it out of seat, so I loaded two rounds, chambered, then fired while holding my pinky out tea-cup style -- the magazine fell right out of the gun and hit the mud. I've never seen such a thing. Now, Monday, August 20, 2012, I went online to see if anything had been said about this, and I found this forum post.

Note, the 6+1 works perfectly. Overall the firearm is very nice. The striker fire is a quick snap; travel is miniscule. Ergonomics, safety, sights, everything very nice. Inside the pants Uncle Mike's works great.

My wife is historically not a fan of .40 S&W, but after 133 rounds, she's starting to like it.

We will be contacting S&W soon about the magazine issue.

If you want to sell your Shield, make me an offer I can't refuse and I'll take it off your hands.

V/r

Chuck

It would be great if you just read the thread before posting this... then you wouldn't post such a frustrating comment.

I bent out my magazine catch like the picture above and put 50 rounds through my Shield 40.

Not a single malfunction!

Before, my Shield was dropping magazines on the first 3 shots with the extended mag +1 in the tube.

AGREED! Or to put it another way, PROPER SIGHT PICTURE!

Called S&W CS yesterday. Spoke with Tom. Told him my Shield had been previously returned, mag catch replaced. I stated since return the mags had not fallen out but I was concerned that the mag release took almost no pressure to release the mag. Also told him I had seen on this forum some people were being provided with new mags as the "fix". He stated he would send me an RA and provide new mags once I had shipped him my current mags. I inquired if this was the "official" fix for the problem. He replied it was not. I am providing this exchange simply as another data point. I am also currently undecided about exchanging the mags. If I do return them I'm thinking I will surreptitiously mark them thus allowing me to determine if they actually provide new or just modify mine. My serial # DXT.

I say if they are offering to replace them for free, send them back, and absolutely mark them in some way, even an obvious one. My weapon & mags are on their way back to S&W now, and I marked everything, and took pictures of them also. You can never be too safe these days.

First post and I ain't happy!

Wife bought S&W Shield .40 yesterday. Serial prefix DXV. Was unaware of the magazine issue. She had an appointment so we did not get out on the range and shoot it until today.

First pop and the clip drops out. The clip fell out 32 of the first 35 rounds. We went back and fourth with the range attendant as it had to be our fault. Then he shot it. It dropped 6 for 6! Their gunsmith had to try it. 6 for 6 in the drop category.

Gun shop basically told us even though it was new, it was ours and tough ****, call Smith and Wesson.

Called S&W and he instantly knew of the problem and wants the gun and both mags. I said if you know of the problem why aren't you telling the dealer to not sell the gun till it's fixed? He got defensive. I don't appreciate the dealer selling a defective gun, that they know is defective, taking my money and acting like it's no big deal for me to eat the 3 week turn around.

As my wife said "Should have bough the damned Glock".

I have been following and posting on this thread. Smith and Wesson fixed my mag drop problem. It shoots well now, but I am going to sell my Shield and get and XDS anyway. I understand there is the risk of hiccups when you buy a gun out of the gate. However, when I don't get straight answers from customer service and they act like I'm a pest when I call twice in four weeks to find out what is being done to fix the problem. I just can't get that taste out of my mouth. Call me a whiner if you want, but all I ask is to be straight with me. They have lost a customer.

New Member here!
Sent my .40 shield back as both mags were dropping. Bad. Got it back. Said replaced mag and release. Noticed the "bump" on the mag where the catch engages. Shot 100 rounds through with no problems. Kind of a boring story looking at it now.

What bothers me is how this problem started in July based on what I have read. Shield .40's made earlier seem to have not had this issue. Do they have "bumps" on the mag on earlier serial number shield .40's? Why did they not have this problem. Is the "fix" they made for us (later shield owners) a patch? What happens if I buy additional mags? Will I have the same issue because they did not fix the root cause of the problem by just punching a "bump" on my mag?

OK I am new and probably not making a good first impression and sounding like some paranoid B****er. I know several have "fixed" this issue themselves and proud of it. I expect S&W to bring it to specifications like the initial production run. If the first runs pre July were not designed with a "bump" in the mag, what is still wrong with mine that requires this modification to design to make it work right?

I come from automotive manufacturing and understand quality issues in manufacturing. I do NOT understand a "patch" on an expensive precision machine. If you have a problem, fix it to design or replace it with something to spec as it was designed by the engineers.

Maybe I'm just blind and can't see it through all the product drop downs, but is there any way to track the status of the repair through S&W's web site, instead of calling them to find out the status?

The reason that I am wondering is so I can be at home when it is returned and can sign for it. (I'll have to take time off of work) Plus, I'm not crazy about it being driven around for multiple days by FedEx.

I think S&W Customer Service might get a little annoyed if I called every day asking about it.

But on the other hand maybe calling every day would make them fix it faster? The old "squeaky wheel" syndrome?

No, you're not a "B****er". I feel the same way.
I held off purchasing a Shield 40 for a couple of months to try and avoid any problems with a startup manufacturing process.
It never fails, whenever I think I'm doing my best Mr. Spock 'logical' impersonation, I get it wrong and get burned.

And you pose a very good question about any additional mags purchased off the shelf.,now or in the future.

As I said in an earlier post,
When a company is manufacturing something specifically designed to "SHIELD" a person's life, a LOT more product testing and quality control is needed.

I have expressed in other posts that S&W is hurting themselves and their reputation by not being more aggressive in responding to the obvious problem with the .40 Shields. However, I think that people should keep in mind how truly cutting edge the Shield is. No other major manufacturer is offering a full featured .40 cal in a package that is this concealable and this shootable.

In my view, the Shield is the semi-auto answer to the J frame revolver. Small enough to carry all the time in complete comfort and easily concealed, but more powerful, more comfortable to shoot, easier to reload and more accurate. Shoot 5 rounds of .38 +P in a J frame then shoot a mag full of 9mm +P or .40 cal in a shield and you will appreciate how revolutionary the Shield is. J frames are unpleasant to shoot. The Shield is a pleasure to shoot.

So, despite the initial mag drop issue, I'm keeping my Shield because i can drop the Shield in one pocket, a spare mag in the other and have 14 rounds of .40 cal on me at all times. Not bad.

And when I got off the phone with S&W I'm told that the return label, sent via email will arrive in 24 to 48 hours!!!!


Another weird question. What if someone bought one of these defective pistols, loaded it at the dealer without shooting it then has a need to use it on the way home?? Buyer gets one shot off then the clip is on the floor! Seems like a lawsuit just waiting to h happen!

Anyone who buys any gun and immediately loads it, then carries it without firing a single shot through the gun which includes the defense ammo of their choice is not very smart. There is no lawsuit waiting to happen.

New member, registered just to report on my .40 Shield issue. Bought the pistol last month, and had drop issues with the 7 round mag right away. Drop issues developed with the 6 rounder late in the first range session (150 rounds). My second range session (200 rounds) was plagued by near-constant drops with both mags.

I've been watching this thread, waiting for something definitive from S&W on a fix... unwilling to send in my pistol for an indeterminate period of time. Last night I disassembled both mags, and modified the mags at the point of mag-catch engagement, as per recommendations in this thread. Today, I took the Shield to the range at lunch and put 100 flawless, drop-free rounds through both the 6 and 7 round mags. The gun really is a pleasure to shoot once the dropsies are eliminated. I am also 100% confident in carrying this gun now, as well. I will, however, keep tabs on the issue and exchange my mags for modified "gen2" shield mags if S&W makes them available.

Like others, I'm a little ticked that I had the issue at all, but it was worth it because I worked through it and having a semi-auto .40 that I can pocket carry was the holy grail of my concealed weapon search over the last ten years. I FINALLY have a weapon that I don't feel requires compromises from me.

For the record, S/N is DXVXXXX.

Brought home my DXP .40 Shield and have zero mag malfunctions but did have to light primer strikes. It may be an issue with the primers in my loads or a weapon problem. I will have to do some more evaluation. Does anyone else have rectangular strike marks on the primer or are they round? My firing pin appears round but the firing pin hole appears to elongated.

However, I did have another issue. Only one mag in the box. I started another thread about it.

I've been following this thread and I have a shield 40 that functions fine without mag drop issues. There is one concern that I didn't see addressed which is if the mag drop issue is the fault of the gun or if it is the fault of the mag itself. Let's say that it is in fact the magazine that is the issue, maybe the manufacturer had a lot of mags that fell in the bottom side of the specified tolerances and I later on purchase one of those mags. Am I going to start having the mag drop issue when using the mag?
On the other hand, what if the problem is with the gun itself and S&W had a lot of guns that the Mag Well was on the plus side of the tolerances. Those guns may always have the mag drop issue unless the hand punch modification was made to each of the mags.

I took some measurements from the gun and the mag with a set of dial calipers and if someone else with a set of calipers and a Shield 40 with the mag drop issue can take the same measurements then we can compare to see if it is the mag or the gun.

Shield 40, serial DXTxxxx

The measurements I took of the mag was the dimensions along the entire length of the extended mag and it was consistently 1.264" x .651"
The measurements I took of the gun was just the opening of the mag well as deep as I could get with the calipers and it was 1.312" x .680"

The possibility exist that the deeper into the mag well the measurements are taken the more the dimensions will increase or decrease but I don't have the proper equipment to take those measurements.

I know this should be the job of S&W to decipher the mag drop issue and find a remedy, but I just don't like the idea of the quick fix hand punch method as far as consistency between pistols and magazines. I do think the quick fix method is fine as long as you are using the mags S&W are modifying.

DXP serial number. According the fired casing 4/2012

I just measured 6-round magazine and it is 1.264" x .647" and the mag well measures .680"

Are you having mag drop issues?

Nope. It locks up tight. The post above mine was asking about magazine measurements and mine are smaller than his in width but the same length.

I put another 100 rounds through the .40 Shield today.

Previously mentioned that I bent the mag catch up a little for more positive catch. Used a brass punch, came in on the opposite side and banged it out just a tad.

So, 150 rounds later and not a single issue.

I can understand people who are hesistant to do this but until S&W HAS an official fix then this is the way to go. I'll be damned if I have to send my Shield in for weeks just so they can do something I did at home.

Also, I gotta say that S&W has really dropped the ball. This has obviously been a problem for months and they should at the very least made a statement about the problems we .40 Shield owners are having.

I finally called S&W today regarding my mag drop problem with my .40 Shield. The rep knew of the problem, and immediately said he would send me a shipping label to send out back to them for repair. I asked about sending the mags back also, but he said that wasn't necessary, to send the pistol only. It will be interesting to see if a fix to the pistol without modifying the mags will cure the mag drop issue. Otherwise I love my Shield, and am looking forward to putting it into my EDC rotation along with a PM9 (also in for repair) and a SIG P239 (old faithful, it always goes bang).

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2