Shield 9mm Factory Defect - HELP!

P

Patriot45

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2013
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Hey guys, just wondering if anyone else has had the problem I'm about to describe..

I bought a Shield 9mm brand new, took it home and tore it down to clean it, and when I attempted to put the slide back on I noticed a little spring/metal prong of some type sticking out right in front of the front left slide rail. It appears the prong should be seated in a little slot behind it, but it is not. This out-of-place part is preventing me from re-installing the slide, as it caused the slide to misalign as it traveled further along the front slide rails. A "gunsmith" friend was able to get the slide back on correctly but now the prong is blocking the slide from coming back off, so now I'm EXTRA pissed, cause it's damn near impossible to do what needs to be done to get the slide back off to where the gun can be fixed! He apparently "jumped the gun" (ha) and just tried to reassemble the gun without paying attention to the problem or considering the consequences.. Thanks "buddy".. I just want to know if anyone else has seen this problem, or if they know how quick/cheap it will be to have a real gunsmith fix.. Smith said I need to send it in to them, but I'm not trying to be out of a gun for 2 months. See attached pics, and let me know what y'all think!
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0303.jpg
    DSCN0303.jpg
    89.8 KB · Views: 670
  • DSCN0304.jpg
    DSCN0304.jpg
    95.2 KB · Views: 612
  • DSCN0307.jpg
    DSCN0307.jpg
    92.2 KB · Views: 575
Register to hide this ad
That piece is the slide stop spring sticking out. Why is it sticking out is the question. It was either a defective/bent spring, or it was not installed properly, at the factory. It appears a little bent, as it should be flat. You may be able to remove it, straighten it and reinstall. Your "gunsmith" person should have found this an easy problem to solve. You can call S&W and they will repair it for free, or you can have them send you a new slide stop spring. It is easy to install. The problem is S&W is closed for two weeks vacation time, so unless they can send the part, while closed for vacation, you will have a few weeks extra wait.

I have made a few videos showing removal and install. Follow the links below.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnxzgGb-6aA remove trigger assembly at 5 minute time frame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NVelPgkv-U install trigger assembly at beginning.

PS: This was the first time I had disassembled my Shield, so there was a little trial and error in these videos. It was a learning experience for me. The main part is they will show you how to get to the spring.

Bob
 
Last edited:
I could be wrong, but I believe S&W won't be closing until the 1st. I would call and if they're still open, they might be able to ship out the part before they close for vacation.
 
robkarrob said:
That piece is the slide stop spring sticking out. Why is it sticking out is the question. It was either a defective/bent spring, or it was not installed properly, at the factory. It appears a little bent, as it should be flat. You may be able to remove it, straighten it and reinstall. Your "gunsmith" person should have found this an easy problem to solve. You can call S&W and they will repair it for free, or you can have them send you a new slide stop spring. It is easy to install. The problem is S&W is closed for two weeks vacation time, so unless they can send the part, while closed for vacation, you will have a few weeks extra wait.

I have made a few videos showing removal and install. Follow the links below.


M&P Shield Trigger & Sear Removal - YouTube remove trigger assembly at 5 minute time frame.

M&P Shield Trigger & Sear Reinstall - YouTube install trigger assembly at beginning.

PS: This was the first time I had disassembled my Shield, so there was a little trial and error in these videos. It was a learning experience for me. The main part is they will show you how to get to the spring.

Bob
Click to expand...

Hey Bob thanks so much for the detailed response! I just managed to get the slide back off, but yes, you're right the spring looks bent and hopefully I can just straighten it out or have S&W send me a new one... Thanks for the video tutorial, always like seeing them when I buy a new gun I'm unfamiliar with! I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
gunlovingirl said:
I could be wrong, but I believe S&W won't be closing until the 1st. I would call and if they're still open, they might be able to ship out the part before they close for vacation.
Click to expand...

Thanks Misty, I might give them a call.. But last time I sat on hold for seriously half an hour trying to get through to the warranty dept. They're absolutely swamped! Maybe I'll get lucky..
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Patriot45 said:
Thanks Misty, I might give them a call.. But last time I sat on hold for seriously half an hour trying to get through to the warranty dept. They're absolutely swamped! Maybe I'll get lucky..
Click to expand...

I ordered something a couple of days ago and got an automated response that they were closed and would reopen on 7 August so I'm thinking that means that they're already closed (they did mention the date that they went on vacation but I deleted that email). BTW I agree with Shawn on his advice.
 
shawn mccarver said:
Get a new spring. And a new "gunsmith."
Click to expand...

Ha, yea.. it was a buddy who has a certification but just rushed and didn't listen to what I told him.. Pretty annoying.

Can the spring be obtained from any other source than ordering it directly from S&W?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is why i like to have the gunsmith look over the guns im interested in buying. I have them take it out of the box and break it down in front of me. If all checks out, i walk out with another addition to the family. :D

Its worked for me all these years.
 
Patroit45 reply

Since I haven't needed the spring, I am not sure if anyone carries them, other than S&W. You could start by checking Brownells and MidwayUSA. They seem to carry a lot of S&W parts. You can also try to Google "Shield slide lock spring". You may get lucky. Good luck.

Bob
 
I'd say replace the spring and the gunsmith :-D

My chiefs "gunsmith" told him to buy a new gun after his Walter P22 stopped ejecting.

5 Minutes, My work desk a punch and a safety plunger spring chopped down off of a 6906 later........His weapon was functioning perfectly again. *and I'm a glock armorer* but it was such a simple fix i couldnt not do it for him haha

Gunsmiths are like doctors , Always get a second opinion :-D
 
I'd send it back to S&W. Yes, they may be "closed" for a couple of weeks, but you'll have the gun back before the last week in Aug. So, you won't be out of a gun for two months.

The reason I'd send it back to them is that the frame and trigger block may be damaged due to the way that spring is sticking out. I believe the spring itself might be OK unless the "gunsmith" buggered it more.

Also, I'd like to reiterate that you should not use this "buddy" anymore. If he doesn't know that nothing needs to be forced, he shouldn't be attempting to fix guns.
 
Rastoff said:
I'd send it back to S&W. Yes, they may be "closed" for a couple of weeks, but you'll have the gun back before the last week in Aug. So, you won't be out of a gun for two months.

The reason I'd send it back to them is that the frame and trigger block may be damaged due to the way that spring is sticking out. I believe the spring itself might be OK unless the "gunsmith" buggered it more.

Also, I'd like to reiterate that you should not use this "buddy" anymore. If he doesn't know that nothing needs to be forced, he shouldn't be attempting to fix guns.
Click to expand...

Judging by the conversation I had with the warranty dept, I was under the impression S&W would have it for around a month before they did anything to it. And that was without including the "vacation" time. So I was just calling it two months before I'd have a functioning gun again...

Yea, he was just on an ego trip and threw the gun back together "to do a function check" without listening to me explain the problem.. Needless to say, I no longer trust his judgment and I won't be letting him touch any of my guns again. I eventually got the slide back off so the gun was back to my original "fix it" status. Then, a friend who I DO trust, and who is careful and thorough, took a look at it and the two of us had it fixed in five minutes flat. Just took the locking block assembly out, repositioned the spring and tapped it back into place with a punch and hammer. Gun works perfectly. Thanks for the tips everyone!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm glad you got this fixed. I figured you might.

Later, when you feel comfortable, I'd still send it in to S&W. It can't hurt and their normal turn around is about 1.5 weeks. At least that's my experience.
 
Rastoff said:
I'm glad you got this fixed. I figured you might.

Later, when you feel comfortable, I'd still send it in to S&W. It can't hurt and their normal turn around is about 1.5 weeks. At least that's my experience.
Click to expand...

Just to have them verify everything is okay, you mean? I wasn't planning on sending it to them unless the problem reoccured, or something else malfunctioned..
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yikes! Just when I have my M&P selection narrowed to either a 9mm Shield or a 9mm compact, a story like this comes along re: a new gun. Having a qualified gunsmith tear down and reassemble a new gun before you buy it is a great idea, but doubt the local dealer will handle this. Meanwhile my 9mm FS M&P is back for warranty work. Best Regards, Ed
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
Bodyguard 2.0 questions
Replies
7
Views
372
Mollari
M
leadhead2
Problem with my new BG 2.0 extracting spent brass.
2
Replies
27
Views
1K
skipperjb777
S
CajunBass
Shield 2.0 Slide Release.
Replies
0
Views
350
CajunBass
CajunBass
D
Shield Plus slide not locking back on empty 10 round magazine.
2
Replies
20
Views
1K
MoGunGuy
MoGunGuy
D
Do ANY Shields shoot to POA from factory?
2
Replies
30
Views
1K
Dave686
D

Latest posts

Back
Top