Last week 2-7-2014 I brought a shield 40 ran 100 rounds of
180 gr. Federal fmj with 0 problems. A few days later ran about 30 more Fed. 180 fmj. I had 1 feed jam. 3 times gun didn't fully cycle to battery now the extended mag. has a gap and won't seat fully. I slap it in and it still has a gap. My 2mth old MP 9mm no problems ran 600 -700 rounds of 115 gr. different brands. Calling S and W next week.

A gap between the magazine and the bottom of the grip is normal for the shield with a loaded magazine and the slide closed, typically about 1mm.

As long as the magazine release catches, it should be fine.

I shipped my Shield 40 out to S&W on 2/21/14 and received it back on 3/10/14. Looks like they had it for 9 business days, so that's rather quick.

They gave me an extra 40 cal 6-round magazine along with a note explaining the repair -

"Polished feed ramp, replaced guide rod, adjusted trigger pull, function tested - no issues"

I will take it to the range after Wednesday of this week to see how it performs.

Actually I shipped mine out and received it back on the exact same dates, Shipped on 2/21, S&W received it on 2/24 and and received from them on 3/10. They did not give me a free mag probably because i sent them all 5 of my mags in with the gun, maybe they figured I had enough already. The repair document states

"Performed Service: Evaluate / Repair - Replace Barrel/Extractor/Function Test"

So I take it out to the range today to fire a few hundred rounds through it to see how it performs. Same damn issue! after 5 Fail to Feed out of 250 rounds (and one stove pipe, slide caught the spent casing as it was feeding the next round) I left the range. Same deal as before, Bullet nose down, not touching feed ramp, happens with any of my 5 mags and 2 and a half boxes of WWB ammo. I'm planning to call S&W to see if they want me to send it back... again.

Nomadic Vagabond, what were your results at the range since you've received it back from S&W?

Shield.40 Still Fails to Feed After Repair1


Shield.40 Still Fails to Feed After Repair2

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-Adam Christopher

So, I just got back from the range.

That's funny how we sent our Shield 40's in for the same thing but they repaired them two different ways. You had your barrel and extractor replaced, I had my feed ramp polished out and my guide rod replaced.

Anyway, I went through 100 rounds of FMJ ammo without any issues at all. The only difference was that I was using WWB 165gr FMJ as opposed to the WWB 180gr FMJ ammo I typically use with the Shield. Interestingly though, my shots were a lot more accurate for some reason - maybe because of the 165gr. Still, that's weird because I'm more accurate with 180gr in my FS M&P where the 165gr is all over the place.

HOWEVER... I also fed my Shield 40 my carry ammo, which is 165gr Hornady Critical Defense. I only brought 14 rounds to the range and loaded up 2 mags worth (6+1). I had 2 Failure-to-Feed in the middle of both mags. There was ammo still remaining in the mag with the slide locked back. Same damn issue!!!!!

IT GETS WORSE... I checked out the spent casings on my WWB FMJ ammo and those were fine, BUT, the Hornady Critical Defense casings were BULGING at the bottom!!! This is my carry ammo so I'm really upset this happened.

I called S&W on my way home and they're sending me another return label to send the Shield back to them.

Anyone interested in buying my Shield? LOL... I think I should replace it and get the 9mm version...

This sounds all to familiar to me. Mine is on its way back for the second time. It came back from s&w the first time in worse shape than it left. At least you got a free magazine out of the deal, so far I have gotten nothing but trouble and rude customer service.

I will say that it did shoot about 100 rounds before my first fail to feed today. Even before i sent it in for repair, it did have a 70 round streak without failure, and at other times I've had two fail to feed in the same mag... it's very inconsistent. I would like to see it eat at least 500 rounds flawlessly before i consider it truly fixed and reliable. I would hope that's not asking too much? My M&P 40c has a few thousand rounds through it and have never had one issue (that wasn't defective ammo related). My carry ammo is also Hornady Critical Defense but I have yet to shoot any through the gun... I'll have to test those as well.

I'm waiting to install a bunch of parts that I already purchased (Apex DCAEK, AET, Sights, Talon Grip) so I'm kind of committed... which I'm fine with (as long as it gets fixed or replaced in the end) since i really like the Shield 40, hell that's why I bought it. But I'm not interested in the 9mm version at all.

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-Adam Christopher

I bought a new .40 Shield that did the exact same thing twice within 100 rds of 165g PMC fmj. I bought it on Monday and traded it back in on the following Wednesday for a Glock 36. No problems so far out of the Glock in 300 rds of ammo. Personally I'm not putting up with a problematic gun. Too much hassle with sending it back over and over and over hoping the manufacturer finally gets it right. I own three Glocks now and they all three have worked perfectly straight from the box. Never had to send a Glock back yet.

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Virg...

Same here. My FS M&P has never had a single misfeed or anything, it's perfect @ 2,000 rounds.

It seems as though the Hornady Critical Defense ammo has a hire failure rate for some reason. I obviously use it a lot less at the range. Of the 64 HCD rounds I've fed it, 4 locked the slide up - so 6.25%... ouch... Weird how only those cases bulge. S&W said it was because it's +P ammo... I didn't think 165gr was considered +P, then again, the guy probably didn't know what he was talking about. I don't even think there is +P in 40S&W anyway...

Yes, same thing with my Shield - even before I sent it back to S&W I could go ~70 rounds without an issue.

Personally, I would absolutely not modify anything about the trigger in a CCW weapon due to legal liabilities, but that's just me. I think it shoots just fine out of the box. I already have the Talon grips on it and am waiting for my Trijicon sights to come in.

I only bought the 40 because my FS is a 40 and didn't want to stock another caliber. However, I do think this and other issues are confined to the 40. The 9 is starting to look more appealing to me for due to fewer known issues, less recoil (although 40 doesn't bother me), and an extra round. Too bad I have 5 magazines for the 40 now...

How much did they give you for the trade?

Not nearly as much as I paid them for it two days prior due it being a used gun. But in my opinion the loss of $$ was worth it vs having to send it in multiple times. I will not be buying anymore Smith Shields or M&P's for that matter until they get all the bugs worked out of them. I know there are bad reports out there on every brand of gun but I have to go on what my experiences have been and so far my experience with my three Glocks have been very positive. I have a 2nd gen model 22 that has over 6,000 rds through it with 0 malfunctions. I have a model 27 with a little over 1,000 rds through it with 0 malfunctions. I now have a model 36 with 300 rds through it with 0 malfunctions. I can't argue with that kind of reliability.

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Virg...

I have experienced the same feed problems. Polishing the ramp did not help. I took the gun and a pair of pliers to the range yesterday . After a nose dive I removed the rounds from the mag and used the pliers to SLIGHTLY opened the front of the cartridge hold down rails on the top of the magazine. This raised the angle of the cartridge as it comes out of in the mag. It took several cycles of test and bend until I had no jams on the ramp. However I did have the slide lock back once with one round still in the mag. Ammo was Winchester S&W 40. I will need a lot more range time to see if this worked, or if one fix created another problem.

Mag issue.
When i lock my mag in my 40 it pushes down in the mag a little and if i remember it sits closer to the center of the barrel than yours.your mag should not push the nose downward

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S&W Shield 40 owner

OP, this is very interesting thread and there have been some really great suggestions. (except for the ones saying to polish the feed ramp which is a B.S. recommendation for your problem where the bullet is hanging up before touching the feed ramp.)

Since none of the suggestions worked for you and S&W replaced your barrel, then I strongly suspect you have a slide velocity issue that is causing the problem.

Some of my suggestions:

1. Check for smooth slide movement with the recoil spring assembly removed from the gun and with all grease and oil removed from the slide rails and slide slots.

2. Do not use a dry lube like Froglube on the slide rails. Use a light viscosity gun grease (not oil) on the rails and apply it sparingly.

3. Replace the recoil spring assembly, which S&W did not replace when you sent your gun in. The quality of the recoil spring assembly used in Shield pistols is pure *****. There has been plenty of discussion about this fact in other message threads: Shield Slide Hang Up

4. With all of your magazines side by side, compare the shape and angle of the feed lips for consistency. Measure the gap between the feed lips. Also measure the distance from the top of the feed lip to the top of the magazine catch hole to see if it is the same on each magazine. You are looking for anomalies in the measurements.

5. Make sure the magazine follower moves freely throughout its travel in the magazine and is not getting hung up on a burr or on the sidewall of the magazine. Since your problem is occurring across more than one mag, this is not likely the source of your problem but it may benefit someone else having a feeding issue.

6. Do not use Hornady Critical Defense (with the polymer tip) in a gun that has a history of feeding problems. Use Gold Dot Short barrel ammo or Federal HST, which also have superior ballistics to Hornady.

Do you think the polymer tip is somehow to blame? Curious to know the mechanics behind why you might think that.

Yes, the polymer tip can be expected to interfere with feeding, particularly in a gun that has demonstrated nose-down feeding problems with plain'ol target ammo.

In any case, Hornady self-defense ammo would not be my first choice in a short barrel gun. The best choice based on ballistic performance is probably Federal HST ammo.

Thanks. I picked up a few boxes of Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 180gr. JHP recently but have yet to test them at the range. Do you think those would bode as well as the Federal HST?

From watching well run amateur tests of 9mm ammo, the Federal HST may have more reliable and consistent expansion than the Speer Gold Dot's when fired from a short barrel gun into denim covered ballistic gel. The reason probably has to do with the HST's being unbonded verus the Gold Dot's bonded bullet design.

The Gold Dot's performance seems to be more dependent on velocity than the HST, hence the need for Speer to create short-barrel specific ammo with a faster burning powder. I always found it very strange that Speer does not specifically state in print how its short-barrel ammo is different.

Watch these videos and you will see what I am alluding to:

Speer Gold Dot 124 grain standard pressure ammo:
Ammo Quest 9mm: Speer Gold Dot 124 grain tested in ballistic gelatin test review - YouTube

Federal HST 124 grain standard pressure ammo:
Ammo Quest 9mm: Federal HST 124 grain tested in ballistic gelatin test review - YouTube

Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P short barrel ammo (listen especially to the 8 minute mark in video):
Ammo Quest 9mm: Gold Dot 124-grain +P, regular vs. short barrel in ballistic gel - YouTube

I am also having a feed issue with my Shield 40. Although I have not had ANY failures in 380 rounds or so with Federal 180, WWB 165 and 165 Critical defense. My shield appears to be sending the round into the top of the chamber first denting the bullet. It is also chewing up the followers. Posted a thread the other day on the subject. Sent pics to Smith and waiting for reply. Live in a not so free state and just installed the apex and Ameriglo's Looks like I will have to swap apex before sending back.

I'm having a similar issue with my extended magazine primarily but I'm not sure if it's the same problem. I've had the gun jam with the angled downward toward the nose and the casing catch on the lip of the magazine when trying to push it out as shown in the images posted. However, I'm also experiencing the magazine jamming where, once I do get a round out (by hand), the rest of the ammunition gets stuck for a few seconds (at least) then the spring force snaps it to the top where it's supposed to be. [ATTACH]photo 2.JPG[/ATTACH]Even then though, it sometimes has a nose down orientation and isn't tight against the stop at the top.

I think I was able to fix it but I can't tell if it's the same issue you're having. After taking the magazine apart and inspecting the pieces I noticed a wear mark on the side of the follower shown below. (this might be normal but I hadn't noticed it, I checked the 6-rd mag. I have and it had it too but I haven't had any issues with that one.

photo(2).JPG

I then tried to feed some rounds into the magazine holding the spring in place by hand to control the force pushing on the rounds. I found that the first three round went in okay but the fourth was more difficult, I took everything out and the first round loaded was stuck between the guide creases in the sides of the magazine. I also noticed that the magazine was distorted a bit (not sure if this contributed but I bent it back anyway) where the sides weren't perpendicular to the front and back. it wasn't much but it was there.

I bent the magazine back to square and tried to bend the sides out a bit just at the top near where the magazine thins down to give the ammo some clearance. It seems to have helped as I can load and unload the magazines MUCH more easily and I've emptied the magazine several times by racking the slide. I haven't had a chance to get to the range yet but I'll post back if I have any further problems.

Hope this helps.

Attached Images

photo 1.JPG (71.8 KB, 113 views)

My shield hates WWB 165 grain ammo.it causes a failure to eject issue. Other of ammo, I have had no issues with yet.

I have a .40 Shield and have not shot it yet but I do have an issue where my slide will stop short of full travel back. This causes me no end of headaches when I try to reassemble the gun but can't lock the slide back. I believe this is due to the lousy RSA in the Shield. Anyway, what I'm wondering is if the slide isn't cycling all the way back, but just far enough to eject the spent casing maybe the bullet in the mag isn't travelling all the way up to be positioned properly when the slide picks it up. This would be due to the slide cycling forward sooner than usual. That, I would think would cause the round to potentially catch on something since it wasn't properly aligned. I have been worrying about cycling issues if my slide decides to not travel all the way myself. Just a thought.

I would hesitate to attempt to modify anything at this point, it just might invalidate your 'life-time' warranty. Contact S&W on the phone and get their advice. One other possibility- When you insert the mad do you slap it in with your hand to assure that it seats properly?

If you haven't shot it yet, how do you know you have an issue? The forces acting on the action are very different when firing a live round than when manually cycling the action. I wouldn't worry about it until you actually have a problem when operating the pistol. Things loosen up as the pistol us used in live fire, dry fire and cycling the slide by hand doesn't do much in this aspect.

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Minimize the variables

While I do agree that manually cycling the slide vs live firing would be different I also feel that there is no way that the slide will travel all the way back when the conditions are such that the slide simply stops before full travel. I have leaned on the gun on the edge of the counter and even used a rubber jar opener grip thing on the slide to get a better grip. The slide simply stops short. It is a hard stop as well, not just that the spring is too hard to compress any further. I do feel it's the RSA binding or catching something while compressing but obviously it's hard to prove. I should mention that this happens about half of the times I disassemble and reassemble.

After explaining in depth the issue with S-W they are sending me a new RSA. All that said, I do hope that (if the new RSA doesn't solve the problem) that shooting it will correct whatever is going on. Other threads on this forum seem to suggest that it sometimes isn't fixed with a new RSA...fingers crossed. So my comment was me wondering if the OP has the same issue and whether the slide is picking up the next round before the gun fully cycles. Unlikely I know but I have been wondering what will happen if I fire the gun and the slide doesn't cycle all the way back.

more warranty work done by the customer...
Very sad....

I hear you. I do need to mention that after following up with S-W on where the replacement RSA was they offered to take the pistol back in to evaluate. I prefer to see if the new RSA helps before sending the gun back.

I, and others, have this problem as well. The problem is not an unpolished barrel ramp. It is the junk magazines S&W has provided. The rounds are stopping on the front edge of the magazine. When this occurs, jiggle the barrel and you will see that it is properly loose and not "bound" up by the cartridge. If you pull back on the slide slightly, the round will pop up and feed. This happens to me about every 3rd magazine on my 40cal shield. Very upsetting! I called S&W and talked to a "so called" technician. I think I woke him up from a nap. The guy was rude, disconcerned and showed no interest in my problem. He basically denied that there were any problems with this gun and it must be something I was doing wrong. The followers in these mags are too loose, they can "rock" forward and back allowing rounds to tip-down on to the front edge of the magazine. I'm very disappointed in the gun, I was counting on S&W's reputation that I've always relied on with their revolvers. I know, I know...some of you are going to say, "I've never had a problem with mine, it works perfectly, etc. etc." Well, that information doesn't help those of us who do. As for the technician I spoke to, I'm writing a letter to the Customer Service Manager Kate Fredette, 2100 Roosevelt ave., Springfield, Mass. 01102

I don't know if this would help you or not but I had the same issue with some cheep 1911 mags. I took out the follower and spring and working at 45degs from the inside front edge of the mag with some emery cloth on a spent round..When the round dives a bit it will now slide George

I picked up my Shield 40 a few days ago. I haven't had the chance to shoot it yet. But i have been racking the slide to make sure it feeds round properly into the barrel. The rounds most of the time get stuck at an upward angle and don't sit into the barrel correctly. The feed ramp seems to be fine and I stripped the gun down to check for any problems with interior parts but all seems to be fine there. I'm wandering if this is a magazine issue and if the magazine springs just need to be broken in first. This happened to both magazines initially but now it really only happens with the extended magazine. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

I'd go shoot it before I worried for even a second about it.

I figured even though it's been almost a year, I should post a follow up to my issue with my Shield.

So after my last post back in March of last year, I called them up and explained that it still failed to feed rounds consistently even after they've repaired it and sent it back. The tech suggested that I ship it back to them and assured me that the issue would be resolved. I don't remember exactly how long they had it, I want to say 3-4 weeks before I had it back and the documentation stated they had replaced the entire slide assembly.

The reason I haven't tested it since it came back was because I injured my back (ruptured 2 discs in my lower back) and have been dealing with it off and on since March of last year. After a lot of physical therapy I'm finally doing much better with little to no pain but still healing.

With that being said, I finally got around to taking it to the range a few times in the last month to see if the issue has been resolved or not. I can say it's functioned 100% perfectly since I received it back the second time. All of my magazines, same brand ammo, different brand ammo, everything feeds without any issues. I just wanted to post a follow up and even though I was unlucky enough to have experienced issues right out of the box, and had to ship it in twice to get it resolved, I’m glad that it seems to be 100% reliable so far. I'm hoping that it continues to function without issues after I put a few hundred more rounds through it, then I'll install my parts in it.

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-Adam Christopher

Glad you hear that S&W was able to resolve your issues. Also glad to hear that you are doing better health wise as well. Hopefully you'll be able to get full enjoyment out of your Shield now. Have fun and be safe.

Interesting that supposedly the replacement slide fixed the issue. How many rounds you put through it since the fix? What do you think the issue would be with the slide?

Following this thread I would have guessed a mag issue. I have a shield .40 and the rounds don't nosedive like yours did. This was a great thread. You did well to not get upset with a nagging issue like that. I learned a lot.

Were the rounds coming up in the mag nose down or was the original slide knocking the nose down as it contacted the case?

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Trucks and guns.

That is good to hear. I Too sent mine in for the exact same issue. your pictures could have been taken from my gun.
I sent mine back and it came back with the same issue.I think it is the mag release not holding the mag far enough into the gun, but it could be that the return spring is too weak. I just today went to the range to see if i could narrow the problem down. I held the gun firmly with pressure of a rest on the bottom of the mag and it functioned flawlessly. held in my hand and it nose down jammed. So more than likely the mag release needs to hold the magazine up a fraction in the gun. yours was fixed with a slide replacement, which most likey included a new spring. so it could have been just the spring is too weak on some models. with a stronger spring the mag releas position may be OK. anyway I guess it is back to S&W for my gun along with the above suggested items to look at.

My Shield 9 hasn't had this issue. And as far as I know my son in law's Sheild 40 has not had this issue. But I have had almost exactly the same thing on a Ruger SR40c. I have been thinking that maybe it was the flat point or not set deep enough or catching the slide stop. .
Grip did seem to have some effect but that also could have been no real effect but just seemed like it.
I thought they were catching on the ramp but I will have to take a closer look next time it happens or I will have to take a closer look at the magazines and make sure they are clean and straight etc.

Hello, I'm new to the forum. I just bought a Shield .40 this past weekend and took it to the range Wednesday night and brand new out of the box started having feed problems. My rounds were doing the same...catching on the magazine, nose diving into feed ramp, hitting on the top of the barrel. Called customer service and they sent me a shipping label for fed-ex. Had a M&P full size in .40 and had no problems with that..just to big to carry. Told them for a carry gun...misfeeds are not an option. See what happens. To me the feed ramp looks to be to much of an angle...Magazines are hard to load also...maybe spring pressure is to high. Wilson Combat don't make mags for the shield, wish they did, that would be an option.

Proud M&P Shield 9 owner here & its my EDC loaded with Hornady "American Gunner" XTP's.... I experienced a FTF a few times when I first bought it and narrowed it down to a mag that had a noticably more stiffer spring in it when compared to my other mags for that same gun.... I've had not one failure on the others mags after over 1000 rnds. I also disassemble & clean the mags after every outing. I strongly feel that this issue is with the magazine & not the pistol itself.

I suggest that you apply masking tape to the bottom of each mag and number them 1-whatever you got. Go to the range and note which mag was loaded that you experienced the failure. set that mag off to the side and try the others....then go back to that mag & try it again, if you experience failures with that same mag then well, there ya go...

Even so, after reading this thread, it will not deter me from purchasing a Shield 40...Great pistols!

Got my new Shield 40 for Christmas. I picked up the Shield, took it home, broke it down and put it back together, fresh oil and all. Took it to the range and put 100 rounds through it with no feed issues.

2 weeks later, back to the range with 200 rounds of the same ammo. I'm using the extended magazine. First round manualy chambers fine. The second round fails to load every time.

I am also noticing that the bras gets hung up just a bit on the magazine. The lead clears it, but the brass just knicks the magazine. Has anyone tried shaving down the magazine half a millimeter to see if it helps? Thoughts?

Hey guys and gals, I purchased a shield .40 and it had feed problems. I called my dealer and they gave me S&W's phone number. I called and they sent me an RMA label. Once I packed it up in a box I called Fed ex, on Saturday they came to my door and picked it up. about a week and a half maybe two I received my shield. I took it to the range and it was perfect NO MORE feed problems. they Polished the feed ramp and replaced the recoil spring. It's perfect now. S&W is the best. Customer service is excellent. Maybe they will correct these issues on the assembly line.
shoot straight!

that is easy... I had problems with mag #1,2,3,4, &5.
my gun is on its way back to me from Springfield. should get here Friday an I hope it is fixed after 2 trips to the factory, cause I really like the gun.

It is becoming apparent that the common thread in the fixed pistols has been the recoil spring.

I finally got my .40 back with almost the same repair done as the first time I sent it in. all they did is replace the ejector. to my surprise it functioned properly with any factory ammo I put in it. I did not run enough through it to be 100% certain, but it looks promising. I'll try running a few more through it to see if it is truly fixed when I can.

I am having the same issue with my Shield 9mm. I sent back to S&W and just got it back. Haven't had a chance to test it yet. In their return they stated that they polished the chamber and breech face and found no problems. After reading about others who have gotten theirs back and still have the problem, I am thinking I will wash my hands of S&W and buy something else.

Well it did not function properly when I had a chance to test properly.
I sent it back a 4th time. it seems the problem is with higher power factor rounds. low PF rounds function OK, but anything that I would use for self defense does not. Winchester Silver Tip, Cor-Bon, Winchester bonded, all failed to feed as well as PMC 180 gr, fmj.

Totally amazes me that the only people who have problems with their shield are the ones online when both of my shield 9 & my new shield 40 and a couple people I know in person have perfectly flawless shield's since day one...


Recently I was at the range and overheard a guy standing next to me tell his buddy that his pistol wasnt right & that it needed to be sent back for repair. It kept FTF almost every round....

Out of curiousity I asked to see it, he showed it to me and told me to go ahead & try it.....It was a small cheap Cobra .32, which are known to be finicky when new. I loaded up and shot off all 6 rounds w/o a hitch. Shrugged my shoulders & told him the gun's fine. I then proceeded to tell him about limp wristing, and proper maintence/lube ect cause I noticed that the pistol felt dry.... he said "nope, I just took it out of the box & shot it, a gun should be ready to use once its out of the box".....I saw that he had the instruction book there next to the box & I asked to look at it citing " I just wanted to check something out"....Sure enough, on page 15, pistol must be cleaned & lubricated prior to being shot....

Moral of the story is.....I bet there are more good guns out there than ones that have issues, and that most issues, lay within the guns owners themselves....rant over, have a good day!

Absolutely!!!
NC

I'm so happy that your .40 Shield functions flawlessly, but please don't make assumptions about those that do not.
used low PF rounds like Fiochhi 165 JHP and winchester 165 FMJ white box - functions ok.
used higher PF rounds like UMC 180, Winchester Bonded hollow point Winchester Silvertip .. this is where the problem lies.
I have shot straight out of the box when returned from S&W - it fails to feed.
I have lubricated according to directions - still fails.
I have over lubricated - still fails.
1 handed - fails, two handed - fails.
planted on hard surface - still fails.
it will only function with low PF rounds.
That my friend is a design or manufacturing defect not a used defect.

First thing you should when you got it back is clean the gun. Next I would let someone else shoot the pistol and see how it runs.. Only use one mag and hot loads.. Make sure you look at and clean the extractor claw.. JUst some things to try.. George

Did you see the pics posted by A.Christopher? that is exactly what happens.
It seems like you genuinely want to be helpful, so I will ask why the extractor? how would the failure pictured by A.Christopher be caused by the extractor? or anything else other than the timing of the slide recovery? the case has been ejected and usually travels over 10'.