I bought my Shield new in late November 2015, and have about 400 rounds through it after two range trips. Last night while cleaning it, I noticed that the firing pin was poking through the breech face after wiping the bottom of the slide.

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I can move it freely between the point of the striker block locking, and its forward-most point of travel. That is where it sticks. And other than its stickiness, it locks properly when the action has been cycled, or the striker has been pulled back to lock. I pulled the striker/pin assembly and cleaned the pin channel (really no grime/debris in there). Holding the striker assembly in my hand, and pushing it in the guide revealed some roughness at the forward most point of travel. When I reinstalled the striker assembly in the slide, before seating it fully into the slide, I noted that the pin returned with no sticking. Once I fully seated the guide and reinstalled the retainer, the stickiness returned. S&W said I could return the gun, and told me to expect 4-6 weeks turnaround. I asked if they could send me a new striker assembly to try, they said I can buy one from Brownell's. Has anyone experienced this stickiness? I may just pop the $30 bucks for the part, and hope that this issue goes away. It may not be a showstopper, but it concerns me quite a bit.

Glenn / Cudahy, WI

Well, you've violated one of the "Do Nots" in the Owner's Manual by disassembling beyond the recommended field stripping. So starting from there, when the pistol is assembled, the slide retracted and locked open and the safety on (if yours has one) is the firing pin/striker protruding from the breech face? If so, pay. 14 of that same manual says (in red) IF THE FIRING PIN IS PROTRUDING, MAKE SURE THE FIREARM IS POINT-
ED IN A SAFE DIRECTION, UNLOAD THE FIREARM AND HAVE IT INSPECTED AND TEST FIRED BY A GUNSMITH QUALIFIED TO PERFORM SERVICE ON SMITH & WESSON FIREARMS. So, that's what I suggest doing.

No, the pin does not protrude at that point, because it is now cocked, and the striker block is engaging the striker. The question I'm asking is: has anyone else noticed the stickiness in the pin when the striker block is not engaged. As far as warranty goes, S&W gave the number for Brownell's, and never mentioned a warranty violation. If cleaning a firing pin channel is a warranty violation, I guess I can live without a warranty.

I'D PULL THE STRIKER AND THE LINER AND CLEAN THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY IN A HEARTBEAT.

People get inside their S&W firearms past the recommended maintenance all the time. That particular fact is why probably 25-30% of the posts on this forum are made, so that the poster can either replace the trigger assembly (hands down the most popular) or file down this and that . . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Amen and we do not need oil in the channel liner. I run a dab of white lithium on the rails,lite, very lite amount of break free on the lugs and a drop on the recoil spring assembly. NOOOOOOOOOO oil running out of anything anywhere,,no no!OMG NO WD40 OR PENETRATING OIL ANYWHERE ON ANY GUN,,NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I know. I read them, but thanks.

What's your advice to the original poster?

Dremel Tool . . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

nice!

To the OP .... I'd send it to S&W.