Slide won't lock back after last round of SD9VE

This issue started after the 1st couple hundred rounds shooting the gun after purchasing it in May.

I've shot multiple different ammo, reloads, 115, 124, Hornady, Winchester, etc. No matter the ammo it won't lock back. I've had friends shoot the gun...same result. I thought it may have been my limp wristing but that's not the case.

In fact, if I manually lock the slide back and put a magazine in, just the impact of that mag going in will cause the slide to release.

To further my point I've had the slide locked back, set the gun down on the bench and had just that light impact caused the slide to release. The gun has never been shot anywhere other than the indoor range close by. I clean it every 2-300 rounds, I've lubed it following cleaning per the manual included. I've also taken as much lube off the gun as possible and shot it fairly dry. Both approaches got the same result.

So....it's not me, it's not the ammo, it's not my friends.....it's definitely the gun. So should I send this back to S and W? Is there something I adjust to help this? Will my LGS be of any help?

Your advice is appreciated

How far does the slide stop go up into the notch in the slide? Is the angle of the rear of the notch 90°?

Bill

I had this start to happen unexpectedly after about 1200 rounds and began to be frustrated by it because it always had worked properly before. After having the RSO watch me shoot we realized that because I had changed my grip I had my left hand ever so slightly on the slide release which kept it from locking. After making a minor adjustment to my grip, problem solved!

I hope this helps, if for nothing more than to know that others have had this problem also, even if for a differnet reason.

Any chance that the spring on your slide release is broken?

Best Regards,
ADP3

It seems like the slide stop spring is good since it does move out of the way to allow the slide to go forward.

Bill

Put a small dab of silicone caulk on the top of the magazine follower, where it catches the slide stop. It's not pushing it up and enough to catch the slide well. May have to reapply every so often.

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I bought an SD9VE from a private listing, shoots fine, but i have the same non-locking back issue on the empty mag. It only locks back maybe 1 out of 10 times. Fires everything, but very annoying on how it doesnt stay open after the last round. They are factory mags, can some confirm an actual solution? I'm pretty sure it doesnt have a warranty anymore from S&W.

I had this issue with a non-S&W, I was firing 115gr jacketed target rounds and it did the same, I switched to a 124gr hollow point and the last round locked the slide back. tried again with 115's and DID NOT LOCK. My pistol had around 150 rounds through it at the time between cleanings.

DRPool said:

This issue started after the 1st couple hundred rounds shooting the gun after purchasing it in May.

I've shot multiple different ammo, reloads, 115, 124, Hornady, Winchester, etc. No matter the ammo it won't lock back. I've had friends shoot the gun...same result. I thought it may have been my limp wristing but that's not the case.

In fact, if I manually lock the slide back and put a magazine in, just the impact of that mag going in will cause the slide to release.

To further my point I've had the slide locked back, set the gun down on the bench and had just that light impact caused the slide to release. The gun has never been shot anywhere other than the indoor range close by. I clean it every 2-300 rounds, I've lubed it following cleaning per the manual included. I've also taken as much lube off the gun as possible and shot it fairly dry. Both approaches got the same result.

So....it's not me, it's not the ammo, it's not my friends.....it's definitely the gun. So should I send this back to S and W? Is there something I adjust to help this? Will my LGS be of any help?

Your advice is appreciated

Click to expand...

I say contact S&W the gun needs to be fixed.
I have the same problem with a Bersa & but unfortunately they do not have great C S like S&W does.

Slide Stop Spring isn't the issue. That spring is used to hold the stop down. The way your slide stop works is by the magazine insert pushing against it. I'd see if the piece your mag pushes up on is bent somehow. Does it happen with both original mags. Also the slide closing when you insert a mag is a common issue. Seams lIke it's one of the corners they cut to make the gun so cheap.

JDenny14 said:

Slide Stop Spring isn't the issue. That spring is used to hold the stop down. The way your slide stop works is by the magazine insert pushing against it. I'd see if the piece your mag pushes up on is bent somehow. Does it happen with both original mags. Also the slide closing when you insert a mag is a common issue. Seams lIke it's one of the corners they cut to make the gun so cheap.

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I have to completely disagree with you on this, my SD9ve is going on 7 years old thousands of rounds & it does not do that at all.
Yes if you slam the mag in hard enough it will release the slide, but that is true with most semi-autos.
First you should never set a gun down with a loaded mag & the slide open, but unless you dropped it the slide should not close, if this were common with the SD9 or 40ve S&W would have a big problem.

I've owned and enjoyed my SD9VE for about 2.5 years now and the ONLY issue I've had with the gun is slide lock failure. It IS intermittent, but very annoying. I've put in excess of 5K through the gun, different bullet weights, hp & ball, steel and aluminum cases, no issues there. I have seen my dominant thumb accidentally hit the slide lock lever a few times. I have big hands and the lever is longer than most. All this aside, I'm thinking about changing the mag followers and mag springs to see if this helps. It's interesting that when I retract the slide on an empty mag, it locks open BUT I can still push the lever UP about a mm or so. I'll post whether my "fix" works or not. Hope this helped.

Slide issue

BIGDOC said:

I had this issue with a non-S&W, I was firing 115gr jacketed target rounds and it did the same, I switched to a 124gr hollow point and the last round locked the slide back. tried again with 115's and DID NOT LOCK. My pistol had around 150 rounds through it at the time between cleanings.

Click to expand...

This post seems to indicate that in some guns the slide isn't moving back far enough to allow the lock to engage.

I wonder whether the OP has tried a heavier bullet.

The slide not locking back after the last round is, indeed, a common problem on many pistols -- not just SD's.

Here are the most likely causes:

1. The inside of the magazine is dirty, with gunk or dirt preventing the follower to move upward fast or firmly enough. Solution: Take floor plate off magazine, remove spring and follower, clean the inside of the tube and clean the spring (especially the sides which contact the magazine tube). Oil the inside of the tube very lightly, so as to avoid trapping more dust or dirt.

2. The magazine spring is no longer strong enough to get push the follower up fast enough to push the slide stop lever up fast enough to catch the notch in the side of the slide. Solution: Replace magazine spring.

3. The follower is damaged or worn -- the little ledge has been scraped or hammered to a lower level (its only plastic). Solution: Replace magazine follower.

Problems 1-3 can be eliminated as the cause if changing to a new magazine doesn't solve the problem.

4. The metal tab on the slide stop lever assembly, which interacts with the little ledge on the magazine follower, has been bent upward. If the tab is bent upwards too much, it cannot move the slide stop lever upwards enough to engage the slide in the rearward position. The tab may work intermittently, or work better with some mags than with others. Solution: a. bend the small tab back down to about 10 degrees below horizontal (you may have to take the slide stop lever out of the pistol to do this, then re-install it). Or, b. just install a new slide stop lever assembly.

5. Far less likely, but still possible: The inlet cut on the slide, for the slide stop lever, may have worn its edge smooth and no longer be able to catch the slide stop level assembly. Solution: it may be possible to use a small file to re-cut that ledge or notch in the slide at a right angle.

ou1954 said:

This post seems to indicate that in some guns the slide isn't moving back far enough to allow the lock to engage.

I wonder whether the OP has tried a heavier bullet.

Click to expand...

99.9% of the ammo my SD9ve has been feed has been 115 grain. Again I would send it back & let S&W find the problem.
A gun chambering a round own it own presents to much of a danger to me.

The slide stop lever (aka slide lock lever) is held in the up position -- holding the slide back -- by friction, as it sits in the small notch on the slide. The lever is under spring pressure to move downward.

If the slide jumps upwards -- for example, if the pistol is hit on the butt -- or if a magazine full of bullets is pushed upward in the magazine well and comes in contact with the bottom of the slide -- that could be expected to release the friction at the catch and allow the slide stop lever to move downward. Then the slide would move forward.

This is not a flaw in the pistol. The slide stop lever is supposed to move out of that notch when we pull the slide back a fraction of an inch, so we want the friction on the small mating surface to be minimal, and we need the downward force of the spring.

Likewise, for those who use their thumb to press the slide stop lever downward to release the slide, they want to lever to move out of that notch fairly easily too. It is not desirable for it to require a lot of force to move.

The slide should be locked back for very short periods of time, and for specific purposes, and generally only while the pistol is being held in the hand.

S&W Rover said:

The slide lock lever is held in the up position -- holding the slide back -- by friction, as it sits in the small notch on the slide. The lever is under spring pressure to move downward.

If the slide jumps -- for example, if the pistol is hit on the butt -- that could release the friction and allow the slide lock lever to move downward, releasing the slide to move forward. This is expected and normal.

This is not a flaw in the pistol. We want the slide lock lever to move out of that notch when we pull the slide back a fraction of an inch, so we want the friction on the small mating surface to be minimal, and we need the downward force of the spring.

For those who use their thumb to press the slide lock lever downward to release the slide, they want to lever to move out of that notch fairly easily too. In fact, no one should want it to require a lot of force to move. (Maybe it shouldn't be called a slide lock lever, just a slide hold lever).

The slide should be locked back for very short periods of time, and for specific purposes, and generally only while being held in the hand.

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BY George Rover, I think you got a hit, why would anyone put, drop or lay a pistol down with the slide locked back ?
Next has anyone noticed that the OP made his claims & asked his questions & has not been back.

I have 3 mags for my SD9VE , 1 works well, the other 2 would not hold open on the last round, I could hold up on the mags and they would work, I glued a piece of .030 guitar pick onto the tab of the follower and holds open every time now like a charm !

After a year and 1/2 with absolutely no issues, my slide won't lock open after the last round. I have 3 mags and they all do it now. I bent down slightly the tab on the inside of the slide stop lever. I'll see if this works.

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Okie21 said:

After a year and 1/2 with absolutely no issues, my slide won't lock open after the last round. I have 3 mags and they all do it now. I bent down slightly the tab on the inside of the slide stop lever. I'll see if this works.

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Let us know how it works out. Mine engages everytime so far...but with minimal engagement. So I had thought about trying just what you're suggesting. I just hadn't tried it yet.