.380 EZ Feeding Problem Poll

How many .380 EZ owners have last-round stovepipe feeding problems?

  • My EZ never has feeding problems

    Votes: 43 48.3%
  • My EZ has feeding problems with certain magazines

    Votes: 7 7.9%
  • My EZ has feeding problems with any magazine

    Votes: 23 25.8%
  • My EZ initially had problems but they stopped after some use

    Votes: 16 18.0%

  • Total voters
    89
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My wife's stovepiped a live round, on the last round of each mag from the first mag through the gun. It made three trips back to the factory. Each time the same issues returned no matter what ammo we used or who shot the gun. Eventually, S&W nutted up and took it back to be destroyed. I got a new M&P 9 2.0 from S&W and my wife got my 2" S&W model 12 round butt.
 
380 EZ

Mine started doing it. I returned the gun to SW and waited 4 weeks. They returned it (replacing the barrel) but it does the same thing. I then called SW they had me send them my mags.

They also said that for my trouble they would send me a mag while they repaired mine.

Yesterday I got a call from SW they cant send me my mags to someone without an FFL (They said Mass Law) I am having them sent to a gunshop.

Funny they can send me back my gun but not magazines


Then I got a call from the service rep who promised my a free mag. He cant send me the mag again because of mass law.
 
So -- with the limited # of responses to the poll so far, there are 64% of people who have had or have feeding problems with the pistol. No thanks, I'll pass on that one.

You, of course, can do as you please but this poll isn't exactly inclusive of all owners. Those who experience problems will understandably be disappointed and are much more likely to post. Initial bugs are common throughout every industry with at least some new products and firearms aren't immune. Ruger has been making the Mark series of pistols since 1949 and still had a recall on the MK IV. You would think they would have it ironed out after all that time but the changes they made needed some tweaking. Didn't slow me down a bit...there are now four in my family and all work perfectly. I would expect the same with the 380EZ. If a person is interested in the gun I wouldn't pass it over based on some initial bumps. I haven't looked at it seriously yet but it may replace my wife's Shield at some point as it fits that need very well.

I know I'm not telling anyone here anything they don't already know but just thought I would chime in. You may disregard my opinion at any time. ;)
 
Weekend bump - I would really like 100+ responses to take to S&W.
 
Getting better?

Last time out none in about 75 rounds. First time with none. Maybe 500 rounds so far.
 
It would help to know When these problems came up.
What was the date your problem EZ380 was made?

Many times issues are found in early models that are corrected by the factory in later production runs. My VERY early Kahr MK9 was sent back because many of the early samples could not chamber the Speer Gold Dot. Kahr said the "ogive" of that particular bullet was longer than most others. They recut the chamber and this solved that issue.
 
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Mine vote should be worded in past tense. I had one from the initial release, it was a jam-o-matic. Also the mag would pop out a live round toward the end of the magazine. It was quite strange really. I got rid of it.
 
My gf's .380ez has a date of Nov. 2019 on the box. It has last live round stove pipes using both magazines (yellow springs) that came with the gun.
After 200 rounds of this nonsense I researched this forum and added an empty .380 case to the magazines between the spring and the magazine lock plate.
The .380 case made a noticable difference in the force required to push the follower down while in the upmost position.
Each magazine was then fully loaded and fired 3 times with 95 gr. Aguila FMJ.
Those 6 attempts at firing the gun were successful! Hooray, we at least have a temporary solution. 2 magazines, fully loaded 3 times each were fired without any malfunctions at all.
I ran out of time to do further testing. It's possible the magazine springs will take a set under this new pressure and the same problem with last live round stove pipes will return.
I have 200 more rounds of various factory 95 gr. FMJ ammo that I plan to shoot in about a week. I will post the outcome of that range session here on this post.
Love the .380 ez, hate that S&W has let this problem go on for so long.
 
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Mine ejected live rounds with both original mags. I've since installed S&W's replacement springs and roughened-up one of the mag's followers. After this CV19 quarantine is over I'll test it again. I expect that the roughened mag follower will not eject the last live round, while the original, smooth follower will continue to do so. The mag with the roughened follower definitely requires a bit more force to push the last round out, whereas the last round almost jumps out of the original, smooth follower magazine. I will report my results when my LGC re-opens. -S2

ETA: see Phil Lockwood's post from 02/04/2020 for a description of roughening/scuffing the followers.
New .380 EZ Issues
 
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