.380 EZ Feeding Problem Poll
- Thread starter gc70
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I had one stovepipe on the 2nd or 3rd round of the very first magazine I shot. Since then NO issues whatsoever.
iowaMallard
Member
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- Jan 15, 2018
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No problems yet
Same experience here...
guesser
Member
Had a couple early on, over 1200 rounds of handholds later and everything is good.
wnycollector
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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.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2020
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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.
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.
lhump1961
US Veteran
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.
geeollie
Member
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.
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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Eski
Member
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.
wnycollector
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My wife's pistol was purchased in July 2019.
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.
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
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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Rastoff
US Veteran
As of this post, 67% have had some feeding issue. That's horrific.
Spokes
Member
Sheila has fired around one thousand rounds through her 380 and has never had a problem of any sort...
Rpg
Member
Unfortunately, your poll includes only response options for folks who own or have owned these guns.
That means a person considering buying one of these things can't see the results of the poll and therefore can't use information that may be quite useful in making a purchase decision.
That's a drawback of the poll feature here.
That means a person considering buying one of these things can't see the results of the poll and therefore can't use information that may be quite useful in making a purchase decision.
That's a drawback of the poll feature here.
overanalyze
Member
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- Mar 29, 2020
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Mine did it once on the first or second magazine but hasn't done it since. Only have shot approx 150 rounds though.
LVSteve
Member
Two S&W .380 EZ's and both have stovepipe problems
Just joined this outstanding forum for one reason........to track what S&W does to finally fix the "stovepipe", "last round" problem.
The first EZ now has 732 rds fired, and the second EZ has 213 rds fired. The first one was for CC for the wife, and the second one was to train her with.
Both guns have the "stovepipe" problem, and they were purchased about one year apart.
I will not send either of these guns into S&W until they have actually fixed this problem. I think they know what the fix is but it would be expensive, and they are choosing instead to wait until they get sued for loss of life, in a gun fight involving the magazine problem. This problem is well documented on the internet. This is the real deal, and if you do not have this problem then God Bless You, for you are one of the chosen!!
My wife "carries" this 6-shot gun daily. Our training impresses upon her the need to count rounds.........as she will have one in the chamber, and five reliable rounds in the magazine. If she burns through all six rounds then she must, must, change magazines.
We both love this gun for all the reasons that other's have posted. We are both elderly, she is 73 and I am 76. We train weekly at an indoor range or outdoor range determined by the weather. I have a 22 year military leg infantry background. I am qualified to teach my wife, but we are very disappointed in S&W not stepping up to the plate. I will not sell these guns, as we both appreciate above everything else the ease of manipulating the slide, as both of us have arthritis.
Thank you to the Forum for allowing this discertation!
Maj Terry E. Tibbetts
Just joined this outstanding forum for one reason........to track what S&W does to finally fix the "stovepipe", "last round" problem.
The first EZ now has 732 rds fired, and the second EZ has 213 rds fired. The first one was for CC for the wife, and the second one was to train her with.
Both guns have the "stovepipe" problem, and they were purchased about one year apart.
I will not send either of these guns into S&W until they have actually fixed this problem. I think they know what the fix is but it would be expensive, and they are choosing instead to wait until they get sued for loss of life, in a gun fight involving the magazine problem. This problem is well documented on the internet. This is the real deal, and if you do not have this problem then God Bless You, for you are one of the chosen!!
My wife "carries" this 6-shot gun daily. Our training impresses upon her the need to count rounds.........as she will have one in the chamber, and five reliable rounds in the magazine. If she burns through all six rounds then she must, must, change magazines.
We both love this gun for all the reasons that other's have posted. We are both elderly, she is 73 and I am 76. We train weekly at an indoor range or outdoor range determined by the weather. I have a 22 year military leg infantry background. I am qualified to teach my wife, but we are very disappointed in S&W not stepping up to the plate. I will not sell these guns, as we both appreciate above everything else the ease of manipulating the slide, as both of us have arthritis.
Thank you to the Forum for allowing this discertation!
Maj Terry E. Tibbetts
LVSteve
Member
Looking at the 9EZ magazines, S&W already know how to fix this issue. Whether they will or not is another matter.
this has been very helpful, the EZ now crossed off the purchase list. If it doesn't shoot reliably out of the box, why own it. Sig had an issue with the 365 when it first came out, corrected it, the 365 has been very reliable since.
Sure wish Smith would go back to making a .32 Mag 6 shot J-frame, it would immediately become this 70 year old's EDC, it is the biggest hole in the Smith lineup.
Sure wish Smith would go back to making a .32 Mag 6 shot J-frame, it would immediately become this 70 year old's EDC, it is the biggest hole in the Smith lineup.
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