I just purchased a shield .45 and can just barely load the mags, is this normal?? I have never had any problems loading mags before. I managed to get 5 rounds in the 6 round mag and only 4 in the 7 round one
.45 mags unloadable
- Thread starter theiceman
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okiegtrider
Member
It's a safety feature. These guns are way less dangerous if you never load them.
OP
LMAO Must be a Clinton thing...
NCW Ray
Member
Spend the money on an UPLULA; you'll thank yourself many times for buying it.
SwflG17Guy
Member
Tap the back of the mag as you load it makes it easier
Rastoff
US Veteran
Take the mags apart and ensure the springs are not bound up. I had to get new springs from S&W for my Shield 9mm.
Buy an UPULA to start off with.
I couldn't get more than 3 - 4 rounds in each mag when I bought my Shield 45. I thought there was something wrong with me.
After I loaded them & shot them, they loosened up a bit. Leave them loaded for a while & easier to load them by hand.
I couldn't get more than 3 - 4 rounds in each mag when I bought my Shield 45. I thought there was something wrong with me.
After I loaded them & shot them, they loosened up a bit. Leave them loaded for a while & easier to load them by hand.
Welcome to the forum and congrats on a Shield .45.
As others have said, take your mags apart and make sure everything inside looks good.
AND buy an Uplula!!
.45s are relatively easy to load. My 10 round M&P 9 mags are ridiculous getting anything in past the 6th round (5th on a bad day) with a "new" mag. Easier, simpler, faster with my Uplula. All Hail Uplula.
As others have said, take your mags apart and make sure everything inside looks good.
AND buy an Uplula!!
.45s are relatively easy to load. My 10 round M&P 9 mags are ridiculous getting anything in past the 6th round (5th on a bad day) with a "new" mag. Easier, simpler, faster with my Uplula. All Hail Uplula.
Since they're both tough to load, which is normal for these mags, I wouldn't be taking them apart at this point. I have six of them, and they're all tough. As suggested, get the Uplula, and know that they will become somewhat easier to load in the future.
Rastoff
US Veteran
Why take them apart? They're not broke.
I see some suggestions here to take them apart, just because they require more force to load, than some other 45 pistols. What difference would taking these mags apart make? A new Shield owner would think something is automatically wrong, when someone says to take it apart...........just because it requires some extra muscle.
I mistakenly bought a ****-ton of Federal Small primer 230 gr. about 2 years ago. I have to use a Uplula to load my Sig 220 mags with those rounds. Any other good brand 45 ACP load just fine by hand.
Someday I'm gonna measure those damned Feds...
Just a thought. i don't own any Smith semi-autos in 45 ACP.
Someday I'm gonna measure those damned Feds...
Just a thought. i don't own any Smith semi-autos in 45 ACP.
Rastoff
US Veteran
We don't know that they're not broken. The OP has said that he can't get the mags full. He's also stated that he has plenty of experience with other mags.
I had trouble loading one of my 9mm Shield mags. I took it apart and found this:
Based on my experience, and what the OP is saying, it only makes sense to disassemble the mags and see what's going on in there.
More than that, it's always good to know your equipment. It sounds to me like you think it's difficult to take them apart. It's very easy to take the mags apart and they won't be damaged in the process.
Just press a punch or some other small object into the hole in the base plate. Then slide the base plate forward. Put your thumb over the locking plate at the bottom of the mag so it won't come flying out and ease the spring and follower out. That's all you have to do. If everything is good, put it back together.
When used properly, mags will get dirty. They should be cleaned now and then. Don't put any oil in them. They don't need it and it will just attract dirt.
Rastoff
US Veteran
This doesn't make any sense. If they fire in your gun fine, then they are the same size as any other .45ACP round.
We don't know that they're not broken. The OP has said that he can't get the mags full. He's also stated that he has plenty of experience with other mags.
I had trouble loading one of my 9mm Shield mags. I took it apart and found this:
Based on my experience, and what the OP is saying, it only makes sense to disassemble the mags and see what's going on in there.
More than that, it's always good to know your equipment. It sounds to me like you think it's difficult to take them apart. It's very easy to take the mags apart and they won't be damaged in the process.
Just press a punch or some other small object into the hole in the base plate. Then slide the base plate forward. Put your thumb over the locking plate at the bottom of the mag so it won't come flying out and ease the spring and follower out. That's all you have to do. If everything is good, put it back together.
When used properly, mags will get dirty. They should be cleaned now and then. Don't put any oil in them. They don't need it and it will just attract dirt.
No, I don't think it's difficult to get a mag apart. My entire life has been mechanical things....... from servicing machine shop equipment to aircraft engines. Still hate working on greasy cars, though.
Seems to me, that this is just a case of having a hard time trying to squeeze the extra 2 or 3 rounds into a new Shield 45 mag. I have the same thoughts. They are much tougher than my 1911 or XDM 45's. I do use the UpLULA. If the OP hasn't used one, then it's a good idea, to try one out.
I second the Uplula loader suggestion. All of my mags load much easier by hand now but with the time it took to get to that level my hands grew older, LOL. Even those with strong pain-free hands admit that it's much faster & when I'm paying for range time I'd rather be shooting than loading mags.
I was told & experience seems to bear that out that some people will tell you to load all your mags & leave them sit for awhile (never told how for long though).
However - there's another part to that equation. It's loading & unloading many times that will do it faster.
I was told & experience seems to bear that out that some people will tell you to load all your mags & leave them sit for awhile (never told how for long though).
However - there's another part to that equation. It's loading & unloading many times that will do it faster.
JPucci
Member
+10 on the Uplula. I have eight Shield 45 mags and all of them started out being very difficult to load.
I loaded/unloaded them around the house between range sessions and that helped a lot. Now I can load them by hand too without any issues.
When using the Uplula, I find that you do need to make sure the case is seated all the way back in the mag or else it can get bound up when you press it down for the next round.
I think this is because of how tight the mag dimensions are to the actual 45ACP round in this model because I've never experienced that with other single-stack 45's.
I loaded/unloaded them around the house between range sessions and that helped a lot. Now I can load them by hand too without any issues.
When using the Uplula, I find that you do need to make sure the case is seated all the way back in the mag or else it can get bound up when you press it down for the next round.
I think this is because of how tight the mag dimensions are to the actual 45ACP round in this model because I've never experienced that with other single-stack 45's.
