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
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
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.
Rastoff
US Veteran
Me too. I'm mechanically inclined, but not inclined to be a mechanic.
Don't get me wrong. I think the UPLula is God's gift to the double stack magazine. Even with single stacks like the 1911, it makes things easier and saves the thumb nails.
However, in this case I feel it could make things worse.
He's not having trouble getting the last round in, he can't get past the first few. If the spring is bound up in there, using the UPLula to jam another one or two rounds in could completely bind the spring and follower. Yes, the UPLula is that strong.
If the spring gets bound, then it will be much more difficult to get apart and repair if necessary. It's so easy to take the mags apart, I see no valid reason not to check before trying to force another round in.
Because I'm mechanically inclined, I always question the functionality of a machine when it seems to require more force. I hope I'm wrong.
buckshotshorty
Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2009
- Messages
- 379
- Reaction score
- 298
At the range I use we have cease fire every 25 minutes. The first time I brought my Shield 45 for testing, in 50 minutes of fire (two sessions) I managed to get off 60 rounds. I forgot to bring my UPLULA. The second trip to the range I brought my UPLULA and had no trouble shooting 100 rounds in the 50 minutes shooting time; I was able to load significantly quicker! Get an UPLULA they work for any caliber.
I asked about the same problem I 'm having with a new M&P 9 Shield (New M&P 9 Shield Magazine Loading ...) and got the same good advice about the UpLULA.
As a recovering Engineer myself, I don't understand why it takes 100lb/inch springs to push a half dozen 9mm cartridges up a couple inches
Maybe I should take mine apart too ...
Don K
As a recovering Engineer myself, I don't understand why it takes 100lb/inch springs to push a half dozen 9mm cartridges up a couple inches
Maybe I should take mine apart too ...
Don K
Rastoff
US Veteran
The springs in mags for small guns are stiff for reliability reasons. However, what's difficult for one person is not difficult for another.As a recovering Engineer myself, I don't understand why it takes 100lb/inch springs to push a half dozen 9mm cartridges up a couple inches
I have no problem loading my Shield mags by hand. I also have the UPLula and it does make loading them easier. Some people will need the UPLula regardless of the mag. They just don't have the finger strength. However, when a person tells me he has no trouble loading a plethora of other mags, but can't get all the rounds loaded in this one, I'm inclined to think something else is wrong.
I hope I'm incorrect, but it costs nothing to examine the spring. I'm baffled that some are so opposed to this course of action.
kthom
Member
I have found that the magazines for the .45 Shield allow very little clearance front to back(not as much as say the mags for the 9MM Shield) for the .45ACP rounds. It is very easy to create a binding situation if the .45 round is not seated fully toward the rear of the magazine. When using my Maglula loader, I have found it best to hold each round against the rear of the magazing with my thumb or finger (depending on how you hold the Maglula in your opposite hand). When releasing the tongue of the loader, if you do not hold that round to the rear, the tongue can slightly move the round toward the front side of the mag. Result is that the tip of the bullet will either not clear the front of the mag when the loader is pressed down, or if the round does press down, the tip of the bullet will be touching the front of the mag. This can result in the rounds in the mag binding and tipping a bit which will stop or hinder the progression of rounds into the magazine.
If this happens, simply take the mag and smack the rear of the mag against the heel of your other hand so that all rounds seat fully to the rear of the mag and then proceed. It is also recommended that when you finish loading a mag, either by hand or with the loader, smack that magazine against your hand to move all rounds to the rear of the mag. This will reduce the incidence of malfunctions. The reason (I think) that the tolerances inside the .45 Shield mag front to back is so tight is that S&W wished to keep the grip frame the same size as the 9MM/40 Shield frames, which resulted in less clearance for the rounds in the mag. Keep the rounds completely to the rear of the mag and you will have no problems with loading or feeding, in my experience.
These mags, as well as the recoil spring assemblies in the Shields, are very stiff to begin with. I make it my practice to lock the slide back on the gun and to fully load the new mags with my loader before heading to the range. I leave the gun and mags in this condition for a couple or three days before going to shoot. This allows those springs to begin to take their initial "set" and things work better all around during your first firing and loading session. Things continue to get better as you shoot the gun. Two to five hundred rounds fired through any new gun will result in smoother and better function! I have experienced no shooting malfunctions with my .45 Shield since new and I'm up to around a thousand rounds fired through it at this point. I can load the mags by hand, but for my old arthritic hands, my Maglula loader is the best money I've ever spent.
If this happens, simply take the mag and smack the rear of the mag against the heel of your other hand so that all rounds seat fully to the rear of the mag and then proceed. It is also recommended that when you finish loading a mag, either by hand or with the loader, smack that magazine against your hand to move all rounds to the rear of the mag. This will reduce the incidence of malfunctions. The reason (I think) that the tolerances inside the .45 Shield mag front to back is so tight is that S&W wished to keep the grip frame the same size as the 9MM/40 Shield frames, which resulted in less clearance for the rounds in the mag. Keep the rounds completely to the rear of the mag and you will have no problems with loading or feeding, in my experience.
These mags, as well as the recoil spring assemblies in the Shields, are very stiff to begin with. I make it my practice to lock the slide back on the gun and to fully load the new mags with my loader before heading to the range. I leave the gun and mags in this condition for a couple or three days before going to shoot. This allows those springs to begin to take their initial "set" and things work better all around during your first firing and loading session. Things continue to get better as you shoot the gun. Two to five hundred rounds fired through any new gun will result in smoother and better function! I have experienced no shooting malfunctions with my .45 Shield since new and I'm up to around a thousand rounds fired through it at this point. I can load the mags by hand, but for my old arthritic hands, my Maglula loader is the best money I've ever spent.
