.45 Shield at the range

[LAA]

Yes, there are very distinct machine cutter swirls the entire length of the rib under the firing pin channel of the slide. They are rough enough to feel and make a slight noise as they ride over the top round in a new magazine. The swirls have not caused any issues with my Shield, though I think I'm going to polish them a bit just to smooth slide travel.

I found the .45 Shield to be very quick on target and easy to keep there in rapid shooting. Much easier than I expected.

Looking at mine the other night, after shooting many rounds over the last half of year, it looks like they polish themselves to a degree. Even though they never bothered me to start with, they look to be less noticeable now.

 

[kthom]

I think the concern is the swirls under the slide on the firing pin channel. One has to remove the slide from the frame to see them.

You certainly may be right, BE Mike. I used a stone to slightly polish the swirl marks on my copy of the Shield .45 but did not remove them. Just made things a little smoother than originally found. I suspect that continued shooting would likely have done the same thing over time. My gun never had a problem before I did this, and it has not had a problem since. Perhaps we'll never know for sure. But I sure do like my Shield .45!

 

[ken158]

With the CNC machinery S&W is using, if they wanted the marks gone it would only be a matter of programming. Mine works fine and I see no need to fret over something that trivial.

 

[Watchdog]

How'd you do that??

Saved it to my computer. Opened it in Photoshop. Rotated it to its proper orientation, then saved it again. Posted it as an attachment.

 

[jrvariel48]

Saved it to my computer. Opened it in Photoshop. Rotated it to its proper orientation, then saved it again. Posted it as an attachment.

That's fantastic! I think I'm too much of a dummy to figure that out!!

 

[BE Mike]

With the CNC machinery S&W is using, if they wanted the marks gone it would only be a matter of programming. Mine works fine and I see no need to fret over something that trivial.

I guess it just bothers those of us who are used to the finer touches being taken care of. My Kahr CM9 doesn't have any roughness like this. As has been said, it looks like a non-issue as far as function goes. I just expect S&W handguns to be top quality. Looks like most folks don't care what their plastic pistols look like as long as they go bang and put a pill somewhere close to where they aim.

 

[edubbie]

Hello folks. Took my new Shield 45 to the range. I only had a few minutes so I just pumped a box of 50 thru it. As my primary purpose was initial break-in and just getting to know each other, I must say I really like this pistol. No FTF. I have a Kahr P-40 and do not enjoy shooting it as it is snappy. This Shield 45 was a joy to shoot. I shot fast and slow, right and left handed. All shots were within a 7" circle at 21'. Sorry no pics but I was very surprised and impressed since my fast shooting was just that. Faster re-targeting than expected for a compact .45. I do have a love/hate relationship with the grip. I was in an auto accident years ago which removed some muscle (padding) from my right hand. The grip feels good and holds well but it did leave a mark on the inside of my hand. Nothing on my left hand so it is my issue.

 

[jrvariel48]

I'm glad to hear you like the Shield! I know some people here have used the Talon rubber grip to help with the abrasiveness.