Real Old Navy
Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2018
- Messages
- 291
- Reaction score
- 126
I just took the original RSA out of my parts box and took a closer look at it...like I said I tossed it before I even fired the gun the first time and replaced it with an aftermarket. The rod itself is steel but the spring retainer (which is pressed in) looks to be plastic and I don't have a magnet....so yes you are right on the rod being steel. Irregardless, when I see pics of the spring retainer pulling out...that doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling since my Shield is my carry piece. My gun dealer (small town)...whom I trust...has sold 500+ Shields and has had some brought back because of this RSA failure. He recommended I switch to an aftermarket RSA if I was going to use my Shield as a daily carry piece. Like I said, my Shield was never fired using the original S&W RSA...it was removed and replaced still brand new. Replacing it just made me feel more comfortable with the gun..My aftermarket stainless steel RSA looks to be stronger and better made than the original and the spring retainer is an allen head that's screwed in (no way is it pulling out) and the flange end that butts against the barrel is thicker ...I have had 0 failures so far no matter what ammo I shoot (no reloads tho)! Realistically even with the original S&W RSA...I don't think the gun would fail the way it's designed...it's when you break it down for cleaning and remove the RSA is where the problem would be (completely coming apart). But I still think it's a design flaw and you'd think S&W would have corrected it with the 2.0 changes.
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