Years ago I bought a 40 shield because you couldn't find a 9 mm shot it a few times got on this forum and started to hear about K Booms with .40 shield put mine in the safe been there for years,what ever became of that mine has less than 50 rds. Shot through it bought it in 14 or 15
Anyone ever have a .40 shield blow up
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panther
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I never shot anything but factory ammo in mine. It was accurate, reliable, easy to shoot and easy to carry.
Most of the ka-boom stories I've heard are about the guns that start with a G and end in "lock".
Most of the ka-boom stories I've heard are about the guns that start with a G and end in "lock".
imarangemaster
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I have never heard of a Shield blow up, either (I shoot a 40 Shield). I also have heard of a few Glock 23 issues, mostly back when they first came out.
Echo40
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The catastrophic case blowouts of the .40 S&W cartridge is an Urban Legend based on isolated incidents back in the 90s when people were shooting ammo which was either overloaded (basically 10mm loads crammed into .40 S&W cases) or otherwise ammo with significant bullet setback fired from upscaled 9mm pistols with unsupported chambers.
Smith & Wesson pistols are designed around the .40 S&W cartridge dating all the way back to 1994 with the original Sigma SW40F, and their guns have only gotten more rugged since then, so practically any Smith & Wesson manufactured firearm including your M&P40 Shield should have no problem whatsoever shooting ordinary factory loaded ammunition or otherwise responsibly handloaded ammunition.
Heck, even the older 3rd Gen .40 S&W pistols can digest a lifetime of .40 S&W because even the original 4006 which was based on the 9mm 5906 was beefed up so substantially that the thing is an absolute tank, and other 3rd Gens like the 4013 were actually built on the frames of models designed to handle 10mm and .45 ACP, so basically every .40 S&W pistol ever made by Smith & Wesson including their older designs are more than capable of shooting .40 S&W worry-free indefinitely.
So shoot your M&P40 Shield, comforted by the fact that it was designed specifically for the .40 S&W cartridge, as all Smith & Wesson pistols have been since 1994. It's their cartridge and they know how to design a gun for it better than anybody else.
Smith & Wesson pistols are designed around the .40 S&W cartridge dating all the way back to 1994 with the original Sigma SW40F, and their guns have only gotten more rugged since then, so practically any Smith & Wesson manufactured firearm including your M&P40 Shield should have no problem whatsoever shooting ordinary factory loaded ammunition or otherwise responsibly handloaded ammunition.
Heck, even the older 3rd Gen .40 S&W pistols can digest a lifetime of .40 S&W because even the original 4006 which was based on the 9mm 5906 was beefed up so substantially that the thing is an absolute tank, and other 3rd Gens like the 4013 were actually built on the frames of models designed to handle 10mm and .45 ACP, so basically every .40 S&W pistol ever made by Smith & Wesson including their older designs are more than capable of shooting .40 S&W worry-free indefinitely.
So shoot your M&P40 Shield, comforted by the fact that it was designed specifically for the .40 S&W cartridge, as all Smith & Wesson pistols have been since 1994. It's their cartridge and they know how to design a gun for it better than anybody else.
<Edited to update Ammo company information>
Yes, back about a Year or two after they were introduced ('13 or '14?), there were a few documented Shield40 Kabooms (most were Hear-Say 'Friend of a Friend who knew a guy on another Forum') with (original) pics and correspondence.
It basically boiled down to Ammo. One thread that I followed was either here, or on 'MP-Pistol Forum', where the owner Contacted both S&W CS and Buffalo Bore (the ammo used).
**Correction: In this instance, the ammo company was MagTech, not Buffalo Bore. Buffalo Bore WAS the ammo involved in a couple other Blow-ups**
After sending the Shield40 to CS with a few remaining rounds of the ammo and sending some rounds to the Ammo Company, it was shown to indeed be the (then) 'hot' .40 ammo. I don't remember if the rounds were marked +P+ or not.
After receiving a copy of S&W's forensic report, MagTech (not BB, as originally written) ended up sending the owner a check covering the replacement of the Shield40.
The moral of this story was: If such a mishap occurs, save the remainder of the ammo used, to be used as evidence to the cause of the incident, contact both manufacturers (firearm & ammo) and document, Document DOCUMENT all correspondence.
If I can find the original thread, I will post a link to it. If you want to search for it yourself, search Shield (possibly Kaboom) and my handle (RobzGunz) both here and on 'MP-Pistol Forum' (mp-pistol dot com).
Yes, back about a Year or two after they were introduced ('13 or '14?), there were a few documented Shield40 Kabooms (most were Hear-Say 'Friend of a Friend who knew a guy on another Forum') with (original) pics and correspondence.
It basically boiled down to Ammo. One thread that I followed was either here, or on 'MP-Pistol Forum', where the owner Contacted both S&W CS and Buffalo Bore (the ammo used).
**Correction: In this instance, the ammo company was MagTech, not Buffalo Bore. Buffalo Bore WAS the ammo involved in a couple other Blow-ups**
After sending the Shield40 to CS with a few remaining rounds of the ammo and sending some rounds to the Ammo Company, it was shown to indeed be the (then) 'hot' .40 ammo. I don't remember if the rounds were marked +P+ or not.
After receiving a copy of S&W's forensic report, MagTech (not BB, as originally written) ended up sending the owner a check covering the replacement of the Shield40.
The moral of this story was: If such a mishap occurs, save the remainder of the ammo used, to be used as evidence to the cause of the incident, contact both manufacturers (firearm & ammo) and document, Document DOCUMENT all correspondence.
If I can find the original thread, I will post a link to it. If you want to search for it yourself, search Shield (possibly Kaboom) and my handle (RobzGunz) both here and on 'MP-Pistol Forum' (mp-pistol dot com).
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imarangemaster
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Where 9mm may benefit from +P loads, the SAAMI spec 40 with good bullets (i.e. Golden Saber of Critical defense, etc) hover around 400 ft lbs + or -, and expand from .40 to .65" or even .82" in the case of Golden Saber.
Echo40
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Buffalo Bore specializes in hot ammo, including a large amount of overpressure loads with unofficial +P designations.
There's no such thing as ".40 S&W +P" as per SAAMI Specifications, ergo anything marked as such is unregulated overpressure ammunition which shouldn't be shot out of any .40 S&W firearm.
Besides, I've said this before and I'll say it as many times as necessary, if you crave more power, then get a more powerful firearm chambered in a more powerful cartidge, don't go trying to force a cartridge into a role it was never designed for by messing around with overpressure loads.
In other words, if you want a 10mm then get a 10mm, don't try to turn .40 S&W into 10mm and your gun will be safe.
There's no such thing as ".40 S&W +P" as per SAAMI Specifications, ergo anything marked as such is unregulated overpressure ammunition which shouldn't be shot out of any .40 S&W firearm.
Besides, I've said this before and I'll say it as many times as necessary, if you crave more power, then get a more powerful firearm chambered in a more powerful cartidge, don't go trying to force a cartridge into a role it was never designed for by messing around with overpressure loads.
In other words, if you want a 10mm then get a 10mm, don't try to turn .40 S&W into 10mm and your gun will be safe.
Have shot my Shield 40 hundred of rounds. Never had a problem.
Get some range time with yours. Get comfortable shooting.
Get some range time with yours. Get comfortable shooting.
Having an original 4006. A Sig 229 and a Shield all in 40 For many years. I say your blow up worries are unfounded.
BTW. When I bought my 4006. No 40 Ammo was available. The gun and caliber were brand new. I got one box with the gun. I trimmed and inside neck reamed 10mm cases for a long time. They shot well.
BTW. When I bought my 4006. No 40 Ammo was available. The gun and caliber were brand new. I got one box with the gun. I trimmed and inside neck reamed 10mm cases for a long time. They shot well.
I don't have a Shield40, so no...
But I know a bunch of Forum members who did, without any issues, before the aftermarket barrels came out.
Cal44
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There were quite a few kaboom stories on this forum not long after the shield came out.
Most likely they were a few incidents reposted many times.
They faded away and never resurfaced.
Most likely they were a few incidents reposted many times.
They faded away and never resurfaced.
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I haven't had any blow out, however, I have seen bulges on the .40 cases in my Shield. I don't like it. I took pictures and sent to S&W and they said that was normal and within spec. None of my other S&W 40s (I have 7 others made by S&W) bulge cases like that. In my shield 40, the chamber isn't fully supported as it should be.
Rosewood
Rosewood
Echo40
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You need to speak with them again because you got a bad Representative on the line there. Bulged cases are not normal out of a .40 Shield, nor is the barrel within spec if you're getting buldged cases. The M&P40 Shield's barrel should have a fully supported chamber, effectively eliminating buldged cases. Heck, my Sigma SW40VE has a fully supported chamber, and that's a last gen variant of their bargain line of pistols.
That being said, I would like to see some pics of this bulged brass if you have any, as I'm wondering if what you're seeing is a bulge where the witness hole is. I've never noticed any bulged brass fired from my .40s with witness holes on the chamber, but I've always wondered if it could potentially cause case deformation, and wonder if that's what you're seeing. It still shouldn't be resulting in an outright bulge unless it's out of spec given how small the witness holes are, (maybe a tiny bump) but it wouldn't surprise me if that's what it is, bulged cases from an oversized/out-of-spec witness hole.
That being said, I would like to see some pics of this bulged brass if you have any, as I'm wondering if what you're seeing is a bulge where the witness hole is. I've never noticed any bulged brass fired from my .40s with witness holes on the chamber, but I've always wondered if it could potentially cause case deformation, and wonder if that's what you're seeing. It still shouldn't be resulting in an outright bulge unless it's out of spec given how small the witness holes are, (maybe a tiny bump) but it wouldn't surprise me if that's what it is, bulged cases from an oversized/out-of-spec witness hole.
Wow! That's worse than pre-3rd gen Glocked brass. I'd say bad barrel or the breech was unlocking way too early in the recoil cycle.
Echo40
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Yeah, either the chamber isn't fully supported as it ought to be, or it's unlocking too fast.
It's most likely the latter, as IIRC that was an issue with early production Gen 1 M&P Full-size models.
Either way, I would contact Smith & Wesson about it, possibly by e-mail or chat so that you can show them those pics of the brass. No way are they going to say that everything is in spec after looking at those pics.
It's most likely the latter, as IIRC that was an issue with early production Gen 1 M&P Full-size models.
Either way, I would contact Smith & Wesson about it, possibly by e-mail or chat so that you can show them those pics of the brass. No way are they going to say that everything is in spec after looking at those pics.
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