Bullet or shield issue

[NinemiLL]

OK so i dont know if this is normal but i took a picture to show the problem. I went to the range two weeks ago to fire my Shield 9mm. I just went to shoot about 100 rounds. 50 Remington UMC and 50 Magtech 115 grain bullets.

A total of 5 bullets out of 100 rounds shot had did not fire, 3 remington and 2 Magtech.

Should i be worried?

 

[Maddmax]

So out of each 50. Where number wise did they not fire ? Did you clean and lube the handgun as per manuals instructions ? Could be the way they are pushing bullets out,it could be the bullets falt,but "funny" it was from two different boxes. Did you try to re fire the bullets ? I've yet to have any center fire bullets not fire out of any of my M&P's.

 

[kendak]

if the pin hits off center it won't fire because you're not hitting the anvil inside primer ..do all shields hit that far off center?

 

[Robotech]

Those strikes look to be more than a little off-center... Is that normal for a Shield, or is something wrong with the way the barrel and slide are locking up?

 

[NinemiLL]

So out of each 50. Where number wise did they not fire ? Did you clean and lube the handgun as per manuals instructions ? Could be the way they are pushing bullets out,it could be the bullets falt,but "funny" it was from two different boxes. Did you try to re fire the bullets ? I've yet to have any center fire bullets not fire out of any of my M&P's.

Number wise, had to be the 2nd or 3rd bullet. Yes, i lube and clean frequently. That day I had just cleaned it a couple of hours before the range.

Honestly I wasn't feeling to comfortable re-firing them lol :/

Should I call S&W for this?

 

[Denversteve]

I would remove your striker assembly and check it for damage and/or over-lubrication or debris. I would think it might be over-lube/debris as it is only occurring about 5% of the time.

 

[kendak]

Those strikes look to be more than a little off-center... Is that normal for a Shield, or is something wrong with the way the barrel and slide are locking up?

if all your fired brass has off center strikes like those I think that I would call S&W ...don't think thats normal ...primer should show strikes dead center

 

[Lost Lake]

if all your fired brass has off center strikes like those I think that I would call S&W ...don't think thats normal ...primer should show strikes dead center

^^^ What he said.

Looks like the barrel isn't locking up. Firing out of battery. Could be dangerous.

 

[NinemiLL]

if all your fired brass has off center strikes like those I think that I would call S&W ...don't think thats normal ...primer should show strikes dead center

Thanks will contact them this week.

 

[Robotech]

I'm wondering if that might be a 9mm barrel in a slide machined for a .40S&W. (No matter what might be engraved on the side of the slide.)

If it is, the extractor spring may be strong enough to force the case to the left, with the relatively sloppy fit that results.

 

[NinemiLL]

I'm wondering if that might be a 9mm barrel in a slide machined for a .40S&W. (No matter what might be engraved on the side of the slide.)

If it is, the extractor spring may be strong enough to force the case to the left, with the relatively sloppy fit that results.

Hmm Interesting. I don't think I want to try a .40 to find out lol. I will contact them and ask though and reply what they say.

 

[Maddmax]

Hmm Interesting. I don't think I want to try a .40 to find out lol. I will contact them and ask though and reply what they say.

Yes contact them. But call,don't send an e-mail (they take forever).

The primer strike "should" almost look like a teardrop. It also "could" have been hard primers. ??? It does happen rarely. Also,my primer strike isn't dead center either. I doubt if it was limp wristing,but a remote possibility too.

When you cleaned and lubed,you didn't put anything on or near the firing pin ?... That should be left dry. Just another thought...

 

[shawn mccarver]

OK so i dont know if this is normal but i took a picture to show the problem. I went to the range two weeks ago to fire my Shield 9mm. I just went to shoot about 100 rounds. 50 Remington UMC and 50 Magtech 115 grain bullets.

A total of 5 bullets out of 100 rounds shot had did not fire, 3 remington and 2 Magtech.

Should i be worried?

If those are firing pin strikes, you have a pistol with a potentially dangerous problem. Call S&W immediately and ask for a shipping label for warranty repair.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words, when you call, tell them you have seriously off-center primer hits and offer to email them your picture while on the phone with the customer service person. They will probably tell you it is not necessary and offer you a shipping label.

Have them email the label to you - it arrives quicker. Be sure you get their email address and add S&W to your contact list so the shipping label does not go to your spam folder causing you to think it was never sent.

Be sure to print and send the picture in the box with the pistol when you send it back. Also, send a simple letter of instructions along with your name, address and day phone or cell number in case the technician needs to call you. Tell them to fix the off-center primer hit issue and to check out the entire pistol and your magazines and repair or make any other adjustments necessary to bring the pistol and magazines to current, new specs.

Keep your shipping receipt and tracking number so you can log on to FedEx and find out when your pistol is delivered. Keep your serial number. If you have to call S&W, that is how they track it in the factory - with the serial number, they can tell you what department it is in - receiving, repair, the particular technician, test-fire, shipping, etc.

Keep all the stuff that came with your pistol in a zip lock bag until your pistol arrives back. Repeat, do NOT send back anything except the pistol and the magazines that came with it. Keep your papers and everything else that came with it at home.

Use the box your pistol came in to send in your pistol - naturally the gun's box should be securely packed in another cardboard box with suitable packing material and properly sealed.

Here is an example of a shipping letter to enclose:

********

Date
Re: S&W M&P Shield, 9mm, Serial Number ___

Dear Sir:
Enclosed please find above pistol and ___ magazines. On firing, I am getting off-center primer hits. Please see photo enclosed. Please do whatever is necessary to repair this pistol.

In addition, please go over the entire pistol and make any other adjustments needed or necessary to bring this pistol and the magazines up to factory new specs.

I understand there may have been changes to the Shield magazines in order to help avoid unintentional ejection of the magazines. Please repair, adjust or replace my magazines to bring them up to current, factory new specs.

If you have any questions, please call me at my day/cell phone number, which is ___.

Thank you.

Name
Shipping address
City, State, Zip
Day/cell phone number

Enclosure: pistol, ___ magazines and picture

 

[NinemiLL]

If those are firing pin strikes, you have a pistol with a potentially dangerous problem. Call S&W immediately and ask for a shipping label for warranty repair.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words, when you call, tell them you have seriously off-center primer hits and offer to email them your picture while on the phone with the customer service person. They will probably tell you it is not necessary and offer you a shipping label.

Have them email the label to you - it arrives quicker. Be sure you get their email address and add S&W to your contact list so the shipping label does not go to your spam folder causing you to think it was never sent.

Be sure to print and send the picture in the box with the pistol when you send it back. Also, send a simple letter of instructions along with your name, address and day phone or cell number in case the technician needs to call you. Tell them to fix the off-center primer hit issue and to check out the entire pistol and your magazines and repair or make any other adjustments necessary to bring the pistol and magazines to current, new specs.

Keep your shipping receipt and tracking number so you can log on to FedEx and find out when your pistol is delivered. Keep your serial number. If you have to call S&W, that is how they track it in the factory - with the serial number, they can tell you what department it is in - receiving, repair, the particular technician, test-fire, shipping, etc.

Keep all the stuff that came with your pistol in a zip lock bag until your pistol arrives back. Repeat, do NOT send back anything except the pistol and the magazines that came with it. Keep your papers and everything else that came with it at home.

Use the box your pistol came in to send in your pistol - naturally the gun's box should be securely packed in another cardboard box with suitable packing material and properly sealed.

Here is an example of a shipping letter to enclose:

********

Date
Re: S&W M&P Shield, 9mm, Serial Number ___

Dear Sir:
Enclosed please find above pistol and ___ magazines. On firing, I am getting off-center primer hits. Please see photo enclosed. Please do whatever is necessary to repair this pistol.

In addition, please go over the entire pistol and make any other adjustments needed or necessary to bring this pistol and the magazines up to factory new specs.

I understand there may have been changes to the Shield magazines in order to help avoid unintentional ejection of the magazines. Please repair, adjust or replace my magazines to bring them up to current, factory new specs.

If you have any questions, please call me at my day/cell phone number, which is ___.

Thank you.

Name
Shipping address
City, State, Zip
Day/cell phone number

Enclosure: pistol, ___ magazines and picture

Awesome thanks for the reply and help!!! Now I had my slide on the shield refinished, BUT the off center firing was an issue before I had it refinished to stainless... with this being said do you think I will have a problem with s&w having them look at it. I have not changed anything internally in the gun itself (firing mechanism, trigger, etc.) other than the refinish, the gun is stock.

 

[TDC]

I'm a bit confused....

Is this a new gun? If it isn't and it has had more than several hundred rounds through it did it tend to malfunction prior to your last range visit? I believe I'd do a process of elimination prior to sending it back to S&W.

If you had no prior malfunctions and you are using the same brand ammo that worked before my first suspect would be improper cleaning or something that occurred before your last range activity.

This type of primer strike is also common with improperly reloaded ammo. Primer seating depth, case length, type of primer and type of powder charge can also be a factor in a failure to fire/failure to cycle occurrence causing an ineffective firing pin strike. You're using factory ammo so those potential ammo errors should be well within specs...

I'd remove the barrel and do the "clunk test" with the actual failed ammo. The "clunk test" involves dropping the ammo directly into the barrel and that determines if the ammo fits properly. That would confirm the case/bullet seating is the proper length and depth. If the factory crimp is too tight that can allow the cartridge to move slightly forward reducing the pin impact on the primer needed for ignition.

Eliminate or have someone knowledgeable eliminate as many possibilities as you can before you determine it needs to be sent back.

My Shield and several others I know about have had the same failure to fire with light pin strikes on a couple of rounds while in their initial break-in period. Check the Shield and its ammo out... clean it well... lube it properly ... and take it to the range for another couple hundred rounds. I'll bet the malfunctioning will disappear...

If it doesn't S&W has proven to many of us they have an excellent warranty...


JMHO and good luck!

 

[kendak]

...have loaded thousands of rounds of ammo in the past 55yrs. & off center pin strikes have nothing to do with case length or pri. seating depth...all of the above advice has been spot on ...CALL S&W