CA Compliant Shield Modifications & Magguts +2 Springs

[anbuyoshi]

Ok, folks. This is an ongoing project of mine since December 2015. Since, I'm new here, I wanted to contribute my experiment and aid anyone that could use this info. This thread is basically a copy and paste of my thread in my local California firearms forum so the timeline is off. Just note that this all occurred in the span of 1 year. The key part is the data provided.

My intro/bio to this forum is here:

Newbie from California

Below is my imported thread. Happy reading.


I won this Shield from a $20 raffle to charity + $25 for DROS making my OTD cost a whopping $45 for a BNIB Shield, one 7-round flush mag, and one 8-round extended mag.

I've shot one before and never really liked it. I'm a Sig, metal, double stack kind of guy, although I love my P320 and own an HK P2000, I figured I'd give this a go.

Now everyone seems to want to go off the CA roster and would pay the additional few hundred dollars of difference. I've compared the differences of the CA version vs non-CA and there's nothing that equates to the CA Private Party premium difference in cost. Cool factor?

The LCI is basically the only major change or hindrance to the CA version; I personally hate that it distracts my view and have read that LCIs "may" cause malfunctions. The manual safety is a non-issue since I won't use it anyways so it's cosmetic. Mag DC, blah blah; easily removable.

My conclusion, the CA model vs non-CA just isn't worth the price difference. So, I decided to take the money I would've spent buying a shield and use it to get upgrades. Shield is $419 at my local FFL.

Upgrades:

Mag DC, sear safety, and manual safety are all easily removable. I didn't remove my manual safety yet, but will once I find a filler. I've seen folks use old floppy disks as the filler material, but will need to research more. Now there are some people claiming that the manual safety is required for keeping one of the pins in.

S&W certified armorers have testified on various forums that it is not and can be removed without issue. Also the non-manual safety versions don't have them and do have additional parts in that region. So I call it FUD.

MDC and sear safety completely removed as I'd never use the sear safety to begin with. I understand that some folk have heartburn about these things, but it's an experiment.

Talon rubber grips - $10
Pearce 7-round pinky extension - $5
Additional 8-round mag - $0 (Won as a secondary prize during the same raffle)

I removed the Talon grip from the extended mag and cut it to fit the Pearce extension for the carry mag. I didn't like how it prevented the servicing of the extended and figured that I would need the additional grip texture more on the carry mag.

CA LCI replaced with the Apex Tactical LCI Block - $20 from Amazon

Sights are great for factory and can be improved with a sharpie - $0. Will likely nag my sister to let me use her super skanky girl, bright orange nail polish to redo the front sight. I would like Trijicon HDs, but those sum-beetches are expensive and not necessary at this time.

Mag capacity easily upgraded without changing body size using MagGuts.com Shield specific springs. Currently one 8-round carry and two 9-round spare mags. So 8+1 in carry mode plus two 9-round mags = 27 rounds to deploy in a lightweight, slim, highly concealable pistol is pretty darn good.

I've tested them fully loaded, partially loaded, 1 round, administrative reloads, malfunction drills, +1, load from slide locked back, load from slide forward, etc. . . and all mags functioned flawlessly with 100% reliability. Slide locked back each and every time. The MG setup actually reduced the spring tension allowing for easier +1 loading.

Now, I didn't like the MG floorplates because they protruded outside of the baseplates and impeded the extended mag a bit. No problems with +1, but it does make it a bit tougher to finger push the carry mag with +1; slamming home is no problem. I will have to say that if it annoys you, deburr the corners of the follower as they are a tad sharp.

MagGuts Shield Springs - $22 each x 3 = $66

Since I didn't want to splurge on Trijicon HDs, I figured I'd add a light since this will likely be my primary EDC. I chose the shield specific, Viridian RTL with ECR and figured 100 lumens is plenty for this pistol. It mounts to the trigger guard and definitely lights up a room.

It came with a so so, novelty OWB holster (the old version came with an IWB that is no longer available), but I carry IWB so will probably order an Alien Gear 3.0 with ECR magnet and probably a Remora sticky with ECR magnet for sweatpants or gym shorts days. I can deploy the pistol with the light automatically activating this way.

Viridian RTL-Shield with ECR - $90

Ammo used for testing was approx 100 rounds of 125 gr Miwall Reloads. I have not yet tried HP/SD ammo yet, but will soon since this pistol will likely be my EDC.

I learned that I had to modify my grip a bit and add more tension with my support hand with the Shield. Once I figured it out, I started cutting out the center of the target. Next time the target will be cleaner.

Go easy on me. I'm used to shooting Sig P229s so the lightweight striker thing is new to me. Not quite used to the Sig P320 yet either. I tried to shoot the N, S, E, W locations of the outer circle at 7 yards. The rest were 5 yards in the C zone of the IDPA target. I do have Trijicon HDs on this pistol; only because I got them for $100 from a local member here.

Itemized cost:

Shield w one 7-round mag and one 8-round mag - $45
Talon rubber grips - $10
Pearce 7-round pinky extension - $5
Additional 8-round mag - $0
Apex Tactical LCI Block - $20
Sharpie, tactical sights - $0
MagGuts Shield Springs - $22 each x 3 = $66
Viridian RTL-Shield with ECR - $90
________________________________________

Total cost: $236
Cost of Shield new: $419 + 36.66 (8.75 tax) + $25 DROS = $480.66

Remaining funds to spend: $244.66

All in all, I'm very satisfied with the pistol and the outcome. The AG 3.0 and Remora holsters will probably run about $40-50 each after all is said and done so I'll still have about another $150 to spend.

What's next?

 

[anbuyoshi]

Ok, after talking about getting "Skanky girl, bright orange nail polish" to paint my front sight for the past week, the little lady in my life went out on her own to get me a bottle. She said she wanted to support my hobby and wanted to be involved. She then told me she wanted to build an AR together. I said I'll go buy some lowers.

Skanky girl, bright orange nail polish

It pops quite a bit in person; the pictures don't do the color justice. I used a toothpick to drip the nail polish into the "cup" of the front sight. Let it dry for about an hour then applied a second coat. I smoothed it out to prevent a concave or convex shape. I found that flush worked better and didn't shine.

I liked it so much I did the same thing to my HK P2000

Most recent target. I've gotten better; still a few flyers, but much better now that I know how to hold the pistol.

MagGuts springs still 100% reliable. No issues of any kind.

 

[anbuyoshi]

Went over to my buddy's place for a BBQ and we decided to give the manual safety delete mod a shot.

Popped out the sear assembly then used a crayon to trace out the shape of the safety lever slot. We used that template to cut the rough shape out of the black floppy disk. Make sure you use the thicker of the two halves and cut the shape from the rough textured side (inside of floppy is smooth). Sand the piece to fit.

Safety twists right off of the sear assembly. There is an internet myth that the manual safety is required to keep the sear pin in. It's a lie, FUD, and idiotic paranoia. S&W certified armorers have debunked the myth along with S&W's very own Shield without manual safety being identical in sear assembly design.

Gorilla glued the piece on. We'll see if it holds up. If not, I'll use epoxy next time and will probably add another plate on top of this one, but slightly thinner. The floppy disk material wasn't as thick as I liked.

Slide on:

Test functioned with no issues. Will test fire this weekend and report back on hold the little plate holds up.

Cheers and thanks to my buddy for keeping outdated technology around!

 

[anbuyoshi]

Ok, Gorilla glue held through 150 rounds of Miwall 124 gr 9mm reloads. Good to go!

I also ended up really liking the Sig P320's Trijicon HD sights in yellow. I found that it was more precise and didn't blur as much as the orange. Additionally, the yellow "popped" better in darker light conditions where the orange was harder to see. I decided to redo the front sights of my other test pistols to mimic the yellow color.

I went to Kohl's and bought "Tennis Ball Yellow", "Black Licorice", and "Snow White", nail polish colors to test. I used black to redo the rear sights since the Sharpie black had a purple-ish tint to it; much better now.

Control: Sig P320 with Trijicon HD Yellow

Shield:

HK P2000

Ruger SP101. Since the front sight post was black, I painted on a base coat of white first then applied the color coat. I found that orange was better suited for the stainless steel sight picture.

Side project: The P2000 pictured here is not the same P2000 originally posted. I swapped my 9mm variant for the .40 variant because I had too many 9mm pistols and wanted a larger caliber to carry. While waiting for the 10-day, I ordered a few parts to upgrade.

The HK45C Mag Release is a common upgrade in the HK community. I figured, "What the heck, let's try it." The upgrade seriously makes a WORLD of difference. Mag changes are much, much easier now with thumb, index, or middle fingers. Manipulating with my off-hand was a breeze as well.

Before:

After:

Also OEM .357 Sig bbl for multi-caliber carry. I plan on carrying Underwood's hot, hot 1500+ FPS 125gr Gold Dot rounds.

 

[anbuyoshi]

Sent more rounds down range today. Oddly, the only thing to fail so far from my Shield project was the Talon grips. Tsk tsk. Sending an email to Talon about this.

On the bright side, the P2000 performed flawlessly. .357 Sig was a hoot to shoot. It handled both .40 and .357 Sig no problem; very controllable. Not as good as my P229, but still good.


EDIT: QA from Talon
FAQ

Q How long do your grips last?
A We guarantee that our grips will last 90 days. If the instructions are followed correctly, these grips can last years (depending upon use, storage, etc).

Not even 90 days, but it's obviously a wear and tear item so I won't bother to contact them. Experiment yielded a negative result.


01/10/17 UPDATE: Talon has introduced a newer, wrap around version of their grips. The V2 is holding strong as it wraps around and tucks under the initial contact point.

 

[anbuyoshi]

11/5/16 Update: MagGuts +2 Kits using Gen 2 Z-Springs

Here is the kit

Opened and comparing Gen 2 Z-Springs (Left) to the Gen 1 dual springs (Right)

Note the differences in followers. Gen 2 Left and Gen 1 Right

Here are the springs installed into the mags, loaded to max capacity. Left to right: Flush mag with new MG Gen 2 +2 kit, OEM extended with MG Gen1 +1 kit, Extended with MG Gen 2 +2 kit.

Inserted into the Shield:

Flush with new Gen 2 +2 Kit

OEM extended with Gen 1 +1 kit

Extended with new Gen 2 +2

In case anyone was wondering, the original nail polish mod is still holding strong:

I took it to the range and tested the kits. All performed flawlessly with Miwall 125GR reloads. I shot over 100 rounds without issue. Each mag was loaded to capacity (9 and 10) with 1 in the chamber to test tension.

Note that the spring tension is considerably tight with the flush mag, but the new extended mag had a bit more give. I'll continue testing a few hundred more Miwall loads before testing the 147 GR Gold Dots that I normally carry.

Size wise, I like the new flush mag; it has just enough for a pinky purchase, but not too much to hinder concealment. I'd say the difference between the new MG baseplate and the OEM extended is about the size of the OEM flush mag's base plate. You can see the difference in the photos above.

When paired with the new extended mag, the Shield is the same grip length as my Sig P320C. Essentially, it feels like a true compact grip. I really like it.

I wish I snapped photos of the targets. I forgot how accurate this little gun was. It made me look good in front of the Army vet that I brought out. He hadn't shot for a while so I decided to take him along. He said that his old eyes weren't working as well as they used to, but the Shield was dead on. We were shooting the center "C" out like no one's business at 5, 10, and 15 yards. He wants one now lol.

So in this case, I'm packing the same set of rounds as my P320C, but in a much slimmer profile. I will compare against my P320SC at a later time as that also packs 10+1.

Here are the comparison photos with the Shield placed on top of my P320C:

Based on my testing, these are good to go and worth looking into. As usual, I will report updates as they are completed.

 

[anbuyoshi]

Talong Grips Gen2 Update + Shield's New Big Brother

After installing the Talon Grips Gen2 rubber grips and test firing 200 rounds without issue, I've come to like them. They are secure and have restored my faith in Talon Grips.

As you recall from Post #5, the Gen1 grips started and ended at the backstrap. The repeated use of the gun caused the grips to fail. Other folks reported that the failure had also happened to them. The Gen2 style wraps around and the end tucks under the beginning of the grip tape to reduce peeling.

Its current carry configuration:

I liked them so much that I bought a set for my newly acquired M&P40 FS. I traded my M&P9c for it. I already have parts for the pistol to make it an all-around like my Sig Sauer P320.

Details of the M&P40 can be found here:

My "New to Me" M&P FS

 

[kmanick]

Nice! Iam guessing you are left handed? I found early on that I need to use a bit more pressure with my support hand and less finger on the trigger pull with my shield to stay on Center with this little beast.
I also have the +2 magGuts kit on one of my 8 round mags and use the +1 on my 7 round mag. I've probably shot 500 rounds with each mag....zero issues.
Nice score for such small $$$$

 

[anbuyoshi]

Nice! Iam guessing you are left handed? I found early on that I need to use a bit more pressure with my support hand and less finger on the trigger pull with my shield to stay on Center with this little beast.
I also have the +2 magGuts kit on one of my 8 round mags and use the +1 on my 7 round mag. I've probably shot 500 rounds with each mag....zero issues.
Nice score for such small $$$$

No, I'm a righty. The inaccuracy comes from me being used to Sig DA/SA pistols. I've learned to shoot the center out of targets now. This little guy is a laser for sure!

 

[Raisin]

Sent more rounds down range today. Oddly, the only thing to fail so far from my Shield project was the Talon grips.

I had the same problem with my Talon grips but added just a drop of super glue where the tape came loose. Have not had the problem again in over a year.

 

[safetyfast]

Thanks for the comparison. I'm currently debating on whether to buy a Shield or save more $ and get a Sig P320 SC. Your comparison to the C makes the decision a bit more difficult.


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[anbuyoshi]

Thanks for the comparison. I'm currently debating on whether to buy a Shield or save more $ and get a Sig P320 SC. Your comparison to the C makes the decision a bit more difficult.


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While I definitely do love my P320, the Shield is considerably more comfortable to carry.

If there is anything specific you'd like to know between the two, I'll gladly answer to the best of my ability.

 

[Hillbilly77]

At least with a gun that came with a magazine disconnect, you don't have the ugly billboard on the right side of the slide.

I have it on both of my Shields and I hate it.


By the way, I really like your idea of coloring in the front sight with nail polish.
I had a white dot fall out of my SR22 a while back and filled it back in with white nail polish.
I never thought to try different colors.

 

[safetyfast]

While I definitely do love my P320, the Shield is considerably more comfortable to carry.



If there is anything specific you'd like to know between the two, I'll gladly answer to the best of my ability.

I appreciate it. I went and looked at the Shied again and for carry, it makes for sense to me. There may be a P320 in my future though.


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[ArmyRover]

I have both the Shield and SIG P250. They are both great weapons but I prefer the SIG even though it's a bit less comfortable to carry.

 

[anbuyoshi]

At least with a gun that came with a magazine disconnect, you don't have the ugly billboard on the right side of the slide.

I have it on both of my Shields and I hate it. :roll eyes:


By the way, I really like your idea of coloring in the front sight with nail polish.
I had a white dot fall out of my SR22 a while back and filled it back in with white nail polish.
I never thought to try different colors.

This is true. Those billboards are disgusting slaps in the faces to responsible gun owners and S&W's caving to political correctness.

First the "Hillary Hole" then the billboard along with various other silly "Safety" features.

I do see a tactical advantage to the MDC i.e. dropping the mag during a weapon retention struggle, but my preference is to not have it.

The LCI is there to cloud sight picture and to let the bad guys know when to reload.

 

[anbuyoshi]

I appreciate it. I went and looked at the Shied again and for carry, it makes for sense to me. There may be a P320 in my future though.

I have both the Shield and SIG P250. They are both great weapons but I prefer the SIG even though it's a bit less comfortable to carry.

I equate the minor differences in thickness to the "pebble in the shoe" cliché.

It still amazes me how much my pant sizes needs to increase to carry the pistol plus the spare mag IWB. I have found that a sturdy nylon type belt with infinite adjustment works the best for comfort, retention, and concealment. I wore a reinforced leather belt for a while and it worked great, but it definitely wasn't as natural as the nylon.

I've gone from leather holsters, to hybrid holsters, and now to full kydex. Kydex is definitely the thinnest and offers a full customized fit to your pistol and attachments. It just more rough on the pistol's finish. I'm ok with a little patina though.

 

[anbuyoshi]

Standard magazine change drill. Magazine hit the floor and innards popped out. The MG basplate had broken. I was able to find the follower, but floorplate was nowhere to be found.

I emailed MG to see if they would replace. I'm sure that they'll make it right, but the broken baseplate is a little unsettling.

 

[anbuyoshi]

I received an email from MG today. My case was the first example of this type of malfunction and they are assuming that it was a defective part.

Replacement locking plate and baseplate are en route as a warranty replacement.

I'll report back accordingly.

 

[Rastoff]

Standard magazine change drill. Magazine hit the floor and innards popped out. The MG basplate had broken.

This is a bad fail for me. A mag should have no issue hitting the floor. At least they're standing behind the product and sending you a new base plate.