Fix Your Shield Before It Fails!!!

[ccssid]

Yep, just checked my shield. Dated 04.04.17. Only fired about 150 rounds and spring was out. Simply took a small flat bladed screw driver and tapped with palm of my hand and spring returned to flush position. Thanks everyone for pointing this out. Btw..I am still going to use my shield for everyday carry.

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

 

[manderle]

Curious, how do you find the manufacture date?

 

[Nonuthin]

Curious, how do you find the manufacture date?

It's on the box label like this:
042317

All my Shields that had partially seated springs were dated between 112316 and 062717.

 

[kbm6893]

I’m still not seeing it. I am looking right at the part that the red arrow is pointing to. The right side of that piece is flush against the steel insert (is that the locking block? The U shaped piece that covers both sides of the frame?). That piece with the arrow is immovable in any way. Could somebody post a pic with the screwdriver touching where you should be tapping? I assume two down towards to bottom of the weapon?

 

[WCWV]

Not me.
My shield 9mm PC has over 2-K of my hand loads and cast boolets in the last 8 months with out ONE issue. I feel quite confident with it.

 

[greeenteeee]

Take a look at the portion of the two frames laid side by side-- in between the take down lever.

On the left it is black as it is colored leaving the factory-- on the right it is silver... polished from rubbing the slide.

As mentioned above, press it in with a flat head and shoot it.

 

[akdude]

It's on the box label like this:
042317

All my Shields that had partially seated springs were dated between 112316 and 062717.

Mine is dated 060717 and black and fully seated, so no "Conspiracy Theory" there!

 

[Funflyer]

Just asking... is this a design or a quality control issue?

Or both...????

John

I'd say it's a design flaw and it can happen to any one of our pistols.

That "hitch" or bend in the spring creates an interference fit in the grove to keep it retained but the shock from recoil could cause it to walk.

For those who found their spring walking and pushed it back in will probably find it happening again. If it does then the only fix will be to replace the lock block and spring due to wear.

A better design would have been to cast the top of that spring grove at an upward angle so the installed spring pressure would naturally keep it seated.

 

[akdude]

Looks like my pictures have been good reference! I found these issues on a new PC9 when the slide was locking back. Barrel was a tight fit, when all the way back, which seemed like the culprit.

That spring was popping out and when I noticed it I pushed it in and it has been fine since. Have around 800+ with the two Shields.

Hasn't been an issue since.

Here's another angle. Notice one spring is shined up... that's from contacting the slide til I caught it.

Sadly some "Dingbat" had used that picture with a listing of how 2 good ones look like and I said 1 of those is messed up!

 

[R1_Demon]

I appreciate this thread being started. One of the great things about this forum is the good info like this. I just purchased a 40 Shield on 9/27/17, but I will have to check the manufacturing date on it. I'm also going to break it down tonight to check this on it and see if my spring is walking or not. Hoepfully not, but if so, I'll just pop it back where it needs to be. It is what it is at this point.

However, others here have mentioned some other situation about the mag springs and I haven't heard anything about that yet either, so it looks like I'm going to have to use the search function to find out what that problem is all about.

 

[akdude]

Here's 1 there are many more!

Shield 9 bent magazine spring

 

[akdude]

U can get a 3 pack of Shield 9mm springs from Wolff for $17.29 and their ship is very cheap like $3.

So I replaced my Shield springs and will do the same whenever I get my Rebate mags!

https://www.gunsprings.com/Semi-Auto Pistols/SMITH & WESSON/M&P SHIELD SERIES/cID1/mID58/dID440

Still cant believe S & W cant fix this issue which has been around from day 1 with the Shield, they did replace the springs with a newer version different color more dark late last yr. but still happens and most people don't know but there are many vids on U-tube!

 

[DBasye1]

Mine is flush

1k plus rounds


I guess my frustration with these threads, is that you have people that say "THATS WHY I DONT BUY A SHIELD!"

If you google GUN "XXX" problems..... YOU WILL FIND THEM

I will say again....... The Shield is a great weapon, very reliable

A better thread title might be

Shield Maintenence Issue to keep an eye on......
I would have given a thumbs up to and would have added a "like"

IF it fails vs WHEN it fails, might have helped as well

Take care

 

[PHolster]

7,000+ rounds through my Shield 9mm and zero issues. Always good to thoroughly inspect your guns though for any potential issue.

 

[John Robert]

Here is one picture showing a spring that slipped out, and a pair of them that shows a correctly seated spring and one sitting outside the slot.

FWIW, from what I have observed on this forum, Shield 9mm's manufactured in 2017 seem to be the ones exhibiting this issue. Earlier ones seemed more likely to have recoil spring problems.

I have had my Shield 9 about two and a half years. Stopped counting rounds at 7,500 and estimate at least 9,000 rounds (or more) at this writing. Spring is still solid so I guess I got one of the good ones. Have not had a single issue with this jewel....ZERO.

 

[R1_Demon]

Checked my new Shield 40 yesterday and it was flush and good to go. I looked and it was manufacturered on 4/17/2017, I think was the exact date. I haven't checked the mag springs yet, but I know I had a heck of a time trying to get the 6 rounds in the 6 round mag initially. Now it isn't as bad because I've had 5 rounds in there for a while and it compressed the spring a bit, but I'll pull them apart tonight and check the springs in all three mags. Thanks for the info on the Wolff springs too. I'll probably just order them anyway and replace the factory ones and keep them on hand as backups.

 

[Flyingfool]

I just checked my 9mm shield. And the spring in question is proud and it is worn the color off and is bare metal. I will be attempting to tap it flush soon as I am not immediately have access to my tools.

I bought my gun used. So not sure how many rounds through it. I have shot 500 to maybe 750 rounds. Has never malfunctioned. But it is barely even broken in yet. Depending upon how many rounds the previous owner shot.

I had called S&W and learned the the gun was less than a year old from date of manufacturing (from When I bought it) and they had no record of the gun being back to factory for service. I can’t remember the exact date of manf. I think it was August of 2016. I wrote it down somewhere.

 

[xdmshooter59]

Mine is flush

1k plus rounds


I guess my frustration with these threads, is that you have people that say "THATS WHY I DONT BUY A SHIELD!"

If you google GUN "XXX" problems..... YOU WILL FIND THEM

I will say again....... The Shield is a great weapon, very reliable

A better thread title might be

Shield Maintenence Issue to keep an eye on......
I would have given a thumbs up to and would have added a "like"

IF it fails vs WHEN it fails, might have helped as well

Take care

I tend to agree with this. A little better choice of wording would have been better received.

 

[xdmshooter59]

I just checked my 9mm shield. And the spring in question is proud and it is worn the color off and is bare metal. I will be attempting to tap it flush soon as I am not immediately have access to my tools.

I bought my gun used. So not sure how many rounds through it. I have shot 500 to maybe 750 rounds. Has never malfunctioned. But it is barely even broken in yet. Depending upon how many rounds the previous owner shot.

I had called S&W and learned the the gun was less than a year old from date of manufacturing (from When I bought it) and they had no record of the gun being back to factory for service. I can’t remember the exact date of manf. I think it was August of 2016. I wrote it down somewhere.

Oh... I would call 750 + rounds broken in. You likely will never have an issue with it, but somehow if you do, you have something to watch for. The one thing I have not seen or read in this thread (maybe I missed a post) is where some said they seated the spring and it came out again causing a failure. From what I've seen everyone that has seated the spring has not had it come loose again, I could be wrong, but time will tell in my own case. When or if that happens I will cross that bridge then and send it to S&W.

 

[Nonuthin]

Mine is flush
A better thread title might be
Shield Maintenence Issue to keep an eye on......
I would have given a thumbs up to and would have added a "like"
IF it fails vs WHEN it fails, might have helped as well
Take care

I like my thread just the way I wrote it.
Sorry if a few devout Shield owners can't read plain English and have to nit-pick words ala Bill Clinton ("What the definition of is is").
Here's the bottom line: Just because your Shield hasn't popped its spring yet doesn't mean that it won't AND it doesn't mean that OTHER Shield owners haven't already or are about to run into this rather significant spring problem. If you want to bury your head in a pitcher of S&W KoolAid, be my guest. This thread was started for the rest of us.
Best Regards to all Shield owners.
And, keep an eye on that spring thingy.