Getting hit with casings!!

nevmike

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I have a new M&P VTAC and the empty casings are hitting me in the face. 80% or more. I was told by a gun dealer this is common for M&P's. Any truth to this, or do I have to send it back for repairs??
 
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I have a new M&P VTAC and the empty casings are hitting me in the face. 80% or more. I was told by a gun dealer this is common for M&P's. Any truth to this, or do I have to send it back for repairs??

Don't know how common it is. I have 3 M&P's (all 9mm) and none of them eject brass into my face. Different ammo will sometimes eject differently. I load all my own ammo and rarely shoot "store bought" ammo so I can't help you there. You might try a different brand or bullet weight.
 
I have two M&P's...no brass in face. None of my 3rd gens eject other than they are supposed to. On the other hand my 1911SC did it a from time to time when new...a trip back to Smith and an extractor adjustment made it right.

You can find posts about all brands of autos at one time or another spitting in the face of the shooter...not what we're looking for but it happens. Call Smith and see what they say.
 
I have a 9c which only has about 500 rounds or so through it and I have only had one piece of brass go back and try to hit me. It was my fault as I was playing with grips and broke my wrist.
 
My FS M&P9 was ejecting straight over my head for the first few mags, but was ejecting back and to the right by the time I went through the first box.

I suspect it's a matter of the extractor wearing in a little and working more freely.
 
Fact is, if you use an autoloading pistol, you will get hit with hot ejected brass. It's the "nature of the beast" - and some pistols are worse than others - but they all do it.

If you don't like it you can always switch to a revolver.

Also, it's not a "matter of the extractor". The ejector (that pointy piece of metal mounted on the frame) is what flips them out...and it ain't that either. Tiny variations in powder charge from round to round will cause the slide to cycle at slightly different speeds...the consistency of the ammo has more to do with it than anything on the pistol.
 
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I was coaching a friend's wife, her first time shooting a Browning Hi-Power. It was summer, she was dressed for it, and, shall we say, gifted by nature. In the course of events a piece of hot brass got in her cleavage. Briefly considered reaching in to snatch it out, but she's still got a loaded pistol in her hands, her husband is watching...

That was many decades ago and her carry gun has been a nickel 19, 2-1/2 inch round butt ever since.
 
I have a new M&P VTAC and the empty casings are hitting me in the face. 80% or more. I was told by a gun dealer this is common for M&P's. Any truth to this, or do I have to send it back for repairs??

Shoot heavier bullets. From my FS 9, brass from 115 gr loads hit right on the bill of my cap. 124 and 147 gr loads drop over to 4 or 5 o'clock.
 
It happens a few times with my M&Ps that I own but happens a lot more when I shoot my Glock.
 
Also, it's not a "matter of the extractor". The ejector (that pointy piece of metal mounted on the frame) is what flips them out...and it ain't that either. Tiny variations in powder charge from round to round will cause the slide to cycle at slightly different speeds...the consistency of the ammo has more to do with it than anything on the pistol.

I have to agree that the ejector didn't have anything to do with it. The ejector didn't change or show any noticeable wear within the relatively few rounds where my FS M&P9 changed from throwing the brass over my head to over to the right. The extractor DID in how it held and released the case. I know because I was specifically checking by racking the slide manually (slowly) during part of that period. No the direction wasn't the same as during firing, but I wasn't expecting it to be.

Now, it is probable that the slide wearing in a bit and the recoil spring settling in will also have an effect during actual firing, but a change in the extractor action was the only difference I could be sure of. This was also all with the same box of ammunition, so that variable is also eliminated. Yes, the amount of powder residue also changed, but even after repeated firing and cleaning sessions, it still ejects consistently back and to the right.
 
I have a new M&P VTAC and the empty casings are hitting me in the face. 80% or more. I was told by a gun dealer this is common for M&P's. Any truth to this, or do I have to send it back for repairs??

I shoot revolvers so I dont have issues like that I do shoot my friends sigs and just about every auto has done this that I can remember even my 1911 officers model this may be a silly question do you shoot right hand or left hand seems like if your left handed that would be a issue.
 
I have to agree that the ejector didn't have anything to do with it. The ejector didn't change or show any noticeable wear within the relatively few rounds where my FS M&P9 changed from throwing the brass over my head to over to the right. The extractor DID in how it held and released the case. I know because I was specifically checking by racking the slide manually (slowly) during part of that period. No the direction wasn't the same as during firing, but I wasn't expecting it to be.

Now, it is probable that the slide wearing in a bit and the recoil spring settling in will also have an effect during actual firing, but a change in the extractor action was the only difference I could be sure of. This was also all with the same box of ammunition, so that variable is also eliminated. Yes, the amount of powder residue also changed, but even after repeated firing and cleaning sessions, it still ejects consistently back and to the right.

This is well known in the Glock world. In several of those cases the owners removed the extractor and polished both sides and it fixed the problem of erratic ejection. Because the Glock extractor is MIM instead of cut steel, some of them can be rough resulting in inconsistent extraction. Not sure if that's the issue with the M&P...
 
I have an M&P 45 that never ejects brass back at me-not even once. I have an M&P 9 that almost always ejects brass straight back. If you're not limp wristing it should not do this, even with 115 grain ammo.

Contact S&W and have them fix it.
 
I have a Pro M&P40 and an M&P22, both rain brass down on my hat, arms, back, depending on what I'm shooting. I had the Pro at the range today shooting 180 grain Fiocchi and had what seemed like an inordinate number bounce off my hat.

With the 22, if I shoot hyper-max (1700 fps), more than half rain down on my hat or shoulders. If I shoot standard 1200 - 1300 fps, they go mostly off to the right and only hit me if they ricochet off the lane partition.
 
Nature of the beast. Check your form, and basics. From there dont wear lose clothing.
 
I have 3 M&P's, the only time I've had brass hit me was when I shoot weak hand only (left handed), and not very often. I have over 20,000 rounds through my 9L, considerably less on my other pistols. Makes me wonder whether it's the pistol, ammo, or shooter when this happens, it obviously does since it gets talked about frequently. I have no idea why one person experiences this and someone else never does.
 
My FS M&P9 was ejecting straight over my head for the first few mags, but was ejecting back and to the right by the time I went through the first box.

I suspect it's a matter of the extractor wearing in a little and working more freely.


I had that, after 500 or so rounds it stopped happening.
 
In the interim........

Suggest you wear a shirt with a collar that can be buttoned up. Hot brass can burn and even stick to skin. Very distracting with a loaded gun in hand. 21 years as a rangemaster and RSO has taught me a few things!
 

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