Guide rod/recoil spring issue Shield 9mm
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Sigsavvy
Member
Had the same issue. Couldn't get slide back far enough to rotate takedown lever. Called SW and explained the situation and they sent me a new recoil spring assembly. Took over a month since they were on backorder. I have had it happen once since I got the new one but it's not as fussy as the original one.
uechikid
Member
You have to be kidding me!!
The gun won't work properly unless the spring end is facing up??
That is really funny, to me!!
edit: the manual does not state anything to this point. But, the photo incidentally shows the tip of the spring facing up. I think it is simply an accident that it shows it, though. The only point is to make sure that it is centered.
The gun won't work properly unless the spring end is facing up??
That is really funny, to me!!
edit: the manual does not state anything to this point. But, the photo incidentally shows the tip of the spring facing up. I think it is simply an accident that it shows it, though. The only point is to make sure that it is centered.
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CaptRon956
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Absolutely nothing is wrong with the Bodyguard. I own one, and occasionally carry it & would highly recommend it.
Now I'm not sure how the deal with the recoil spring facing up in the shield got started but nowhere in S&W owners manual does it mention it. I've also been shooting pistols since the 80's & never once had any problems of any kind with any of my S&W pistol's. In addition, my Shield 9 is my EDC, I carry it daily, I shoot it at the range weekly, it goes with my when I travel, I even passed my shooting proeffiency test for my Texas CHL with it... I never had any problems with it... 100% beyond reliable.
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Every brand of gun has its occasional string of misfits. I have three flawlessly functioning S&W's (including a 9mm Shield) and I've never had to deal with S&W customer service, but I'm sure they will make this right for you. Good luck and please keep us updated.
uechikid
Member
No the manual does not say anything about the orientation of the spring. However, if you look closely at all of the pictures that show the spring, they are all oriented the same way as the picture that I posted.
All that being said, it won't hurt to try it.
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That is pretty much what I posted. But, I still think it is funny!
kmanick
Member
I've put about 500 rounds through my shield 9mm. Zero issues so far, have stripped it down and cleaned it twice. no problems
I did buy one of these though just in case. $39.00 and shipped in 3 days.
Smith and Wesson Shield Stainless Steel Guide Rod Assembly - Stainless Steel Guide Rods
I'm shooting again tomorrow I may drop this one in and see if I notice any difference.
I did buy one of these though just in case. $39.00 and shipped in 3 days.
Smith and Wesson Shield Stainless Steel Guide Rod Assembly - Stainless Steel Guide Rods
I'm shooting again tomorrow I may drop this one in and see if I notice any difference.
2016 - Recoil spring problem lives on
Here to tell you the Shield lousy recoil spring / guide rod design lives on. Just bought one, March 2016. Had read all the great Shield reviews, but nothing about this problem until I got it. I'm a big S&W fan, with a 22 Compact, Bodyguard 380, 642 revolver, and 3" 686-Plus revolver. This thing with the Shield takes my S&W opinion down several notches. Didn't really notice the ridiculously hard-to-rack slide at the gun store when buying. At home playing with it, dang. Then found a ton of issues online with overly stiff on the slide, spring issues, struggling to take down. Uh-oh. Stripped mine to look and, wow. Really bad design. Anyone familiar with machine springs, and I am from years of spring-loaded stripper plates on punch-and-die tooling, knows the ends of the springs should be flat-wound. To contact the rod ends evenly all the way around. These springs are not, they're made as if a longer spring was just snipped off. So the point of the coil at the end is the only part touching the little rod end plate, both ends. It will always try to bow the spring off the rod and bunch it and bind, and will bust the rod end off sooner than later. All that tension is on one little spot on the end plate. Inexcusable design, more so to keep making that way after customer complaints. As to the double-rod design, and the smaller spring on one end, ***? Might as well be a bolt, you cannot compress it, period, with your hands. I have a rod with spring assembly, single rod and spring, coming from the stainless steel guide rod folks in Florida tomorrow. Will post on what that does for the slide action. Hopefully they got it right with the overall "pounds" of compression compared to OEM. I do understand how that force has to be right for a particular pistol size and weight and caliber and recoil. Haven't even fired this thing yet, no weekend yet for range time, but I won't allow the **** rod/spring design to stay in there. And for someone posting that these problems are rare, no way. It's just people living with a slide that's insanely hard to rack, and harder still, bordering on I-give-up, to get the slide back far enough to take down. It ain't right on the design, pure and simple. And I can't understand the folks at S&W making something that way, and continuing to do so.
Here to tell you the Shield lousy recoil spring / guide rod design lives on. Just bought one, March 2016. Had read all the great Shield reviews, but nothing about this problem until I got it. I'm a big S&W fan, with a 22 Compact, Bodyguard 380, 642 revolver, and 3" 686-Plus revolver. This thing with the Shield takes my S&W opinion down several notches. Didn't really notice the ridiculously hard-to-rack slide at the gun store when buying. At home playing with it, dang. Then found a ton of issues online with overly stiff on the slide, spring issues, struggling to take down. Uh-oh. Stripped mine to look and, wow. Really bad design. Anyone familiar with machine springs, and I am from years of spring-loaded stripper plates on punch-and-die tooling, knows the ends of the springs should be flat-wound. To contact the rod ends evenly all the way around. These springs are not, they're made as if a longer spring was just snipped off. So the point of the coil at the end is the only part touching the little rod end plate, both ends. It will always try to bow the spring off the rod and bunch it and bind, and will bust the rod end off sooner than later. All that tension is on one little spot on the end plate. Inexcusable design, more so to keep making that way after customer complaints. As to the double-rod design, and the smaller spring on one end, ***? Might as well be a bolt, you cannot compress it, period, with your hands. I have a rod with spring assembly, single rod and spring, coming from the stainless steel guide rod folks in Florida tomorrow. Will post on what that does for the slide action. Hopefully they got it right with the overall "pounds" of compression compared to OEM. I do understand how that force has to be right for a particular pistol size and weight and caliber and recoil. Haven't even fired this thing yet, no weekend yet for range time, but I won't allow the **** rod/spring design to stay in there. And for someone posting that these problems are rare, no way. It's just people living with a slide that's insanely hard to rack, and harder still, bordering on I-give-up, to get the slide back far enough to take down. It ain't right on the design, pure and simple. And I can't understand the folks at S&W making something that way, and continuing to do so.
bassgunner
US Veteran
Mine has been fine, purchased at Christmas time. I read about this issue also after purchase but have had no issues. I make sure that when I reassemble, the RSA has the end of the spring facing up like in this picture.
The racking of the slide and loading of magazines has gotten significantly easier after about 300-500 rounds.
The racking of the slide and loading of magazines has gotten significantly easier after about 300-500 rounds.
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Just got a Shield last month...no issues with racking slide, etc..
RSA seems fine so far...
Not sure when mine was made, but I know shops that have Shields in stock that have been there a long time...could be that there are still some shoddy RSAs out there on shelves...
RSA seems fine so far...
Not sure when mine was made, but I know shops that have Shields in stock that have been there a long time...could be that there are still some shoddy RSAs out there on shelves...
The picture from bassgunner says it all. Look at the pressure-point of the coil tip contacting the rod end plate. Insane. That's guaranteed to put undue wear on the end piece, all that force in one spot. And guaranteed to flex the spring out sideways from the rod. It pooches out on that first coil away from the tip even more than it looks in the photo. The method of putting it in the receiver with that area facing up prevents it from trying to dig into the slide area underneath the spring, and reduces friction from that. Of course both ends are like that. I would ream anyone where I work if they put a non flat-wound spring in a tool set, since it will fail and break and beat the snot out of the surfaces the coil tip touches in no time. I understand that many people, maybe the majority, don't find issue with the design, difficulty of rack slide force or sliding back far enough for disassembly, how long they last without the end plates busting off, etc. But many will, and it's still a horribly shoddy design and no excuse for it. You know what happens if that spring goes in sideways or upside down from the picture, as far as which direction the coil tip is oriented. Excessive force required to rack that slide or for take-down, that bulging spring area rubbing on the slide assembly on the bottom of it. I expect the one-piece replacement rod, and with one spring, assembly being delivered today to make things right. Don't even get me started on the two-piece OEM rod with the insanely-stiff smaller spring on one end. Pic of flat-wound spring attached, they should all be like this. The problem doesn't exist on my M&P 22 Compact or Bodyguard 380.
bassgunner
US Veteran
Looking at the pictures on Amazon it appears like it may be flat wound at the end. I just ordered one. I will post pictures of it this weekend.
New rod/spring came
New rod/spring assembly came. Nothing like OEM. One-piece rod, one spring, fits perfectly. Now racking the slide feels normal for that size and caliber pistol, way better. Smooth as silk. And I don't have to go all gorilla on it for take-down. (Note on that, for disassemble --- magazine out, pull slide back, engage slide lock button, flip take-down lever to down position, release slide lock while pulling back on slide, let slide come forward. Now pull the trigger and the slide will slip right off the frame easy-peasy. Seems a bit of a trick on the pulling the trigger thing. Hopefully you're fully not loaded long before all this.) Will post again after shooting this coming weekend. Pics coming. Note the hex screw end goes toward the barrel, if you do one of these. And if the forum allows, e-mail me for some order notes with those folks. Note also Wolff gun springs company makes some nifty "calibration packs" of something like 12, 14, 16 pound springs for the full size M&P 9mm, so one could try different slide speeds and recoils, with OEM being 18 I think. But they have nothing for the Shield.
New rod/spring assembly came. Nothing like OEM. One-piece rod, one spring, fits perfectly. Now racking the slide feels normal for that size and caliber pistol, way better. Smooth as silk. And I don't have to go all gorilla on it for take-down. (Note on that, for disassemble --- magazine out, pull slide back, engage slide lock button, flip take-down lever to down position, release slide lock while pulling back on slide, let slide come forward. Now pull the trigger and the slide will slip right off the frame easy-peasy. Seems a bit of a trick on the pulling the trigger thing. Hopefully you're fully not loaded long before all this.) Will post again after shooting this coming weekend. Pics coming. Note the hex screw end goes toward the barrel, if you do one of these. And if the forum allows, e-mail me for some order notes with those folks. Note also Wolff gun springs company makes some nifty "calibration packs" of something like 12, 14, 16 pound springs for the full size M&P 9mm, so one could try different slide speeds and recoils, with OEM being 18 I think. But they have nothing for the Shield.
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