M&P SHIELD 0.40 CALIBER MAGAZINE DROP PROBLEM POLL

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I purchased a 9mm M&P Shield and my buddy purchased a 40 cal M&P Shield. I have no problems with my magazine, but with my buddy's 40 cal the extended magazine dropped after every shot or every other shot. His 40 cal short magazine did not have this problem, never dropped.

One other oddity was that I shoot my 9mm about 8" low with windage OK. I shoot my buddy's 40 cal 1" low with windage OK. Not sure what's going on.

Today is Saturday and my buddy intends to call S&W Customer Service regarding the dropping magazine on Monday. Is the magazine or the magazine release?
 
CJ, I've attached my response that's in another Shield 40 thread. There is a definite problem with these firearms. If you own one and all you're doing is punching paper with it then it's dependability is not a factor. If you're carrying one off duty or concealed and your life or someone else's may depend on it's operation, please rethink your decision anout carrying it. The fact that mine experienced an out of battery detonation was bad enough but to send the gun to Smith and have it returned with exactly the same problem has destroyed any confidence I had in the gun as an off duty. ..................

Original post.
I ordered my Shield 40 in May and received it mid June. I shot a box of Speer Lawman ammo through it and experienced 2 mag drops. Thought it to be an ammo or grip problem so I taped an foam ear plug just above the release as a land mark and switched to regular duty ammo. Shot another 15 rounds with no issues.
I took the Shield to my semi-annual LEO quals so that I could carry it off duty. I had 2 feed malfuntions due to the mag dropping approx a quater inch out of lock and 45 rounds into the course of fire I had an out of battery detonation. It blew the mag completely out of gun and form fitted the case to the feed ramp and the rear half of the chamber. The case head hit my ballistic glasses just above my right eye , creasing the lens and gouging the frame. My trigger finger is still sore. I sent the gun back to S&W.
Two weeks later I recieved a call stating they were replacing the lower but sending me back my original slide. Wouldn't give me an explanation as to why. Lawyer BS I imagine. Received the gun a week later. Second shot out of the box, mag dropped 1/4", round stove piped and I went to cussing. If they can't repair a gun that I'm trusting the public's and my life to then that gun shouldn't have been returned to service. Needless to say this is my last S&W and I'll be returning my Shield and my new 1911 for a refund.
 
As someone stated before it was probably a bad run of some of the .40's. I own both guns and have fired both of them 500+ rounds through their paces, whether it be target practice or fast paced ammo dumping. I mean if "everyone" had this problem I would jump on the bandwagon, but S&W seems to know about it and has a fix, frustrating I know, but this is what happens when everyone jumps to brand new cutting edge equipment. There is always the possibility of a "human" beta test.
 
I'm also having the mag drop problem with the extended mag in my .40 Shield. It happens about every other round on average, although sometimes it will happen for several consecutive rounds. I went to the range for the first time with this weapon on Sunday, and shot about 300 rounds through it. I field stripped it and lubed it before the range trip. It got so exasperating using the 7 round mag that I probably shot over 250 rounds through the 6 round one. I also had the range officer, a person whom I consider very knowledgeable about firearms in general, to try it to make sure I wasn't crazy. He experienced the same mag dropping problem with the 7 rounder. I had this happen with the 6 round mag perhaps 3 or 4 times out of the 250 or rounds fired through the smaller mag.
 
Going through the poll numbers so far, folks are reporting that approximately one of two Shield 0.40's are having the magazine drop problem.
 
I have the problem. Contacted S&W and they said they would send a replacement magazine catch. When it came, it was obviously not a proper fit and worked no better. When I contacted them again, they apologized and said they had sent the wrong part. They had me return the gun. They said they were still working on a proper replacement magazine catch and told me it would be a while before it was finally produced. They estimated it would be about four weeks before I received the gun back. They are now very aware of the problem and seem convinced it is the magazine catch. I agree since my magazines were never fully seated.:(
 
Drops Consistently

Took mine to the range the day I bought it. Fired well until round 48. After that it dropped with nearly every round. As others have said, I tried to adjust my grip and evaluated whether it was me or the pistol. Even one-handed with my thumb partially off the grip the magazine dropped. Sent it back to Smith yesterday, as that is what they recommended. Looking forward to hear how other members' repairs went. Maybe we'll need to start a thread dedicated to members who have had their Shields returned after "repair".
 
Thought I would add my $.02.
I purchased my Shield .40 in June, serial # DXP2nnn.
Since then I have put almost 300 rounds through it.

Not a single drop.

Here is what I have noticed; the 6 round mag is very loose. I can wiggle it around when it is inserted with the slide open. I have pushed down on the mag with the slide open, even though it is still loose, it did not fall out.

The 7 round mag is much tighter, and has very little play. Again, I was not able to get it to drop by manually manipulating. And, it as well as the 6 round have never dropped in almost 300 rounds.

This is my first M&P, and one of things that surprised me was the visual low quality of the mags. They almost appeared to be galvanized steel rather than stainless.

My XD mags shine like new penny, and my M22a mags look like quality stainless. The Shield mags do not.

So what is the possibility that it is a mag problem and not a pistol problem.

Has anyone with the mag drop problem tried mags from a buddy that does not have the drop problem?
 
konertjm said:
Thought I would add my $.02.
I purchased my Shield .40 in June, serial # DXP2nnn.
Since then I have put almost 300 rounds through it.

Not a single drop.

Here is what I have noticed; the 6 round mag is very loose. I can wiggle it around when it is inserted with the slide open. I have pushed down on the mag with the slide open, even though it is still loose, it did not fall out.

The 7 round mag is much tighter, and has very little play. Again, I was not able to get it to drop by manually manipulating. And, it as well as the 6 round have never dropped in almost 300 rounds.

This is my first M&P, and one of things that surprised me was the visual low quality of the mags. They almost appeared to be galvanized steel rather than stainless.

My XD mags shine like new penny, and my M22a mags look like quality stainless. The Shield mags do not.

So what is the possibility that it is a mag problem and not a pistol problem.

Has anyone with the mag drop problem tried mags from a buddy that does not have the drop problem?
Click to expand...

I know I am a new member to the S&W forum, but not new to handguns, however I recently purchased M&P Shield .40. I have not made it to range yet, I was just happy to find one, so I bought it. You mentioning your Serial Number was a excellent idea. Mine is DXV6xxx. Maybe if the rest of the members of this thread did the same thing, we could see if there some similarity. Maybe a certain series of Serial numbers have this problem and maybe why others aren't. I had heard such great things about this gun, it hard to believe S&W would not come forward with a recall. I guess I'll just keep carrying my PPS and Glock 27 until the count is in. I also need my a.. to the range.
 
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After talking with Dave from S&W about my magazine drop problem and agreeing to send me the magazine release, I decided to call back after waiting two weeks since the part was not received. I got Miguel and he said that the S&W new policy was that the firearm had to be sent to them for repair and apologized for the misunderstanding with a slightly arrogant tone. This is very poor customer service. S&W should have called me if the policy changed after my call since I would have been waiting for the part indefinitely. I am really miffed and S&W is at the bottom of my list for future gun purchases. I will likely return the gun for refund tomorrow. This manufacturing defect in approximately 50% of their Shield 0.40 guns based upon this poll is totally inexcusable. S&W - shame on your quality and customer service.
 
CJWig said:
After talking with Dave from S&W about my magazine drop problem and agreeing to send me the magazine release, I decided to call back after waiting two weeks since the part was not received. I got Miguel and he said that the S&W new policy was that the firearm had to be sent to them for repair and apologized for the misunderstanding with a slightly arrogant tone. This is very poor customer service. S&W should have called me if the policy changed after my call since I would have been waiting for the part indefinitely. I am really miffed and S&W is at the bottom of my list for future gun purchases. I will likely return the gun for refund tomorrow. This manufacturing defect in approximately 50% of their Shield 0.40 guns based upon this poll is totally inexcusable. S&W - shame on your quality and customer service.
Click to expand...

Call me stupid but where to return the gun for a refund? In Louisana all sales are final.
 
cflshield said:
I'm wondering if the dropped magazine problem isn't with the mag or mag release but the extension collar that is on the 7rd mag. It's plastic or rubber and could be molded out of specs pretty easy and could be keeping the mag from seating properly. Maybe trimming a hair of the top would cure the problem. Just wondering.
Click to expand...

I had same though so I removed the rubber boot adn still had mag drops.
 
I buy most of my guns from one dealer so he works it out with the gun supplier if returned. I returned a jamomatic Diamondback DB9 to my dealer earlier this year.

The interesting part of the story is that S&W called me back today to tell me that they are sending me the part after all - changing positions. Erratic folks at S&W.
 
TMAXXII said:
I know I am a new member to the S&W forum, but not new to handguns, however I recently purchased M&P Shield .40. I have not made it to range yet, I was just happy to find one, so I bought it. You mentioning your Serial Number was a excellent idea. Mine is DXV6xxx. Maybe if the rest of the members of this thread did the same thing, we could see if there some similarity. Maybe a certain series of Serial numbers have this problem and maybe why others aren't. I had heard such great things about this gun, it hard to believe S&W would not come forward with a recall. I guess I'll just keep carrying my PPS and Glock 27 until the count is in. I also need my a.. to the range.
Click to expand...

My serial number is also DXV6xxx hmmm same problem here.
 
Took my .40 shield to the range saturday, shooting with the 7 round mag, and going though 4 reloads, the 7 round mag would drop after firing once. This was repeated by 2 other people and it did the same thing. Also did it shooting one handed. Dismayed and disgruntled. I will never ever buy a brand new hyped up gun again ever in my life. I hope S&W fixes my gun. /sigh back to the glock 23 for carry.
 
SN: DXX0xxx. I assume mine was manufactured after the DXVxxxx ones mentioned above. My 7 rounder drops on average every two rounds. Two or three drops only with about 250 rounds through the 6 round mag.
 
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No problems with mine. DXT3xxx serial number.

Two folks have had trouble with a DXV and one with a DXX. If people with the trouble could list their S/N prefix, maybe we could get a better idea of a trend.
 
My first post... took my new .40 to the range for the first time today and about 50 rounds in started dropping mags. A lot more prevalent with the 7 rounder. Serial #DXX0. I'm waiting to see if the people that sent theirs in actually have it fixed before I send mine in.
 
My shield has been back at S&W for 2 weeks now with the magazine drop issue.
When i called they told me the same BS, that they had never heard of the issue, for them to tell me that means that their customer service people, A. dont comminicate B. live in caves C. definitely do not read this forum D. arent as great as their reputation
I own 12 handguns, and S&Ws are the only ones i ever had to send back,the other being the bodyguard 380, for the cheap laser 3 times.
Ive had better reliability and service with Taurus.
So if any of you people out there actually work or deal with S&W, tell them to wise up, admit you have a problem with these guns and recall them, If your mag doesnt drop on your .40 caliber shield, consider yourself lucky my serial number was DXT*****
 
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Well, here is another kick in the butt. S&W is closed for 2 weeks, so if your gun is there dont expect it for at least another 2 weeks, unless your LEO. I guess they get emergency service
 
I just got my M&P .40 Shield last week and I am having the same mag drop issue as well intermittently with both the 6 and 7 round mags. Called S&W today and they are sending me a shipping label to send it back. My serial number is DXX0. This seems to be a huge issue with the .40 Shield they need to resolve soon.
 
Michigan Ron said:
Please see my posts above. MY S/N begins with DXV.

Bill340, your comments are right on the money. S&W needs to think about the legal consequences of its "Shield Yourself" ad campaign if a customer dies trying to "shield himself" (or herself) from a lethal threat with a gun whose magazine has dropped after the first shot.

Sorry to have to say this to/about an American manufacturer. Anyone can have a defect with nearly any product from time to time, but the important thing is how the manufacturer responds once the defect is brought to its attention. I trust that S&W will stand up to this and make things right.

This reminds me of the very common FTF/FTE problems owners of the Walther PPS are posting on other forums -- for the .40 caliber PPS, only -- not the 9 mm. Similar responses (gee, we haven't heard about this PPS .40 problem before) are reported on those forums from S&W Customer Service (S&W also handles Walther's customer service in the US).

In addition to the magazine drop problem on my Shield .40, I also have a Walther PPS .40 with those same FTE/FTF issues.

Lucky me!!!
Click to expand...

well, ron, guess who makes the walthers now !
I forgot to mention that the other issue i had was the springs in the magazines were a real bear, It was not humanely possible to load either magazine fully without the help of a loader, the springs were so stiff or whatever other word you want to use, i thought that maybe this was what was causing the mag to drop , that somehow all the pressure from the spring compression was somehow causing the problem with the mag dropping from the recoil of the gun, anyway, S&W is closed till mid august so, nothing to report till then
 
winger07 said:
I have the same problem.
Click to expand...

Dont be surprised if they say its the first they heard of the problem, when you call, which is BS, on this thread alone there are at least 5 guns back at S&W, they are closed for 2 weeks, so un might want to get your mailer awhile
 
First post here. I picked up a new .40 S&W Shield #DXX10xx at Cabela's in PA. Yesterday I took it to the range for the first time and shot 100+ rounds of Winchester white box and had maybe 2-3 magazine drops. Next I tried a box of Winchester Ranger (having stronger recoil). The magazine would drop out every 1, 2, or 3 rounds. What a disappointment!!!

I'm 99% sure that I am not touching the magazine release button during firing. Also I was only loading mags with the slide locked open.

Compared to other brands of pistols, I noticed 2 things about the S&W Shield:
1) The magazine fit is VERY loose in the magazine well.
2) When a loaded magazine is inserted into the pistol, only a TINY amount of pressure on the magazine release button will eject the magazine. It's like a hair trigger, just ridiculous.

I REALLY like his pistol in every other way. I think I'll hold off on sending it back to S&W until I'm confident they have identified the problem and have a 100% fix.
 
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My shield has a serial number starting with DXP. I have not had any problems with mine. I recently gave my 7 round mag to my brother-in-law and he gave me his 6 round one. He has not had any problems with his as of yet. My dad just purchased a shield 9 and he had ftf and stovepiping with his 8 round mag. He did not have a problem with the 7 round one.

Sent from my Dell Streak 7 using Tapatalk 2
 
Sent mine in a week before they closed down for two weeks. Serial number DXV... My first Smith and Wesson and it's not a good first impression.
 
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