M&P Shield 9 going back to S&W. Again

[greatlakesshooter]

I've had my shield 9mm since last April. I've shot about 500 rounds thru it without any problems. My feed ramp looks like OakleyFreak's & Astocks2622's. Should I be concerned with the feed ramp on my barrel??

 

[Astocks2622]

Oakley: that's interesting that the freedom munitions didn't bulge. their 124 gr xtp load was what seemed to have the most consistent issue with bulging in mine. the bulging brass is the ONLY issue I've had with my 9mm Shield in 400 rds.

Greatlakes: have you shot anything on the hot side? if your feed ramp looks like mine, & you aren't bulging brass, I don't know why mine is... I guess if you're not having obvious problems with brass that looks like a pregnant guppy, you should be fine, though it throws my theory for a loop.

 

[greatlakesshooter]

I've only shot 2 different kinds of ammo, wwb 115gr and speer gold dot 124gr +p. I've had no weird bulges on the casings


I'm fairly new to shooting, sorry I'm not much help. I would be curious to know what s&w says about the feed ramp. My m&p 9mm fs looks thicker like Rastoff's feed ramp though. I really don't see much discussions on feed ramps. So, maybe you might be onto something. Maybe I haven't shot enough or paid attention enough to the casings I eject. I won't hit a range until the weather warms up.

 

[Astocks2622]

yeah, rastoff's is the "good one" so if yours looks like his & doesn't bulge with the 124 gr +p gold dots, you should be good to go. I think they had some quality control issues & cut the feed ramp too deeply on mine & Oakley's.

 

[greatlakesshooter]

What i meant was my shield 9 looks just like your feed ramp. My fs 9 has a thicker feed ramp. Clearly something is going with the machining. I'm wondering if the differences in feed ramps may lead to issues-fte,ftf,kabooms, bulges to casings. Does s&w have a guide as to what the feed ramp is supposed to be spec'd to? Both shield and full size operate with either the ammo I use in them.

 

[OakleyFreak]

Well we had the benefit of seeing the issue in 2 brand new 9mm's
I am still leaning towards the ammo for now. it was Norinco China Sports ,China made, it has good ratings and is non corrosive.
So Im still not sure what is gong on.
I need to get some hotter rounds thru them for me to be certain

But the 115 reloads shot like a dream, good grouping as well

here is our feed ramp

 

[Smokin' Iron]

Smith has long stated that shooting reloaded ammunition in their firearms can void the warranty.

If new cases are unreloadable after firing, then there will be no reloads.

Just joking of course. I hope Smith steps up to the plate and correctly repairs any pistol with such a clear defect.

 

[Wareagle1648]

Wondering if the spring is maybe just a little to stiff and is just slowing the slide enough to be causing the bulge. Waiting for the Fedex label to come to send my 9mm back for the bulging issue. When I contacted Smith and Wesson they wanted pictures, when I sent the pictures in they called within 5 minutes and I mean 5 minutes of the email sent and said " Do Not fire this firearm. We will send you a shipping label to send it back we want to see this firearm". So we will see what happens.

 

[Astocks2622]

interesting. I volunteered pics because they didn't seem to be taking it seriously... 3-4 days later I got a response asking for shipping info, & a few days later I got a shipping label... I wonder if it's just coming to light.

 

[dswancutt]

Well we had the benefit of seeing the issue in 2 brand new 9mm's
I am still leaning towards the ammo for now. it was Norinco China Sports ,China made, it has good ratings and is non corrosive.
So Im still not sure what is gong on.
I need to get some hotter rounds thru them for me to be certain



But the 115 reloads shot like a dream, good grouping as well

here is our feed ramp

Norinco 9mm is the only ammo I have had problems with reloading and it had the exact problem you encountered, severe bulging. It was so bad that the resizing die shaved a ring of brass.

 

[Wareagle1648]

I was also told in an email to not send any cases with the firearm as it is against policy to get cases with the gun. They requested to send pictures with the gun.

 

[OakleyFreak]

Norinco 9mm is the only ammo I have had problems with reloading and it had the exact problem you encountered, severe bulging. It was so bad that the resizing die shaved a ring of brass.

thanks I'm leaning towards that ammo as the cause
I will def try other manufactures in the coming weeks.
also see if diff grains have any effect. the 115 grain shot as expected.
I just need to see what ammo is available locally

 

[mltndw3]

I bought a new Shield 9mm last week and had two FTE with the first 50 rounds. I was using Georgia Arms 124 grain reloads which I've used with my Glock 19 for over a year with no problems. After reading the threads about ammo, I ran 50 rounds of Factory ammo, Remington Eagle 147 grain, through it today with zero problems. Maybe ammo is the problem with many of the issues we're reading about. I love the gun and I'm a bit more confident about using it for my CCW after today's no FTE session. I plan to try some other manufactures in the next few weeks to confirm what I learned today.

 

[greatlakesshooter]

Is there a consensus on the look of the feed ramp? If it's thin like the pictures, does the barrel need to be replaced?

 

[Astocks2622]

unfortunately, I have a sample size of 2... So statistically, no consensus. I need to know if anyone with the beefier looking feed ramp is having problems with their brass, & also if a majority of people with the thinner ramps are having problems to be able to feel more sure that I've tracked down the real cause.

 

[Rastoff]

From all the pics I've seen, Astocks2622's feed ramp looks perfectly normal for a Shield and the others look normal for the compact and full sized guns.

Apparently, S&W needed to alter the feed ramp for the Shield. To find out why, you'll have to ask S&W.

 

[Astocks2622]

I am just comparing my ramp to other shield ramps, & there seems to be a significant, visible difference. mine appears "thinner" on the edges, telling me that S&W removed more material, including slightly into the bottom of the chamber wall. On the gun's first trip back to S&W they "modified" the barrel, but it didn't fix the bulging issue. I guess we'll see if they replace my barrel, & if it looks like my previous barrels, or more like yours, Rastoff.

 

[Rastoff]

I am just comparing my ramp to other shield ramps, & there seems to be a significant, visible difference. mine appears "thinner" on the edges, telling me that S&W removed more material, including slightly into the bottom of the chamber wall. On the gun's first trip back to S&W they "modified" the barrel, but it didn't fix the bulging issue. I guess we'll see if they replace my barrel, & if it looks like my previous barrels, or more like yours, Rastoff.

Well, experience tells me that unless we actually measure the differences, we can't really say that one is thinner than the other. That doesn't mean you're not right.

Here are yours and OakleyFreak's in the same post:

They look pretty similar to me.

I don't know why S&W made them different than the full size and compact guns. That is something only S&W can answer. Even so, I don't like the unsupported chamber. Is it unsafe? For a normal load, with normal pressure and a good case, no. However, I do believe it is pushing the envelope.

 

[OakleyFreak]

If you would like me to take measurments just let me know

 

[buckshotshorty]

I had the same exact bulge on cases. Sent it back to Smith and they REPLACED the barrel. That's what yours needs!