M&P Shield CA Compliant, Can I remove the LOADED WHEN UP Wording On The Slide Somehow

[jwgunny]

Blacking out white lettering on the lci

I want my CA compliant Shield 9mm to be tactical and didn't like the white lettering on the lci. I don't mind the red pop-up as it is a safety factor. I can either take a quick glance in good lighting conditions or feel the pop-up in low lighting conditions. I used a "Universal fine tip permanent ink marker" to fill in the etched letters. Fill in one letter at a time, being careful not to get any marker on the red, wait a few seconds and wipe with a clean soft rag. (See photo).

 

[tlay]

Just my opinion but I would think that the wording or even the entire pop-up warning is part of the safety items for this gun. If you remove them or modify them you could run into a problem if god forbid you use it to defend yourself.

 

[KPWants]

I am guessing that no one here except gwgunny has ever heard of a Sharpie. Less than a dollar and problem solved in seconds.

 

[Rastoff]

If you remove them or modify them you could run into a problem if god forbid you use it to defend yourself.

How is removing the lettering going to prevent you from defending yourself?

 

[tlay]

What I am saying is by removing the lettering or modifying it in any way and you possibly have a negligent discharge a Prosecuting Attorney can use that against you. They can say you modified a safety item and were not aware there was a round in the chamber.
I know its a long shot but why give them more ammo? Everything you do to give the PA ways to prosecute you will cost you money to defend against. My neighbor has one of those signs that says we don't call the cops with a gun on it! I would think if he had a problem and had to use his gun then the PA is going to think he planned it.
I know of someone who had to defend against a charge that he had an unsafe gun because he had a trigger job! Be careful of what you do to change your guns from factory stock. There are PAs out there who will take advantage of it. And you will pay your attorney more to defend against!!

 

[5150ds]

You can buy a used gun from a leo. These don't have to have the chamber indicator flag. They just have the peep hoke to see the casing in the chamber.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

A Sharpie permanent magic marker should cover the white lettering, and those little pens are available in many different colors, with small pen-like points that would make quick work of white lettering. Solvent, carefully applied, should take it off the areas where you don't want to see any unintended/misapplied "Sharpie" marks.

From what I've read, federal regulations (which most states follow, and all FFLs must follow) require that a few key pieces of information MUST be present on the weapon (visible, but not necessarily in contrasting colors). That information, which uniquely identifies the weapon, is what is recorded on Form 4473 when a weapon is transferred:

1) Manufacturer (and importer, if applicable),
2) Model,
3) Serial number, and
4) Type (handgun, rifle, shotgun, etc.),
5) Caliber/gauge.

Rollmarks, safety warnings, etc., are NOT (as far as I know) recorded, and it would take a pretty savvy state or federal employee (probably a gun nut) to be know when anything but the 4473 info was not present.

I think I read that a more-recent change to the regs may require that other information (like the location of the gun maker's plant) must be shown on the weapon, put there by the manufacturer, but I've found nothing that says that this additional (non-4473) info MUST stay there.

More practically, the Fed's and most states authorities don't have a way to RECORD any extra info not required for form 4473 (or a similar state form, if such forms exist.)

 

[Practical]

I would just live with it. You choose to live in California like I choose to live in NY. IF you live in their house you play by their rules...

If you want something that looks good, buy a revolver, if you don't want the chamber indicator get a Glock 26 gen 3.

 

[Rastoff]

What I am saying is by removing the lettering or modifying it in any way and you possibly have a negligent discharge a Prosecuting Attorney can use that against you.

I thought you might be headed there. I would counter with, in a righteous shoot, this will not be an issue. A prosecutor can bring up that you didn't know whether the chamber was loaded or not, but it won't matter because you intentionally took the shot.

That's enough about that.

...if you don't want the chamber indicator get a Glock 26 gen 3.

Funny. ALL Glocks come with a chamber loaded indicator.

 

[Pisgah]

Being the kind of guy who likes to gently mock folks who treat minor things as major problems, I find my self in a real quandary here. Who do I go after? The guys who object to prominent markings, or the ones who highlight every marking with white or gold paint because they think it looks cool?

I think I'll just have another cup of coffee and sit this one out... ;-)

 

[jwgunny]

Just my opinion, but you buy the gun, you own the gun and you practice with the gun. You know that when the red pop-up is "UP" the gun is loaded. I personally can't see where blacking out white lettering, which you can see anyway if it's just blacked out, is going to cause any legal issues.
Again....just my opinion.