M&P Shield Problem

[mike from st pete]

I have a 1.0 Shield that the slide lock/release is impossible to move.
I cannot release the slide because I cannot push the release down.
What's wrong?
Is there a home fix I can try?

 

[cracker57]

is the slide locked back/open? or are you talking the take down lever?

 

[mike from st pete]

No.

The slide locked back on an empty mag the slide will only close via the sling shot method.
Also with no mag inserted the release won't budge, sling shot is the only way to close the gun

 

[jbtrucker]

Nothing wrong it is a slide lock your supposed to sling shot into battery. This has been on the forums since 2012

 

[Tu_S]

The slide locked back on an empty mag the slide will only close via the sling shot method.
Also with no mag inserted the release won't budge, sling shot is the only way to close the gun

With the slide locked back on an empty magazine, the front of the magazine follower pushes the bar the slide release is on, and is what causes the slide to lock back when the last round is fired and magazine is empty.

You can see how this all works by looking through the ejection port and trying it with a magazine in and out of the thing. Pay attention to the front right by the feed ramp and follow the bar that the magazine follower hits, which also has the external slide release and the notch that holds the slide open on it.

With no magazine, or a round in the magazine, the follower is not interacting with the lever and the slide can go forward when you push the release or work the slide.

You should be able to close the slide with the slide release with either a magazine in the thing or not, loaded or unloaded, although on an empty magazine you are fighting the tension of the spring pushing the follower which can make it hard to do with the small size of the release lever.

If you can pull the slide back on an empty magazine and it goes into battery something is broke.

 

[WR Moore]

Nothing wrong it is a slide lock your supposed to sling shot into battery. This has been on the forums since 2012

If this is a reply based on nomenclature, somewhere on this website there's an electronic copy of the original US Army manual for the 1911 pistol where it's directed to use the SLIDE STOP to release the slide from it's locked back position. The name does not dictate functional use. I'll also note that the original M&P slide lock/release/stop was intended only for the slingshot method. It got trashed after the optional "extended" item was the overwhelming choice of the target LE market.

Now then, strictly from a mechanical standpoint, as size goes down, the tension of the recoil spring has to go up. This can make operation of the slide lock/slide release/slide stop difficult. If it's a new handgun, the mating surfaces of the slide notch and the slide stop may need some burnishing to operate more smoothly. You might try removing the recoil spring assembly and, with an UNLOADED pistol, use one hand to force the slide forward against the slide lock/release/stop and use the other hand to operate the lock/release/stop to polish the mating surfaces.

If that doesn't resolve the issue, make use of your factory warranty.