MP Shield reassembly help needed!

[DirtyHarry37]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a S&W MP Shield 9mm and field stripped it today to lubricate the slide. I'm attempting to reassemble it and think I completely screwed up. While trying to reassemble, I mistakenly inserted a magazine to help me to lock the slide back in place. I forgot the yellow sear deactivation needed to be in the down position and by inserting the mag, I flipped the deactivation lever in the up position now not visible to my eye when I look through the port.

Is it possible for me to still reassemble my Shield with the sear lever in the up position? I can no longer remove my slide to correct the error and my slide is still not properly attached.

What should I do? Is there another way to reassemble my gun properly?

 

[Tinn-Can]

If the gun is unloaded, you can just pull the trigger to bypass the sear...

 

[jimdevlin]

Try ejecting the clip and then put the sear down. I tried it with mine, without putting the slide on and it worked on mine.

 

[DirtyHarry37]

So in essence if I hold the trigger back with a mag inserted and racking the slide back, I should have no issue having it catch on the slide lock and then being able to secure the slide back to the frame?

I just want to avoid breaking something on my new toy.

 

[lilro]

I'm confused on your problem. Can you post pics?

The slide should go back on the frame regardless of the position of that lever.

 

[Rgoodwin]

Is it in the rails or do you have it on crooked and hung up?

 

[RobzGuns]

The yellow sear lever does not need to be in the down position to put the slide back on. Something else caused your slide to hang up.

As mentioned, the slide might not have been properly placed onto the rails.
People have also had similar problems if the recoil spring is not properly seated.

 

[robkarrob]

DirtyHarry37 reply

Yes you can reinstall the slide with the yellow sear bypass lever up or down. By inserting a magazine, the bypass lever is always pushed to the up position, but please make sure you are using an empty magazine. I think I understand what you are asking. No you do not need to hold the trigger back to lock the slide back. Try to get used to not using an inserted mag, to get the slide to lock back for disassembly or assembly. Just rack the slide fully back, without an inserted magazine, and push the slide lock lever up, with your thumb. The slide should lock in the rearward position. Then rotate the disassembly lever back up, for assembly. You can then pull the yellow sear bypass lever back up, if it is still in the down position, or insert a mag, which will push the lever up.

What they were referring with the trigger, is that you do not have to push the sear bypass lever down, to remove the slide. That lever is a safety, so that the slide can be removed without pulling the trigger and dropping the striker on a loaded round (bang). What many do, including myself, is first I remove the magazine (if inserted) and then pull the slide back to make sure there is no round in the chamber. Then lock the slide back using the slide lock. Then turn the takedown lever up. Then pull the slide back slightly to release the slide lock and allow the slide to move forward to the closed position (battery position). You don't want the slide to slam forward to the battery position. We will assume you have checked and the gun has no ammunition in the chamber. Then all you have to do is pull the trigger, you will hear the sear release the striker, and the slide can be removed, or if the muzzle is pointed down, the slide may fall off. That is the fast, easy way to remove the slide, but you have to use proper gun safety and make sure there is no loaded round in the chamber. With this type of gun, once the slide is racked back and returns to battery, the striker is always cocked. By pulling the trigger, the striker will release and ram forward. If there is a cartridge in the chamber, it will fire. What that yellow lever does, in the down position, is it cams the sear down, so that the striker will not catch on the sear. The striker has not pressure on it (not cocked), so it can not ram forward, and it will not catch on the sear, so the slide can be removed. This is the safest way to remove the slide, because even if there was a round in the chamber, the gun would not fire.

Bob