New Finish on Newer Shields

[Roger S&W]

I just recently added my third Shield. My first is a 9mm from April 2012, my second a .40 from Nov. 2013 and now this is another 9mm from Feb. 2014
It has a noticeably shinier and slicker finish on the slide.
It's really most noticeable on the serrations to rack the slide.
Slick and not as tactile as the older models.
Anyone else notice this?
Not good S&W.
You're getting like Glock now and experimenting with slicker finishes. Yeah, they're shinier and pretty but we'd rather get a positive grip to rack the slide. Glock learned this after several years and they've returned to the older style grayer, more tactile slides.

 

[ivanwi11iams]

I like it; I just bought my Shield a week or so ago. When looking at photos of other Shield guns, I noticed a difference.


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Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm

 

[dullh]

Anyone else notice this?

No....because it's not a royal blue Python - it's an inexpensive SERVICE pistol.

And exactly when was it discovered that a particular shade of finish helps one rack the slide better?

 

[mjlabs]

I just recently added my third Shield. My first is a 9mm from April 2012, my second a .40 from Nov. 2013 and now this is another 9mm from Feb. 2014
It has a noticeably shinier and slicker finish on the slide.
It's really most noticeable on the serrations to rack the slide.
Slick and not as tactile as the older models.
Anyone else notice this?
Not good S&W.
You're getting like Glock now and experimenting with slicker finishes. Yeah, they're shinier and pretty but we'd rather get a positive grip to rack the slide. Glock learned this after several years and they've returned to the older style grayer, more tactile slides.

Where do you get the month or date that your shield was made? Only thing I have to go by is the date on the spent casing envelope. Is there a way to look up your serial # to find when it was made exactly? Doesn't really matter, just curious more than anything.

 

[N4KVE]

Where do you get the month or date that your shield was made? Only thing I have to go by is the date on the spent casing envelope.

In my case, the date on the envelope was 2 days after the true build date. So just look at the envelope. GARY

 

[mjlabs]

In my case, the date on the envelope was 2 days after the true build date. So just look at the envelope. GARY

Close enough for me. thanks

 

[Roger S&W]

Anyone else notice this?

No....because it's not a royal blue Python - it's an inexpensive SERVICE pistol.

And exactly when was it discovered that a particular shade of finish helps one rack the slide better?

Do you know what tactile means? Slippery? It's not rocket science. If you had two pistols with the different finishes, you'd know what I mean. If not, it's really not an arcane subject to try to understand.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Musta bought a new can of spray paint at the factory

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Do you know what tactile means? Slippery? It's not rocket science. If you had two pistols with the different finishes, you'd know what I mean. If not, it's really not an arcane subject to try to understand.

tac·tile
ˈtaktl,ˈtakˌtīl/Submit
adjective
1.
of or connected with the sense of touch.
"vocal and visual signals become less important as tactile signals intensify"

Tactile does NOT mean "tacky"

 

[jimjc]

I just compared my FS9 ( shot in 1-13) and my Shield ( shot 3-14 )..If you put them on a table and look at them it`s difficult to see any difference but if you hold them together the Shield has the slightest shinner finish...

I do know if the weather is more or less humid there can be differences in finishes.. but my guess is S&W has temp controlled finish areas.. so I have no idea what the OP has since there is so much difference...

 

[Wassup8687]

Where do you get the month or date that your shield was made? Only thing I have to go by is the date on the spent casing envelope. Is there a way to look up your serial # to find when it was made exactly? Doesn't really matter, just curious more than anything.

The date is on the label of the box it came in.

 

[Rastoff]

I do know if the weather is more or less humid there can be differences in spray finishes..

There is no spray on finish on any M&P. They are all treated with the Melonite process. This is a treatment that actually hardens the slide. I'm sure we could put several pistols together and find small differences in all of them. That doesn't mean they changed the process.

If your new Shield is not as grippy at the cocking serrations, it's more likely the machining that is not as sharp and not related to the finish at all.

Post up pics of the two for us please.

 

[dixie_boysles]

I think my January 2014 Shield has a dull finish

 

[Roger S&W]

tac·tile
ˈtaktl,ˈtakˌtīl/Submit
adjective
1.
of or connected with the sense of touch.
"vocal and visual signals become less important as tactile signals intensify"

Tactile does NOT mean "tacky"

Good job. Of or connected to the sense of touch. And in this context, it pertains to one Shield that has "grippy" cocking serrations whereas another Shield has "slippery" serrations making positive charging of the pistol less positive and less reliable. Slippage.

 

[gc70]

I just recently added my third Shield. My first is a 9mm from April 2012, my second a .40 from Nov. 2013 and now this is another 9mm from Feb. 2014
It has a noticeably shinier and slicker finish on the slide.
It's really most noticeable on the serrations to rack the slide.
Slick and not as tactile as the older models.
Anyone else notice this?

This is an interesting question. I looked at 8 M&Ps, collectively owned by myself, my wife and my son, which were made between April 2007 and April 2014 (a Shield). There were very minor differences in surface texture of the guns, but nothing significant.

I -might- be able to rank order the surface texture of the guns if they were all thoroughly degreased. I do know that different oils used on the guns produce a shinier or duller appearance. I also suspect that differences in the degree of surface finishing of the slides, as well as differences in the Melonite treatment, produce a predictable degree of variation in the surface texture of the guns.

 

[tbc]

Interesting. My new Shield already has holster wear. My old M&P full size also has holster wear. It is moot now to compare.


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[Rastoff]

Interesting. My new Shield already has holster wear. My old M&P full size also has holster wear. It is moot now to compare.

I'd like to see pics of those.

 

[tbc]

I'd like to see pics of those.

Lol. oK I was more of being sarcastic.

Both of my M&P's do have holster wears and the wears are at the muzzle only. As far as the difference in the finish, I do not pay attention to them.

ETA: Just take a closer look at both of them (2011 and 2014 dates) the finish look the same to me.
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