New M&P Shield .45 - Magazine Followers Dirty (as new)

[Fastbolt]

S&W has been marking new M&P mag followers with some type of marker, making a lengthwise line down the middle, for some time. I've seen light followers get a dark line, and dark followers get a light line. Of course, this might change at any time if the vendor or the company decide to change things. Revisions happen all the time.

Last I heard in one of my M&P armorer update classes, they still test-fire new M&P's using designated test mags, not the mags shipped with the guns.

 

[Warhead]

My new shield 45 from psa came similar to how others have described, but I'm pretty certain the black smudge across the top of the follower isn't just dirty from firing. It makes more sense that they marked it if they were correcting followers in production, as Fastbolt said. I noticed after breaking in the gun that the follower was certainly dirty (cheap ammo) , but it didn't look anything like the stripe on it out of the box. The soot from shooting stayed almost completely on the entire front end, not a stripe at all

 

[FLS&W]

It wasnt the gun. They developed a new follower to rectify that problem.

This is true. I sent mine to S&W because of the mag drop issue. They sent back 2 followers, like you showed in your other post, with the flat corner.

I sanded down the original followers a couple of thousands like the other thread recommended to get the flared corner flat.

Hope this works out because I really like the Shield 45.

 

[mustangman]

My Shield is dated 3/1/17 and came with old style followers.
Sent S&W an e-mail last week and got 3 new style followers in today.
Got em just in case.

 

[Joeyg023]

What's the best way to get the follower off the spring? Just pry back on the spring a little?

 

[Dad_Roman]

What's the best way to get the follower off the spring? Just pry back on the spring a little?

Yep, I just slip my favorite punch under it and give it a gentle pry.

 

[Joeyg023]

Yep, I just slip my favorite punch under it and give it a gentle pry.

Ok cool that's what I ended up doing. Didn't know the best way to do it.

 

[wanderson7262]

Shield 45 follower smudge

My Shield 45 followers had this black mark as well, but to me it looked like a magic marker, not from use. Maybe it's to highlight the '45 auto' recessed in the follower. Maybe S&W put a mark that wears away with use, so once that mark is worn away you've officially run enough rounds for break in.

It's been years since I bought my 9mm Shield but I think I remember the grey 9mm followers had this mark as well. Never seen it on any other magazine.

 

[Volt1694]

Mine has a lot of brass rubbed on the breachface. Plus brass on the rifling. I have the dark lines on the magazines. It had without question been fired a bit.

 

[Nonuthin]

Maybe this will put this thread to rest...
I called the factory and here's their abbreviated explanation of the grease pencil mark on the followers:
1. It's a grease pencil mark that they use as both an inspection mark and to highlight the caliber marking molded into the follower of the magazines they pack with pistols as they move down the production line.
2. The grease pencil mark is dark or black for light-colored mag followers and light or gray for darker colored mag followers. Easy to see.
3. There is no grease pencil mark on accessory magazines because they aren't subject to the same risks of mixup, etc. that pistols moving down an assembly line are.
4. The grease pencil mark is easily removed if you rub it with Hoppes #9, Break-Free CLP or some other gun cleaning solvent.

Seems like a reasonable explanation to me. What about you?

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Maybe this will put this thread to rest...
I called the factory and here's their abbreviated explanation of the grease pencil mark on the followers:
1. It's a grease pencil mark that they use as both an inspection mark and to highlight the caliber marking molded into the follower of the magazines they pack with pistols as they move down the production line.
2. The grease pencil mark is dark or black for light-colored mag followers and light or gray for darker colored mag followers. Easy to see.
3. There is no grease pencil mark on accessory magazines because they aren't subject to the same risks of mixup, etc. that pistols moving down an assembly line are.
4. The grease pencil mark is easily removed if you rub it with Hoppes #9, Break-Free CLP or some other gun cleaning solvent.

Seems like a reasonable explanation to me. What about you?

I call Bravo Sierra on this explanation. Someone is screwing with this supposedly "new" pistol and people are getting a gun that is used. This is no doubt being done by the same cabal that is screwing with the rebates.

 

[Nonuthin]

Well, according to your scholarly legal opinion, which I'm sure must be based on direct evidentiary knowlege, I have received 12 used Shields since April 1st, which were shipped from S&W to my LE distributor to my local LE dealer where I picked them up.
I suspected all along that these desperados had been shooting my new Shields and then putting those now-used guns back in their boxes and selling them to me as "new" because every one had those grease pencil marks on the followers and they all had dirty barrels...
According to your interpretation of the facts, I've been had!
Where can I find a good lawyer? I want to sue the whole chain of conspirators for monetary damages in excess if $15,000 plus treble punitive damages and continuing medical expenses for the treatment of my chronic PPTSS (Post Purchase Traumatic Stress Syndrome).
In fact, I want to make this a Class Action lawsuit and file in Federal Court so we can expedite our appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court post haste.