Not happy with my Shield

[ocracokenc]

I shoot alot and have had zero troubles with my Glock or Springfield but the two times I have shot the Shield I have had troubles. The first time was the roll pin sliding to the right. I emailed SW and got a new one. I took it to the range today and fired 60 rounds no problems but as I was cleaning it just now I noticed the white dot for the front sight is missing. I should not be having this kind of trouble with a gun with 180 rounds thru it. I guess I will email them again.

 

[2001gmc]

I just noticed today the the white dot is missing out of my front site on my M&P 9mm full size also while I was cleaning it. I would like to know if anyone has a solution for this myself.

 

[ocracokenc]

It seems this is common. I dont know why SW would not change how they make the sights. ???????????????

 

[RobzGuns]

Seems like this happens when the recess doesn't get thoroughly cleaned before being painted. Check ANY gun forum and you'll find a few threads about how their [Fill-In-The-Brand] white dot fell out.
Should it happen? No. Does it happen? Yes... to many manufacturers once in a while.

Nothing that a dab of white nail polish, model paint (or even a crayon) wouldn't fix. I wouldn't consider it worth a call Customer Service unless I simply wanted to vent to them about it.

Does S&W actually make their own sights, or are they something consigned to a vendor?

 

[jajo]

Sorry to hear about your issues. I on the other hand couldn't be happier with my new Shield.

Regular outings with my M&P 9mm full size pistol have been without issue for a year, and that experience led me to the Shield.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[blujax01]

Regardless of whether you paint a new dot you do need to let C.S. know about it. Most manufacturers keep track of such things and if the "defects per unit measure" reaches a critical number, then and only then do they address it.

 

[turbo38gn]

Regardless of whether you paint a new dot you do need to let C.S. know about it. Most manufacturers keep track of such things and if the "defects per unit measure" reaches a critical number, then and only then do they address it.

Sorry Blue... this one ain't changing, it's been happening for the 3 years I been around these guns. NP to me, I just put a dab of whiteout on the sight and it never fails again... there really are more important areas to worry about.

On the other hand, Ocra... how does the gun shoot, anything good about it... or is it time to unload it and go back to your Glocks....?

 

[ocracokenc]

I emailed SW and I am sure they will fix it. I am not putting Crayons, Nail polish, White out, Model Paint or anything else on a new gun. I have watched the MP commercials were they freeze it and put it in dirt and such and I dont think SW intended for you to have to do this to the front sight within a few hundred rounds. I may not be happy with my issues but I really like the Shield otherwise. I know every gun has issues but the front sights is really important. But what isnt on a SD gun.

 

[ocracokenc]

Turbo38gn..... I really like the Shield and I am a big fan of the 10mm and that is the only reason I own a Glock and my 29sf stays unloaded and put up. I am a bigger fan of my XD pistols but I still choose the Shield over the XDs for my CCW. I am a die hard 40 s&w man and I got my Shield for $480 OTD when the XDs was $608. I can shoot the Shield very well and I have never had any FTF or FTE. I can even say that I am looking to get a M&Pc 9mm for my wife as the next gun that comes in my house. My Glock only has a stated one year warranty. I think we all know the XDs has not been trouble free.

 

[2tango2]

It's a brand new gun. Another member posted yesterday that the front sight fell out of his new Shield as well. If S&W picks up the shipping both ways as they should, I'd have them make it right

 

[vigil617]

Don't blame you for being aggravated, Ocracoker. Honestly, from what I have read on this Forum since becoming a proud Shield 40 owner last June, the front sight issue on the Shield and on other pistols comes up now and again. Personally, I would have been more aggravated with the roll pin issue, since it involves a component important to the gun's structural integrity (i.e., holding some of its parts together). I'm glad they sent you a replacement that, apparently, has solved that problem. (I had the same issue with a full size M&P 45, but that gun was not new like yours)

Hope you are happier now with your Shield. All I can say, as a fellow Tar Heel who shoots mine a lot too, is that I've been completely happy with mine and have had zero issues with it. It is a little bulldog, and I enjoy taking it out and making it bark!

Send my regards to Teach's Hole; its been too long since I've fished for speckled trout there!

 

[Murphy's Law]

First thing I did when I got my Shield was to change out the sights....now have the TFO's and couldn't be happier.

 

[RussC]

I just noticed today the the white dot is missing out of my front site on my M&P 9mm full size also while I was cleaning it. I would like to know if anyone has a solution for this myself.

If you plan to keep the stock sights before you shoot it for the first time cover all three white dots with clear finger nail polish.

Not only will it keep the white paint from flaking off but will also keep the white from getting dirty and less of a contrast.

I didn't bother because I replaced with XS Big Dot.

Russ

 

[baccusboy]

No lie, I've read at least half a dozen threads on this very issue off of various sites in the past 2 years about "the white dot falling out." M&P's and Shields... it's a problem S&W seems to care nothing about.

What you need to do -- what EVERYONE needs to do -- is have the thing shipped to them on their dime.

It needs to cost them so much time and money that they decide to finally do something about it.

 

[Cdog]

I had the front dot come out of an M&P 45 on the first round fired.

Smith will fix it, I asked for a new sight to install myself and that's what we did.

The rep told me it was too common. He said it was just what's described above, poor cleaning/degreasing of the sight prior to installing the dot.

He also told me of an excellent "do it yourself" fix. Clean/degrease well and apply "appliance" touch up paint. You can pick it up at any Home Depot, Lowes, etc. I think I paid $3.00 or $4.00 for a bottle.

Color wise it's a perfect match and it's worked now for about two years.

I still have the new sight, no reason to install. Appliance touch up paint is great!

 

[RussC]

If you want to avoid brush marks from applying the clear finger nail polish over the white dots mask off the sights and spray clear poly urethane.

Make sure you take your time masking and remove slide and completely mask using 3m blue tape to avoid over spray on weapon. If you have a razor you can make nice straight edges on the surface of the sights the white dots are applied. (Note: I did not cover the entire sight with poly urethane but only the surface the white dots were applied)

I did this with my Beretta Nano and the sights looked great..


Russ

P.S. Do not over spray. Just one quick burst of spray per sight. Remove tape while spray is still wet.

 

[Lost Lake]

I have never had a dot fall off my sights, but if I did, I'd rather put a dot of white or red paint on the sight myself than go through the pain of sending it back and being without it for weeks.

Same with the roll pin. They come out of M&P22's a lot but I'm not sending mine in. I'll take care of it myself when I get tired of tapping it back in all the time.

Yes, they're new guns, and yes S&W will repair them, but to me it's not worth bothering with. I got a lot bigger fish to fry.

Think about it: 10 seconds with a toothpick and a drop of enamel paint or calling S&W, discussing the problem, waiting for a shipping ticket, packing the gun, dropping off the gun, waiting weeks for it to come back....

If S&W really gave a rat's behind about the problem they would have fixed it 4 years ago.

 

[ocracokenc]

Sorry Blue... this one ain't changing, it's been happening for the 3 years I been around these guns. NP to me, I just put a dab of whiteout on the sight and it never fails again... there really are more important areas to worry about.

On the other hand, Ocra... how does the gun shoot, anything good about it... or is it time to unload it and go back to your Glocks....?

I think the front sight is one of the most important areas to worry about. I disagree

 

[skip4309]

I just noticed today the the white dot is missing out of my front site on my M&P 9mm full size also while I was cleaning it. I would like to know if anyone has a solution for this myself.

Clean with alcohol...use some cheap white enamel paint and a toothpick to fill it in. Mine fell off after 50 rds...Shot well over 300 rds now with no problem. 9mm Shield.

 

[Maddmax]

Never had a problem with any of the sights on my M&P's falling out. Some do get a little dull after being shot so much and cleaning,I just add a dab of white paint and they are good as new again. I also do this with all my handguns that I've had for years. It's a VERY simple fix,you don't loose your weapon for a couple weeks and one day S&W will get/be like the other "maker's and charge us the shipping both ways insted of picking up the shipping for trivial matters like this.