Performance Center: M&P 9mm.

[speezack]

Just purchased an M&P CORE 9mm... onto which I put a Vortex/Venom 3mm Red Dot.

First time at the range... fired one shot... stovepiped... cleared the round... fired second shot... stovepiped...

Changed ammo... same results...

I figure... gotta be something I'm doing or could it possibly be the gun... ?

I stepped out to the counter and talked with one of the owners of the range who happened to be an NRA certified pistol instructor with over 25 years as such... he told me something that I had not heard of in my 40+years of shooting...

This was my first pistol with an optics installed on the slide... I have several guns with lasers but they are all below the muzzle... as is the Bodyguard as example. As mentioned, this was the first with anything on the slide and in addition to this... this weapon is ported, which also changes the dynamics of the shooting.

He told me that I am not holding the gun correctly or at least not with enough pressure on the grip to allow the recoil to cycle the round to rechamber... "do what?"... he explained that when you ad additional weight to the top of the slide... it takes a different dynamic to cycle the round and unless you are holding the gun with enough forward pressure to give it enough back pressure... the gun will not cycle... NEVER HEARD OF THIS??!!!

I have never had a handgun that was set up like this so this was totally new to me... and please believe me... I am an old man who has been around guns and shooting for well over 50 years... never experienced this.

So... here's the question... he recommended several cures for this... stop allowing my wrist to "flip"... put more pressure when holding the gun and this will produce more back pressure and allow the gun to cycle... also... he said I could install a different recoil spring that would do the same thing... but to be sure not to allow the slide to bottom out on the frame since that could have a drastic effect on the optics... slamming against the back of the slide and the frame could certainly harm the red dot...

So... who has experience with this situation... any recommendations and should I go to S&W for the solution or contact another custom shop...

My next step is to (Monday am) I am gonna call Smith and see what they have to say about this situation... I think that is the road to the fix...

What say you....................????????????

 

[CB3]

I believe your acquaintance is talking about limp wristing. It can be a real problem negatively affecting slide velocity, but it is rare in full sized guns.

The additional weight of a red dot sight should not and almost never will interfere with the performance parameters of a S&W CORE slide function.

Your grip may be causing the problem. If a better grip does not fix your problem, have someone with a lot of experience shoot the gun. Make sure you are using full power ammo.

If the problem persists, let S&W sort it out under warranty.

 

[speezack]

Limp wristing is probably accurate... although I shoot all calibers and this is the first time this has ever occurred... with all calibers, actions... never had this happen before... but I will say that I held the gun tighter and it performed normally... so maybe that is the problem... just rather strange.

 

[S&WIowegan]

CB3 has got it exactly right but you seem strangely resistant to his advice even though you admit it works. The red dot itself is so light it's not the problem. I have one of these too and have no problems getting it to run, but I'm only 75.

If you don't enjoy the gun trade it for something you do like. Life's too short to fool with a gun you don't like.

 

[speezack]

CB3 has got it exactly right but you seem strangely resistant to his advice even though you admit it works. If you don't enjoy the gun trade it for something you do like. Life's too short to fool with a gun you don't like.

??? resistant?, don't like??... where did I say that??

...hell, I love the gun... I actually agreed that limp wrist is probably correct... just never had that happen with any other weapons I have fired... and also, adjusting the recoil spring was just something that a NRA pistol instructor suggested... not me?

Just found it curious that with all the other guns I have in my arsenal... this never happened but then I have never fired a handgun with an optic on top... limp wrist or not... how come the limp wrist didn't come into the picture with all the other handguns... now that is a legitimate question? My question has nothing to do with like or dislike... I have a safe full of Smiths... this is the only one that has done this... that is curious.

... and as for advice... I take all into consideration... and am very thankful for any and all...


added later... an often problem with these posting sites is that people often misread or interpret a post in a manner that is not intended by the writer... I often re-read a post several times to try and make sure I have the facts correct... and do not add something that the writer did not say... inflection is difficult in person and in the written word it is often much more difficult.