With all the Shield problems posted lately, especially back ordered replacement parts, is it still the best choice fore a carry gun? Are these problems just for certain production runs, or an ongoing problem? I just got a refund from SCCY after going through 2 problem guns in 6 weeks. You know you're in trouble when a brand new gun is replaced 3 weeks into ownership and the replacement is trouble prone. After that, I want to have an experience like I have had with my 442 and SD9VE, and not get on a 1st name basis with customer service.
PURCHASE A SHIELD
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aarontart
Member
I wonder the same thing but at the end of the day I know a lot more people that are happy and have no problems than have to send it back. I think you hear more about the problems because people want to vent.
bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
Been waiting for my Shield recoil spring for two months. The excuse is that manufacturing takes precedence over warranty replacement. I will keep it and use it, but the need for alternate carry choices is clear. If I could only have one carry gun and it had to work well out of the box, and be dependable in the long run, as well as relatively inexpensive.... I would look elsewhere. Maybe XDs or G43 are worth a look.
CaptRon956
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Clear example of spending too much time on the forums... Believe me, when people are happy with a product, they generally wont be online talking about it as much as those who do experience a issue and then search online for a answer...I think this is true for all consumer products.
This may give the impression of a widespread "issue", which there is not...
The M&P shield is a very well made & reliable carry gun. Don't overthink it, if you like it, like how it feels, then buy it with confidence, you won't regret it...
Arik
Member
There's some truth to that.
You'll never see me, or anyone else, post "today nothing happened to my gun"
(Get ready for a long read... Sorry)
Keep this in mind when researching any gun on the various Forums...
Could it have happened due to improper seating during assembly? Possibly.
Could it have been bent before leaving the Factory? Possibly.
Has it been such an issue (in these first 3 yrs), that S&W has seen fit to modify it? Nope. If it were, they would have modified it.
How can you be relatively certain that YOU get a good Shield?
Before putting your money/card on the counter and filling out the Form 4473, have the sales person Field Strip it, so you can inspect the rails, feed ramp, lug (any problem spots you've read about) and ensure that the RSA's rear disk is unbent. If it doesn't pass your inspection, point out any discrepancies and request them to bring out another. Doing this will also act as a walk through on Field Stripping and assembly. I do this with EVERY pistol purchase now-a-days.
Also... If you're also considering the G43 and XD-S (may as well add the LC9S/LC9S Pro to the mix), try to shoot each of these contenders before buying. (Don't rely on how nice they feel to fondle at the counter)
I've had my Shield for over 3yrs now and it's been flawless. It DID have a Super Tight RSA, making it difficult to rack at first and I did need to ensure that the RSA was properly aligned on its shelf during assembly. While the XD-S, G43 and LC9 ALL feel nice in the hand, to me, the Shield feels much nicer to shoot than the XD-S and LC9. I have not yet had a chance to shoot the G43.
Keep this in mind when researching any gun on the various Forums...
- Most people find a forum, only AFTER they have a problem, so many/most threads are going to be 'problem'/'issue' threads. 95% (if not 99%) of Shield owners are more than happy with their Shield.
- When many have a problem/issue/failure, they want EVERYONE to know about it, so they post Duplicate threads on multiple Forums. 10 people posting their 1 problem, on 10 forums, make it look like 100 instances of the problem.
- Many other people, reply to a problem, saying "I've seen LOTS of people posting about this issue on other forums", not realizing that it's the same single instance.
Basically the old "You tell 2 friends and they'll tell 2 friends, and over and over and over" scenario... Making a handful of true issues, SEEM like an epidemic. 
Could it have happened due to improper seating during assembly? Possibly.
Could it have been bent before leaving the Factory? Possibly.
Has it been such an issue (in these first 3 yrs), that S&W has seen fit to modify it? Nope. If it were, they would have modified it.
How can you be relatively certain that YOU get a good Shield?
Before putting your money/card on the counter and filling out the Form 4473, have the sales person Field Strip it, so you can inspect the rails, feed ramp, lug (any problem spots you've read about) and ensure that the RSA's rear disk is unbent. If it doesn't pass your inspection, point out any discrepancies and request them to bring out another. Doing this will also act as a walk through on Field Stripping and assembly. I do this with EVERY pistol purchase now-a-days.
Also... If you're also considering the G43 and XD-S (may as well add the LC9S/LC9S Pro to the mix), try to shoot each of these contenders before buying. (Don't rely on how nice they feel to fondle at the counter)
I've had my Shield for over 3yrs now and it's been flawless. It DID have a Super Tight RSA, making it difficult to rack at first and I did need to ensure that the RSA was properly aligned on its shelf during assembly. While the XD-S, G43 and LC9 ALL feel nice in the hand, to me, the Shield feels much nicer to shoot than the XD-S and LC9. I have not yet had a chance to shoot the G43.
Deadbug
Member
Great Post...let me add that as part of my selection process, I rented all 3 of my final contenders at one time, Shield, XDS, and G43--and was so impressed with the Shield in action, that I bought a NIB/NS right there after I was done. It validated all the research I had done on all the various forums. The firearm I liked the least in the range comparison was the G43 (no offense intended).
I love my Shield--it is 100% reliable; I would (and do) stake my life on it. Follow the advice above, and you'll never look back.
Ballistic147
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I purchased a new Shield 9 NTS back in January. As of now it is aproaching the 1k round mark and not a single issue. My wife liked it and bought one for herself except she did get the one with a safety. With hers the first fifty rounds saw 2 stovepipes which in my opinion was due to severe limp wristing. Since then hers has about 700 rounds downrange with zero issues. My father-in-law purchased a Shield 9 a couple months ago and after 200 rounds his too has been 100% reliable.
That being said, I have read about some issues on the internet but I think these are very isolated cases and I would not hesitate to recommend a Shield to anyone.
That being said, I have read about some issues on the internet but I think these are very isolated cases and I would not hesitate to recommend a Shield to anyone.
My Shield works fine
I purchased a 9mm Shield earlier this year and haven't had one misfire or jam so I consider it extremely reliable. I purchased one without the manual safety and that ensured me that I was getting a newer model because it hadn't been out very long. I like it so much that I sold my Springfield XDS .45 which was also reliable but I like 9 shots versus 6. I also have other conceal and carry guns but the Shield is my favorite. I'm sure there are many good choices out there and it's all personal preference but so far I'm not inclined to change. Also, the Shield controls the recoil better than some of the other single stack 9mm's out there so it has that going for it too. So if you're still considering one, at least you've heard from one happy camper. Regards, Elliot45
I purchased a 9mm Shield earlier this year and haven't had one misfire or jam so I consider it extremely reliable. I purchased one without the manual safety and that ensured me that I was getting a newer model because it hadn't been out very long. I like it so much that I sold my Springfield XDS .45 which was also reliable but I like 9 shots versus 6. I also have other conceal and carry guns but the Shield is my favorite. I'm sure there are many good choices out there and it's all personal preference but so far I'm not inclined to change. Also, the Shield controls the recoil better than some of the other single stack 9mm's out there so it has that going for it too. So if you're still considering one, at least you've heard from one happy camper. Regards, Elliot45
shsrcat
Member
I've had my Shield 9 NTS since 5/23/15. Had over five hundred rounds through it - all my own handloads except for eight rounds of Hornady Critical Defense - without a problem. The only things I've done to it are to put a Molon Labe striker plate on the back - just to be contrary - and added Magguts spring kits to the magazines for another round capacity. I couldn't be more pleased with this pistol and have total confidence in it.
PROnSHIELD
Member
Regardless of the retail product...
This should NEVER be the reason it is out of service!
Owners are the LOUDEST voice and CAN have
an effect on sales both up and down
Roccaas
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bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
Not yet considering DIY but thanks for the heads up on this alternate. I am relatively new to firearms ownership and curious to see the OEM outcome of this issue. I am however lowering my expectations to limit my disappointment.
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Not sure the stainless steel guide rod is truly DIY. It appears that you send them the old rod and they fit the spring to it and return it to you ready to go.
The down side is that you will need to be without the use of the weapon for a period of time while the retrofit is going on.
I have put over 700 rounds through my Shield and have had one failure to feed when it was in the very new time frame.
If I begin to have problems this may be the way to go and I will have to go back to the tried and true 642 while I wait.
I do have a Glock 43 and it has been 100% reliable so far. I haven't put enough rounds through it yet to be comfortable and to be honest I do like the way the Shield shoots more.
The down side is that you will need to be without the use of the weapon for a period of time while the retrofit is going on.
I have put over 700 rounds through my Shield and have had one failure to feed when it was in the very new time frame.
If I begin to have problems this may be the way to go and I will have to go back to the tried and true 642 while I wait.
I do have a Glock 43 and it has been 100% reliable so far. I haven't put enough rounds through it yet to be comfortable and to be honest I do like the way the Shield shoots more.
I've not had any problems with my .40 Shield in the year plus that I've owned, carried, and shot it approaching 1,000 times. And without meaning any disrespect to any other posters because I know each case is undoubtedly unique, I nonetheless have to say it seems to me that the "bent RSA disk" issue is a problem of not getting it in straight on assembly. This apparently is also a problem for assemblers at the factory, and it apparently doesn't impact subsequent quality control testing. (Your fired shell casing.)
They don't magically bend for no reason during use. Mine hasn't, and I think if it was a legitimate design flaw everyone's would do it. They are, apparently, tricky to get in straight and after reading of other people's problems I have made a point of making sure it is seated completely straight when reassembling the gun.
I have no insight into what goes into S&W decisions, but I am sorta sad that, if there really are many requests for replacement RSAs, they can't ramp up production of that part. I really hope it is because they don't really have that many requests.
They don't magically bend for no reason during use. Mine hasn't, and I think if it was a legitimate design flaw everyone's would do it. They are, apparently, tricky to get in straight and after reading of other people's problems I have made a point of making sure it is seated completely straight when reassembling the gun.
I have no insight into what goes into S&W decisions, but I am sorta sad that, if there really are many requests for replacement RSAs, they can't ramp up production of that part. I really hope it is because they don't really have that many requests.
I joined this forum right after I bought my first handgun, a 9mm Shield. I like to understand how things work so I bought an Apex Duty/Carry trigger enhancement kit and used the Apex Utube video to break the Shield down completely and install the kit. It was fascinating and I spent a Saturday completing the install. I didn't run into anything like what I read I could expect. I found the job interesting and challenging and just kept my cool until I figured it all out. Last Sunday I took the Shield and a couple boxes of Winchester 124 grain NATO FMJ and ran through about 400 hundred rounds. I had 1 misfire and no gun related issues what-so-ever. I was thrilled and realized that I had purchased a great gun. I'm a novice and the Shield let me do this job and never missed a step. When I cleaned it that evening, I didn't find any grooves or bent retainer clips and the weapon never locked up or exploded in my hands. Just before I bought this weapon I asked the guy at the counter if there was another semi-auto I should look at before putting my money down - he laughed and said i was doing just fine - don't confuse the issue! He was right! I think there are a LOT more Shields like this then there are problem guns. If you like it, go get the darn thing!!!
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bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
I don't know how rare the problem is but the S&W warranty person knew immediately what my problem was and offered a replacement without any further discussion. I asked if it was a common problem and she said it was. My problem was not a bent disk though, the end of the larger spring unwound about three revolutions after about 20 rounds at the range and jammed the slide. No one there had ever seen that happen. Mine is a 9MM, by the way, and has always been VERY stiff.
CaptRon956
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I joined this forum after purchasing my M&P Shield 9mm back in 12/14 because I wanted as much info as I can find on the Shield, tips/pointers etc. I've lost track of how many rounds I fired thru it, but I know for a fact it's between 4-5k and it's been flawless. I passed my CHL test with it, been carrying it since I got my plastic, I now IDPA with it... I loved this pistol so much that I went out & picked up a new Shield 40. Another awesome S&W product. Put 200 flawless rounds thru it so far. But the shield 9 is my favorite pistol.
check me out shootin' my shield
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STCWWTgzYLM[/ame]
check me out shootin' my shield
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STCWWTgzYLM[/ame]
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Roccaas
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Mine was out of commission for 4 days. Fast turn around, and they used my spring so it was only $25. Luckily I have plenty of other hardware to "fill in" whilst waiting....
