Reassembly problem with Shield - HELP!

[rcp1936]

Sorry if I missed it earlier, but how old is your gun? I found mine to be pretty stiff when new, including rotating the takedown lever down. Once I got it field stripped the first time, and got a little bit of lubrication on that lever and end of the recoil spring assembly, it became smoother, and continues to get easier every time.

If your slide doesn't lock open with a magazine, and you can't "thumb" the slide lock lever up and hold it open with no magazine, it sounds like something's not aligned right inside your gun.

Well not the Shield but an MP9C
I had to use a dowel to get the take down lever to move when I first got the gun
After about 200 rds It could be done with my thumb
Same for the slide stop/Release

 

[papajoe]

Picked up my NIB M&P 9 Shield with NO SAFETY Thursday 7/03/14 just like my M&P 9 pro 4.25" & M&P9c both with no thumb safety. How in the world could I image it would be the hardest gun I ever owned & it would be a nightmare to reassemble. Googled how to reassemble the M&P shield & got the S&W Forum which I'm a member of. Was amazed at all who had the same problem. But unfortunately with all the helpful suggestions mine still remains unassembled. I called S&W that evening and was able to get someone in tech support, before they closed for the holiday weekend. Paul gave me the same advice as did the forum, & told him did it all. He said that there have been some issues with the recoil guide rod, and would send me a replacement Monday. Well I guess I have to wait to see if that will be the fix. If not???

Received replacement RGR yesterday & guess what? Still have the same problem. Called S&W, requested a return shipping label, sent to me email as we were on the phone. Took it to FED-X same day, now the wait.

 

[JeffShrugged]

Just took possession of my 9mm Shield, it has a birth date of 5/8/2014. I am relieved to report that my Shield is easy to rack, easy to lock the slide back, and I have field stripped and reassembled it many times now without any problems. Either they have sorted out their problem or I got lucky.

 

[Stratajema]

Received replacement RGR yesterday & guess what? Still have the same problem. Called S&W, requested a return shipping label, sent to me email as we were on the phone. Took it to FED-X same day, now the wait.

Sorry to hear about that. Reassembling the gun without the recoil spring installed would have given you a little bit more tactile feedback as to where it the slide is hanging up?

 

[beamon]

Just took possession of my 9mm Shield, it has a birth date of 5/8/2014. I am relieved to report that my Shield is easy to rack, easy to lock the slide back, and I have field stripped and reassembled it many times now without any problems. Either they have sorted out their problem or I got lucky.

I suspect you were lucky! My 9mm Shield w/safety was test fired early June 2014 and has the impossible to rack slide. It is not hanging up anywhere; it's smooth but can only be racked by a herculean effort using full grip by the non shooting hand pushing against the shooting hand operating in the opposite direction with both hands held to the chest allowing maximum effort. It's only the RSA that is influencing the action, so am waiting for a new RSA to arrive.

 

[M&PUSER]

I may solve the same problem the easy way. Get rid of the gun. In 57 years of shooting, I've never seen a weapon with this type of problem or the amount of effort required to pull the slide back. There are plenty of fine pistols out there don't require the stupendous amount of effort just to rack a slide, or the frustration that ensues when reassembling it. What happened to Quality Control? Something is definitely wrong in Springfield, MA.

Update: I traded the Shield two days ago for the Ruger LC9. What a difference. What a big difference! I have a Ruger P90 that's been a joy to own. The LC9 will, I'm sure, follow suit.

I have other S&W and M&P pistols but the Shield, for me, was a real disappointment. S&W get your act together!

 

[beamon]

Two weeks ago, today, as reported here, S&W Cust. Svc. said they would send a new RSA. I'm still waiting. We'll see if today's mail brings any joy.

Proper follow-up would dictate that if shipping couldn't be made promptly, they give a shout explaining, and an estimate when it will ship.

To say that I'm disappointed with S&W's Cust. Svc. would be putting it mildly! The fact that it's typical of today's C.S. doesn't make it right!

 

[Horn]

It May Be How The Spring Is seated

Mine does that too. Making sure that the guide rod is in correctly will most likely take care of the problem. If not, rotating the spring 180 will work. I wonder if the spring will relax and straighten out and stop bowing out to the side.

I've found the very end of the spring should be pointing up when
placing it onto the barrel notch. I read this in another post and it
showed a photo of the end of the spring pointing up at the notch on the barrel. Have always placed it back on the rod that way and
have no problems.

 

[Horn]

Good Information

For all those having issues. Reassemble with this part of the spring facing as shown, and see if it still gives you any trouble.

I actually copied this image and printed it. I use it for a bookmark in my Shield user manual. Have followed this information and haven't had a re-assembly problem. This seems to be the answer
to some guy's problem. I'm surprised the manual doesn't show
this.

 

[Rastoff]

Two weeks ago, today, as reported here, S&W Cust. Svc. said they would send a new RSA. I'm still waiting. We'll see if today's mail brings any joy.

Don't hold your breath. They told me they would send me some new magazine followers. They did, but it took 6 weeks.

Repairs seem to go quickly for the most part. Pays seem to take forever. I can't figure out why.

 

[AR-Getsome]

I actually copied this image and printed it. I use it for a bookmark in my Shield user manual. Have followed this information and haven't had a re-assembly problem. This seems to be the answer
to some guy's problem. I'm surprised the manual doesn't show
this.

This has never been a problem for me. I don't have to index mine like that at all.

 

[Saudade]

I might be the only one who owns a Shield that's easy to take down and re-assemble! I actually don't do it the way the manual says...

Disassemble:
1) Rack slide a few times, chamber check, point away from you, dry fire.
2) With slide at normal battery, simply flip the takedown lever down. Slide will spring forward a half an inch. Remove slide.

Re-assemble:
1) With takedown lever down, install slide to the frame. It'll appear to be about 1/4" forward of normal battery.
2) Grasp gun with your thumb under the beavertail and the top of your hand across the slide (like you're taking down a Glock), pull the slide back some...at least until the barrel becomes unlocked from the slide, and flip the takedown lever back up.

You're good to go. Never need to mess with the sear disconnect pin. Never need to pull the slide back and use the slide stop. Never need to worry about the correct orientation of the recoil spring assembly (although that's good practice to do anyway). I can field strip and reassemble the Shield as quickly and as easily as I can a Glock.

Well, this is not right. You shouldn't be able to rotate the takedown lever unless the slide is back all the way. Then the squared corner of the takedown lever aligns with the notch in the slide. Same thing for assembly.

 

[beamon]

Me and My Big Mouth!

Two weeks ago, today, as reported here, S&W Cust. Svc. said they would send a new RSA. I'm still waiting. We'll see if today's mail brings any joy.

Proper follow-up would dictate that if shipping couldn't be made promptly, they give a shout explaining, and an estimate when it will ship.

To say that I'm disappointed with S&W's Cust. Svc. would be putting it mildly! The fact that it's typical of today's C.S. doesn't make it right!

In today's mail, the RSA arrived! I guess in large companies, two weeks ain't bad!

 

[Muss Muggins]

Can anyone answer the question "What makes the slide so hard to work if the RSA is not aligned like the pictures? Since it can be done, but with great difficulty, and everybody says it's not catching on anything, what is it that makes it so hard to work?" The stock solution appears to be a new RSA, but why? What makes it hard to work? What problem does a new RSA alleviate? Until somebody can answer this question, I'm uninterested in one of these.

 

[dlay]

Got a shield 9mm saturday, decided to field strip and clean, doesnt work like the book says, first there was no yellow lever, found what it was and it wasnt yellow, pushed it down, slide came forward so far and would not go any farther. I pulled the trigger by accident and the slide slid off. I cleaned it and tried to reassemble, about the same trouble, had to line the slide up by hand at the rear to get it back on. It sure is not like the book says. This is a harsh pistol to load and operate, dont think my wife can operate. I have shot 25 times and it is accurate and enjoyable to shoot, except to load the mags. My trigger is right at 7 lbs, wish it were about 4.5 to 5, but it isnt.

 

[wepiii]

You need to reread the instruction manual. You missed the part about the takedown lever after the sear deactivation "yellow" lever.

 

[Rastoff]

Can anyone answer the question "What makes the slide so hard to work if the RSA is not aligned like the pictures?"

I don't own a Shield, but I think I know the answer. When the recoil spring is compressed, it has some "waves" in it. This is true of all coil springs. Those waves are consistent in where they show up along the length of the spring. If the spring isn't turned the right way, the small space allows one of those waves/bumps to catch on the frame. This makes it difficult to operate the slide. Thus, by aligning the spring in a particular way, it allows the spring enough clearance to operate correctly.

This isn't as much of a problem when firing the gun because the slide is operated with more force. But by hand it's difficult.

Like I said, I don't have a Shield so I can't confirm this. Still, I think this is what's happening.

 

[R1V3R5]

This thread was damn helpful. I actually took my Shield apart and cleaned it before I went to the range. No issue with reassembly. Then I took it apart again (after two range trips) today and could not reassemble it. Sure enough it was the recoil spring.
Big thanks to all the helpful members on this forum!

 

[papajoe]

Received returned Shield

Received replacement RGR yesterday & guess what? Still have the same problem. Called S&W, requested a return shipping label, sent to me email as we were on the phone. Took it to FED-X same day, now the wait.

After a number of phone calls to S&W, S&W factory is closed for 2 weeks this week & next. Called Monday & was told would ship Tuesday, & there was nothing wrong with the gun, was test fired etc., etc. Told I need to shoot about 200 rounds to break it in. I received it yesterday & guess what, the only way I could get the slide to go back was to insert an empty mag, which I wasn't able to do before? Now if the weather would cool down here in Katy/Houston I will be able to finally shoot it at the outdoor range I belong to. Will advise how it goes.

Thanks for everyone input.

papajoe

 

[samuelrp]

I purchased a shield Friday. Took it apart to clean the barrel and thought I would never get it back together. The slide lock lever will not budge in reassembly. I finally figured out I could hold the slide back and turn the take down lever. After reading this thread, I'll be playing with it tomorrow.