S&W Shields and SSGUIDERODS. Where are the users?

[song dog]

I've been trying to contact ssguiderods.com for the last month. I've emailed them 4 times, left 6 voicemails and have gotten no response. I was interested in trying one of the guide rods for my Shield 2.0 9mm, but was curious why they list separate ones for the original shield and the new 2.0 one. I would assume they are one in the same and interchangeable, but can't seem to get any information from them. Anyone here, know if they are actually different?

Moonpup,

Did you ever catch up with SS Guide Rods and is there a difference between Shield 1.0 and 2.0 guide rod ?

Those SS Guide Rod users after more rounds through the Shield was their any issues with the Shield going into battery either unloaded and @ the range loaded? That's puzzles me why slide wouldn't go completely into battery from sling shot and stop 1/8" from complete battery?

I've owned the 1.0 9 mil shield and now the 2.0 Shield 9 mil, the RSA tab is flimsy piece of sheet metal.

 

[moonpup]

Unfortunately no... I continue to email and call with no success. Considering this has been going on for over a month, it's piss poor customer service regardless of what they may be encountering.

 

[sodacan]

About 10 years ago, I bought a new Sig P229 Stainless Elite. It was a fairly expensive gun, and it came with a plastic guide rod. I was appalled. Fortunately, I discovered Bedair guide rods, and bought a S/S rod. Sadly, it is my understanding that the owner passed away and the company ceased to exist. I also have a Browning BDM that came with a plastic rod. I found, by sheer luck, a guy who made me a S/S one. The polymer rods are probably fine, but I have little confidence in the flange that retains the spring on the rear end of the rod. It is a part that takes a lot of pounding during recoil. I also replaced the rod on the only Glock (30)I ever owned. The guy who bought received an improved gun.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I was one that had one of those faulty RSAs when I bought my Shield 45 ACP in April of 2017. After my first range trip, I brought it home, field stripped it for cleaning, and found this. But,the Shield had performed flawlessly at the range. I had field stripped and cleaned it prior to the range trip and the RSA was fine. Got online and chatted with CS and they sent me a new one in about 10 days. I have since put about 1600 rounds through it with no problems.

 

[moonpup]

I was one that had one of those faulty RSAs when I bought my Shield 45 ACP in April of 2017. After my first range trip, I brought it home, field stripped it for cleaning, and found this. But,the Shield had performed flawlessly at the range. I had field stripped and cleaned it prior to the range trip and the RSA was fine. Got online and chatted with CS and they sent me a new one in about 10 days. I have since put about 1600 rounds through it with no problems.

I experienced the exact same failure after my first outing with the Shield 45

 

[Bozz10mm]

I experienced the exact same failure after my first outing with the Shield 45

Yes, that seemed to be a common problem when they first came out with the 45. Haven't heard much about it since then.

 

[chipsher]

I bought a couple ss guide rods for a different reason than most here. I wanted to set up a couple shields for light loads my daughters. The spring were cut down to different lengths for different loads. It worked great but one problem, if you eased the slide forward it wouldn't go completely into battery. OK for a race gun or range toy, but I want a defensive pistol to return to battery if bumped. No problem when the ss rods were stock. Slightly easier to rack, but as others mentioned I'd stay away from +P loads. They look beefier than the stock unit, but the screw that holds the spring on could back out. However this allows you to change the spring. As a side note I was able to get amazing accuracy with reduced loads. Often going 6 for 6 on 8" plates at 25yds.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

If it breaks on any of my 3 I'll fix it. If not I'll just keep shooting them. Why worry?
Remember.......Most lures are designed to catch "fishermen" not fish..........

 

[jjmIII_Ruger]

Everyone hopefully has a gun like this, the one that always goes bang. Like you hear people say on the internet, and wonder if its true, my Shield goes bang every time! I shoot a few mags every range outing because I used to carry it. Switched to a 43x for more capacity, but to this day wonder if it was a good idea...because that Shield fired every time.

Long way of saying...I'm not changing anything. I watch for wear at cleanings like everyone.

EDIT: Sold the first one, only because the V2 I bought is the same story. Guns are selling so fast and high, sold V1 because I know someone needed it.

 

[Dvan34]

Installed a DPM recoil spring on my .40 SW Shield. It reduced the recoil significantly.

 

[220-niner]

Out of curiosity I googled the number of Shields produced. The number was about 3.5 million as of a year and a half ago.
They have a reputation for being a good value and reliable. The 2.0's are said to be more accurate but my 1.0 is extremely accurate in my armature hands.
Unless you see a manufacturing defect, the stock part is fine. I suspect there are more failures in aftermarket parts.
If stainless makes you feel better and works, fine, but you won't go wrong with the stock part.

 

[CB3]

Sometimes we can differentiate between need and want.

My old Dodge Durango started, ran, and stopped just fine. I didn't need to do anything to it.

But I did what I wanted. Cold air intake. Freer exhaust. Synthetic oil. Cabin wood grain trim appliqués over cheap plastic panels. WeatherTec floor mats.

It still started, ran and stopped every time, with improved gas mileage that more than paid for all the upgrades in less than the 100,000 miles I put on it.

Yes, I also upgrade my guns. They remain just as reliable, or I fix them (rarely). My three SS Guide Rods have worked great. I prefer them over the cheap factory setup, which, while it works, has been a very well known weakness in this model.

Factory parts decisions are made with economy in mind, especially when producing parts in the millions. How cheap can I make a part and still have it work (most of the time)?

Aftermarket parts are almost always of higher quality, but they may suffer from lack of mass user experience until they have been in the market a while. They cost more too, but on a per gun basis, that cost borne by the owner does not relate directly to the market value of the gun. If an owner wants it, trusts the manufacturer, and tests the part for reliability, he has not hurt himself.

Will the upgrade break or wear out sooner? Not likely, because it's built better to start with. All parts wear out eventually. Just check them periodically and deal with it.

 

[ScottS]

Unfortunately no... I continue to email and call with no success. Considering this has been going on for over a month, it's piss poor customer service regardless of what they may be encountering.

For what it's worth, I just got off the phone with them. I wanted to order a SS Guiderod for my Shield 2.0. I spoke with Janice(?) (she said it very quickly), and before I could fully articulate my question, she confirmed that, although they are listed separately, they are the same RSA. The speed with which she answered the question leads me to believe I'm not the first one to ask it.

 

[moonpup]

@ScottS that's awesome, thanks for the update! I have no idea why I could never get through or have my emails answered, appreciate the information. Wish they would update the website to reflect that...