Sheild Recoil spring

[Balkandeputy]

I recently bought my daughter a 9mm Shield now that she has her Concealed Carry license. Even though she shoots well with it, she has quite a time racking the slide back to lock it. Truthfully even I'm having a little difficulty.
Any suggestion where I find lighter Recoil Springs?

 

[AR-Getsome]

No aftermarket parts as of yet. Shoot more rounds through it. My wife had a tough time racking the slide until we shot 500 rounds through it. Now it's alot easier for her to rack the slide.

 

[Balkandeputy]

Thanks Yeah that's what I figured. Funny her friend also just bought a new Shield ( although without the Safety feature) and the slide isn't nearly as tight.

 

[1hatchet]

The answer is not a lighter recoil spring. This would cause cycling problems (FTF). Just shoot the gun and it will loosen up a bit.

 

[NCW Ray]

Here's an outfit making a one piece guide rod for the Shield. And here's a thread discussing it.

One thing that always comes to my mind is if a one piece guide rod is better or works just as good, why did S&W use a 2 piece, you'd think it would be cheaper to make a one piece?

 

[OKFC05]

why did S&W use a 2 piece, you'd think it would be cheaper to make a one piece?

The usual reason for using a 2 piece is to control battering of the frame with heavy loads, which an aftermarket supplier isn't going to test or consider, especially since they don't warranty your gun if their part damages it.
caveat emptor

 

[cigar858]

I was having a hard time locking the slide back, but now after 350 rnds it is getting easier. I've also have broken it down about a dozen times which may contribute to loosening it up.

 

[macintrigg]

Previous Thread Info

Cannot agree more, the weapon seems stiff to rack, but it seems to get better with more rounds fired.

 

[Golphin]

The Shield does have a strong spring but practice pulling it back will help a lot and of course shooting it. If she works at pulling the slide back over and over she will get better at it and it will become easier. The slide will get looser and she will get better at the angle that works best and a fluid motion. Many time people just are not aggressive enough with it. Snap it back and let it go!

 

[Houser52]

You can also hold the slide firmly with your weak hand and push on the gun to rack it. It's much easier to push than pull.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Never, ever go to a lighter recoil spring unless you want to seriously damage your frame. The recoil spring has a carefully calculated spring weight that is designed to work with a range of 9mm ammo in the particular model, in this case the Shield.

Going to a lighter weight spring will allow the slide to fly back too fast, damaging the frame and causing various other failures. Shoot enough with a lighter spring, and you will have serious damage. Even steel or aluminum pistol frames that are shot with a spring that is too light will cause damage, including cracking of the frame. Proceed with caution.

The better approach, as others have said, is to simply use the pistol. Shoot it with some good stout ammo and things will "run in."

 

[uechikid]

If you store the slide locked open will that help to get the spring to relax? On the other side of the coin, if you do that will that cause the spring to fatigue and wear out prematurely?

 

[fbcmrjrtykr]

Good info here....for men or women. http://thewellarmedwoman.com/racking-the-slide-of-your-gun


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[martybee]

Shoot the Heck out of it... It will loosen-up! Mine has over 2,500 rds. through it and it and the operation of the slide is, "Slick as glass." I can lock back the slide and dis-assemble/re-assemble the piece without any difficulty. Don't change recoil spring. As others have said, it will eventually damage the gun.

mb

 

[MassiveOverkill]

"As others have said, it will eventually damage the gun." I still haven't seen an explanation from the experts why the same recoil spring is used in both the 9 mm and .40 versions, which are rated to use +p ammo:

https://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson2/upload/other/M&P_Shield_Manual_07-10-2014.pdf

 

[Florida J Frame]

If you store the slide locked open will that help to get the spring to relax? On the other side of the coin, if you do that will that cause the spring to fatigue and wear out prematurely?

No, compressing a spring does not affect it's tension. Constant cycling will.

 

[Jeffytune]

I would suggest that you go down to your local Music store and get a guitarist finger grip practice tool.
These are palm size, spring load finger exercise devices that will build up grip strength. This will help with her holding the pistol, trigger pressing and racking the slide.

 

[kthom]

Every new semi auto should be stored for a couple of days with the slide locked back before firing. During the same time, each new magazine provided should be loaded to full capacity and allowed to rest in that condition for the same period of time. Doing so will accelerate the process of the related springs taking their initial "set" which also happens if you fire the piece a couple hundred rounds or more. Once these springs take that initial set, they are a bit easier to compress and the new gun will operate and function much more like it has already had a couple hundred or more rounds fired through it.

Following this practice with new guns and new mags will reduce the number of early malfunctions and allow easier manipulation of both. That's been my experience for some time now after a friend made this same suggestion to me. It has worked very well for me, especially with the smaller semi autos which require a stiffer recoil spring for reliable operation. Doing this was especially helpful with the two Shields my wife and I own. Give it a try and see what happens.

 

[Magload]

I don't know if the springs have gotten relaxed some or my fingers stronger as not I can rack my 40 and 9 Shield with just thumb and index fingers and load the mags with out the loader.

From my understanding keeping a spring compressed doesn't change it it is repeated compressing or in case of a pull spring stretching. That said I did the couple day thing anyway.

BTW there is a purpose for dual recoil springs in some guns. They effect the timing I believe and the way felt recoil acts. The manufacture didn't put them in because he had extras laying around.

 

[kthom]

You are correct, Magload, with respect to springs that have taken their initial set. But new springs have to take that set one way or the other, either through firing or leaving them compressed (or both) till that happens. After that, it does not damage a quality spring to leave it compressed, nor does it help it to leave it uncompressed. It is the exercising of a spring that causes it to eventually become weaker and lose it's initial strength and require replacement. And I agree with your statement about the dual or single spring arrangements. The manufacturer does it's best to make sure the firearm functions properly, and the shorter barrels are much more tricky to get just right. I don't like to mess with those springs much and usually shoot the ammo that the gun was built to shoot rather than more or less powerful ammo. +P or lighter weight bullets can result in failures to feed and function.

Glad your Shields are coming around. All of our guns work better the more we shoot them!