Shield 45 issue

[030201_S&W]

Keep shooting it. It needs to function well in a variety of gripemergency self defense situations. You may need it in a loose grip 45 degree angle or something.

 

[TTSH]

Methinks I should have found and read this thread before picking up a new Shield .45 on Saturday. Damn, I hate how S&W uses us and customer service in lieu of actual quality control.

Guess I've got some serious testing to do, don't I?

 

[Arik]

Methinks I should have found and read this thread before picking up a new Shield .45 on Saturday. Damn, I hate how S&W uses us and customer service in lieu of actual quality control.

Guess I've got some serious testing to do, don't I?

Why? Just because he had an issue doesn't automatically mean you will.

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[Realrez]

Fired off 100rds in my new 45 shield and 40shield using the 6&7rd mags both in 15deg temps and both ran 100% perfect. I have been nervous reading all the problems folks been having with these guns. The mags on both were tuff to load more than 3rds so I fully loaded all the mags and let them sit for a few weeks.

 

[TTSH]

Why? Just because he had an issue doesn't automatically mean you will.

Why? Because it sounds disturbingly common. Much more so than some of the other issues that have plagued S&W's various plastic guns.

 

[Arik]

Why? Because it sounds disturbingly common. Much more so than some of the other issues that have plagued S&W's various plastic guns.

Only because problems are posted. How often did someone post about not having problems? Put it this way....Back about 5 years ago I asked about the reliability of S&W 3rd gens on another forum. You should have seen the complaints from current and ex LEOs. You'd think they were junk. Extractor issues, accuracy issues, trigger issues....Etc..

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[dben002]

Had mine for 7 months now....probably 2500 rounds downrange both target and JHP's....no problems to date...but I always back slap the mag's before insertion...but thanks for the heads up...if problem rears it ugly head, I will know what to look for...............

 

[TTSH]

Only because problems are posted. How often did someone post about not having problems? Put it this way....Back about 5 years ago I asked about the reliability of S&W 3rd gens on another forum. You should have seen the complaints from current and ex LEOs. You'd think they were junk.

Well, it's a moot point now. I bought the damn thing. It's not like me to buy a brand new design without reading a ton on it first so bad on me. I guess what disturbs me most is that this is a problem which could cause a stoppage in the worst possible situation... unlike, say the Shield .40 kaboom issues that mainly related to bad reloads and over-charged boutique ammo (neither of which I would ever use).

Anyway, not the end of the world. I'll test the bejesus out of it and send it back to the mothership if necessary. I don't blame S&W as much as I blame myself for jumping too early. Again, bad on me.

 

[LAA]

Why? Because it sounds disturbingly common. Much more so than some of the other issues that have plagued S&W's various plastic guns.

Yesterday's info, included a link, that shows S&W producing 1.26 million pistols in 2015. I'd say the complaint issues are a minor fraction of guns in service. The internet complaint sections, always seem to blow everything out of proportion.

Earlier last summer, I read numerous articles about the Shield 45. Most were very positive. I was still skeptical, as I wondered about a 45 crammed into a smaller package. I picked one up, and couldn't be happier with it. It's never failed. I've thrown many different brands & types of factory ammo at it, as well as numerous types of reloads. Accuracy is beyond expectations. Recoil is low, and it fits well as a IWB carry. Pure satisfaction here, without a hint of remorse!

 

[030201_S&W]

A lot of automatics have problems with unusual grip conditions. Practice self defense modes with these to know your firearm. Practice recovery from a malf. Protect yourself by having a plan to follow if you find yourself in such a god forbid emergency situation, all out survival instinct situation. U can run your firearm thru these drills with out ever firing a shot to remain safe from a mistake. U can fire it under safe practice conditions following all the safe patterns of usage but never risk firing it without knowing what you are aiming and firing at..in these grips you need to practice. A lot of this caution goes back to contact or near contact self defense, the most common type of intense criminal endangerment. Usually there is little or no warning of the danger to your life that is coming.

 

[kannonvaggon]

I've fired my 45 Shield with probably every possible grip situation and it always functions fine. Every angle except upside down. Dirty and full of sand and grit, or clean and dry. Works great.
If it didn't, I wouldn't carry it.

If your pistol malfunctions from nominal limp wristing it needs to be fixed.
The only grip thing that will cause a malfunction from a properly set up Shield is a grip that pushes on the magazine release or slide lock when firing... IMHO

I think some these reported mag dropping and FTF issues are from mag locks that are not fitted properly in the pistol, and this has been quite rare in the short history of this model.
JMHO

 

[outflyin]

Update

I've run many more mags through with several different types of ammo since my last report and it has been flawless, not a single malfunction of any kind. I even bought another magazine and it is working perfectly. Haven't cleaned any of the magazines in quite a while.

What a great little shooter of big fat bullets. Having a lot of good fun now with it. Guess I'll have to try to see if I can get it to malfunction again just to do something different besides hitting the target every time. And to see if I should send it in just to make sure everything's up to snuff. Would be really hard to part with it now though.

I'm becoming very good friends with yet another gun. This may be the best one yet. It might be so good that I won't need to buy any more. Oh, no.

 

[Operator 203]

I called S&W two days ago and discussed my issues with one of the CS representatives. I explained that the Shield had been back for repairs and that I am still experiencing FTF's. I was considering sending it to the Performance Center for the M&P Action Package. He was very helpful and told me if it wasn't fixed they wanted it back. He emailed a shipping label. I delivered it to FedEx this morning. S&W will have it on Monday.

 

[wormraper]

dang, sounds like you guys have been through the ringer. the commonality of these issues makes me REALLY nervous for if/when my .45 shield starts crapping out... I knew I should have waited and not bought a new design. uggg

 

[ScaryWoody]

I think the magazine follower is causing a lot of the issues. It's a molded plastic with a metal plate inserted. On my magazines I noticed the side towards magazine release was very slightly puckered. The magazine release is very limited in engaging the magazine as is. I posted a thread yesterday with what I did to modify the follower and the magazine.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-m-p-pistols/516528-shield-45-magazine-drop-issue-mods.html

I think with the manufacturing tolerances being so tight there is issue when a part exceeds the standard. All the parts are still in spec but when you get two or more parts on the high side it may add up to issues.

 

[zork52]

Haven't been on here in a while. Sent my Shield 45 back with both mags as it was not allowing the slide to rack and feed/chamber a round. It has been repaired and I'm waiting for ship notice. I was told they changed one mag, fixed the other, and changed the barrel. I enclosed pics of my issue and also sent back BOTH mags as the issue surface with both. Strange, but happy with Customer Service and communication.

 

[DL1000]

My 2 cents, sure you should grip the thing good but you may have a "limp wrist" in a bad situation. Gun should shoot and reload every time no matter what in my opinion, otherwise you may have a one shot auto.

I love my new 45 shield, ran 284 rounds through it so far and didn't have an issue till I tried Remington 230 UMC JHP, I had 5 FTF.

I chose Remington after trying several USA brands in my other pistols. In the 45 Shield-UMC 230 FMJ for target, no problems. HTP 230 JHP, no problem. Immediately after having FTF with the UMC JHP, I tried the HTP JHP in the same magazines and no problem.

So, I guess I stay away from the UMC JHP, keep shooting and testing with other USA ammo and once I find the right stuff I stay with it.

 

[Operator 203]

Just an update on my 45 Shield. It went back to S&W for a second time to address FTF issues. They had it approx two months. I received it last week. The paperwork said they polished the feed ramp and chamber and test fired it. I took it to the range yesterday. I fired two boxes of ball with zero issues. I had previously experienced FTF issues with ball ammo. Hopefully its fixed. More range time and HP ammo will verify its reliability. Fingers crossed.

 

[outflyin]

Another Update

I know it's been a while, but I have not been using my .45 Shield because it has continued to have failures to feed unless I work regularly on my grip strength. That's not acceptable to me because like others have said, the gun should work in a self defense situation even if my grip is compromised for some reason.

So here's the latest from my experiences with this gun.

I returned it to S&W with a very detailed description of the symptoms. I included all three magazines as suggested by the rep on the phone since they all have the old style follower, two 7-round mags and one 6-round mag.

It was returned to me rather quickly with the following information.

----------------------------------------------------------
Slide Stops Early
Check for FTF

Performed service:
Evaluate/Repair
Polish Barrel/Chamber
Repair Extractor

Pass with all mags in box
The bottom of each mag was marked with a white X
----------------------------------------------------------

I tested it with four different brands of common 230 grain ball ammo. I ran all three magazines with each brand, 21 shots each. I had at least one FTF (usually between 1 and 3) with every mag load and with every brand of ammo, mostly within the first 3 rounds of the 7-round mags, and anytime when shooting one-handed.

So, I then loaded all 3 magazines with Remington Golden Saber 185 grain hollow points. I fired every single one of them one-handed without a single failure. Twenty-one consecutive one-handed shots with this ammo, flawless. I could not get more than 5 or 6 consecutive shots without an FTF using the ball ammo.

All of the ball ammo measures around 1.260 or greater COL. The Golden Sabers measure around 1.210 COL.

I don't know if it's the bullet weight, the COL, both or neither, but this seems really strange. At least it works best with SD ammo.

Oh, and the magazines were not even cleaned, and no updated followers were installed.

 

[texagun]

Looks like you should stick to Remington Golden Sabers in that gun.