Shield 45 slide

[BristolMax]

A friend of mine bought a new Shield 45 and let me shoot it last week. When I pulled the slide back to load it there was a gritty feeling and it was harder than I thought it should be to pull. When we field stripped it, the bottom of the slide looked to me like it was not finished. Just wondering if anyone has seen this.

 

[jbtrucker]

It is manufactured that way , several older threads on S&W and M&P forums on the subject after the .45 Shield came out. Shield recoil and mag springs are very stiff when new

 

[Fastbolt]

The bottom of the Shield 45 slide has unique scalloped cuts along the length of the bottom of the stripper bolt/rail. They're supposed to be there. They aren't needed on the 9/.40 Shields (because of the lighter recoil, I'm told).

Yes, retracting the slide on a Shield pistol, including the .45 model, can be pretty stiff and feel somewhat difficult at first.

 

[swsig]

It's completely normal. The scallops on the bottom of the cartridge guide are there to help pull the top cartridge in the magazine fully to the rear as the slide retracts. This prevents failures to feed. The slide may feel a bit stiff to rack initially, but that will improve with time. My Shield 45's slide is noticeably easier to rack than my Shield 9's slide. The gritty feeling while retracting the slide should go away soon. Just be sure that your friend follows the directions for cleaning and lubing in the owner's manual, using a quality lubricant. He/she should do this after every use.

Your friend made a good decision by purchasing the Shield 45. Mine has over 6,000 rounds through it, and it has proven to be reliable and remarkably accurate considering its 3.5" barrel. I carry mine daily.