Shield 9 bent magazine spring
- Thread starter Nojguy
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earthtone31
Member
I straightened my spring out as well to see if it would work and it did work fine for a bit, I loaded 5 rounds of snap caps in it 4-5 times and cycled them through 4-5 times and the spring was bent again and it started to fail to feed obviously. Once it bends like that its not safe to use anymore.
DO NOT USE THIS SPRING FOR CARRY. This spring will fail again.
Been using it for a year. Anything can fail at any time.
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That is true. I would not risk it other than a range magazine but to each his own
I have been following the spring issue for a while now. There were reports as early as 2012 on the net for this issue although it seems to be coming up more now. I have two 2016 shield with those grayish color springs and a 2016 newer PC shield with mag springs that are more gold in color. I have loaded and unloaded all of them to capacity > 10 times and used them as well and nothing failed yet. Some of the pictures I see of bent springs indeed appear to be of what I think are the grayish color springs failing so I'm not sure if color is enough to tell between good/bad springs.
Anyone ever put a spring in backwards and see if it bends? Maybe an assembler put a few in backwards.....
I tried to put a spring in backwards and it still worked.
Basically when these mags are loaded to capacity the skinny part of the spring coils dips below into the void of the larger coils. This puts a pile of stress on the spring at the size transition.
Anyone ever put a spring in backwards and see if it bends? Maybe an assembler put a few in backwards.....
I tried to put a spring in backwards and it still worked.
Basically when these mags are loaded to capacity the skinny part of the spring coils dips below into the void of the larger coils. This puts a pile of stress on the spring at the size transition.
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I just returned from the range to break in my second 9mm Shield. This gun was purchased in July 2016 new. When loading the 7 round mag I could not get the 7th round in. Pulled the mag apart and found the same exact issue described here. Same exact place on the spring. The 8 round mag is also starting to bend out of shape. I have two Shields and a total of five mags. None of the older mags (one 8 and two 7 round) have this issue...yet. Looks like I will also be contacting S&W for replacement springs. I may also look into the aftermarket springs. Im not sure I want to trust the replacements S&W sends me at this point. Too many people on this thread reporting the problem to make me feel very confident in their springs now.
Update 5/9/17: I just spoke with CS and they will be shipping me two springs. The rep indicated that Smith is aware of the problem but he did not know if the springs coming my way are re-designed. I think I'm going to order a few springs from Wolff and compare them when the new Smith springs arrive.
Update 5/9/17: I just spoke with CS and they will be shipping me two springs. The rep indicated that Smith is aware of the problem but he did not know if the springs coming my way are re-designed. I think I'm going to order a few springs from Wolff and compare them when the new Smith springs arrive.
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New member here. Joined for this issue. I noticed my 7 round mag was only holding 6 rounds right after I installed my pearce grip extension so I took it apart and lo' and behold I had a spring bent at a 90 deg. angle. Ugh... So I contacted S&W and they said they would send one out to me. I have been carrying the 8 round mag but I like the 7 better so I thought... Why not switch the spring from the 8 and put it into the 7, they are the same size right? Well I swapped the spring into the other mag and boom, bent spring. Am I installing them backwards or did I really just get that unlucky that I have 2 bad springs. Any chance someone could show me how their springs are inserted? I know its smaller coils toward the top but orientation front to back? I am almost positive I put them in the way they came from the factory but after 2 going bad after I took the mag apart I am beginning to question myself... Oh and the gun is like 2 weeks old...
Not sure that the grip extension makes a difference, but I would not ever assume that two different capacity mags would have the same spring. When something is broken, I don't mess with what still works, lest I wind up without altogether.
Something I do as habit when disassembling something I've never messed with before - take a picture / pictures as it comes apart. My memory is useless when I try to put things back together.
Look at page 31 of the manual. Bottom end of spring is a loop, oriented to the rear of the mag. upper end is a tighter loop that sits under the forward side of the mag.
https://snwcdnprod.azureedge.net/si...als/M&P_Shield_All_09-30-16_441310000_web.pdf
https://snwcdnprod.azureedge.net/si...als/M&P_Shield_All_09-30-16_441310000_web.pdf
Thanks for the reply!
I checked that they were the same size before hand but forgot to mention that, that would be why Wolff only sells 1 size
.As for the pictures I usually do that but of course I didn't this time as I didn't think I would need to
(dumb). I think put them in the correct way but just wondering if maybe they were in backwards to begin with...Didn't even think to check the manual, thanks for doing that for me. Yup I had it right... Man these are some bad springs. Both springs within 2 days of each other... tempted by the Wolff but I hate that i have to spend another $20 to get my firearm working the way it should from the factory... Maybe I will see if I can get S&W to pay for them
P.S. I already called for the 1st spring which they said they would replace so I will call for the other
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The seven and eight round mags use the exact same spring. S&W sent me two springs. One for my seven that bent and one for my eight that is starting to show signs of bending. The two new springs came packed in one plastic bag and are identical. Meanwhile, I bought new springs for ALL my Shield mags from Wolff gun springs and installed them, keeping the original springs that still look good as spares. I don't trust the new springs that S&W sent me for anything other than spares. I'll keep the Wolff springs in the mags (fully loaded) and inspect them weekly. The hope is that the Wolff springs will not fail like the original springs.
lexcruiser
Member
Just chiming in. Had the same issue happen to me today. Bought the pistol last week, first range trip today. Happened w/ the 8rd mag after the 3rd reload. (See pic attached)
Spoke to S&W customer service via chat on their webpage and they're sending me 4 new springs. Lets see how it goes...
Spoke to S&W customer service via chat on their webpage and they're sending me 4 new springs. Lets see how it goes...
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Deadeye Jake
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Ok want to solve the junk springs? Buy Wolff springs ! My new 9mm shield had failed bent spring after 125 shots ! Goggled to see if any problems ! Guess what lol many many. I was a gunsmith for 15 years and a machinist and these springs are dead soft junk. In a life protecting gun? Smith you need a big lawsuit ! Ok I called Smith Perf Center . Mine is a Perf Center . They said I'll send you 2! If it fails quickly it is bad ! Uhh ok Beavis no **** ! Ok my Wolff are flawless and Smiths new ones czme !! They are straight with no neck down. Also a hook on top and bottom that pushes it out to far in follower to drag on inside of mag ! NICE ! The call these jerks engineers ! I love my Perf 9 and it is flawless after I polished the scratches and tool marks out of chamber ! So if you life is at stack USE WOLFF !
Mine did the exact same thing in the exact same place. Although mine split like that while I was trying to see how much "spring" my faulty spring had. Then it broke in half. There's definitely a lack of spring in these defective springs. The steel bends way too easily by hand (especially where they taper down). The Wolff springs I received have a better appearance to them and after being fully compressed for the last couple of weeks don't appear any different visually than they did the day I put them in the mags. Time will tell but I'm sticking with the Wolff springs in all my Shield mags and saving the replacements S&W sent me as spares. This spring issue is troublesome to say the least.
Talldog
Member
So I just had this problem with one of my Shield 9 mags. Looked the same as most of the pictures I've seen with the spring bent at a 90 degree angle. I have MagGuts zee springs in 4 of my mags, and I think I'm going to put them in the other 3.
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