Shield firing pin safety borked :(

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tonesurfer

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Was cleaning my gun after tonights IDPA match and did the firing pin block safety check. It wasn't working :eek: I could easily press the firing pin forward so it protruded through the breech face.

I noticed that if I press the "tab" on the firing pin sideways towards the block plunger there would be a very audible snap and the plunger would pop up very slightly. Easy to reproduce. Rapidly depress the plunger a few times and you can observe the firing pin tab wiggle and rotate away from the plunger (not forward and back, but sideways). At that point you could again push the pin forward through the breech.

Only 450 or so rounds through the gun. AND I just got my awesome N82 Pro IWB holster yesterday so I could start CC. :mad:
 
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It borked? Sounds like my intestines after tonight's meal.
I'll wait for those more knowledgeable with internals to help you out.
 
Here's what I would do first; check for dirt.

I would remove the firing pin block and look for any anomalies on the plunger, spring or hole. Then I would remove the striker and associated components. There I would also look for dirt or issues such as damage to the internal parts.

If you haven't done this before, I can help you with the removal process.
 
Hi. Thanks for the offer to help. The first thing I did was to remove the striker assembly and check for debris or anything that could be a problem. The view into the plunger area was limited. But everything looked fine. I don't have the means to dis-assemble any further (pulling the sight to remove the plunger completely). I put it back together and the problem still exists. I'm inclined to believe the problem isn't "dirt" related, as the movement sideways of the striker was excessive. I applied for a warranty return by filling out the form online at S&W and am awaiting shipping tag so I can send it back.
 
So my Shield is back from S&W. They said the gun was fine and didn't fix/do anything to it. A note was included saying that I was doing the saftey check wrong and that before testing the striker safety I should "push the striker toward the end plate first and release it slowly until it rests on the block safety". If from that point I can push the striker through the breech then somethings wrong.

Well if I follow those instructions it does not fail.

What I did to initially notice the problem is simply field strip and then push the striker forward. It wasn't blocked by the safety. So I thought something was odd.

I get what S&W is saying. "Cocking" the gun, is going to set the striker on the sear and leave plenty of freedom for the striker block to activate. My FS 9 doesn't need to be "cocked" before the striker block activates.

What does the hive say. Is this something to be worried about?
 
I wouldn't worry about it. You won't have a live round in the chamber without the striker be "cocked"...
 
I wouldn't worry about it. You won't have a live round in the chamber without the striker be "cocked"...
 
This actually helped me out I just found the same thing on my shield and was just about to call S&W. Thanks.
 
tonesurfer said:
So my Shield is back from S&W. They said the gun was fine and didn't fix/do anything to it. A note was included saying that I was doing the saftey check wrong and that before testing the striker safety I should "push the striker toward the end plate first and release it slowly until it rests on the block safety". If from that point I can push the striker through the breech then somethings wrong.

Well if I follow those instructions it does not fail.

What I did to initially notice the problem is simply field strip and then push the striker forward. It wasn't blocked by the safety. So I thought something was odd.

I get what S&W is saying. "Cocking" the gun, is going to set the striker on the sear and leave plenty of freedom for the striker block to activate. My FS 9 doesn't need to be "cocked" before the striker block activates.

What does the hive say. Is this something to be worried about?
Click to expand...


Thanks I just e mailed Smith about this. I noticed the same thing.
my kahr is not like this so I assumed something was wrong considering you cock if for takedown and never pull the trigger you would assume it should be engaged already.
 
I have the same thing with my .40 FS. I didn't notice it until I had put in the Apex FSS and trigger kit. I took it back to the gunsmith who had done the work. While I was there, he put the original striker block and spring back in. The same thing still happened so that eliminated the Apex as the potential problem. I then called Apex to hear what they had to say. The said they had seen this condition in a number of M&P's. They also stated as did S&W that if moving the strike assembly toward the rear and the striker block then popped out completely, the striker block was functioning correctly.

I tested my .40 a number of times and the following always occurs. First I racked the slide and then dry fired it. I then locked the slide back and checked the striker. It would move forward. I then released the slide which would set the striker. I then racked the slide back with out doing the dry fire. Every time the striker block was totally out and the striker could not move forward. Thus according the Apex and S&W everything should be fine. I checked both my .40c and Shield and both of them always have the striker block totally out and the striker can't move forward ever unless fired.
 
well I guess its normal but it doesnt seem right.If I rack the slide back in my opinion that safety pin should have poped out.
 
My M&P 9 Pro has that same striker block behavior. I posted my experience with it on a related thread (Apex Striker Block) before finding this one. It seems that this striker block behavior may have the possibility of causing an unintentional discharge.

Thanks
 
Neither of my pistols exhibit this behavior. The striker is always blocked by the striker block.

There is only one way I can think of where this would be a problem and it's very unlikely:
  • Take a dry press
  • Remove the magazine
  • Lock the slide back
  • Move the sear disconnect lever down
  • Place a live round in the chamber
  • Let the slide go forward
Now there is a live round in the chamber and the slide is closed. If the gun were dropped on the muzzle, and the striker is not blocked by the striker block, there is a chance the gun will fire.

But, who would do this? Why on earth would you set your gun up this way? It certainly can't be done on accident. It would have to be on purpose and I just don't ever see a reason to do that. I mean, why would you load a live round in the chamber and then close the slide in such a way that the trigger wouldn't fire the gun? It's ludicrous. Maybe that's why S&W doesn't see this as a problem.
 
Rastoff:

I agree completely with your description and how that situation would have to be intentionally created.

There may be another path to arrive at having a live round chambered and the striker not blocked. If the pistol failed to fire a chambered round after a trigger pull, and the slide were not racked, the pistol would have an unblocked striker and a potentially live chambered round.

The chances of the gun firing after being dropped on the muzzle would now be somewhat lower because the round has already failed to fire once.

Neither of these two situations cause me any great concern. I plan to continue enjoying and shooting my pistol.

Thanks for the reply
 
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