Shield Plus - Failure to Feed - RESOLVED

[George_P_Burdell]

Greetings one and all ... Yesterday was my first range trip with my Shield Plus ... a trial run for break-in if you will. I had several FTFs - details below - and would like to hear opinions. Thanks in advance for reading ...

Some on this forum mentioned having trouble getting the 10th / 13th round in the magazine. Even using a "Lula" loader, both mags with my Shield were quite tight.
My range session consisted of 3 boxes of 115 grain "round nose" FMJ standard pressure ammo, one box each of
* Remington / UMC "green box"
* Fiocchi
* Federal "Red box"
I experienced a couple FTFs with each ammo type. I cannot say if the FTFs are isolated to either the 10 or 13 round mag. I did notice on one of the FTF rounds there was a small longitudinal "gash" down the bullet, from tip to case if you will.
After the first couple failures, I field-stripped and oiled the hell out of the gun and went back to shooting but the problem persisted.
This could be a case of break-in ... okay.
Next range trip will be with some +P ammo, but I'll pay attention to which magazine I'm using.
Any additional thoughts?

 

[Rpg]

I’m always confused when folks use the acronym “FTF”.

I’m never sure if they mean ‘failure to fire’ or ‘failure to feed’ (or something else).

Assuming a feeding problem: fully load your magazines and let them sit loaded for a few weeks.

 

[photoman]

Most of the 115gr FMJ ammo is not what I would consider "full power" ammo and I like to start out new guns with full power ammo. Try some 124gr ammo like Winchester NATO or Speer Lawman (if you can find any).

 

[cracker57]

Mark your mags so you know if it is one mag or both. Let someone else shoot it, do they have the same problem ( limp Wrist). is it the first rounds fired or the last rounds fired.
Try locking the slide back when not in use see if that loosens the recoil spring.
try polishing the feed ramp and look for a burr that would have made the Gash down the round.
FTF, fail to feed us the info we need to help you out.

 

[George_P_Burdell]

Thanks for the suggestions ...

All, Thanks for the suggestions on my failure to feed issues.
* Lock the slide, got it.
* Stuff the mags, let 'em sit. Got it.
* Shoot some 124 grain ammo - I have some Aguila 124 NATO spec.
Cracker57 in Wisconsin - no need for me to "mark" the mags. Very easy to distinguish between 10-round and 13-round. Will also check the feed ramp. If needed, I can pick up some 600-grit emery paper.
I can also work the action a couple hundred times with some dummy rounds / snap caps, although I only have 5 or 6 of those.

 

[Old cop]

If it were mine I call S&W, get a shipping label and send it back. Alternatively the shop where you got it might do that for you. I’ve only had to send one gun in, but they had it back in my hands w/i 10 working days fixed.

 

[mmb617]

Sorry to hear you're having problems with your Shield Plus. My son just bought one Friday evening. His is the PC version. We went to the range today for it's first firings and it was perfect right away. We shot my reloads, both 115 grain FMJ and 124 grain JHP and it fed and fired them with no hiccups at all. Neither of us thought the mags were excessively hard to get the last round in with a Maglula compared to any of my other M&P's.

I hope you can get your problems resolved as this gun exceeded my expectations.

I actually expected a few break-in problems but none occurred.

 

[Eric300]

I’m always confused when folks use the acronym “FTF”.

I’m never sure if they mean ‘failure to fire’ or ‘failure to feed’ (or something else.

I'm sure glad it's not just me! Same goes for 'FTE'.

4 types of malfunctions with semi-autos;

Fail to FEED
Fail to FIRE
Fail to EXTRACT
Fail to EJECT

So, just saying 'FTF', or, 'FTE' just doesn't work.

 

[pazzo]

I just put 260 rounds of various ammo through a new Shield plus. No failures. Fed 115gr, Rem UMC, Fed 124gr Hydrashock, Fed 145gr Hydra shock.

Leave the mags loaded for a couple days, they get easier to load and insert into the gun.
Let someone else shoot the gun.

 

[MG-70]

All, Thanks for the suggestions on my failure to feed issues.
* Lock the slide, got it.
* Stuff the mags, let 'em sit. Got it.
* Shoot some 124 grain ammo - I have some Aguila 124 NATO spec.
Cracker57 in Wisconsin - no need for me to "mark" the mags. Very easy to distinguish between 10-round and 13-round. Will also check the feed ramp. If needed, I can pick up some 600-grit emery paper.
I can also work the action a couple hundred times with some dummy rounds / snap caps, although I only have 5 or 6 of those.

You're on the right track. You have to take note of not only which magazine, but what round, or whether it was isolated to the top X rounds. In addition to letting someone else, experienced in shooting pistols, shoot your gun and ammo combination (already mentioned above), you may want to fully strip the pistol of the grease and oil with which it came, and re-apply your own, according to the manual. Oftentimes, the factory packing grease/lube is heavier because they don't know how long the guns are going to sit on a shelf. Also, if the problem persists, try loading your mags with half the rounds to decrease the upward pressure. I think it's a just a matter of breaking it in, and doing so with hotter rounds, or non-anemic ammo.

Good luck!

 

[George_P_Burdell]

Let someone else shoot the gun - check. I'm not new to shooting, rifles nor pistols, but this is my first sub-compact. I did have the thought that my grip might be a factor ...
Again .. thanks for all the good suggestions
- Jewish Deplorable

 

[Model 10-8]

The man is looking for help, no need to get snarky. Just saying...

 

[newpewpew]

I didn't have any action issues with shooting my Shield Plus. I did notice it kicks a lot more than my M&P 9 compact and full size. It kind of surprised me, and I start to flinch after the first magazine, even after I started to avoid flinching on my M&P 9s

The slide lock had problems and was also super tight, and I had to file and polish it. It fixed the main problem but it's still pretty tight.


A full mag is super tight, and after weeks of leaving it full in the safe, and loading and unloading it over and over again each day, it barely got any better. So I cut off 1 loop in the magazine spring. It only helped a tiny bit more, so I think it's just no more space inside the magazine for all the bullets + the spacer. The spring itself probably doesn't take up too much space. And now the follower doesn't reliably push up the slide lock very far on last round. So I will probably fashion a replacement spring from an M&P 9. It looks like the same dimensions, but I don't know if the strength and material is the same.

 

[mmb617]

I didn't have any action issues with shooting my Shield Plus. I did notice it kicks a lot more than my M&P 9 compact and full size.

I had exactly the opposite reaction when shooting the Shield Plus. My EDC is an M&P Compact 9 and I was surprised to find the Shield Plus to have in my opinion very similar (mild) recoil. The Shield Plus I was shooting was the PC version with ported barrel, perhaps that makes a difference.

I also have a 1.0 Shield and the recoil on that is significantly more than either the Shield Plus or the Compact 9.

 

[pazzo]

I had exactly the opposite reaction when shooting the Shield Plus. My EDC is an M&P Compact 9 and I was surprised to find the Shield Plus to have in my opinion very similar (mild) recoil. The Shield Plus I was shooting was the PC version with ported barrel, perhaps that makes a difference.

I also have a 1.0 Shield and the recoil on that is significantly more than either the Shield Plus or the Compact 9.

I had the same experience but with the non-PC Shield +. Similar recoil as my MP 3.6", but more importantly much less recoil than a G43x and my Hellcat.

It's very soft and controllable.

 

[Markmontana]

Very interesting string of thread replies — just shows how widely personal the shooting experience is with theShieldPlus. Here’s one more to add to the list.

I think I bought one of the first ShieldPlus to arrive in St. Louis are. It was the basic model with 3.1 barrel, w/safety and no night sights. I ran several hundred rounds of various FMJ and defense loads with no malfunctions. The pistol for me was extremely accurate at 7yds and felt recoil was less than my other 9mm subcompacts. (Kimber EVO, Sig P938, Sig P365, Hellcat.)

Following this very favorable experience, I sold my P365 and bought a 4-inch PerformanceCenter Plus. My experience with the PC gun has been equally positive. I am a huge fan of the new Plus series. I have never been much of an S&W fan but I have to give them credit for buildings really great and affordable CCW pistol for the masses. Also, I think they have handled their product launch extremely well (unlike Sig, for example).

Yes, the mags are stiff and have that slanted follower which makes it tough to load. So, fully load mags and let sit forever.

 

[pazzo]

Very interesting string of thread replies — just shows how widely personal the shooting experience is with theShieldPlus.

+1 - the guns are manufactured to be near identical, the people that use them are anything but.

 

[newpewpew]

+1 - the guns are manufactured to be near identical, the people that use them are anything but.

I'm for anything butt ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[George_P_Burdell]

Update on Failure to FEED issue

I've been in touch with Smith & Wesson. They're sending me a new recoil assembly, free of charge.

Update(s) to follow as events warrant.

 

[George_P_Burdell]

Update on Failure to Feed

All,
I called s&w today .. they said replacement recoil spring assemblies are in indefinite backorder .. they don't know when parts will be available. I've procured 100 rounds of +p 115 grain ammo, and have ordered 250 rounds of 124 grain. I intend to beat the tar out of the factory spring on my next range trip, tentatively scheduled for Sat 5/22.
Per others advice, I've cleaned / oiled per the manual.
I'll observe if/when Failures to FEED happen, what kind of ammo, which mag, where in the mag etc., etc., etc.
That is all.