Ozark Marine
US Veteran
Was thinking about picking one up. But RSA's falling apart, I think I'll pass. Not a confidence builder. Good luck.
Shield Recoil Spring Fell Apart
- Thread starter mbrittb00
- Start date
You oughta see a Glock RSA fly apart when you reassemble it incorrectly. It'll put an eye out. After reading this forum for several years, and being a member for a couple, I am firmly convinced that a significant number of the problems described are user induced. I don't have a Shield, but after I get my Glock 43 and my Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle, it's next. . . .
Let's see... How many different individuals (not the same 'me too' people who post in every thread) have posted about having a Shield RSA problem (of ANY kind)? 2 Dozen maybe?
How many different individuals have posted about it actually coming apart? A Handful?
(Of the 4 different S&W based Foums out here, This S&W Forum has the most threads about the Shield RSA)
When you consider the the Shield has just passed the 1 Million units mark, 24 units having RSA problems comes to 0.0024% (1/4 of 1%?).
Yeah... Quite an epidemic... You shouldn't take a gamble on getting one.
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warbird
Member
Something to think about nonetheless...
alleycat7002
Member
I called smith about rsa..they sent me one in about a week
Deadbug
Member
The same here...over 3,500 rounds through my 6-month old 9mm Shield with original RSA. No problem, no bends, no issues. Never rotated the RSA a "certain way" during reassembly. Just always made sure it was installed per the manual, aligning it properly and assuring it was fully seated all the way down on the barrel notch and centered--from day 1.
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2015
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Shield 9mm Recoil Spring assemble ROD
I am deeply disappointed in this Firearm.. All the adds makes it look so good once you buy it, it starts breaking apart . I just bought mine in 10/2015 only used it twice 165 rounds and the recoil spring assembly broke off.
I called S&M and they told me the item is in backorder. I looked all over the place and internet no one carries it.
What good of concealed firearm if they don't have spare parts.
My rating for this product is 2/10
I am deeply disappointed in this Firearm.. All the adds makes it look so good once you buy it, it starts breaking apart . I just bought mine in 10/2015 only used it twice 165 rounds and the recoil spring assembly broke off.
I called S&M and they told me the item is in backorder. I looked all over the place and internet no one carries it.
What good of concealed firearm if they don't have spare parts.
My rating for this product is 2/10
Freudian slip?
You could send it to me. I'll put up with it.
Why do I ALWAYS see these.....
Why do I always see these comments AFTER I've bought it.
Why do I always see these comments AFTER I've bought it.
Sigsavvy
Member
If you look on this forum you will find a source for an after market RSA. I believe it is a solid, stainless rod and you either send in your RSA and they reuse the spring or you put your spring on it.
I have had no love for the RSA but I don't categorize the Shield as a poor firearm. With a good RSA (and there are more of these than bad ones) the Shield is an amazing firearm.
Just as an aside, after I read about people's RSAs flying apart I check mine before tearing down. From what I heard, the black cap on the end will spin or be loose just before it fails. Before I field strip I lock the slide back and test that cap to see if it's tight. I know, I shouldn't have to do that but I do. I've had a replacement RSA, a new Shield 9 and my son's Shield 9 with good RSA's and there's no problems at all.
Not trying to convince people that there aren't issues out there but new owners or folks considering buying a Shield shouldn't judge the entire platform on one, replaceable part. Just my $.02
I have had no love for the RSA but I don't categorize the Shield as a poor firearm. With a good RSA (and there are more of these than bad ones) the Shield is an amazing firearm.
Just as an aside, after I read about people's RSAs flying apart I check mine before tearing down. From what I heard, the black cap on the end will spin or be loose just before it fails. Before I field strip I lock the slide back and test that cap to see if it's tight. I know, I shouldn't have to do that but I do. I've had a replacement RSA, a new Shield 9 and my son's Shield 9 with good RSA's and there's no problems at all.
Not trying to convince people that there aren't issues out there but new owners or folks considering buying a Shield shouldn't judge the entire platform on one, replaceable part. Just my $.02
Seriously? Okay... The recoil spring assembly is exactly that, an assembled part. There's a solid rod, milled or cast, doesn't make much difference, double springs are then installed on the rod, and then a plate on the end that holds the springs captive. That plate is, I presume, welded to the end of the rod in the final phase of assembly.
I've looked at mine and can't really see how it's done, but I'm not a machinist or mechanical engineer. Welds fail sometimes, and I'm sure that sometimes they just aren't really applied right for some reason. If the plate is holding, I'm not sure how S&W QC can spot the problem. But there's a million Shields running around out there and a handful of reports of this sort of failure. You'll never find a gun that doesn't have some horror stories posted about it. It's a little machine. Machines break sometimes.
BigDog48
US Veteran
This thread citing this issue is from 2013. As PirateJim said, there are now more than 1,000,000 Shields manufactured. Problems with the RSA are VERY uncommon, and mostly from the past.
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Hunter8282
US Veteran
Maybe so... but it IS STILL happening. It happened to me. It's not a problem of the past.
My first Shield from 2013 = No RSA problems.
New Shield in 2015 = Bent RSA disc.
Waiting on a backorder replacement from S&W.
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With all due respect, the bent RSA disk is a different issue from the RSA "falling apart" issue. Since you have had a Shield for a few years I won't suggest the bent disk is an issue of incorrect assembly, but that is a suspected cause in some cases.
and... the Bent Disk does not (seem to) impair the function of the RSA. There are a few here that continued to put several Hundred flawless rounds through their Shields, while waiting for their new RSA to ship.
I have about 5/600 rounds through my 9mm Shield w/ NO issues! I Wanted a spare just in case
I also purchased a spare for my sons Shield just is case !
Took the words right outa my mouth. Yeah,yeah, I know, it's supposedly just a microscopically small percentage, but we can't be sure of that,at all, since a very small percentage of M&P owners are actually involved in this thread.
This could easily be a MUCH more wide spread problem, only S&W knows for sure.
And all I know is that I'm reading post after post of, "yep, happened to me too".
And, the fact that the part is back-ordered is also curious. I wouldn't be surprised if we hear that there's a recall on this part somewhere down the line.
I'm in the middle of selling another toy to get a Shield as we speak, but I'm thinking I'm gonna put that on hold for a minute.
