Slide won't stay open after last shot

[JimmyVNext]

When shooting my 9mm Shield and 9mm Full size M&P, the last round fired does not leave the slide open. I was shooting an M&P 40 compact and did not experience the problem with that gun. I am shooting Remington 115 gr FMJ on the range. I clean the gun after shooting about every 500 rounds. Would 124 gr be better? What other things should I be looking at?

 

[Muss Muggins]

Try it by inserting an empty magazine and working the slide. If it locks back, check your grip. It's possible that you are accidentally holding down the slide stop lever. Since it's happening with two different pistols, it's unlikely that both are experiencing the same malfunction.

 

[Steved13]

You said you clean the gun...does that include all magazines? Dirty magazines can cause this issue.

 

[Rastoff]

How old are the magazines? There are two different magazine follower designs.

In this picture the new design is on the left. The old design didn't always engage the slide stop properly.

I suspect your problem could be a combination of grip and equipment.

 

[Ranger17]

for what it's worth, i'd say the ammo type wouldn't be the issue. I only use 115gn in my Shield and full size MP's (as well in the compact I had) and after a couple thousand+ rounds worth not one time did the slide not function correctly. And a good portion of the ammo I've used has been Remington UMC.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

As noted above, test it by seeing if the slide locks back on an empty magazine.

If it does -- 1) you could be hitting the slide stop.

If it doesn't -- 2) the follower may not be engaging the slide stop with the last round, or

3) the spring in the magazine may be failing.

 

[CB3]

How old are the guns?
What is your level of shooting experience?
How do you grip these guns?
What is your level of mechanical ability?
How old are you?

Sorry to be blunt, but most often such problems are not mechanical problems with the guns, but straight up user error.

Asking others to diagnose your problem with so little information often leads to a long thread with lots of great suggestions--usually mechanically oriented--when most of the time the individual just does not or cannot grip the gun correctly.

The clue here is that two different guns have the same problem. Not very likely mechanically induced.

 

[Konk]

How old are the guns?
What is your level of shooting experience?
How do you grip these guns?
What is your level of mechanical ability?
How old are you?

Sorry to be blunt, but most often such problems are not mechanical problems with the guns, but straight up user error.

Asking others to diagnose your problem with so little information often leads to a long thread with lots of great suggestions--usually mechanically oriented--when most of the time the individual just does not or cannot grip the gun correctly.

The clue here is that two different guns have the same problem. Not very likely mechanically induced.

CB, just wondering how your last two questions relate to the OP's issue?

 

[CB3]

CB, just wondering how your last two questions relate to the OP's issue?

The last person I helped here locally could not pull back the slide on his brand new Springfield XDm. He had not even loaded it in the four years he owned it--for home defense!

He was 76 years old and missing most of his left thumb when the LGS salesman hoodwinked him into buying that gun. The gun was fine, but it was not right for him because of age, permanent disability and lack of strength.

Last week a guy on this board couldn't get his slide to lock back. The description of the problem was inadequate. We went on for a couple of days when it was finally determined there was no mechanical problem. He was an older gentlemen who was lacking the strength and the presence of mind to retract the slide far enough for the stop to engage.

A person's age can effect how well they can grip and/or operate a handgun, and it relates to their experience level.

A person's mechanical ability relates to whether he could look at the slide stop to see if it is broken, or do some disassembly for repair and inspection. I assume if this individual had these abilities, he would have inspected the slide stop and told us it was mechanically fine.

Without this information being provided, I think these are legitimate questions to help determine how best to help this person.

So, yeah, when a person has a problem and wants help over the internet to resolve it, and we want to help him quickly without having to make 30 suggestions before he replies three days later that someone showed how to properly grip the gun so as not to push down on the slide stop while shooting, I think the questions are fair.

If he doesn't think they are appropriate, he doesn't have to respond. I'm trying to help, not insult anyone.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

So, yeah, when a person has a problem and wants help over the internet to resolve it, and we want to help him quickly without having to make 30 suggestions before he replies three days later that someone showed how to properly grip the gun so as not to push down on the slide stop while shooting, I think the questions are fair.

If he doesn't think they are appropriate, he doesn't have to respond. I'm trying to help, not insult anyone.

I would assume that if the OP is able to shoot a similar gun without experiencing the problem, and who says he cleans the gun after 500 rounds, and has experimented with several different weight bullets, he may be gripping the gun in question improperly, but is clearly NOT a shooter suffering from a physical inability to lock back the slide. Others have addressed improper grip.

It may be that Muss Muggin's response (reply #2) went right to the heart of the matter, and almost everything after that was unnecessary.

Folks other than just the Original Poster read these discussions and learns from what is discussed, and people who contribute may learn by participating. (I don't know how many times I wrote stupid things while I was learning better, and those embarrassing slips certainly aided my learning process.) Others may learn more quickly and less painfully than I do.

That said, cutting off the discussion too quickly can mean less opportunity for learning for some of us. I found the photos of the revised followers, above, of particular interest and value -- and more germane than explanations of how physical disabilities might play a role in the problem.

.

 

[jim46ok]

"M&P 40 compact and did not experience the problem with that gun"

I guess that somehow got missed......

 

[NJM15]

Try another Mag

Try it by inserting an empty magazine and working the slide. If it locks back, check your grip. It's possible that you are accidentally holding down the slide stop lever. Since it's happening with two different pistols, it's unlikely that both are experiencing the same malfunction.

I had a similar problem with my Sig 226 tried the other mag it was fine. finally stretched the spring in the first one and it works ok now, don't understand how that happened but it worked

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Be warned: stretching any spring is, at best, a temporary fix. The springs lose their "springiness" when the metal starts to deteriorate (typically micro-fractures in the material) and stretching doesn't fix anything -- as the metal doesn't heal.

Stretching can accelerate fracturing in other areas, but if you don't have a replacement spring on hand, it's a good "make do" solution. It'll work for a while, and then just get worse, and after a while stretching won't do anything. If you don't use the mag a lot, you may not notice it for a while.

 

[JimmyVNext]

It was my grip. My right thumb was resting on the slide release as you suspected. Good call. Now it just have to get comfortable dropping might right thumb a bit!

 

[Raisin]

How old are the magazines? There are two different magazine follower designs.

In this picture the new design is on the left. The old design didn't always engage the slide stop properly.

I suspect your problem could be a combination of grip and equipment.

I emailed S&W Customer service about getting replacement followers because of this issue and here is their reply:

"Dear Customer,
Only if you are having an issue with your current followers. You can purchase new ones by calling 1-800-33-0852 ext 4125.
Regards, Rachel"

I replied today that I was having problems with them which is why I emailed them. We will see what happens now.

 

[John Reid]

I emailed S&W Customer service about getting replacement followers because of this issue and here is their reply:

"Dear Customer,
Only if you are having an issue with your current followers. You can purchase new ones by calling 1-800-33-0852 ext 4125.
Regards, Rachel"

I replied today that I was having problems with them which is why I emailed them. We will see what happens now.

Please keep us updated.

 

[berudd]

I would assume that...

Having been in customer support for over 15 years I can tell that this is the biggest mistake people make where trying lend someone remote assistance on a problem. Assume nothing and verify all relevant details.

 

[LAA]

that 's the wrong answer from Rachel.

should be: Dear Customer, we will send you the follower free, S&W knows we are having problems with the first followers design.

Not really. Over all of these years, many products have gone through design change cycles. The effort is to improve. A company can't just be expected to offer the improved design for free. If that were the case, most everything would just remain the way it was. This doesn't apply to all cases, obviously.

 

[vortex360]

Not really. Over all of these years, many products have gone through design change cycles. The effort is to improve. A company can't just be expected to offer the improved design for free. If that were the case, most everything would just remain the way it was. This doesn't apply to all cases, obviously.

You expect a weapon you buy from Smith and Wesson to function properly. If one of their designs does not work properly then people deserve the better option.

 

[LAA]

You expect a weapon you buy from Smith and Wesson to function properly. If one of their designs does not work properly then people deserve the better option.

And how many brands of semi-autos, have never, ever, had a problem with the slide not always locking back, 100%, after firing the last round?

Personally, I was more of a revolver user. Six rounds (or just five), and it was done. I figure mags are disposable items. I won't get much upset, if the slide doesn't lock every time. In fact, I don't even care. In a shtf defensive situation, I can see the trigger being pulled until it doesn't work anymore. Not looking at the opened slide, and thinking "golly, the mag is out".

I can always rack it in the same cycle, I shove the mag in. In the meantime, as designs improve, because we always find better methods, it's not a companies obligation to hand out free upgrades. Especially, if there isn't a real danger involved. Of course, some will probably disagree, and say that a slide not staying open is life & death. There are instances, where a fully loaded mag, will insert easier, with the slide open. Do I care, not really.