Swapping Slides on Shields

[WK1025]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has swapped the slides on the Shield 2.0 and Shield plus and fired it. I have a Shield 2.0 PC 4" and a regular Shield Plus 3.1 and love both guns a lot. I put the slide from the 2.0 on the Plus and it fits and seems to work fine but am hesitant to shoot it- I don't want to damage either gun. It just makes the perfect gun for me. I called Smith and Wesson and they said it wasn't recommended but that's what Glock said about the G43X and G48 and that works perfectly. I guess I'm trying to not order a Shield Plus PC 4" but I will if necessary. These things are like rabbits, every time I go in the safe I find another one. Now my wife is looking at the 380 EZ (has little hand strength) and I thought the Glocks were bad.
Thanks for any info.
WK

 

[jurek]

There was a discussion about it already and nobody gave clear answer.
Yes, you can swap slides between Shield M2.0 and Shield Plus. You can rack it, load to the chamber, eject without single issue.
But that was the max that anyone went so far.
I'm not sure what would be bad if striker hits the primer properly. To test it, you can use laser cartridge and see if does it work. If yes, you may try to fire the live round...and be the first person who make it.

 

[Neal]

Not a Shield Plus, but here is a photo of my 4 inch Shield
40 2.0 top end on a 2.0 frame from a standard size Shield 40.
Shoots and functions fine, even though a woman at S&W
customer service told me it could not be done.

 

[jurek]

I called Smith and Wesson and they said it wasn't recommended

even though a woman at S&W customer service told me it could not be done.

Unfortunately S&W has no interest to test these conversions and will never take responsibility for telling if that can be done or not.
All this is on us.

 

[N4KVE]

Unfortunately S&W has no interest to test these conversions and will never take responsibility for telling if that can be done or not.
All this is on us.

In today’s sue happy world where every TV show has slip & fall lawyer’s commercials telling you they can get you millions for somebody’s negligence, any company would be wise to not recommend anything that hasn’t been fully tested. And by the OP being hesitant to test his creation proves I’m right. Just leave well enough alone. GARY

 

[Neal]

In my case it was because the factory did not make what I wanted. I had the short barrel Shield 40 with thumb safety and integral green laser. Then they brought out the PC 4 inch, but without the thumb safety. To get the gun with the features I wanted required the purchase of the 4 inch model and swap the top ends. I am very satisfied with the result. I tried it with the red dot sight, but was not impressed, so I removed it. I like the gun better with the fiber optic sights on top with the option of the laser. So now I have a one of a kind gun that no holster maker has a gun mold for it, which they need to form a holster. No problem- Clipdraw works fine.

Edit: I forget there is a local kydex holster maker that can make a holster
for odd configurations like mine. Leave the gun with him for a while and
he molds the holster around the customer's gun.

Pics from the Clipdraw website:

 

[WK1025]

Thank you for the responses. I realize that Smith and Wesson (as all manufacturers) has legal issues to deal with so I decided to take a chance and went to the range ( no one else was there just in case) and tried both configurations. The short 3.1 Plus barrel worked fine on the 2.0 frame with no issues in 3 magazines. The 4 inch slide on the Plus frame had 2 failures to eject in one 10 round magazine so I didn't test further. I shot Blazer Brass ammo that ran perfectly in both stock guns before and after switching slides so I don't think the problems are ammo related.
I am off to the LGS to order the Shield Plus PC 4" as I really like that configuration.
Thanks again,
WK

 

[jurek]

[...]
I decided to take a chance and went to the range ( no one else was there just in case) and tried both configurations.
The short 3.1 Plus barrel worked fine on the 2.0 frame with no issues in 3 magazines.
The 4 inch slide on the Plus frame had 2 failures to eject in one 10 round magazine so I didn't test further.
I shot Blazer Brass ammo that ran perfectly in both stock guns before and after switching slides so I don't think the problems are ammo related.
I am off to the LGS to order the Shield Plus PC 4" as I really like that configuration.
Thanks again,
WK

Thx for the info. You are the first person who shared LIVE ammo experience!