The answers are here...

[ghoffman]

1. No. Your Shield isn't broken. It has a very strong recoil spring because the slide is very light.
2. No. The slide lock isn't a slide release. This is true on your Sig and not true on your Shield.
3. No. Nato ammo won't cause your Shield to explode . The manual says it might cause you to do some early maintenance, but it doesn't tell us what regular maintenance is so what's the difference?
No. You can't fire an entire mag in the same hole in the center of the target from 15 yards from a gun with a 3 inch barrel but you can put the entire mag in a bad guy's chest from 15 yards, with no misfires.
No. The mags are not broken either...you have to run them home. Don't give a little push and wait for a little click. Put the mag in the gun like you want it to stay there. Same thing goes for loading rounds into an empty mag.
No. You probably don't need to buy 3 or 4 extra recoil spring assemblies. The vast majority of us have NEVER had a problem with the RSA, ever.
Yes. You have a great carry gun - go shoot the darn thing until it gets to liking you and starts behaving like the gun you wanted in the first place. S&W got this one right!

 

[Tradewind36]

But why does my Shield use so much ammo?

 

[cracker57]

ghoffman
Yes. You have a great carry gun - go shoot the darn thing until it gets to liking you and starts behaving like the gun you wanted in the first place. S&W got this one right!
love this as my shield and I just got to liking each other and it took 600 rnds. never a malfunction I just could not hit any thing with it. This weekend shooting at a friends, I shot the 9mm shield last, after telling my buddy how I couldn't hit any thing with it, it was hard to miss, love it now.

 

[Silverlobo]

I love mine, wearing it right now in an AG Cloak Tuck 2.0.

 

[bedbugbilly]

But is it O.K. to use it to spread peanut butter on my toast? After all . .peanut butter has oil in it and should act like a good lube . . .

Good post. All my Shield has had throughit is my reloads with cast - nary a malfunction. I agree that it takes time and practice . . . I'm a revolver guy and have been for 50 years. It's all about "learning the gun". Once you do . . . it's all good.

 

[SoCalDep]

2. No. The slide lock isn't a slide release. This is true on your Sig and not true on your Shield.

Except funny enough...if I push down on it... It releases the slide.

Answers are here. Some of them are just wrong answers.

 

[Wishoot]

But is it O.K. to use it to spread peanut butter on my toast? After all . .peanut butter has oil in it and should act like a good lube . . .

Try using CLP on your toast after you've cleaned your gun.

 

[Inusuit]

A fellow IPSC competitor advised me to "seat your magazines in a manly fashion!" This after a mag dropped out of my 1911 during a stage. Ever after, I smacked those magazines vigorously and never had another problem.

 

[ppodpearson]

Yup, learn to use it and practice. If things are hard to operate, then practice. Heck, call it exercise! My slide and mags took a little effort to operate/load, but with practice they work just fine. I don't think the springs got softer, but my technique got refined. Grab the slide and slingshot it! Slam the mag in hard! Then go home and load your mags with your maglula or callused thumb (I've got a callused thumb and a maglula but prefer the callused thumb if shooting less than 100 rounds. The maglula come out at the same time the thumb callus appears). Dave

 

[alleycat7002]

Dont use a loader.they load fine i use my fingers save money.if they needed loaders smith would put them in box by way good training..even new i could load mags no problem..thats my two cents

 

[bigsteve113]

Just bought my first Shield last week. Put 300 rounds of various ammo through it without one hiccup! I'm already in love with it and I have been carrying guns daily for 32 years. There is not much out there these days that impress me. My 9mm Shield does !!!!

 

[Kadonny]

Yes, your slide and safety (if you have a safety) do loosen up over time and use.