UPDATE : Shield .45 slide lock problem even after sent back

[hyena]

Looking for comments, as in what would you do. I have a .45 Shield. The last time I took it to the range, in somewhere less than 100 rounds the slide locked back in the middle of a magazine three different times, using both magazines. I was shooting 230 gr FMJ, new, not reman or handloads. Neither my shooting hand or support hand were anywhere near the slide lock lever. The slide was not attempting to come forward to strip a new round off the magazine, and jammed. It just locked back, same as if the magazine was empty. Each time, for what it's worth, I couldn't release it using the lever, but it easily released and went forward normally when I sling shotted it. Each time the gun functioned normally through the remainder of the magazine.

I called S&W, and they immediately said send it in. When I got it back, the only notation on the repair was they replaced the barrel. I thought that was odd, but I'm not a gun smith.

I took it to the range today, with three boxes of three brands of 230gr FMJ. The slide lock happened once, same as before, with Winchester white box ammo.

Not sure what to do. When it happened before, I didn't note the brand of ammo, but all three slide locks may have been with Winchester.

My EDC is a .380 Bodyguard, which has gone many hundreds of rounds without a malfunction. I have a Hi Power I bought new in the mid 70's with countless thousands of rounds without a single failure, ever, on factory ammo. Also a full size M&P in .357 SIG that has never malfunctioned. I add all that to say I guess I don't have confidence in a gun that doesn't work perfect. The Shield wasn't bought to be a range gun. It's for home defense and sometimes concealed carry. I don't want to give up on it, because I like the gun and I shoot it very well.

Curious what others would do. Keep shooting different brands - see if it only happens on the Winchester white box? Send it back to S&W again?

 

[alwslate]

You'll probably get a variety of suggestions but I would see what happens
with ammo other than Winchester white box. If it malfunctions with
other brands of ammo too I would send it on down the road.

 

[msjdgman]

While I have not had this issue with my Shield 45, I've read where it helps to be absolutely sure the rounds are all seated firmly against the back of the mag. This is supposed to help eliminate the nose of the rounds bumping the slide stop. So maybe give that a try.

 

[hyena]

Thank you, MS. Yes, I made sure to do that with every magazine. Also, if it's even relevant....no limp wristing.

 

[Seven High]

If that Shield 45acp was mine, I would keep calling the factory and sending it back until they fixed it. I would not send it down the road as you are just passing frustration to some other shooter.

 

[FloridaS&W]

The answer is simple...

stick with the Hi Power.

Sorry, couldn't resist. .

I would send it back again and let S&W worry about it. Hope you get it sorted out.

 

[andyo5]

See if it also happens with hollow points. If not, check the lengths of the FMJ rounds you are shooting. I know...even though they are factory loads.
Something that has always been a glitch with mass produced 1911s is the nose of a bullet touching the slide lock and moving it into the lock position.
I agree that replacing the barrel is not likely to solve this problem. The ammo or the slide lock itself are likely the cause. Full disclosure: have not shot FMJ rounds in my 45 Shield.

 

[one eye joe]

You'll probably get a variety of suggestions but I would see what happens
with ammo other than Winchester white box. If it malfunctions with
other brands of ammo too I would send it on down the road.

IMHO, THIS IS A REASONABLE APPROACH. I WOULD ALSO EXAMINE YOUR MAGAZINES FOR ANY ISSUES......

IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE INSTANCES OF S&W PRODUCTS HAVING TO BE RETURNED TO THE FACTORY, FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, MORE THAN ONCE, IS BECOMING COMMONPLACE. THIS APPLIES TO THE HIGHLY TOUTED AND EXPENSIVE GUNS FROM THE PERFORMANCE CENTER, AS WELL AS GUNS OFF THE REGULAR PRODUCTION LINE .....

IMHO, THIS IS SYMPTOMATIC OF A LOSS IN PRIDE OF WORKMANSHIP, AND THE SHIFTING OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR QUALITY CONTROL, TO THE END USER OF THE FIREARM......

 

[Walt Sherrill]

in several (non-S&W) guns I've owned, when I've had premature lock-back, it was due to rounds that were a little out of spec (not a surprise with WWB), or a slide stop that was a little out of spec.

Clean the part of the slide stop that interacts with the follower thoroughly, and the next time you shoot it, check if you can see any mark from the bullets nudging the slide stop.

With one of my first CZs I was getting premature lock-back, and I took the gun and ammo to my gunsmith. He noticed marks from bullets on the tab, and sanded a bit of metal off the area when there were marks. I learned from that and check that first when I now encounter the problem -- which has only happened once, since then with a different (not a CZ) gun. Sanding the tab solved the problem with the CZ.

But be sure to try something other than Winchester White Box before you make changes to the gun. If it only happens (and then intermittently) with WWB, you have a clue.

Some folks swear by WWB, but I've always sworn at it.

 

[jim46ok]

If that Shield 45acp was mine, I would keep calling the factory and sending it back until they fixed it. I would not send it down the road as you are just passing frustration to some other shooter.

Yup.........

 

[hyena]

Thanks for the advice, everybody. I used my calipers to measure the overall length of the three brands of cartridges I was shooting. No difference.

The gun is going back to S&W today.

 

[Popeye77]

I've run at least 4-500 rounds of white box 230 FMj without a hitch I doubt it's the ammo. Limp wrist maybe?

 

[hyena]

No limp wrist.

 

[F75gunslinger]

How new is this gun and how well was it lubed ? Perhaps a break in is necessary ? I'm guessing since I have never owned one.

 

[KLR]

My .40C went back twice for the same issue. They replaced the slide on the second go which fixed the issue. Oddly enough, mounting my TLR-3 caused the issue to reappear. As soon as it was removed- went back to normal function. Another person in my agency also had a .40C go back for the slide lock issue.

 

[28/10]

My Shield 45 did the very same thing three or four times in the first 100 rounds...I sent it back to S&W and they said that they replaced the slide lock. The first 100 rounds fired were factory ammo 230 gr round nose. After S&W worked on it I fired 100 factory 230 gr round nose and 50 of my 230 gr reloads. So far so good.

 

[hyena]

I haven't heard from S&W yet. FWIW, the gun was clean and lubed.

 

[BigDog48]

Please update us when you get it back.

 

[ScaryWoody]

Out of the box my slide lock was a bit sticky. Just take it off and either lightly sand it or use polish compound. I did that and re-installed and it's good to go. Takes 10 minutes.

 

[texagun]

Any resolution to this problem after you sent it back twice??

 

[hyena]

UPDATE. I got my Shield back from S&W, for the second time. The repair ticket said they replaced the barrel locking block and slide stop. The ticket also said the gun passed range testing, and they sent me a free 7 round magazine. I assume it was the one used in the testing, since it had been used.

I took the gun to the range last week, along with 3 magazines. Stupidly, I didn't think to take the 7 rounder they had sent me that passed the range test. Again, three brands of ammo, and used all three magazines. Went through a little over 100 rounds, and had probably a dozen failures. Now, the slide was coming forward a hair from the lock position, but the cartridges were not coming up off the magazine. It appears they were hitting the feed ramp. Twice when it happened, I stood there with the gun pointed down range, and within 30 seconds the gun suddenly took the top cartridge and went into battery on its own. Several other times, I lightly tapped the bottom of the grip on the bench, and it immediately took the top cartridge and went into battery. I made it through full magazines several times, but on some other magazines I had that failure two or three times. So now it seemed like a magazine problem. But again, I am not a gunsmith. Just a 40+ year handgun shooter.

I called S&W, and this time got a very pleasant woman in customer service. She e-mailed me a return FedEx label, but she also asked me to take the gun back out with the 7 round magazine they had used. I did that today. I started with the original 6 rounder, and on the third mag full I got the same failure described above. So I switched to the 7 rounder they had sent. No failures, through maybe ten or fifteen full magazines.

Not sure what I will do. It seems unlikely to me (and to the woman at S&W) all three magazines had gone defective. (I took the one used today apart, and all appears fine. These are all S&W factory original magazines.) I'm going through an awful lot of rounds trying to figure this out!

I have no idea why last week the gun failed so many times, and today only once in about the same amount of ammunition. Same three brands of ammo.

Again, FWIW, I'm making sure the rounds are fully seated in each mag by tapping it on the bench, then making sure each mag is fully and firmly seated, and finally, no limp wristing. This is the first semi auto to give me problems.

 

[mr bolo]

if it works with the 7 rd mag, maybe resell it with the good magazine and buy something else, I would never keep a gun with so many problems

these dont need a break in, they should work from day one

 

[one eye joe]

Looking for comments, as in what would you do. I have a .45 Shield. The last time I took it to the range, in somewhere less than 100 rounds the slide locked back in the middle of a magazine three different times, using both magazines. I was shooting 230 gr FMJ, new, not reman or handloads. Neither my shooting hand or support hand were anywhere near the slide lock lever. The slide was not attempting to come forward to strip a new round off the magazine, and jammed. It just locked back, same as if the magazine was empty. Each time, for what it's worth, I couldn't release it using the lever, but it easily released and went forward normally when I sling shotted it. Each time the gun functioned normally through the remainder of the magazine.

I called S&W, and they immediately said send it in. When I got it back, the only notation on the repair was they replaced the barrel. I thought that was odd, but I'm not a gun smith.

I took it to the range today, with three boxes of three brands of 230gr FMJ. The slide lock happened once, same as before, with Winchester white box ammo.

Not sure what to do. When it happened before, I didn't note the brand of ammo, but all three slide locks may have been with Winchester.

My EDC is a .380 Bodyguard, which has gone many hundreds of rounds without a malfunction. I have a Hi Power I bought new in the mid 70's with countless thousands of rounds without a single failure, ever, on factory ammo. Also a full size M&P in .357 SIG that has never malfunctioned. I add all that to say I guess I don't have confidence in a gun that doesn't work perfect. The Shield wasn't bought to be a range gun. It's for home defense and sometimes concealed carry. I don't want to give up on it, because I like the gun and I shoot it very well.

Curious what others would do. Keep shooting different brands - see if it only happens on the Winchester white box? Send it back to S&W again?[/QUOTE

I AM NEITHER A GUNSMITH, NOR AN ARMORER, BUT I HAVE BEEN A SHOOTER, FOR OVER 60 YEARS. I HAVE OWNED 3 OR 4 JAM-O-MATICS, THAT I COULD NOT TRUST, OR FIX.....

IMHO, THE CONDITION THAT YOU DESCRIBE, IS NOT RELATED TO YOUR BARREL. IT COULD BE RELATED TO THE MAGAZINE OR THE AMMO---BUT NOT THE BARREL. I WOULD RETURN IT TO THE FACTORY AGAIN.....

 

[texagun]

Definitely send it back to S&W again. After all the hassle sending it back multiple times, I would be asking S&W for a new gun.

 

[Operator 203]

I had the same issues as the OP. Mine also made two return trips to S&W. Tried new magazines, new followers, and Wolff extra power magazine springs. The FTF issues persisted. It wasn't reliable for carry. I sold it to a shooting buddy who was fully aware of the issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jim46ok]

IMHO, THIS IS A REASONABLE APPROACH. I WOULD ALSO EXAMINE YOUR MAGAZINES FOR ANY ISSUES......

IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE INSTANCES OF S&W PRODUCTS HAVING TO BE RETURNED TO THE FACTORY, FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, MORE THAN ONCE, IS BECOMING COMMONPLACE. THIS APPLIES TO THE HIGHLY TOUTED AND EXPENSIVE GUNS FROM THE PERFORMANCE CENTER, AS WELL AS GUNS OFF THE REGULAR PRODUCTION LINE .....

IMHO, THIS IS SYMPTOMATIC OF A LOSS IN PRIDE OF WORKMANSHIP, AND THE SHIFTING OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR QUALITY CONTROL, TO THE END USER OF THE FIREARM......

Did you know.....All caps is like "YELLING". Considered not good forum etiquette.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Let somebody else shoot it . . .

 

[Notary]

I had the same issues as the OP. Mine also made two return trips to S&W. Tried new magazines, new followers, and Wolff extra power magazine springs. The FTF issues persisted. It wasn't reliable for carry. I sold it to a shooting buddy who was fully aware of the issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And how if your buddy making out with the problems? Did he get it corrected, or is it still acting up?

 

[oink]

I agree with Muss. Have you had any other experienced shooters try it out?

 

[swsig]

Did you know.....All caps is like "YELLING". Considered not good forum etiquette.

Given his Forum name, I assume one eye joe has some kind of vision problem so that typing in all caps is easier for him. I'm inclined to give him a pass.