WORK SLOWDOWN ON S&W M&P 40 SHIELDS

The same thing happened to Ruger with SR1911. Some people are still having a hard time getting them a year and a half later.
 
Like all new models, some are in big demand. Look at the Ruger LCR .380. Four years ago you could not find one. Same for the Ruger LC9 9mm. Now the Shields and Springfield XDs 45acp are in big demand. It will take quite a while for demand to ease up for these latest sub-compact guns. Small SD weapons are now the "in" guns. Wait ten years and we will all be wanting the latest "Laser" weapon.

Bob
 
I have no problem with waiting for a product (in this case the 9mm Shield). What I have a problem with is customer service or sales not telling how long the wait will be. Back ordered fine. Tell paying and paid customers how long it will take to fill current orders.

Not acceptable to say "You have been reading the news right? Production is not going to ever keep up at this pace". Which is word for word what S&W replied in an email when my question was how long to fill current orders NOT will production ever match demand.

I get supply and demand. But supply from a manufacturer of products should and can be predicted for order fulfillment.

A little communication to distributors and retailers would go a long way for customer satisfaction.

Too much to ask?
 
I had a Shield 9 within 10 days of deciding I wanted one. I could have had one sooner,but passed on one at $499. Got mine for $439. I read that S&W had over 7000 of these built and shipped before they even went on sale. I have a feeling they didnt realize they had a hit on their hands.
 
They still should be able to communicate to distributors time frames to fulfill orders based on current production levels. The silent treatment is what is annoying. I would rather have them say 9 months at current levels versus the cricket treatment.
 
Well I decided 2 weeks ago that for my first pistol for concealed carry the Shield was for me. Then I learn how popular it is and could not find one anywhere. Local gun shops would laugh when I called inquiring about it. I finally found a place that had "plenty" of both 9 and 40's so I drove over two hours to get it today but am very happy I got one and didn't pay a ransom either.
 
That's great. I wish I could find one. I am on a list (paid in full) with a large retailer for over 5 months. It is even more confusing to hear about mysterious large deliveries when nobody near me has seen any (in any volume) in months....including places like Cabelas. Again....my whole point is frustration with S&W for the lack of communication and snide remarks in email inquiries. I know there are guys on paid lists around here since last April. For me now it is a race. The XDS 9mm or the Shield 9mm.....which ever comes in first. (With my leaning towards the XDS for the customer service and sales snide comments alone). S&W is very close to losing a customer and supporter.
 
Fat B said:
If S&W decided to expand further, they'd have to add all sorts of machines, positions, floor space, electrical capacity, offices, bathrooms, etc...
Click to expand...

Seriously? Have you seen the sprawling S&W plant at 2100 Springfield Ave. in Springfield, Massachusetts? You think they would have to add floor space and electrical capacity, offices and bathrooms? That's funny! :)
 
Expansion for any gun manufacturer would be a big gamble in light of all the gun control talk.

Russ

P.S. My brother informed me as a machinist they are receiving calls from gun manufacturers trying to outsource.
 
Last edited:
Clearfield? :)
iamjimmyb said:
Well I decided 2 weeks ago that for my first pistol for concealed carry the Shield was for me. Then I learn how popular it is and could not find one anywhere. Local gun shops would laugh when I called inquiring about it. I finally found a place that had "plenty" of both 9 and 40's so I drove over two hours to get it today but am very happy I got one and didn't pay a ransom either.
Click to expand...
 
Lots of MP 40's and ammo out here in Cali, but no MP 9's and MP 45's. No one wants to buy a Glock since the M&P's rolled out. it's all good for the consumer in the long run. :0)
 
Our local LGS seems to have no trouble getting Shields. I asked him for a 9mm at the first of the year and got it 2 weeks later. On that day he received 6 9s and 6 40s. He had 3 unreserved 40s.

Said he gets shipments from his distributor about every 2 weeks for S&W products. He also said he'd sold over 500 9mm Shields last year

PS I put no deposit down to get one.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
old_monkey said:
They still should be able to communicate to distributors time frames to fulfill orders based on current production levels. The silent treatment is what is annoying. I would rather have them say 9 months at current levels versus the cricket treatment.
Click to expand...

I hear what you are saying. But the problem with that and such high volumes of sales it's way to hard to put any time frame on anything right now. People get REALLY angry when "you" say they will be here XX/XX/XX and they don't make the date exactly on time. Shields are selling like hot cakes right now and I'm sure they are sending them to as many distributers as they can. Then the distributer is selling them to their highest movers to keep the flow going. In the beginning it seemed like just about all the distributers sent a few to all their better selling LGS so everyone had a few to get them out and in the market place. I don't think they realized they'd be such a giant it right off the bat. I lucked out and grabbed one of the first,being I had kept up with all the news about their up and coming brand spanking new model everyone was dieing for them to make,reviews were great. I took a chance and pounced on one of the first. Glad I did. Zero problems and a very low serial number too. Got lucky,not really. I did my home work and had my LGS already looking for me and got one of the first two he recieved right off the bat.
 
Wow... Some of you seem very lucky. I buddy of mine was on a waiting list for 6 months and finally found one by accident. Some guy who was on a list for a 9 but changed his mind and got the one unclaimed 40 instead. My buddy happened to be standing at the counter as this was happening.

I would love to find a 9mm as my first CC. If you can PM me any contacts, that would be awesome.
 
A lot of it has to do with where you are.

In my area the 2 major retailers haven't had squat for the last month..(it sure seems like longer than that) I found one source I can use in an emergency , pricy and limited but it's there...
I mean nothing at the major retailers. not a drop of .223 ammo, very few hand guns. I think they are not trying to get stock for some reason, imo..

A friend 250 miles away continually is telling me the same stores in his town gets new stock quiet often..

I'm talking AR's and .223 ammo..

Location, Location, Location...
 
Might try just dropping by the LGSs in your area periodically. I got mine by walking over to the biggest LGS in town while my car was being serviced at a dealership next door. They had received a shipment of 9s and .40s the day before. The 9s had sold within a couple of hours, but they still had 3 .40s in stock.

Bought the .40 on the spot. By the next day the other two were sold. This was a few months after the Shield came out and the clerk told me that the 9s they received were selling within hours and the .40s within a day.
 
9 months later

Happy Birthday to me . . . 9 months ago, the M&P Shields came out. I actually got to see and hold a 9mm a week or two after they were announced. It was already sold to a guy and I was there when he picked it up. Found a couple places with them in stock, from around $400 to $499 !! I wanted a 40 not a 9. Since then, I was at a place when a 40 came in (4 months back) but it was for a customer on a waiting list, if he didn't want it, it would have been mine. We know how that went. Yesterday I got a call from a place that put me on a waiting list in April. I was number two on the list! They said they haven't seen a 40 in about 7 or 8 months. It seems the concentration is on the 9mm version. I also wrote S&W cust. serv. and they said they are making M&P Shields like all guns, as quickly as possible. Well, timing was great, tomorrow is my birthday and I am going to shoot my new M&P 40 Shield :cool: Oh yeah, they raised the price since April at this dealer, from $418 to $449. Better than paying more than MSRP, like some are charging. Sales tax was lower where I bought it than where I live, so I saved about $8 versus the local gun shop that was charging MSRP as well, plus I actually have it. Most shops by me won't even put your name on a waiting list anymore. One shop wants $50 deposit but it might be 3 - 4 months for a 9mm they said.
 
I have a feeling that next year there will be lots of second hand Shields on the market.
It is ridiculous right now... $400 gun is selling for $800... Yikes!
 
I found my 40 because of a posting on Facebook. One of the LGSs in the area posted that they had Shields. The 9s were gone in a flash but when I went in that afternoon they had 2 in 40. After I looked at mine they had 1 left :)

410 OTD. No sales tax in NH :)

If you use FB, like as many LGSs as possible. You'd be surprised how many use FB to get their messages out and you may get a heads up quicker than a lot of other folks


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
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