M&P shield 40 3.1 inch barrel

[jim wilson]

due to pick up my shield 40 tomorrow, really have to fight the release lock or slide whichever ,hardest pistol ive ever seen to use, it brand new,just waited for my 10 days in California , im wondering about maybe a xd instead, any help? thanks

 

[Kach33]

Mine is the same way. I've read it gets easier with usage. I just don't use mine, slingshotting the slide forward is much easier anyway.

 

[Scarpia]

yeah, buy a dictionary...then hit the slide with it.

 

[clutch]

Pull the slide back. That lever is more for locking the slide back manually when it doesn't have a mag in it than a release.

 

[JTQ]

Do you have an empty magazine in the gun when you are trying to release the slide?

 

[Candyman87]

Mine was really stiff too. Now it's just pretty stiff with 1000 rounds down the pipe. It'll loosen up a bit over time but I don't anticipate it ever being "easy"

 

[Praxidike]

Selling my Shield to get a PPS or XDs both sides of which I think are better than the Shield.

With the Shield, you can't use your thump to release the Slide Stop because it's extremely difficult. As you already mentioned, the recoil spring is super stiff, and I don't care what anyone says, it doesn't get much better. IMHO, the grip feels better on the XDs. The XDs ships with better sights. Last, but not least, for what ever reason, S&W REFUSES to ship a lot of parts if you should need them. Instead, they require that you ship your entire firearm back to them so that they can install a part that you could have very well installed yourself.

 

[mongoslow]

lock it open for a couple days and then run a few hundred round through it...it will loosen up a tiny bit lol,,,, just pull the slide back and let it slingshot forward. you will appreciate that dual recoil spring when you hammer out 7 165 gr. screamers real fast, for such a small pistol the sheild eats recoil like a champ and you can tear up center mass at 25 yards with it, one of the best single stacks made

 

[moe.ron]

What parts did they not want to send you?

My Shield is NIB, I picked it up last week. I just replaced my stock guide rod / spring and replaced it with the stainless steel version. Racking the slide is now much easier and smoother.

Also, the mags were difficult to load. 3 days ago I loaded them and threw them in the safe. I pulled them out today unloaded them and when reloading it felt a bit easier.

I have not yet fired this pistol but the rental I tried prior to purchase did not appear to have these issues, but I didn't know about them then and wasn't looking.

I think this pistol will break in nicely.

 

[DMK]

When my Shield was new I noticed my slide was very stiff. Playing with it, I noticed that I felt a little "hitch" at the end when I pulled it back. I also noticed that the two piece guide rod was dry as a bone.

I locked the slide back and lubed the front section of guide rod good. Then I took it apart and lubed the rear part of the guide rod. Then I racked the slide about twenty times. That smoothed it out a lot.

I also stored it with the slide locked back for the first two weeks like Mongoslow recomended.

I now have about 600 rounds through it and it's no longer any trouble at all to rack the slide.

 

[rsrocket1]

This needs to be engraved on the side of the slide with all the other nanny notifications.

To rack the gun, don't try to push the slide back with your weak hand. Instead, grab the serrations with your weak hand and push the frame forward with your strong hand.

The slide will lock back on it's own with an empty magazine in the gun. Otherwise push up on the slide lock with your strong hand thumb as you ram that frame forward. Yes, it's a slide lock and not a slide release. It can be a slide release, but it will make your life miserable if you try to use it that way all the time. The slingshot method of chambering the first round is a lot easier.

 

[Tony k]

I just read through the instruction manual for my shield. The loading instructions on page 18 say "Pull the slide to the rear and release it, allowing it to carry fully forward. This strips a cartridge from the magazine and seats it in the chamber of the barrel."

I can't find anywhere in the manual that indicates you should attempt to depress the slide stop to chamber around. Maybe it's hard to use the "slide stop" as a "slide release" by design.