My Shield, when it was brand new, was really stiff. After I put about 1,000 rounds through it, it's very manageable now. The magazines were really tough to load but same thing, once you get a few hundred rounds through them, they loosen up nicely. Might want to look for a used Shield if you find the springs too stiff. The trigger gets smoother too with a few thousand down the pipe. Love my Shield, I have four others on my CCW but rarely carry them because the Shield just fits me, I can usually barely tell I am wearing it.