Smith & Wesson Shield bulging cases

[TheCracker]

Just picked up my much anticipated M&P 9mm shield las week. I shot about 75 rounds through it yesterday. It was 100% reliable and shot very well for a sub compact.

However, after returning home and inspecting my brass I noticed lt had bulged quite a bit of the brass i had shot.

It appears the feed ramp was cut incorrectly into the bottom of the chamber.

Apparently this is not isolated to me as I found this on another forum. These picks are exactly what mine is doing.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...ed-w-pictures-new-shield-chamber-problem.html

I will be calling S&W next week and was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if smith had resolved it.

It is bulging cases bad enough to where I would expect a failure eventually.

 

[HKGuns]

gLoCk's have been doing that for years. It is A-OK, just ask a gLoCker. I'd be more concerned if you were shooting .40S&W.

 

[rcmodel]

It is bulging cases bad enough to where I would expect a failure eventually.

Yes.

That is not normal, even for a Glock.

It is just a matter of time before a weak case lets go and kabooms your gun.

S&W needs to fix it ASAP.

rc

 

[carbonyl]

Here's a 40 cal. Shield.

 

[TheCracker]

Yes.

That is not normal, even for a Glock.

It is just a matter of time before a weak case lets go and kabooms your gun.

S&W needs to fix it ASAP.

rc

That's what I was thinking. I'm not going to shoot it again until the barrel is replaced.

 

[Dean1818]

Send it in...... That's not normal

 

[OilyPablo]

Buddy has a 9mm, I'll check his cases next time out. But he's pretty meticulous so he would have noticed by now.

Not normal. Get it diagnosed.

What's the true story on the .40 in the picture. Not cool just to post such a picture with no backstory.

 

[ku4hx]

Factory ammunition or reloaded? The only time I've seen this was in fresh, unfired Winchester cases with mid range loads in 10mm fired in a Smith 1006. I believe those caces were simply weak.

I've fired tens of thousands of rounds of various loadings in all my Glocks and I have never seen this. Not even with the Buffalo Bore stuff.

This is not typical and if you can't lay blame on over pressure ammunition then that leaves the gun as suspect.

 

[TheCracker]

Buddy has a 9mm, I'll check his cases next time out. But he's pretty meticulous so he would have noticed by now.

Not normal. Get it diagnosed.

What's the true story on the .40 in the picture. Not cool just to post such a picture with no backstory.

Be sure to look at his chamber. Apparently smith is cutting the feed ramp into the bottom chamber or at least some chambers.

I checked the feed ramps of my 2 other 9mm's and they do not cut out the bottom of the chamber at all.

It's actually very visible when I have a nickel plated round in the chamber. You can see how much is not supported. Ill try to upload a pic later when I get home.

 

[TheCracker]

Factory ammunition or reloaded? The only time I've seen this was in fresh, unfired Winchester cases with mid range loads in 10mm fired in a Smith 1006. I believe those caces were simply weak.

I've fired tens of thousands of rounds of various loadings in all my Glocks and I have never seen this. Not even with the Buffalo Bore stuff.

This is not typical and if you can't lay blame on over pressure ammunition then that leaves the gun as suspect.

These were reloads. A load that I've shot about 4k of with no issue in my ruger and beretta 9mm's. They chronograph within 10fps of Winchester white box. Actually these were were not ejecting very far when shooting.They are not over pressure. I would hate to see what a +p round would do.

It is defiantly bulged because how the feed ramp is cut into the bottom of the chamber.

I can actually put the bulged brass cases back in the chamber if I line it up the bulge the cut out in the bottom of the chamber.

 

[ku4hx]

These were reloads. A load that I've shot about 4k of with no issue in my ruger and beretta 9mm's.

What may be safe pressure levels in one gun may not be in a different gun, and that can be true for "identical" guns. Every gun has its unique characteristics. If for no other reason, a different gun necessitates a new loading protocol beginning with the "starting" load and working up to that gun's maximum or optimum load. Variations between guns is the major reason all reloading manuals advise you to work up a new load for a new gun and not to simply assume a heretofore successful load is safe in all guns.

For whatever reason, this load doesn't seem compatible with that specific gun.