Break-in issues with 9mm M&P Shield Compact

[kegs]

So I chose this for my upcoming CCW course next month. Took it to the range, shot Sellier & Bellot new 9mm ammo through it, had some issues, hoping to get some help.

- Magazine springs were ridiculously strong. Could only easily get 4 rounds loaded, 5th or 6th nearing impossible.
- With magazine loaded with 6 rounds, they weren't feeding well. Loaded less (less tension), fed well.
- Various feeding issues, including 1st (where trigger pin wasn't striking the round possible) round.
- Slide release, slide back, let go - wouldn't always return fully forward and ready to shoot.

I put ~150 rounds through it. It shot well in terms of my aim, but for a possible CCW handgun, the issues make me worry. I had lubricated it beforehand via basic disassembly.

Just part of the break-in process? Doesn't like S&B ammo?

Only other handguns I've had were a (still own) Dan Wesson 1911, and a Walther P99 .40. Never had near the problems as I had with this.

[heidad01]

You can take the mag apart and cut half a loop of the spring. That will reduce the force.

[drno4]

Own two Shields (one in .40 and one in 9mm) and they've functioned flawlessly; the 40 is nearing 1,000 rounds and the 9 about 200. Have not ever heard of others having the issues you're describing...

Couple of questions I'd be asking, off the top of my head, to try and pinpoint the cause(s):

--happening on all mags, or just one in particular?

--happening with all ammo, or just this brand?

--is the gun failing to return fully to battery upon manual slingshot or upon firing, or both? (Are you limp-wristing your grip/shots?)

These guns are so gosh darn reliable right out of the box, usually, that I'm inclined to think it's (1) an ammo issue or, (2) hate to say suggest, operator error (i.e. possible limpwristing).

As far as the tight springs, that's normal out of the box. You could consider keeping the mags fully stuffed when not in use and, over the course of a month or so with the springs being fully compressed 24/7, they'll loosen up a bit.

[kegs]

Own two Shields (one in .40 and one in 9mm) and they've functioned flawlessly; the 40 is nearing 1,000 rounds and the 9 about 200. Have not ever heard of others having the issues you're describing...

Couple of questions I'd be asking, off the top of my head, to try and pinpoint the cause(s):

--happening on all mags, or just one in particular?

--happening with all ammo, or just this brand?

--is the gun failing to return fully to battery upon manual slingshot or upon firing, or both? (Are you limp-wristing your grip/shots?)

These guns are so gosh darn reliable right out of the box, usually, that I'm inclined to think it's (1) an ammo issue or, (2) hate to say suggest, operator error (i.e. possible limpwristing).

As far as the tight springs, that's normal out of the box. You could consider keeping the mags fully stuffed when not in use and, over the course of a month or so with the springs being fully compressed 24/7, they'll loosen up a bit.

Nope, returns to battery fine after firing (assuming what's spent and being ejected isn't getting stuck). Just on initial slingshot (I think that's what you mean by letting the slide come forward when loading a new magazine).

Happening with the 2 very-tight magazines it came with (a 7-round, and an 8-round).

I'll try some different ammo, but I've always had great success with plain ol' S&B hardball.

[billped]

Load and unload the mags to loosen up the springs. It's better than "load and leave it." Think about using snap caps to make it safer.

[crosseyedshooter]

You can try the usual trick with new mags by leaving them fully loaded for a couple days. I also stored my new 9mm Shield with the slide locked back for a few days.

The mag spring is the same length for the 7 and 8 round mags. I had to cut a coil off the 7-round spring in order to seat a mag with the slide closed. With all that said, I don't remember any malfunctions with the pistol in the first 200 rounds.

[kegs]

You can try the usual trick with new mags by leaving them fully loaded for a couple days. I also stored my new 9mm Shield with the slide locked back for a few days.

The mag spring is the same length for the 7 and 8 round mags. I had to cut a coil off the 7-round spring in order to seat a mag with the slide closed. With all that said, I don't remember any malfunctions with the pistol in the first 200 rounds.

Thanks on the mag spring idea along with another. What was the point of storing with the slide locked back?

[drno4]

So, you've had some FTEs too? (Failure To Extract, as in, the spent casing); are these stovepiping (that is, getting stuck vertically in the ejection port)?

If so, stovepiping can also be caused, often times, by limpwristing -http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-is-limp-wristing.html

I might suggest a basic/foundational professional handgun class, if you hae not done so already, in which you could have the instructor pay particular attention to your grip and overall arm tension. Just a thought.

[drno4]

Load and unload the mags to loosen up the springs. It's better than "load and leave it." Think about using snap caps to make it safer.

+1 on the snap caps. Great training aid for loading, dry firing, extractions, etc. and they're pretty cheap for a pack.

[drno4]

Thanks on the mag spring idea along with another. What was the point of storing with the slide locked back?

It breaks in the recoil and guide rod spring, much in the same way that loading up the magazine softens up the mag spring.

[rsrocket1]

I haven't done it yet but may do it with both my Shield mags and fullsize mags. You could Dremmel off the bottom of the follower to allow the last round to fit easier. Do an internet search on M&P follower mod. $1.99 for a new one if you mess up. They go in and out of stock regularly so pounce on it if you see it in stock.

[kegs]

So, you've had some FTEs too? (Failure To Extract, as in, the spent casing); are these stovepiping (that is, getting stuck vertically in the ejection port)?

If so, stovepiping can also be caused, often times, by limpwristing -http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-is-limp-wristing.html

I might suggest a basic/foundational professional handgun class, if you hae not done so already, in which you could have the instructor pay particular attention to your grip and overall arm tension. Just a thought.

Not vertical...actually, come to think of it, it was 2 loaded cartridges getting caught up together somehow (not an issue with an empty casing stuck), which made me think that the crazy-tight springs are doing something funky. Is there a guide for the cartridge to load that may have some deformity I should look at?

Again, 1911, Walther P99 (and other friends' guns I've shot), never had issues with either of those, so with this I'm perplexed.

Thanks.

[whipkiller]

Nope, returns to battery fine after firing (assuming what's spent and being ejected isn't getting stuck). Just on initial slingshot (I think that's what you mean by letting the slide come forward when loading a new magazine).

Happening with the 2 very-tight magazines it came with (a 7-round, and an 8-round).

I'll try some different ammo, but I've always had great success with plain ol' S&B hardball.

It would be worth trying some different ammo just to rule that out.

Example: I went to the range a while back with some of that $10 Perfecta 9mm from Walmart, and it worked flawlessly in my SP-01, P-01 and my Shield, but my M&P 9 FS couldn't get through a magazine without choking 3-4 times.

That particular gun just does not like that particular ammo.

I've had no such problems with my Shield, but interesting to note that the mag springs in my Shield are nowhere near as stiff as the springs in the FS M&P.
Do you know anyone else with a Shield that might let you try one of their mags?

[EspoMan]

That's weird. I've had my Shield for a year now with about 600+ rounds through it and not a single issue. I bought an extra 4 magazines and they all function great too. I wouldn't cut the spring. I would just load/unload the mags with snap caps a few times a day to loosen them up.

[drno4]

Not vertical...actually, come to think of it, it was 2 loaded cartridges getting caught up together somehow (not an issue with an empty casing stuck)...

Sounds like you're describing a "double feed," where two live rounds are trying to enter the chamber at the same time; one is actually in the chamber and the other has been grabbed from the top of the magazine, off the follower, and is being forced into the rear of unfired round in the chamber.

Is that what you're describing?

This can be caused by a couple of factors, but one of the more common causes is that, when a shooter is manually pulling back or racking the slide (slingshot), he or she does so too slowly and/or not far enough back. If this is the cause, then to avoid this problem in the future, one must learn to violently rack the slide all the way back (while your grip hand is pushing forward on the grip), and allowing the slide then to snap forward quickly, releasing the tension of the guide rod spring and seating the weapon (and one round) into full battery by means of the slide's own force and momentum.

Again, I would suggest a foundational handgun course from a professional instructor if you have not already explored that.