My First Pistol M&P Shield 9 mm

S

SPatC

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Born and raised in Canada, I recently got my green card in the US and bought a pistol as a welcome to the US present. I went with an M&P Shield in 9 mm. Spent $340 for the gun plus 200 rounds of blazer brass range ammo. Seemed like a good deal.

One thing I notice on the gun is that the slide lock in very stiff to release. I have not yet broken the gun in. I intend to take a practical pistol safety course at my local range before I ever load a round. Still, is the slide lock normally so stiff (impossible to actuate) out of a new pistol?

I have extensive experience with long guns, but not so much with pistols. Royal Canadian Army Cadets as a child and Royal Canadian Army Reserve as an adult.
 
Congrats on the new pistol.
The Shield slide release is very stiff on mine, and has not gotten better in the past 2000 rounds or so. I slingshot the slide anyways, so its not a real issue for me.
 
Nice choice, especially for a first gun. Mine can be carried everywhere, is easy to shoot, accurate, and has been functionally perfect.

Like the previous poster said, just pull back on the slide to release it.

If you really mean that you haven’t loaded a round, using the slide release with an empty magazine is particularly difficult. You are supposed to have rounds in the mag for that.
 
Welcome to TFL and to pistol ownership!

I think you got a pretty good deal on that Shield. I also slingshot my slide, so I'd have to go check how stiff my slide lock is. By "impossible to actuate," do you mean that you cannot use it to lock the slide back, or that you cannot use it to release the slide?
 
Cannot use it to release the slide. I have had 3 different people try it. A glock 21 user, an XD40 user, and a 1911 user, and they all had to use two hands to release the slide.
 
Exactly. Rack the slide to release it. With an empty magazine, the magazine follower is pressing up making it more difficult.
I can release the slide using the slide lock lever, but have to use the forward part of my strong side thumb, not the joint. And it is a little easier with the mag out than empty mag in.
Otherwise, I use an overhand rack and release the slide lock lever with the joint of my thumb and it works naturally every time.

Good choice on your first gun. I don't like the asthetics very much, but it's reliability and crisp trigger win over every time. I want to hate it, but I can't!
 
Are you trying to depress the slide stop with an empty magazine in place?
Not meant to, the magazine follower is holding it up.

If it can't be pushed with no magazine or a loaded magazine, like the guys say, just yank the slide.
 
Jim Watson May have called it. I just tested mine. With no mag, it’s difficult to use the slide stop as a release. With an empty mag, it’s impossible. Or at least I could not do it with 1 hand
 
According to S&W, it's not a slide release; it's a slide stop. S&W designed it in such a way so that you must slingshot the slide. I've had mine for four years now (about 3,500 rds), and just checking now, the slide stop hasn't loosened up at all. Not surprised, but thought I'd check for ya.
 
This thread needs a photo!LOL

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I have more handguns than I can count, semi-autos, revolvers, rimfires, centerfires, 1911's, Berettas, Hi-powers . Like many of us, I have spent years searching for the perfect handgun. The S&W Shield comes darned close. It is small enough and light enough to be an ideal carry piece. It is accurate enough to be a good range gun and with four available calibers, including .45, it's more than adequate for defensive purposes. The recoil is such, that it's almost as though S&W found a loophole in the law of physics. Judging by the number of sales since its introduction, a lot of folks agree. :)
 
The extra magazine in the photo is the 7 round mag with the +2 magguts kit.
This gives 9+1 for total of ten rounds. In this 10 round magazine limted state of Calif., it only lacks one round compared to the fat glock 26 in a much slimmer package.
 
Thanks for all the input guys. As I said, I am new to pistols and just assumed the slide lock was also a release. The good thing about being new though is no learned habits. So I will just train to slingshot the slide. Thanks again!
 
I have a Shield 40 (with a 9mm barrel also) and a Shield 45.

Initially the 40 was, to me, a horrible mistake. The trigger PULL (it was more like a tug of war) made it impossible to shoot any decent groupings. Put an Apex Duty Carry kit in it and it was a night and day difference. I quickly became very fond of the gun. However, with my old arthritic hands, the slide was very hard to sling shot. A Stainless Steel Guide Rod fixed that and it is now very accurate...… put 300 9mm rounds of fast firing through it yesterday with very tight groupings at 10 yards. Still working on the fast fire to get better myself, but the gun is more than capable.

The 45 was dead center of my aim from the first shot....had a big grin on my ugly mug.

I do not use the slide stop/release on any of my semis except when necessary to disassemble.

Both guns were initially slide locked for a week or so without touching it. The 40 was done twice of course.

Both are now rotated almost daily (the 40 is very seldom carried with 9mm) for carry.

Again, I do not use the slide "release" often. There may be other reasons that I would need the release daily, but I can only think of if my off arm were injured and somehow I could get a spare magazine out and inserted.

Congratulations on your purchase OP. Good price also. Enjoy and shoot a lot.
 
I have been accustomed to my Glock 19 for years. I picked up the Shield a few weeks ago. Love the size of it. Hated the trigger. Had LGS order and install an Apex trigger and assembly in it. Great shooter now. Smaller than my Glock 26. I find it easy to break apart with an empty mag. It's a bear for me to get slide back on without putting sight post on bench to depress and get it far enough back to lock back on. Need 3 hands.
 
One thing I notice on the gun is that the slide lock in very stiff to release. I have not yet broken the gun in.
Click to expand...

This is normal for this pistol. I have a broken-in 1st gen Shield whose slide lock is still very difficult to release with a thumb. Just slingshot it.
 
First off Congrats on your Green card for the Ol' US of A!

You cannot go wrong with a Shield..

I have the original version in 9mm
Talon Rubber Grips, Aegis Armory Shield Hybrid Holster.

I also converted one of my 8 round magazines to a 10 round magazine using MagGuts Spring/Follower kit.

Links:

Talon Grips:

https://talongungrips.com/grips/smith-and-wesson/

MagGuts:

https://www.magguts.com/collections/shield

Aegis Armory Shield Hybrid IWB or OWB Holster:

http://aegisarmory.us/

Remove the Clips and the holster can be worn OWB.

Aegis Armory wShield 2E.jpg
 
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