Known issues:


Deformed trigger bar - In this case, the trigger bar fails to fully engage the sear, specifically only the corners of each meet instead of the trigger bar getting underneath the sear, which then prevents the gun from firing, especially after the corner of the trigger bar and/or sear wear down.

Failure to Feed - Some have reported enormous FTF issues with the Shield Plus, even with mutiple magazines to test with. For others the gun eats everything you feed it.

Safety Plunger won't reset - In this case, the safety plunger won't reset by itself after the trigger is pulled. Upon cycling, so far what I've seen is the sear does move the striker out of the way, allowing for the plunger to reset. However, because the plunger won't reset on its own like it's supposed to, the potential exists for it to not reset at all, even with cycling. Possibly that's already happening to people and they don't even know it. This ongoing defect has been reported by people for over two years now.

Inertial trigger saftey dingus prevents a trigger pull - This appears to happen for two reasons. One is because its not designed correctly, flat out, its not. Specifically the pivot point is too low in the trigger shoe and/or because the dingus itself is too flush with the middle of the trigger shoe. Second, in some cases the spring weight for the dingus is too high, which then prevents the nub from clearing the frame in back of the trigger in time. The result is that it requires you to press the bottom most point of the trigger in order to operate. It's a trigger and a deliberate pull should result in the gun firing without searching for a magical sweet spot in the trigger.

Optic wont adjust for elevation - Obviously this applies to optics ready versions. In some cases S&W has milled the slide at too much of a pitch or angle, which then falls outside the range for elevation adjustment on the dot.

Retention pins walking out - This appears to mostly apply to the pin in the trigger shoe.

Can't load last round in magazine - This is due to the spring binding on the follower which prevents full compression. Also a design issue. Shaving plastic out of a certain place under the follower fixes the issue.

Empty magazine won't lock the slide - Stretching the magazine spring fixes the issue until you compress the spring again by reloading the magazine. This might be a heat treat issue on the spring.

Guide rod stuck after reassembly - Let's be honest here, this one is 95% user error however, on the Shield Plus it appears easier to knock the guide rod out of alignment during reassembly than it does on the Shield 2.0

Very gritty trigger - This goes beyond the typical trigger bar and plunger interface. Some have reported that they've found metallic burs and/or machine marks in the hole for the safety plunger and/or striker channel.

Slide stop / slide release issues - This is famously known for being difficult to operate, especially at first when attempting to use it as a slide release. After examining multiple copies of the gun myself, I can definitely say that it's inconsistent from one Shield Plus to the next and my Shield 2.0 works effortlessly as a slide release.

Light primer strikes - While many or most light primer strike issues can be blamed on hard primers in cheap ammo, some copies of the Shield apparently have a weak striker spring. This issue has been validated by taking the rounds from three brands of ammo, including Federal, that failed to fire, putting them a different gun, and they fired. After the striker spring was replaced in the Shield, the issue went away.

Magazine Spacer Split In Half - On extended OEM magazines (more than 10rds) the plastic spacer above the base plate can split in half, even without being dropped.

If I've missed anything, please post below.

 

Known issues:



Inertial trigger saftey dingus prevents a trigger pull - This appears to happen for two reasons. One is because its not designed correctly, flat out, its not. Specifically the pivot point is too low in the trigger shoe and/or because the dingus itself is too flush with the middle of the trigger shoe. Second, in some cases the spring weight for the dingus is too high, which then prevents the nub from clearing the frame in back of the trigger in time. The result is that it requires you to press the bottom most point of the trigger in order to operate. It's a trigger and a deliberate pull should result in the gun firing without searching for a magical sweet spot in the trigger.

this is what's happening to me. I never noticed it until I started doing off hand draws. That dingus pivot point is WAAAAAAAAY too low. If I choke up on the top half of the trigger when drawing I can induce dead trigger pulls 1 out of every 4 or 5 draws. unfortunately S&W is closed till the new year. hopefully this is fixable because it was replacing my shield 1.0 which was a champ for years. otherwise the gun shoots fine, it just has a dead trigger once in a while, which is kind of a no go.

 

I've made this a sticky... Thank you for the excellent explanations of what you've been encountering with this pistol and it's design.

 

Great info here. The Shield Plus is my only hiccup free pistol after 1500+ rounds and quite a bit of dry fire practice. I also know things break down and now I know what to be aware of.

 

I never dry fire my guns.......Your problems maybe self inflicted.........I've owned 3 Shields in 3 calibers for many years......Never had a problem with any of them.

 

I never dry fire my guns.......Your problems maybe self inflicted.........I've owned 3 Shields in 3 calibers for many years......Never had a problem with any of them.

In general, striker fired guns can be dry fired without issue. Specifically any M&P striker gun can be relentlessly dry fired. In fact, striker guns are desirable for that reason because you should be doing a lot of dry firing for practice. Furthermore, when I practice with repetitive dry fire, I use snap caps in order to reduce wear and shock on the parts. Many argue that snap caps are unnecessary.

With most hammer fired guns, dry fire is not good, you need to use snap caps. With some it's ok but it's best to review what the owners manual says about the subject.

After field stripping any striker gun, its highly advisable to check function by dry firing a couple times. With any gun you should be checking function.

Specifically in my case, had I not dry fired the Shield Plus after cleaning, I wouldn't have discovered the original problem with the trigger bar. Dry firing will not, under any circumstance, bend a trigger bar.

When I said that I have over 10K+ dry fires on my Shield 2.0, I was being conservative. The number could easily be over 20k. I've had zero issues with my Shield 2.0.

Operational mastery of your firearm comes from doing a lot of dry fire. It's how I eliminated my flinching issues, stopped pulling my shots, it's how I mastered my grip, it's why I'm able to achieve sub second times when drawing from concealment, etc. With a factory ported M&P Shield 3.1" in a rapid string of fire, I can outrun a lot of guys (not all) who are shooting compensated full size guns while still maintaining higher accuracy than they can.

Small micro 9mm guns such as the M&P Shield, Sig P365, Springfield Hellcat, etc are difficult animals to master because of their small size. It's very easy to flub the grip and/or throw a shot.

If you're not dry firing it indicates that you're not practicing enough, which means you're probably combat ineffective, and your chance of failure is exponentially higher if you ever need to defend yourself.

Get some snap caps and get some reps in with your gun. At minimum do 50-100 draws per week and 25-50 dry fires, every week, for the rest of your life. Stop wasting money on ammo. Use dry fire practice to learn and get better and then use live fire to demonstrate what you've learned.

Defensive gun fighting is different than shooting a paper target at the range but they're both perishable skills. It's literally a martial art... practice is mandatory.

 

I fire/practice with REAL LIVE ammo........I don't go clicktyy click at a picture of the wall.......Waste of time.......If the bad time comes I'll hold up my end with no worries.

 

I can tell tell you this, you're not helping yourself out by excessively dry firing of any pistol. Every owners manual I have warns against such behaviors, they are known to shorten life spans of striker springs and firing pins.

 

I second this, i have never heard anyone ever say it was safe to dry fire any weapon system, its been 10 years since i was in the army as well but I can remember thats all anyone ever said, "Never dry fire"

 

I can tell tell you this, you're not helping yourself out by excessively dry firing of any pistol. Every owners manual I have warns against such behaviors, they are known to shorten life spans of striker springs and firing pins.

No where in the owners manual for the M&P Shield does it say that you can't dry-fire. It doesn't even mention the subject. You can download the manual and see for yourself.

The M&P Shield definitely can be dry fired a lot. I personally recommend using snap caps (inert dummy rounds) to reduce wear and tear.

In the case of my defective Shield Plus, dry firing a couple times after cleaning to check function certainly is not excessive. Doing that caused me to identify an issue where the gun wouldn't fire due to a deformed trigger bar and a piece of metal that sheared off of it. Thankfully I didn't discover the problem in a situation where I needed to defend myself. In this scenario dry-fire helped me greatly, perhaps it saved my life. Hopefully I don't have to draw my gun in self defense ever again.

In the case of my Shield 2.0, which is running like a champ with nearly 3K live rounds and well over 10k dry-fires through it, just do the math on the cost of a new firing pin verses 10k+ rounds of ammo. So again, in this scenario dry-fire helps me greatly.

When a part breaks due to being worn out, I'll be happy to replace it on my dime if I don't have the time to send it in for a free warranty repair.

I fire/practice with REAL LIVE ammo........I don't go clicktyy click at a picture of the wall.......Waste of time.......If the bad time comes I'll hold up my end with no worries.

You're speaking of this like a person who's never been in a brutal fight, never taken a hit so hard it fractures your skull, never been swept off your feet, never been sucker punched, never defended against multiple attackers, never defended against someone who's wielding a blunt weapon or a knife, never defended against someone with a gun, and never drawn a gun themselves in self defense.

All these are things I've experienced, most of them more than once... except just once against a knife, once against a 357 magnum, one skull fracture, and once against multiple attackers which was five of them.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face
-Mike Tyson

Mike was right.

At most ranges, all you can do is shoot at a target that's sitting still, right in front of you, while you're standing still behind a line. In a defensive situation, you won't be still and your target won't be still. Furthermore, at a lot of ranges you can't even draw from the holster, especially if it's from concealment.

With dry-fire, it's about dynamically practicing all of the motor movements that come before the point where you pull the trigger.

There's a lot more to dry-fire than going clicktyy click against a picture on the wall. If you're already an accurate shot, you can practice getting on target faster, drawing from concealment, drawing while quickly moving backwards to break contact, you can practice engaging multiple targets, and a whole lot more. The point of all if it is to develop muscle memory and to practice until you can't fail. Moreover, if you're practicing with a proper tight squeeze on the gun, like with live fire, you're literally working out those muscles, increasing grip strength, and thus improving recoil management which is necessary for follow up shots.

Until you realize there's a whole lot more to gun fighting and self defense than pulling the trigger, the gun you carry is little more than an emotional support animal.

I hope you never learn the hard way, like I have.

As far as this thread goes, we're far off topic, which I don't mind, and I don't mind debate either. I'm happy to share knowledge where I can and I know there's many here who have a lot more knowledge and experience than I do.

 

No where in the owners manual for the M&P Shield does it say that you can't dry-fire. It doesn't even mention the subject. You can download the manual and see for yourself.

The M&P Shield definitely can be dry fired a lot. I personally recommend using snap caps (inert dummy rounds) to reduce wear and tear.

In the case of my defective Shield Plus, dry firing a couple times after cleaning to check function certainly is not excessive. Doing that caused me to identify an issue where the gun wouldn't fire due to a deformed trigger bar and a piece of metal that sheared off of it. Thankfully I didn't discover the problem in a situation where I needed to defend myself. In this scenario dry-fire helped me greatly, perhaps it saved my life. Hopefully I don't have to draw my gun in self defense ever again.

In the case of my Shield 2.0, which is running like a champ with nearly 3K live rounds and well over 10k dry-fires through it, just do the math on the cost of a new firing pin verses 10k+ rounds of ammo. So again, in this scenario dry-fire helps me greatly.

When a part breaks due to being worn out, I'll be happy to replace it on my dime if I don't have the time to send it in for a free warranty repair.



You're speaking of this like a person who's never been in a brutal fight, never taken a hit so hard it fractures your skull, never been swept off your feet, never been sucker punched, never defended against multiple attackers, never defended against someone who's wielding a blunt weapon or a knife, never defended against someone with a gun, and never drawn a gun themselves in self defense.

All these are things I've experienced, most of them more than once... except just once against a knife, once against a 357 magnum, one skull fracture, and once against multiple attackers which was five of them.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face
-Mike Tyson

Mike was right.

At most ranges, all you can do is shoot at a target that's sitting still, right in front of you, while you're standing still behind a line. In a defensive situation, you won't be still and your target won't be still. Furthermore, at a lot of ranges you can't even draw from the holster, especially if it's from concealment.

With dry-fire, it's about dynamically practicing all of the motor movements that come before the point where you pull the trigger.

There's a lot more to dry-fire than going clicktyy click against a picture on the wall. If you're already an accurate shot, you can practice getting on target faster, drawing from concealment, drawing while quickly moving backwards to break contact, you can practice engaging multiple targets, and a whole lot more. The point of all if it is to develop muscle memory and to practice until you can't fail. Moreover, if you're practicing with a proper tight squeeze on the gun, like with live fire, you're literally working out those muscles, increasing grip strength, and thus improving recoil management which is necessary for follow up shots.

Until you realize there's a whole lot more to gun fighting and self defense than pulling the trigger, the gun you carry is little more than an emotional support animal.

I hope you never learn the hard way, like I have.

As far as this thread goes, we're far off topic, which I don't mind, and I don't mind debate either. I'm happy to share knowledge where I can and I know there's many here who have a lot more knowledge and experience than I do.

Your "war stories" have no revalence to snapping a pistol.............Snap away.........When it breaks. Get it fixed.

 

Optic wont adjust for elevation

I experienced that issue on my Shield Plus 9 3.1" when trying to sight in a Holosun EPS Carry. The optic plate adapter wouldn't seat all the way down because the machining on the pistol's optic pocket lugs are slightly flared at the bottom. I contacted S&W and was told that they were within spec. Really? Without even looking at them?
I had already heard the horror stories about their warranty work and had no intentions on sending the gun in, so warranty be damned.
I had the optic pocket re-machined at Nameless Armament so I could directly mount the optic. Problem solved.

 

Optic wont adjust for elevation

I experienced that issue on my Shield Plus 9 3.1" when trying to sight in a Holosun EPS Carry. The optic plate adapter wouldn't seat all the way down because the machining on the pistol's optic pocket lugs are slightly flared at the bottom. I contacted S&W and was told that they were within spec. Really? Without even looking at them?
I had already heard the horror stories about their warranty work and had no intentions on sending the gun in, so warranty be damned.
I had the optic pocket re-machined at Nameless Armament so I could directly mount the optic. Problem solved.

I’m sorry about your experience. First, s&w is in a tricky spot there. They still need to communicate better. Saying it’s not the gun with no evidenc, is uninspiring. I wonder if they have measured enough Holosun to know the sights are bad?? They have no control over the optics or the plate makers. I still think they need to figure out how to handle the optic fit complaints. Maybe they.could make a jig and send it out to check them where it only costs $1-2 to ship out. The reason I go that way is I suspect 90% of the issues are not the slides. Additionally, the answer you received was completely unacceptable. That said, I think it’s a challenge to do what needs done. To determine cause, you really need to be able to do some precision measurements or at least part swapping.

To me the issue is there are no standards. That gets worse with the micro’s. I think the brands that make the interface plates are in the best position…..clunky design, but better positioned for success as the sight makers figure out what they are doing.

That said, I sent in a S&W 340 about 6mo ago and it was an easy experience. I waited a bit too long…..a couple months, I think, but it was fixed and paid. I was impressed with their easy concise shipping instructions.

 

I dont have a Shield Had M&P 45.
I see misinterpretation Here and there.
I use dry fire practice all the time and use snap caps( your words)
on the M&P You have to partialy rack the slide to drop firing pin
So racking the slide lets call dead fire
and Dry fire practice is Finger bouncing on unracked slide so Trigger Does Nothing
but get finger in shape
on m&p
So now I have to explain some thing to you.
The Bullet is a Brake when slide racks when loaded and cycling
Snap caps do not do this , its the same as racking and letting go .
when you rack a empty gun and let slide slam Forward full force of spring 500 times
you are trashing Gun even when cycling plastic snap caps
snap caps only protect firing pins on old or cheap guns.
and trashing operating system
so when you rack empty gun you lower slide forward proper gun edicate
Cause you scare me a little bit
a tuning fork vibration is a hardened steel frame slide and pins worst nightmare or Kryptonite.
Now you may very well be functioning trigger sear Break double action but not hitting or letting loose cocked firing pin because gun isnt racked firing pin is not locked back.
In there lies your problem.
something is getting slammed or over extended
its a double action of new design ,new design new rules.
Dry fire is not for Gun..
Dry fire is for you as shooter.
My answer for you right now is use a different gun for dry fire practice.
even if its cap gun and triggers broke
as far as clip goes their overloading by one.
m&ps seemed that way too with `15 round clip
you seem pretty hardcore

 

I dont have a Shield Had M&P 45.
I see misinterpretation Here and there.
I use dry fire practice all the time and use snap caps( your words)
on the M&P You have to partialy rack the slide to drop firing pin
So racking the slide lets call dead fire
and Dry fire practice is Finger bouncing on unracked slide so Trigger Does Nothing
but get finger in shape
on m&p
So now I have to explain some thing to you.
The Bullet is a Brake when slide racks when loaded and cycling
Snap caps do not do this , its the same as racking and letting go .
when you rack a empty gun and let slide slam Forward full force of spring 500 times
you are trashing Gun even when cycling plastic snap caps
snap caps only protect firing pins on old or cheap guns.
and trashing operating system
so when you rack empty gun you lower slide forward proper gun edicate
Cause you scare me a little bit
a tuning fork vibration is a hardened steel frame slide and pins worst nightmare or Kryptonite.
Now you may very well be functioning trigger sear Break double action but not hitting or letting loose cocked firing pin because gun isnt racked firing pin is not locked back.
In there lies your problem.
something is getting slammed or over extended
its a double action of new design ,new design new rules.
Dry fire is not for Gun..
Dry fire is for you as shooter.
My answer for you right now is use a different gun for dry fire practice.
even if its cap gun and triggers broke
as far as clip goes their overloading by one.
m&ps seemed that way too with `15 round clip
you seem pretty hardcore

Your name fits your narrative.

 

After seeing multiple photos from multiple people, I added another to the list of known problems

Magazine Spacer Split In Half - On extended OEM magazines (more than 10rds) the plastic spacer above the base plate can split in half, even without being dropped.

 

After seeing multiple photos from multiple people, I added another to the list of known problems

Magazine Spacer Split In Half - On extended OEM magazines (more than 10rds) the plastic spacer above the base plate can split in half, even without being dropped.

It would be nice to see one of those photos.

 

I've carried a M&P Shield 2.0 PC everyday for nearly 3 years, I have thousands of rounds through it, more than 10k dry fires, and there's never been an issue. Moreover I've been a fan of S&W since I was 12, which was 1992, with the first center fired handgun I ever shot, a S&W model 15.

I upgraded to the Shield Plus PC for the larger grip circumference and higher capacity. After reaching 500 rounds, my problems with the gun and with Smith & Wesson began.

Im posting here because I know there are others who've had the same issues and also have had issues with S&W. Currently my Shield Plus is at S&W and going through service for a 4th time.

It's a long story, so first here is what you need to check on your Shield, especially the Shield Plus.

There's two things

1. Check to make sure the safety plunger can reset on its own.

Here's how:

Clear the gun, dry-fire it, bring it straight into slide lock, turn it upside down, and pull on the striker to see if it moves. If you fail at achieving slide lock on the first try, you'll need to dry fire it again, and then go straight to slide lock.

Otherwise: disassemble the gun, with a tool depress the plunger and hold it in, pull the striker in to expose the firing pin and hold it, release the plunger, now release the striker. The plunger should reset on it's own and you shouldn't he able to move the striker again without depressing the plunger again.

On some, something is catching and not allowing the plunger/striker block to reset on its own which means the striker and firing pin are free to move. This obviously can compromise safety in a big way. In my gun, and the others I've seen with the issue, when the slide cycles, the sear catches the striker in the last 1/4 of an inch and allows for the plunger to reset. In theory, the issue could worsen and the plunger won't reset at all, and during the course of normal operation there would be no way of knowing. The plunger is supposed to reset on its own.

2. Check to make sure your trigger bar is not deformed.

Here's how:

Disassemble the gun, set the slide down. In the frame, bring the yellow sear deactivation lever back to the up position. Pull the trigger and with it pinned, look to make sure the trigger bar is getting underneath the sear. Make sure that the trigger bar and sear are making more than corner-to-corner contact. These pieces are designed to interact via their flat faces and not on their corners.

If the trigger bar and sear are only touching each other at the corners, it can wear more quickly and cause the gun to not fire when the trigger is pulled. In this scenario, a hang fire is also possible.

Here's what's been happening with my situation:

With my new Shield Plus PC, after several range trips and a cleaning after each, I had reached 500 rounds still with no issues so I decided it was ready to become my new EDC. I cleaned the gun after the final range trip and after reassembly, I began dry fire to function check. Something seemed off with the trigger pull and with a few more trigger pulls, the Shield Plus wouldn't fire, just a click and a pop. I disassembled it and found small bits of metal loose inside.

Long story made shorter...

After examining my new Shield Plus, my Shield 2.0, and another copy of the Shield Plus, I diagnosed the problem as a deformed trigger bar with a piece that sheered off the corner where it meets the sear.

I sent the Shield Plus to Smith & Wesson. They agreed that the problem was a bent trigger bar and they replaced it. When I got it back I immediately realized that the new trigger bar was also bent in exactly the same way.

When I called S&W, this time I encountered a customer service representative who had a bad attitude and hung up on me. So I called again, got a new RMA number, and sent it back to S&W along with notes and a picture of some cosmetic damage from tool marks that were left on my frame from the first repair.

Once the second repair was completed, when they created the shipment label, I immediately got an email from FedEx. I called them right away to see what the repair notes said. The customer service rep, a woman this time, told me that they replaced the striker and firing pin. Once I began to explain that the issue wasn't with the striker, she began interrupting me, raising her voice, and accused me of interupting her. I forget which one of us hung up on the other one.

I called back and got a different customer service rep to get a supervisor involved who then pulled it from shipping and put it through service again. That supervisor escalated it to the supervisor of their repair department who then personally examined my Shield Plus after the 3rd repair was completed.

Upon receiving it after the 3rd repair, they did replace the trigger bar with a good one, but that also comes with a new trigger shoe. I noticed that they didn't fix the tool marks they left from the first repair and that the new trigger wouldn't pull due to a stiff spring in the inertial safety. I called regarding the trigger and tool mark and encountered another customer service representative with a bad attitude who simply wanted to talk over me and yell, and then he hung up.

Afterwards I realized there was another issue which was that the safety plunger wouldn't reset on it's own. Naturally I called S&W again and I also brought up the subject of two defective 15rd magazines..

Despite my Shield Plus getting worse every time they touch it, it's now back at S&W for a fourth time and I've been told that the head of their engineering department as well as the head of their repair department are both working on it in order to make sure that it meets spec before it gets shipped back to me.

During this whole three month process, I've joined various private fan groups on Facebook dedicated to the Shield or the M&P line. Through those groups I've encountered numerous people with the same problems described above. Many others have also been having issues with S&W's customer service and repair department. Others have had other issues that appear to be reoccurring and ongoing.

I'll post a whole list of known issues as a reply to this post. People need to be made aware of this stuff.

I have these issues:
1 Trigger bar does not contact sear at a flat angle.

2 Frame is not molded correctly, inertial trigger safety does not clear frame when pulling trigger.

3 Rear sight is not centered.

4 Front night sight is dead, tritium does not glow.
I think this thing may be a lemon, I’m sending it back to Smith & Wesson tomorrow. Just purchased last weekend.

 

Your name fits your narrative.

Your name fits your narrative.

X2.......YOU NAILED IT!!!!

 

I will keep an eye out as I have carried and shot my Shield Plus PC now for a couple of years without an issue. We actually have two of them. Thank you for all the detail made on previous posts. I guess I have been lucky with S&W customer service when needed but I've always done email correspondence, so no one live. I hope they can up their game since they have always gotten good customer service marks in the past.

 

My Shield Plus came with a dead front night sight, warped optic cover, and didn't want to lock open after the last round. Sending back the first time got the front sight replaced and the optic cover somewhat straightened out, but the slide lock was still weak and iffy. The problem wasn't from my thumb riding the slide stop (which is common). My slide would drop very easily from lock. Several times, even setting it down on a bench caused the slide to drop. This is backwards from what is typical with these pistols.

I sent it back a second time for the slide locking problem. As I figured would happen, they "tested," found nothing wrong, and sent it back 5-6 weeks later. I tried to buy a replacement slide stop from them, which they wouldn't sell to me, saying it's only for factory installation. WTF? Funny they sold me a couple slide stop springs without trouble. So, I bought a new slide stop on the gray market and installed it myself. Slightly better, but didn't solve the problem. The slide was still reluctant to lock and dropped easily. I ended up slightly reshaping the slide stop notch using a triangular diamond file. I didn't do much, fearing I might do more harm than good. It helped. The slide locks better now, though after some shooting and wear on the slide stop itself I think I need to do some more alteration of the slide stop notch.

Another issue I've had all along is erratic ejection, as in brass flings off in many angles. There is a brass mark inside the slide below the ejection port where the mouths are hitting. Cases are being ejected at too low of an angle, hitting the slide, which then bounces them off willy nilly. At my request, S&W sent me a new extractor. No change. I called them again back in May of 2023, and they were supposed to be sending me a new ejector when back in stock. It is January, 2024 as I write this, and nothing has arrived.

I wanted to have a spare ejector before working on my original, but I was impatient. I lowered the contact point some, which helped a little. I still get an occasional case over my shoulder, but haven't had any more hit me in the chest or face. The ejector needs to be lowered even more, but I don't plan to attempt that until I have a replacement in case things turn worse. I'm doubtful that taking it as low as it can go will completely solve the problem. I suspect the issue isn't with the ejector itself but the dimensions of the slide or frame rails. Something is off that is causing the ejector to hit the case heads too high.

I've also had the trigger safety pin walk out. I first noticed it after firing about 170 rounds. I didn't know if it came that way or happened after firing. I tapped it back in place. Today, after 773 live rounds and a bit over 2000 dry fire, I noticed the pin had walked out again to the right by about .042". I again tapped it back in place. I'm debating what to do to better secure it because I'm sure now that this will happen again if nothing is done.

While working on things and I had the optic cover off I noticed that the optic slot is horribly milled. It has tall machining ridges that will prevent an optic from seating flat. I've seen much better on cheap Chinese parts. S&W should be ashamed.

I've never had so much trouble with a pistol. I'm extremely disappointed.

As for the checks advised by the OP, #1 isn't correct. The striker doesn't reset to being behind the safety block until the slide returns forward and the striker contacts the sear. If you dry fire the pistol and then retract the slide and lock it open, the striker will still be forward of the safety block in its fired position. This is normal. Nothing acts on the striker to retract it until the slide moves forward and the striker contacts the sear.

Dry fire the pistol. Cycle the slide fully as you would to chamber a round. Now retract the slide a second time and lock it back. You'll find the striker is behind the safety plunger where it is supposed to be. If not, you have a problem.

On these pistols it's a good idea to regularly check that your striker block is still working because that interface gets peened over time and can wear to the point that it doesn't work. To do this, first retract the striker so it is behind the safety plunger - pull the striker all the way rearward. Then push forward on the striker. It should be stopped by the block and not protrude into the breech. Then, while maintaining a little forward pressure on the striker, press in the safety plunger. The striker will move forward. This is how it should be.

Light primer strikes can be caused by poor timing of the trigger bar disengaging the safety block. How much the trigger bar's "shepherd's hook" that engages the sear is open or closed affects when the sear is released in relation to the position of the trigger bar. If the bar isn't rearward enough to disengage the safety block when the sear releases the striker will contact the block as it moves forward - not nesessarily enough to stop it, but can be enough to slow it. This is related to what I mentioned above about checking for safety block function because after enough peening occurs on the striker the block can fail to actually block the striker. The pistols I've examined all have some degree of peening of the striker in that area. I suppose this is normal. Keep an eye on it though, and perform a striker block test each time you clean the pistol. I have a spare striker assembly in case S&W happens to be out of stock if/when mine fails.

 

got my shield plus back from S&W today. they stated they changed the trigger bar...and guess what... not a *****ing thing has changed. I can still get a dead trigger when I pull it.

talked to one of the gunsmiths AT S&W and explained how my finger naturally rests so that the curved "crease" of my first knuckle is what engages the dingus and not the pad of the finger and he stated that was the problem. the gun was designed to fire with the flat of the finger pulling it, not the curved part of the knuckle as it won't disengage the split trigger safety.. which means I either have to train around it or sell it.

most likely going to sell it because a carry gun that can't have the trigger pulled from just about any angle is a liability since you can't control EXACTLY where it falls when quick drawing in a high stress situation.

looking at it objectively, they designed that split trigger where it actuates WAY too low on the trigger face. on my glocks, caniks etc you can actuate the dingus all the way at the very top of the dingus, while this one requires it to be pretty low. Just a bad design mixed with my particular trigger finger

 

Put an apex trigger in there. You will love it.

 

I purchased a Shield Plus in 9mm, with the CT optic, this past fall. I have run around 250-300 rounds though it, with no issues until this past week.
Going into my 3rd magazine, the trigger started to feel different - a little gritty, and harder to pull. After a couple more shots, the last pull was at a hard stop when it fired. It then would not fire again. I field stripped it, didn't see anything obvious, but still no luck.

I filled out the form online to see about a repair on Thursday, no response yet (Sunday). I checked it against my original Shield last night, and noticed that the sear isn't releasing all the way. It looks like the hook on the trigger bar is bent, and further forward. I'm guessing somewhere along the way it started to deform, and then caught the sear and it's not bent to where the sear will not release the striker.

I'll give S&W a couple days, then call in if I need to. Hopefully it's an easy/fast fix and return. I also hope this isn't something that will be a re-occuring issue. I have 3 other M&P's, and haven't had any issues. As a follow up, are there any aftermarket triggers that have the trigger bar, and maybe a better design?

 

1st thing I do When I get new automatic is take of Slide Turn Slide upside down and insert a round behind extractor.
f you wand gun to fire every time and not double stack the extractor has to have good bite on rim of shell to extract .
I take extractor clear to side of shell so extractor point is not getting chipped or shaving brass
in gun it grabs it every time second chance is Boloney.
3 strokes with diamond file on pad of extractor that rides on slide reasemble and check how ever many times it takes to bring point to side of shell .
Dont ever fire shot shells in auto .
And throw away Dumby Rounds for Dry fire Firing pins havent Broke since 80s designs.
The Design of the Double Action Striker Fire Auto Pistol.
You Notice empty gun you only have to pull slide Back a half inch to Fully Cock Gun.
Because you are not Chambering Round .
So when round is in chamber
the double action only Trigger Bar has to reach 1/2 inch to grab The sear firing pin pull back firing pin and let it go to Fire.
That Tells you the Trigger bar and sear cock latches at end of slide motion ,
Where as old auto with hammer slide cocked hammer at other end of slide motion as slide was being stopped running into Frame and Hammer cock.
So on your Striker Gun its Slide is getting a full run at the sear and trigger bar at end of slide motion .
The Lead Steel Bullet friction on Ramp usually Is softer hit Because it acts like Brake.
So when you pull back slide all the way and release it Without bullet you are causing
Sear and Trigger bar to Hammer.
And frame and Slide stop too.
Same thing is happening with plastic snap caps .

So unless you are Chambering Live round in any auto .
DO NOT RACK AND RELEASE SLIDE , LOWER IT INTO BATTERY!!!!!!!!!!!
It will also trash the Slide Rails..

Long winded but as simple as I can put it .

And point hand gun at ground and all ways pull back slide of gun from rear of Slide or youl Blow Your Hand off.
More likely with pocket pistol
Please be safe use common sense Guns were made to go off.
Carry license is quite the Commitment.

 

1st thing I do When I get new automatic is take of Slide Turn Slide upside down and insert a round behind extractor.
f you wand gun to fire every time and not double stack the extractor has to have good bite on rim of shell to extract .
I take extractor clear to side of shell so extractor point is not getting chipped or shaving brass
in gun it grabs it every time second chance is Boloney.
3 strokes with diamond file on pad of extractor that rides on slide reasemble and check how ever many times it takes to bring point to side of shell .
Dont ever fire shot shells in auto .
And throw away Dumby Rounds for Dry fire Firing pins havent Broke since 80s designs.
The Design of the Double Action Striker Fire Auto Pistol.
You Notice empty gun you only have to pull slide Back a half inch to Fully Cock Gun.
Because you are not Chambering Round .
So when round is in chamber
the double action only Trigger Bar has to reach 1/2 inch to grab The sear firing pin pull back firing pin and let it go to Fire.
That Tells you the Trigger bar and sear cock latches at end of slide motion ,
Where as old auto with hammer slide cocked hammer at other end of slide motion as slide was being stopped running into Frame and Hammer cock.
So on your Striker Gun its Slide is getting a full run at the sear and trigger bar at end of slide motion .
The Lead Steel Bullet friction on Ramp usually Is softer hit Because it acts like Brake.
So when you pull back slide all the way and release it Without bullet you are causing
Sear and Trigger bar to Hammer.
And frame and Slide stop too.
Same thing is happening with plastic snap caps .

So unless you are Chambering Live round in any auto .
DO NOT RACK AND RELEASE SLIDE , LOWER IT INTO BATTERY!!!!!!!!!!!
It will also trash the Slide Rails..

Long winded but as simple as I can put it .

And point hand gun at ground and all ways pull back slide of gun from rear of Slide or youl Blow Your Hand off.
More likely with pocket pistol
Please be safe use common sense Guns were made to go off.
Carry license is quite the Commitment.

Lol. Name fits

 

And just cause you can force 15 rounds in a mag and it says 15 rounds on it.
its still a 14 round clip and depend on Gun and Mag.
Dont let your Ego Decide clearing that first jam is the way to go.
Thats Gun Nerd stuff

 

No disrespect was intended .
I do sometimes get carried away .
I try to pick up where the license teachers left off for people who were trained half fast.
S&W should have known what to tell you the first time you called .
But the guys answering phone arent that smart .
Own you dry racked your gun to death .
its still dry racking with snap caps.
If you dont listen your Pinch.
Im not a funny Guy.
and if to stubborn to take help Buy a Revolver.
Good Trails

 

My wife can't use hers due to her hand size, with her hand fully choked up on the grip her finger naturally rest near to top of the trigger. This causes it to lock up the trigger, if she angles her finger down it messes up her shots. All in all a bit of a worthless gun for her, but it works fine for me since my finger covers the entirety of the trigger. Should probably take it apart to see if it has any of these other issues though.

 

Exact same problem I had. Ended up selling it

 

Wow, what a read! I have and do carry semi autos, colts, Para, ruger. My everyday carry is a 70+ year old revolver. Granted I don’t live in a high crime area. (Situation awareness is king). Point being I have never been fully comfortable with semi autos, where your relying on a magazine and or a pistol with plastic parts. There are some pretty strong opinions on this topic that why we are all responsible for our own safety. Carry accordingly! Hope everyone stays safe and never has to test their theories.

 

Very disappointed with my M&P Shield Plus after about 400 rounds. Trigger still works fine. My problem is consistent failure to eject. It's worst with the 10 round magazines; the failures seem to occur mainly on those, with 7-8 rounds in the mag. Ammo type doesn't matter. The last straw was today: Just got back from a practical shooting event and I had two failures within 10 rounds. Got lots of practice clearing those while being timed. Definitely NOT a gun to trust your life with. The other thing was that it shipped with the front sight visibly off to the right of center, which I had to get fixed. All in all there seem to be major quality control issues going on here. I'm glad S&W doesn't make airliners. With all the stories about the delays in service I'm just going to eat the $400 and get something else.

 

In various M&P groups on Facebook, I'm also seeing people there who are reporting FTF issues. I guess it's enough now to rule out people limp-wristing the gun.

I dont know the cause but I'm wondering if it's a magazine related issue.

The Shield has a reputation for eating any ammo that's fed to it.

 

I have 4 shields for 8 years and 1 shield plus for 2 months. One .45 and the new shield plus 9mm have slides stuck and I couldn't remove the spent case. The 45 has been back at s&w for 6 weeks for repair. A few days ago i called for an update and they are going to charge for a repair. I'm ok with this but the other 9mm shield plus is brand new with a few hundred rounds thru it. Does anyone know about this issue?

 

Just bought a Shield plus, (before seeing this thread). I bought it to replace my Glock 43. I wanted a slightly larger grip and full 10 round magazine. I had heard good things about it, but after reading all this I cringe as to what I could be in for. I brought it to the range yesterday put 100 rounds through it no issues mechanically. I stopped there because it is shooting about 5-6" too low for me. (why waste the ammo, could be my fault) but have no trouble with the Glock 43 in doing side by side comparison. So now, do I keep running it, maybe get an LPA adjustable rear sight for it then see what issues pop up. I read where 300-500 rounds is a good break in period. I like the feel and most everything about it even the quick sight acquisition. Just have to decide whether to keep it or part with it while it is still like new. (won't part with my Glock 43 for now or maybe not at all).

 

Yes I do appreciate the info on the problems as well as the customer service attitude, hope all your problems will be over soon

 

I know this is an older thread.. but I just picked up a Shield Plus Comp a few weeks ago.
I replaced the internals with an Overwatch system.
I didn’t check the safety plunger before I put it in. But I can tell you my plunger doesn’t reset automatically as it should.
I’ve read it could be the plastic channel the striker sits in, so I’m gonna look there.
But honestly, I’m well north of 500 trouble free rounds in mine. Cheap ammo, SD ammo, +p SD ammo… not a single malfuntion. I have the trigger at a nice, crisp 4#, where I prefer my EDCs to be.

I have cleaned the channel, blown it out with compressed air… but now I’ll remove the plastic sleeve and check for any kind of cracks, debris, etc.

Somebody can correct me if I’m wrong, but once fired, stripping another round off the magazine, and loading it into battery, the striker and plunger does in fact reset, as these pistols are precocked strikers (like 98% or something like that)