26 replies to this topic

[Tompo]

I bought a new Shield from GAT a couple days ago.  First chance today to shoot it--at Article II.

The very first mag...the very first round in the gun....I got a 'click' instead of a 'bang'.   Then, put 6 rounds thru it. No problem.  Then, the first round in the next mag, another 'click' and no 'bang'.   Always the first round in the mag.  And, it happened on both mags included with the gun.

After that, I put 200 total rounds thru it.  VERY accurate.  And, a lot easier to control, than I expected it to be, considering it's such a small pistol. The recoil wasn't much different than my compact XDM.

The first round clicks have me kinda concerned...but, I'll put a few hundred more rounds thru it before I even consider it being a carry gun.  But, it's slim, small, accurate and easy to shoot.

[Patriots & Tyrants]

I am headed to GAT this weekend and if my wife likes the shield it is going home with us(well 3 days later) as her late Birthday Present. Keep all of us posted on your click but no bang issue!

[Mr. Fife]

Were you using S&B ammo?

[ming]

Mr. Fife, on 24 May 2012 - 11:46 AM, said:

Were you using S&B ammo?

Is there a problem with S&B in general or just with this handgun?  I've used it often in other platforms and never had a problem.

[Tompo]

Mr. Fife, on 24 May 2012 - 11:46 AM, said:

Were you using S&B ammo?

No, Winchester white box.

[Vaden]

Ive had click & no bangs with S&B but I love it anyways for the price. The most recent was at last weeks IDPA match. I'm curious, how do you like the trigger in the Shield? They say its upgraded from the standard M&P, do you have experience with the full size M&P trigger?

On the click & no bang on the first round, are you slingshotting the slide or using the slide release to chamber the round?

Edited by Vaden, 24 May 2012 - 12:04 PM.

[Tompo]

Vaden, on 24 May 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

Ive had click & no bangs with S&B but I love it anyways for the price. The most recent was at last weeks IDPA match. I'm curious, how do you like the trigger in the Shield? They say its upgraded from the standard M&P, do you have experience with the full size M&P trigger?

On the click & no bang on the first round, are you slingshotting the slide or using the slide release to chamber the round?

The trigger on the Shield was nice....crisp and the reset is pretty short...it wasn't the looong pull you get on the LCP or the LC9.
I'm pretty sure I used the 'slingshot" method, to chamber a round.

[pyre400]

I'm not clear on the issue

Was it a failure to feed, or a misfire/light primer strike?

[wilessiuc]

Did you get it in 9mm or .40? I am having a hard time deciding between the Shield and the XDS (if it ever gets released).

[Tompo]

pyre400, on 24 May 2012 - 01:48 PM, said:

I'm not clear on the issue

Was it a failure to feed, or a misfire/light primer strike?

No, it fed fine. It was the first round in two consecutive mags, where the round didn't go off.  It went 'click', when I pulled the trigger. I racked the slide, to get rid of the round and the rest of the mag was fine.   But, those two same bullets were picked up, loaded into a mag and they went bang like all the others.

But, after those two initial mags, the gun cycled and fired a total of 200 rounds--no other problems.  Just on the first two mags, the first round in each mag, failed to fire.

[xmikex]

Was there a mark on the primer of the rounds that failed to fire?

[papa]

I have had WWB fail to fire in my PF-9 a few times . They have always went bang the second time through though.  Seems like some primers are harder than the rest maybe.

I also use WWB in my .45 but have never had a misfire with them.

[Tompo]

wilessiuc, on 24 May 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

Did you get it in 9mm or .40? I am having a hard time deciding between the Shield and the XDS (if it ever gets released).

wilessiuc, on 24 May 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

Did you get it in 9mm or .40? I am having a hard time deciding between the Shield and the XDS (if it ever gets released).

I got the 9mm.  I would have preferred the XDS but I didn't want to wait for the XDS 9mm...in 6 more months...maybe..  The XDS .45ACP was supposed to have been available a month ago--it's still not out.

[Tompo]

xmikex, on 24 May 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

Was there a mark on the primer of the rounds that failed to fire?

xmikex, on 24 May 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

Was there a mark on the primer of the rounds that failed to fire?

I looked on both of the rounds with my old-a** eyes, didn't see one.

[Tompo]

papa, on 24 May 2012 - 03:00 PM, said:

I have had WWB fail to fire in my PF-9 a few times . They have always went bang the second time through though.  Seems like some primers are harder than the rest maybe.

I also use WWB in my .45 but have never had a misfire with them.

White box is fine for range use, but it's dirty.  I was just concerned it's something wrong with the new gun.

[pyre400]

It could be an ammo issue, but then it might be light primer strikes.  I would look at how deep the primer strike is on the misfires and compare that with some of the spent cartridges.  Obviously there's more work to do on your part to figure out the problem, but I wouldn't be surprised if those did not go bang due to light primer strikes.

Lots of folks seem to like the trigger on the shield - short reset and lighter pull might be due to lighter spring/hammer-sear geometry.  Next time, if it ever happens again, just visually compare the failed rounds with a spent shell.  Paying particularly close attention to the primer.

Did you clean the pistol before you fired it?  Maybe some manufacturing debris or a burr in the pin channel or on the pin block, causing things to stick.

Anyhow, I'm sure it will get worked out - just keep at it.  Congratulations on your new purchase!

ETA:

Almost forgot.  Probably not the best advise in the world, but I'd examine the misfired rounds and make sure there's no setback, and then try to fire them in the xdm.  If there's setback you could have a kaboom.  A dimpled primer should not be a big deal on WWB, but if it goes off with another gun, you may want to contact SW and tell them you're getting light primer strikes.  They probably have a more stout striker/main spring, but that's likely to affect the nice trigger.

[Tompo]

pyre400, on 24 May 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:

It could be an ammo issue, but then it might be light primer strikes.  I would look at how deep the primer strike is on the misfires and compare that with some of the spent cartridges.  Obviously there's more work to do on your part to figure out the problem, but I wouldn't be surprised if those did not go bang due to light primer strikes.

Lots of folks seem to like the trigger on the shield - short reset and lighter pull might be due to lighter spring/hammer-sear geometry.  Next time, if it ever happens again, just visually compare the failed rounds with a spent shell.  Paying particularly close attention to the primer.

Did you clean the pistol before you fired it?  Maybe some manufacturing debris or a burr in the pin channel or on the pin block, causing things to stick.

Anyhow, I'm sure it will get worked out - just keep at it.  Congratulations on your new purchase!

ETA:

Almost forgot.  Probably not the best advise in the world, but I'd examine the misfired rounds and make sure there's no setback, and then try to fire them in the xdm.  If there's setback you could have a kaboom.  A dimpled primer should not be a big deal on WWB, but if it goes off with another gun, you may want to contact SW and tell them you're getting light primer strikes.  They probably have a more stout striker/main spring, but that's likely to affect the nice trigger.

I had three 100 round boxes of winchester white box bulk 9mm ammo.  two boxes, I put thru the new Shield.  One box, I put thru my XDM Compact (brought it along to compare the recoil to the Shield)and maybe 25 rounds went thru my SIG 225
The first two mags ever fired thru the Shield, the first rounds in each mag, failed to fire.  I ejected the rounds and put it thru the subsequent next mag--and the rounds fired.  Odd.  The Shield fired with no other issues all 198 other rounds.  (and eventually, the 2 rounds that misfired)

Next time, if it happens again, I'll be sure to check the primer on the bullet.    I'm hoping it's a new gun glitch.   Because the Shield DID fire all 200 rounds--very accurately.  If it continues in future range trips, you're right, I may have to contact S&W.  I've checked out the S&W forum and didn't see any threads about this issue...so, it could just be new-gun-itis.

yep, I cleaned it before I shot it.  CLP.

[pyre400]

Tompo, on 24 May 2012 - 05:42 PM, said:

yep, I cleaned it before I shot it.

[Mr. Fife]

ming, on 24 May 2012 - 11:53 AM, said:

Mr. Fife, on 24 May 2012 - 11:46 AM, said:

Were you using S&B ammo?

Is there a problem with S&B in general or just with this handgun?  I've used it often in other platforms and never had a problem.

I don't want to hijack the thread about the shield, but I asked about S&B because of a similar problem I had with the LC9.

S&B is good ammo, it works flawlessly in my XD. I had some light strikes with it in my LC9 until I totally cleaned out the firing pin channel with pipe cleaners and q-tips. After that, no problems. But if you google LC9 light strike, you will find lots of complaints about S&B in a LC9.

They say that the primers are harder on the S&B and the smaller 9's may have springs that are too stiff. I believe it's the grease that the LC9's come in. It's really thick and everywhere. It shouldn't be in the firing pin channel, but it was in mine. Once cleaned, no more problems with S&B.

OK, now back to the Shield

[pyre400]

HS (Croatian manufacturer of the XD pistols) uses S&B to do all their testing.

[Xwing]

sounds like a firing pin with too light a touch. You may want to have the manufacturer take a look and adjust it if needed.

[Nakano]

Was the slide fully forward? I've seen a few threads about the Shield concerning an out of battery condition because of the top round pushing up tightly against the inner slide with a full mag. I'd keep those mags fully loaded until next time it's taken to the range. Also, are you pulling back and letting the slide home, using the slide lock as a release or did you maybe ride the slide forward at all on the first couple mags?

I ordered a Shield in 9mm through Midwest but who knows when they'll get them in. GAT seems to always have at least a few of the harder to find guns in stock. Last time I called them though, they didn't have any more Shields.

[Tompo]

Nakano, on 26 May 2012 - 07:13 AM, said:

Was the slide fully forward? I've seen a few threads about the Shield concerning an out of battery condition because of the top round pushing up tightly against the inner slide with a full mag. I'd keep those mags fully loaded until next time it's taken to the range. Also, are you pulling back and letting the slide home, using the slide lock as a release or did you maybe ride the slide forward at all on the first couple mags?

I ordered a Shield in 9mm through Midwest but who knows when they'll get them in. GAT seems to always have at least a few of the harder to find guns in stock. Last time I called them though, they didn't have any more Shields.

Yes, the slide was fully forward.  I 'slingshot' the slide.
I'm hoping it's just new-gun-itis.   Becuase, it only happened twice on dozens of mags.

Xwing--thanks, if it happens again, I'm going to contact S&W.  See if they can replace the spring.

[lee n. field]

papa, on 24 May 2012 - 03:00 PM, said:

I have had WWB fail to fire in my PF-9 a few times . They have always went bang the second time through though.  Seems like some primers are harder than the rest maybe.

I also use WWB in my .45 but have never had a misfire with them.

That could be a problem with the PF9.  Mine just went in to KT for intermittant light strikes.

[PDC]

I took my new Shield out for a spin. Put a few hundred rounds of S&B, Winchester NATO, my own competition handloads, and a variety of SD ammo, including Critical Defense, HST, Cor-Bon 115 +P, and Gold Dot Short Barrel.

Zero malfunctions. Best accuracy was with my handloads, tight horizontally but with vertical stringing due to me trying to figure out the point of aim.  Shot a bit left, but looking at the rear sight, it's a bit off-center out of the box.

Recoil was very mild. Interesting thing was that my Cor-Bon brass had a pronounced belly (like Glocked brass). It's a hot, hot round, so if the Shield doesn't have a completely supported chamber, I don't want to risk a blowout. And the ammo is ridiculously expensive.

Great pistol!

Edited by PDC, 26 May 2012 - 05:44 PM.

[Nakano]

lee n. field, on 26 May 2012 - 10:46 AM, said:

papa, on 24 May 2012 - 03:00 PM, said:

I have had WWB fail to fire in my PF-9 a few times . They have always went bang the second time through though.  Seems like some primers are harder than the rest maybe.

I also use WWB in my .45 but have never had a misfire with them.

That could be a problem with the PF9.  Mine just went in to KT for intermittant light strikes.

I had some light strikes with my PF9 as well. It's not the ammo though since the same ammo will fire in every other 9mm gun.  I think it's the way the PF9 hammer is sprung from the factory.

[papa]

I have never had any problem with other ammo through the PF-9.   Only the WWB FMJ 115 gr.  That was only in the first 300 rnds. or so. I haven't had a misfire in the last 300 or so rounds so maybe it has worked itself out.

Also it wasn't a round per mag either. I have had maybe a total of 6- 8 rounds not fire first time and only WWB.