If you have been following our testing of the Smith & Wesson Shield, you may recall that I’ve had a few issues with the slide not going fully into battery. Because this only occurred when chambering the first round from a magazine, and never while the gun cycled after firing a round, I suspected that it was due to poor slide racking technique.
Over the last week I have been using Tipton Snap Caps to practice cycling the Shield, paying special attention to the first round. I can now tell you, with absolutely no doubt, that the issue I experienced was due to me not pulling the slide all the way back before releasing.
The moral of this story is that you absolutely need to practice with any firearm that you are going to trust for self defense. In this case, my gun handling had become sloppy enough to cause a malfunction with the pistol (embarrassing, but true). But because I spent some time at the range, I was able to discover my issue and fix it. This is the type of thing you want to discover during practice, not during a life or death situation.
| Cumulative Range/Function Test Results – Smith & Wesson Shield | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Test # | Ammunition | # Rounds | Results |
| 1 | Winchester 9mm 115gr FMJ | 50 | No Issues |
| 2 | HPR 9mm 115gr TMJ | 50 | No Issues |
| 3 | Sellier & Bellot 9mm 115gr FMJ | 35 | No Issues |
| 4 | Sig V-Crown 9mm 115gr JHP | 40 | No Issues |
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm No Thumb Safety Specs:
- SKU: 10035
- Model: M&P9 Shield™
- Frame Size: Compact
- Caliber: 9mm
- Action: Striker Fire
- Capacity: 7 and 8 Round Magazines
- Barrel Length: 3.1” (7.9 cm)
- Front Sight: White Dot
- Rear Sight: White 2-Dot
- Trigger Pull: 6.5 lbs +/-
- Overall Length: 6.1” (15.5 cm)
- Frame Width: .95” (2.4 cm)
- Overall Height: 4.6” (11.7 cm)
- Grip: Polymer
- Weight: 19.0 oz. (523.7 g)
- Barrel Material: Stainless Steel
- Slide Material: Stainless Steel
- Frame Material: Polymer
- Finish: Black/Durable Corrosion Resistant
- More Info: Smith & Wesson
Tipton Snap Caps are available in pistol, rifle, and shotgun calibers.