I recently bought a new S&W Shield 9mm with no safety. It was a new one from the back room of ZxGun, it hadn't even been in the display case. So I took it home and was checking it out, fondling it, etc. You know, the standard "new gun" routine. I didn't have my carry license yet, and I didn't have time to shoot yet so I hadn't loaded it. I didn't get a chance to shoot it until Saturday the 24th of September. I had some Tula 9mm steel cased ammo (I only got it for practice and I won't be buying it again) and so I began to load the magazines up to go out and shoot. I live in an area where I can shoot in my back field. The Shield comes with a 7 round mag, and an 8 round mag.
So I started with the 7 round mag and was able to get 5 rounds in before I just could not get any more rounds it. I thought "ok, my thumbs are weak, and it's a new mag and the spring is stiff". I had rented a Shield at a local range and was able to load the magazine all the way, so that's why I thought it was because it was new. I decided to give up and just shoot with 5 rounds in that mag. I loaded the 8 round magazine to 7 rounds and went out to shoot. I had only one problem in 50 rounds, and I attributed that to break-in, Tula ammo, and whatever else. I wasn't really worried about the jam, but I still couldn't load the 7 round magazine to 7 rounds, only to 5. By the time I was done shooting I was able to load the 8 round mag to 8 rounds, while at first I could only get 7 rounds in that one.
I figured I was just weak or had weak thumbs, I didn't think there was anything wrong with the magazine. I carried the Shield (when I could) with only 6 rounds (5+1 in the chamber) for the next 4 days, until I was able to get back to ZxGun. I didn't carry the 8 round magazine because then the grip is longer and more likely to print. I wanted to get another 7 round magazine, and I figured I would pick up a magazine loader while I was there so my weak thumbs wouldn't be a problem. I got the new 7 round mag home and to my surprise I was able to load it to 7 rounds. The last round was sort of hard to get in, but I still could. I then tried to use the mag loader to load the original to 7 rounds and I couldn't.
So I decided to do what I should have done the first day, take the magazine apart. I took the baseplate off, took the spring out, took the follower out........... and then I took the follower out. There were 2 followers in the magazine. After I took the first one out I looked at the top lips of the mag and there was another one there. I was not expecting that to be what the problem was. I was thinking maybe the follower was messed up, but nope, there were just 2 of them where there should have been one. I reassembled the magazine with only 1 follower and I was then able to load it fully to 7 rounds. I was glad to have figured it out.
Lessons learned:
1. Check your new equipment to make sure it is working correctly. Even if that means further disassembly then normal.
2. If there is a problem don't put off investigating further.
3. Don't carry a gun if you know there are problems with it. I was down 2 rounds, and was carrying a messed-up mag. That could have been deadly.
4. Everyone makes mistakes, I made mistakes and so did S&W. I learned from it, and I'm going to email S&W so they are aware of it as well.
I hope you guys can learn from my mistakes. If you all have any similar stories to share please do. That's the awesome part about INGO, we can learn from each others mistakes.
I did find one other person on the internet that had the same issue with a Shield: *The importance of cleaning new mags, just found 2 followers in new Shield mag
TL;DR - My Shield 7 round magazine had 2 followers in it. Check your gear and don't make the same mistakes that I did.
So I started with the 7 round mag and was able to get 5 rounds in before I just could not get any more rounds it. I thought "ok, my thumbs are weak, and it's a new mag and the spring is stiff". I had rented a Shield at a local range and was able to load the magazine all the way, so that's why I thought it was because it was new. I decided to give up and just shoot with 5 rounds in that mag. I loaded the 8 round magazine to 7 rounds and went out to shoot. I had only one problem in 50 rounds, and I attributed that to break-in, Tula ammo, and whatever else. I wasn't really worried about the jam, but I still couldn't load the 7 round magazine to 7 rounds, only to 5. By the time I was done shooting I was able to load the 8 round mag to 8 rounds, while at first I could only get 7 rounds in that one.
I figured I was just weak or had weak thumbs, I didn't think there was anything wrong with the magazine. I carried the Shield (when I could) with only 6 rounds (5+1 in the chamber) for the next 4 days, until I was able to get back to ZxGun. I didn't carry the 8 round magazine because then the grip is longer and more likely to print. I wanted to get another 7 round magazine, and I figured I would pick up a magazine loader while I was there so my weak thumbs wouldn't be a problem. I got the new 7 round mag home and to my surprise I was able to load it to 7 rounds. The last round was sort of hard to get in, but I still could. I then tried to use the mag loader to load the original to 7 rounds and I couldn't.
So I decided to do what I should have done the first day, take the magazine apart. I took the baseplate off, took the spring out, took the follower out........... and then I took the follower out. There were 2 followers in the magazine. After I took the first one out I looked at the top lips of the mag and there was another one there. I was not expecting that to be what the problem was. I was thinking maybe the follower was messed up, but nope, there were just 2 of them where there should have been one. I reassembled the magazine with only 1 follower and I was then able to load it fully to 7 rounds. I was glad to have figured it out.
Lessons learned:
1. Check your new equipment to make sure it is working correctly. Even if that means further disassembly then normal.
2. If there is a problem don't put off investigating further.
3. Don't carry a gun if you know there are problems with it. I was down 2 rounds, and was carrying a messed-up mag. That could have been deadly.
4. Everyone makes mistakes, I made mistakes and so did S&W. I learned from it, and I'm going to email S&W so they are aware of it as well.
I hope you guys can learn from my mistakes. If you all have any similar stories to share please do. That's the awesome part about INGO, we can learn from each others mistakes.
I did find one other person on the internet that had the same issue with a Shield: *The importance of cleaning new mags, just found 2 followers in new Shield mag
TL;DR - My Shield 7 round magazine had 2 followers in it. Check your gear and don't make the same mistakes that I did.