[ken851]

I will be sending my new M&P40c to S&W... SN#MPT2xxx



This is my 2nd M&P. I took it out to the range for the first time and put 250 rounds through it with various ammo; Blazer Brass, Amerc, & Winchester Ranger.



Out of the 250 fired, the slide locked open prematurely about two dozen times. It did not matter which mag, round in the mag, or ammo that was used.



I also noticed that on some shots, the cycling of the slide was not smooth. It felt and sounded like it was catching on something.



I made sure that my thumb was not accidentally pushing up on the slide release.

 

[coltman1985]

Sorry to hear, but Smithy will take care of it for you!!

 

[vallhawke]

Sorry to hear about your problem I hope it get resolve soon.

 

[Jester]

Did you clean and lube the pistol before firing it?? All of my pistols are like that dry.

 

[ken851]

Yep, cleaned and lubed it prior to firing.



On its way to S&W.



I will update this thread once the gun is returned. I'm sure S&W will take care of this.

 

[Jester]

Cool, just checking. Look forward to hear what is going on.

 

[JJ40c]

I am having the same problem on my M&P40c. Mine always locks back with one round left in the mag. It seems to me that the follower might be engaging the slide lock too early. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[ken851]

JJ40c, your problem slightly differs. Sounds like yours is locking with one round remaining and mine will do it randomly.

See this thread: http://mp-pistol.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=3536

It sounds like your problem may be the slide stop spring.



Anyways, I missed the UPS delivery of the gun today. Will have to try to be home tomorrow. Will update on what S&W did.

 

[ken851]

Got it back today. S&W replaced the slide stop. "Inspected/tested & passed"



Will see what happens when test it out at the range.

 

[FALbert]

Got it back today. S&W replaced the slide stop. "Inspected/tested & passed"



Will see what happens when test it out at the range.

I would hope they are all "inspected/testes & passed" before going out the door. Mine (40C s/n MPT02XX) is randomly locking open with one round left in the magazine. If I tap my mags so the cartridges all line up to the rear seems to minimize the problem but is still not right. Does anyone know if S&W has identified this problem and how to fix it?

 

[ken851]

Finally got it out the range today. Functioned flawlessly.

 

[JJ40c]

How exactly do you go about shipping your gun back to S&W? Can they then mail it back to your house??

 

[ken851]

Sorry for the late reply. Didn't catch this until now.



Email S&W at [email protected].

Request return shipping label for handgun.

Include brief description of problem and SN of gun.

Include name, address, and phone number.



Yes, they will ship back to your home.



Since receiving the gun back, I've put about 250 rounds through it with no problems.

 

[ken851]

Premature lock problem is back after about 200 more rounds. Gonna send it back to Smith...

 

[mitchpilot]

I've been intermittently having the same problem.



I had a long talk today with a gunsmith who frequents this forum (I won't say which, since he didn't give me permission to share our discussion). He made some interesting points:



1) This is most likely shooter-induced. It's OK, I"m a big boy and willing to admit it might be me.

He said that since the .40S&W round is so "flippy" - that is it tends to muzzle flip worse than other rounds - that he sees this problem a whole lot more in .40 caliber than any other. Apparently under recoil, my hand may be brushing against the slide lock lever. However, this leads directly to point #2.....



2) If the change in my grip technique is going to be such that I need to microscopically adjust this finger or that one just a millimeter here or there, or hold my tongue just right, or whatever, then maybe this isn't a good gun for my personal CCW. If I'm in a rainy Wal-Mart parking lot some night and get jumped will I have a chance to take ten seconds and make sure my grip is perfect before I fire?



3) He suggested maybe I consider trading my 40c for a 9c. And I'm willing to do that if that's my best option. However, I also like having the biggest bullet I can. As the FBI study on the subject says, among bullets that penetrate adequately, the edge goes to the bigger bullet.



4) I'm wondering if the new .45c might be a better option. I've never seemed to have a problem with .45 in other guns, since these seem to be more of a strong "push' in recoil that an explosive "flip." (Hope I don't lose anybody in my technical jargon here :wink: ) I know some will question why I would want to move up in caliber since I apparently can't "handle" a .40. It's not the recoil that seems to be a problem, but rather the "snappy" character of the .40. I used to shoot .357's regularly, so recoil doesn't bother me much.



I've sent the gun to S&W three times. They replaced the slide lever spring, but the problem remains. I'm beginning to think it might be me.



Anyone have any thoughts on my 9mm vs .40 vs .45 dilemma? I'm not looking for another debate on various calibers. I understand that a bigger bullet is better and shot placement is key. What I'm wondering about is if the .45c has less muzzle flip than a .40c. Specifically, I'm wondering if a .45c would be an equally satisfactory choice over the 9mm to resolve my early slide lock issue.



Any other possible suggestions on resolving my early slide lock issue is welcome. When I get a change, I'm going to go shoot at the helpful gunsmith's place and see if he can come up with a solution for me. But I always like to explore all options!

 

[ToddG]

• If it is your grip causing the problem, then certainly it's something severely wrong ... after all, this problem is not happening to so many people that the gun is being redesigned. Have you tried changing the grip size?
  
• Whatever grip technique you use, you need to get used to it before you can judge it. With enough repetitions you'll quickly determine whether it's subject to problem with minor variation or not. I agree with you, if your grip is so precariously close to inducing a stoppage you need to change something.
  
• Rather than choosing which gun you'll get next, try them. Wouldn't it suck to find out that the .45 causes the same (or another) issue?
  
• Have you shot anyone else's M&P40c?

 

[mitchpilot]

• If it is your grip causing the problem, then certainly it's something severely wrong ... after all, this problem is not happening to so many people that the gun is being redesigned. Have you tried changing the grip size?
  
• Whatever grip technique you use, you need to get used to it before you can judge it. With enough repetitions you'll quickly determine whether it's subject to problem with minor variation or not. I agree with you, if your grip is so precariously close to inducing a stoppage you need to change something.
  
• Rather than choosing which gun you'll get next, try them. Wouldn't it suck to find out that the .45 causes the same (or another) issue?
  
• Have you shot anyone else's M&P40c?
  • 
    
    
    
    (1) Yep. I've tried all three backstraps. No joy.
    
    
    
    (2) I've tried a bunch. I haven't even found one yet that works. I'd be happy to practice with it, but I can't find a grip that works with this gun. I've tried the "thumbs high" grip, as if I'm riding a thumb safety. I've tried locking my strong thumb down with my support hand (all that did was make my hand cramp). Obviously, my grip sucks. But so far I haven't found a local instructor who knows the M&P well enough to feel confident teaching me a better one.
    
    
    
    (3) Absolutely. That's why I asked the question. I did try shooting the 40 before I bought it. In fact, after I bought the gun I had no problems for the first 500 rounds. Then the early slide locks started happening and I can't for the life of me figure out what happened. Anybody out there with a .45c for sale who's willing to let me shoot 500 rounds through it, please PM me!
    
    
    
    (4) Not yet. Not many people at the range I frequent have this exact gun. I've seem full size 40s, compact 9s, etc. But not too many 40c's at my local range. Guess I'm an oddball.

 

[ToddG]

If you see someone with a compact 9mm, give it a try. It would be instructive to know whether the slide locks back prematurely with that, as well. If so, you can be pretty certain it's your grip.



Does the slide lock back prematurely when you're shooting strong-hand only?

 

[ken851]

This doesn't happen with my MP45. I've also paid close attention to make sure I am not accidentally touching the slide stop.



Got the gun back today. They "replace(d) springs as needed."



Slide lock spring is now blue; came with a red. It feels slightly stronger. Can't tell if any other springs were changed. To the range within the next few days.

 

[mitchpilot]

Update:



I finally got the time to take a long drive out to Bowie Tactical Concepts. David is a great guy and very knowledgeable about the M&P.



In about 15 minutes, he had my grip problem diagnosed and corrected. Now it's up to me to practice, practice, practice.



Bottom line: Nothing's wrong with my gun. I just suck. David was nicer, but that's still the bottom line.



I don't know about the other M&P smiths around here, but David is a quality guy and I highly recommend him.



Thanks David!