[Jettubby]

First off excuse me as I'm pretty peeved after spending 20 minutes taking down and reassembling my brand new M&P 40. First of all I'm not happy at all with the slide release lever. With all my might I can't get it to release. I know there is a fix by S&W but that involves a trip to S&W.



I've ownded and disassembled many a gun but next to my old Ruger Mark I this is a pain in the arse. Disassembly down to removing the barrel was fine but the darn barrel won't come out! While trying to pull it out it butts up against the rear of the slide below the firing pin hole. Not sure what that protruding rail is called? In fact it's so tight trying to get out it started to scratch and wear a gove on the top of the barrel on the "4" of t "40 S&W". Trying to get the slide on was about as tough. Everything lined upon the rails but it was hitting the little silver vertical metal piece on the frame that connects to the trigger. Sorry I don't know the nomenclature. I had to really haul back on it and it "popped" with a horrid feel into place. With the barrel a bit too long or the firing pin housing too big, and the difficutly getting the slide back on I'm very upset with S&Ws quality control. I don't know if I can take it back to Bud's gun shop. They'll probably tell me to send it to S&W. Great. Wait 6 to 8 weeks to fix a new gun. This s*cks.



Does anyone have a site that better explains detail parts nomenclature. Maybe I can explain it better.



Disappointed.

 

[lunde]

Jettubby, you wrote:

...it butts up against the rear of the slide below the firing pin hole. Not sure what that protruding rail is called?

Feed paw.

 

[Jettubby]

Feed paw. That's it. Thanks.



Anyone have the same problem with the barrel coming up against the feed paw and not coming out?

 

[raz-0]

You are doing it wrong, it's that simple. And use your brain and not your muscles, it'll all work out better (applies to most of shooting).



yes gettting the barrel in and out is a tight fit. But that is how it achieves a nice tight lockup. Tight barrel to slide fit = accuracy. Although it is tight, you should be able to get it back in using nothing but the barrel's own weight, or more practically less force than it would take to squish a marshmallow. It was in there, you got it out, by definition that means it fits. Don't gorilla the thing, you just have to find the right angle. At the correct angle there is essentially no force required.



You have two bits that protrude from the frame, and there are cuts in the slide endcap assembly for them. The one on the left (from the shooters perspective) is the ejector. the other is on the right and is part of the trigger bar. It's small and engages the firing pin stop in the slide when the trigger is pulled. It normally moves to the right with the magazine disconnect (also moved to the right by the slide during normal operation to allow the sear to catch the striker).



Both of these fit through the cuts on the back with room to spare. That is unless you put lateral pressure on the sslide while reassembling then they can hang up. You push on the left side of the slide, the ejector hangs up some. Push on the right side of the slide, and you can actually get the slide to hang up on the rear of the frame. Make sure you are moving the slide straight back.



If you got the time to spare to download 6.7 megabytes and quicktime installed, here's video illustrating my point. You will notice I am not applying much force to the parts at any point.



http://www.bloodimage.com/DSCN1662.MOV

 

[swingset]

Making the slide release easier is a snap, no need for Smith to fix it. The angle of the release or the angle of the notch in the slide control the amount of force required to drop the slide. Change either one, and the slide will release easier. Mine was a tad stiff at first, filed the notch just a hair, and it drops easy.



Takedown requires no special tricks, just need to do it like raz stated. I find the M&P to be very easy to take down.

 

[Jettubby]

You are doing it wrong, it's that simple. And use your brain and not your muscles, it'll all work out better (applies to most of shooting).



yes gettting the barrel in and out is a tight fit. But that is how it achieves a nice tight lockup. Tight barrel to slide fit = accuracy. Although it is tight, you should be able to get it back in using nothing but the barrel's own weight, or more practically less force than it would take to squish a marshmallow. It was in there, you got it out, by definition that means it fits. Don't gorilla the thing, you just have to find the right angle. At the correct angle there is essentially no force required.



You have two bits that protrude from the frame, and there are cuts in the slide endcap assembly for them. The one on the left (from the shooters perspective) is the ejector. the other is on the right and is part of the trigger bar. It's small and engages the firing pin stop in the slide when the trigger is pulled. It normally moves to the right with the magazine disconnect (also moved to the right by the slide during normal operation to allow the sear to catch the striker).



Both of these fit through the cuts on the back with room to spare. That is unless you put lateral pressure on the sslide while reassembling then they can hang up. You push on the left side of the slide, the ejector hangs up some. Push on the right side of the slide, and you can actually get the slide to hang up on the rear of the frame. Make sure you are moving the slide straight back.



If you got the time to spare to download 6.7 megabytes and quicktime installed, here's video illustrating my point. You will notice I am not applying much force to the parts at any point.



http://www.bloodimage.com/DSCN1662.MOV

I appreciate your response, but why was there a dented/scratched notch on the top rear of the barrel before I even attemped the barrel removal? To me it looks like during manufacture S&W had a hard time getting the barrel into the slide and dented the barrel.



I never try and force the barrel out. I usually put the slide upright, move the barrel back and let it's own gravity bring it out as you wiggle it a bit. I've been shooting and disassembling handguns for over 20 years. This one however as much as I try will not come out. It hits the end of the feed paw. With the dent it makes sense that S&W "forced" the barrel in. I don't want to force it out.

 

[Jettubby]

Making the slide release easier is a snap, no need for Smith to fix it. The angle of the release or the angle of the notch in the slide control the amount of force required to drop the slide. Change either one, and the slide will release easier. Mine was a tad stiff at first, filed the notch just a hair, and it drops easy.



Takedown requires no special tricks, just need to do it like raz stated. I find the M&P to be very easy to take down.

Thanks. I'll have to look into that.

 

[ben2112]

Takedown requires no special tricks, just need to do it like raz stated. I find the M&P to be very easy to take down.

I agree.. I have taken apart 1911, 4006, and my 410S.. The M&P40 is by far the easiest to field strip... I can still remember when I first broke mine down.. I was expecting the recoil spring to go flying off.. LOL But I love how they designed it... Right now I can field strip the M&P 40 in about 45secs to a minute...



Ben

 

[Jettubby]

Here's a pic of the dent. Now this was there before I attempted any takedown. I know it's small but hey, it's a new gun. 8)

 

[raz-0]

looks like somebody muscled it but good. When I get home tonight, I'll check mine out and see if the loaded chamber peephole looks cut any different on mine than on yours.



My brain want's to believe that yours looks sharper than mine.



Oh yeah, and nice clear pic. Definitely helps with these kind of things.

 

[G56]

I've got 3 S&W automatic pistols, the previous models, my old 469 and newer 908 are a nightmare to take apart, a significant PIA.



One of the things I liked so much about my Beretta Model 92 is how easy it is to field strip, the MP40 I have now field strips just as easily as the Beretta does.

 

[TxPhantom]

Manuels come in handy sometime......

If all else fails read the manuel. When we (my wife & I) go to the gun range we take just about all our pistols & sometimes a few rifles. That's because we don't get to go very often so we try to shoot just about every thing we have to stay somewhat proficient with each.

Since I'm the official gun cleaner in the household I have to take down and clean about six or seven pistols that all breakdown differently. That doesn't make me a expert but I have learned to read the manuels when I have a problem child. :roll:

When I first cleaned the factory goop out of my SW9VE, before taking it out to shoot, I just couldn't grasp the concept. I finally called S & W & a very patient techie talked me through it. Since then, it's a piece of cake, probably the easiest pistol I own to break down.

 

[Jettubby]

Yea there's a problem with this one. I've called the shop where I bought it and they said they'd swap it out. Went to a range today and they had an M&P . I asked to take it apart and it was a piece of cake so that just solidified that there is something wrong with mine.

 

[Puffy]

Here's a pic of the dent. Now this was there before I attempted any takedown. I know it's small but hey, it's a new gun. 8)

=============================================

And enough of your fingerprint to get a conviction in court!

:roll:

 

[iskiuskiweski]

Mine has some wear on the rear of the top of the slide, but I would think this is normal, but nothing near as sharp as the one you have pictured. That looks chipped.

 

[raz-0]

[

=============================================

And enough of your fingerprint to get a conviction in court!

:roll:

It's not a fingerprint. It's tooling marks, which are absent on mine and every other M&P I have seen. Also, compared to this slide, the witness hole on mine appears to have a bevel.



Perhaps this barrel did not get finished properly and that is why it doesn't quite fit right.



S&W should be ashamed if some worker just beat on it and shipped it out the door rather than flag it for some TLC.

 

[sparkman]

I agree with the poor finish,...the graphics look rough, as if not polished.



1-800-331-0852 ext. 2904



Try and talk to either Larry or Jeff

 

[riverrat27]

The first time I had handled an MP was an unfired new gun at a store. There was another cutomer present, the store armorer and myself. The (glock) armorer showed us how the grip pads were interchangable and then the breakdown process. He was applying too much pressure (so much that he was leaving marks on this new gun) and had a difficult time with the barrel. I also had trouble the first time I broke mine down but soon learned the less the pressure applied the better. Now to reinstall the barrel all I do is line it up and lie it on the slide, tilt the slide forword and let it drop right in on its own, no pressure applied to the barrel at all, just gravity. When putting the slide back on, again when everything is in line, it goes back together with little effort.

My barrel also has visable machine marks on the flat surfaces but that is of little concern to me.

 

[Jettubby]

Well guys here's the update. Went to Bud's gun shop where I got the original M&P. Showed them the pistol, marks, and how the barrel wouldn't come out. They tried to get it out and couldn't either. I inspected several other M&P's and with everyone the barrel just came out nice. There were also very few marks on the finish as opposed to the first one. They couldn't belive that S&W put out that one with so many problems. Obviously one that missed quality control. I traded it in but got the 9mm instead of the .40. Now it disassembles like pistols should. I appreciate everyone's comments and help. I'm now again excited about my M&P.

 

[Jester]

Did you ever get to shoot the .40?