M&P Slide Release?

[Berto]

I've put a few hundred rounds through my M&P shield, and despite stripping the factory lubrication, and then performing regular maintenance and lubrication per factory instruction, my slide release still seems remarkably sticky and stiff. It's actually really difficult to operate the release (to drop the slide back forward) without shifting the weapon completely off-axis. With the slide removed, it moves freely and doesn't seem to have any problems.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a break-in period that I should know about? Is there anything I can do to rectify this?
I'm guessing that it has to do with a hefty recoil spring to offset perceived recoil on such a small weapon, but the functionality is seriously annoying me. If I have to change mags in a combat situation, (God forbid I fail to count rounds for a tactical swap,) a failure to quickly drop the slide back forward will be a major drawback.

 

[Eidolon]

Your slide release isn't a slide release it's a slide lock.

Sling shot it

 

[bofh]

I have to break it to you, but the S&W M&P Shield does not have a slide release. I did check the manual and the diagram. You use the slide stop lever as a slide release. Stop doing that and you will be fine. Watch this video:

PS: No-one is counting rounds during a gun fight. You have more important things to think about and you simply won't know exactly how many rounds you shot. Tactical reloads are done when you have the time to do it. Proper tactical reloads also require some training and practice, as you need to retain the magazine that's in the gun. Do you drop the magazine that's in the gun on the ground, reload the gun, and then pick that magazine up? Do you drop the magazine that's in the gun in the same hand that you hold the new magazine and reload the gun? The first method is typically preferred with double-stack handguns, while the second method is typically preferred with single-stack handguns.

PPS: Also, note that by using the slide stop lever as a slide release, you are wearing it out over time. At some point, the slide won't lock back and you need to replace the slide stop.

 

[Eidolon]

PPS: Also, note that by using the slide stop lever as a slide release, you are wearing it out over time. At some point, the slide won't lock back and you need to replace the slide stop.

I agree with you up to this point.

1. I've never seen anyone actually use a gun enough to wear it out.

2. Not using something for fear of wearing it out is dumb. Shoot the gun and and if you live long enough to actually wear it out get a new one.

That said, I only disagree in principle. The slide lock Is not meant to be a slide release (as we've both pointed out) so using it as a slide release would be trying to do something it wasn't designed to do.

That said

Sling shot the damn thing.

 

[bofh]

I agree with you up to this point.

1. I've never seen anyone actually use a gun enough to wear it out.

2. Not using something for fear of wearing it out is dumb. Shoot the gun and and if you live long enough to actually wear it out get a new one.

That said, I only disagree in principle. The slide lock Is not meant to be a slide release (as we've both pointed out) so using it as a slide release would be trying to do something it wasn't designed to do.

That said

Sling shot the damn thing.

I agree that not using it out of fear it may wear out is dumb, but that is not what I posted. One needs to be aware of a problem to fix it. For Glocks for example, there is a recommended replacement interval for the recoil spring assembly after 5,000 rounds. Once can simply replace the slide stop lever in the same interval.

One thing that I didn't mentioned is the issue of surface wear-out. The slide stop lever's surface will become more smooth and slippery over time when using it as a slide release. In combination with sweaty or just wet hands, it will become even more difficult to use it as such.

 

[Berto]

Just so I'm clear: you guys are saying that when my slide locks back, I shouldn't release the slide with only my right thumb, but that I should slingshot it completely? Every time?
And also that the lever that releases the slide is called the slide lock and not a slide release. That much I'm clear on.

 

[bofh]

Just so I'm clear: you guys are saying that when my slide locks back, I shouldn't release the slide with only my right thumb, but that I should slingshot it completely? Every time?

YES. Watch the video! It explains the how and why.

And also that the lever that releases the slide is called the slide lock and not a slide release. That much I'm clear on.

It is called the slide stop lever. You can google the S&W M&P Shield diagram and parts list to find this out. Eidolon incorrectly referred to it as the slide lock.

 

[Eidolon]

Just so I'm clear: you guys are saying that when my slide locks back, I shouldn't release the slide with only my right thumb, but that I should slingshot it completely? Every time?

Yes.

When it comes to gun handling you want to get in the habit of doing it the same way every time. As bofh says the video explains why and I will add that (IMO) consistently handling the gun the same way every time is safer

 

[Berto]

Interesting. I was trained differently.
Time to change some habits.
Thanks!

 

[bofh]

Interesting. I was trained differently.
Time to change some habits.
Thanks!

When and by whom have you been trained? Firearms handling procedures and philosophies have developed over the past several decades and continue to do so. There are different schools of thought out there, but there are also numerous similarities between them.

 

[Berto]

I was trained on the M9 in 1999 by the United States Marine Corps. I will admit that I have not kept up on my training in the last 17 years, which is also probably why my accuracy is awful now.
Not having a range anywhere near my current residence is also a problem.

 

[bofh]

I was trained on the M9 in 1999 by the United States Marine Corps. I will admit that I have not kept up on my training in the last 17 years, which is also probably why my accuracy is awful now.
Not having a range anywhere near my current residence is also a problem.

I actually guessed that you were trained on the M9. The video by Larry Vickers below provides the argument for why an operator should use the slide catch on the M9 to release the slide.

The problem I have with this video is that using the thumb for releasing the slide on an M9 still doesn't absolve the operator from learning how to rack the slide without converting the firearm into a brick (i.e. without decocking it). All firearm malfunction clearances involve racking the slide.

The next problem is that inserting a magazine forcefully may release the slide on its own. This is a well-known issue with polymer guns, but can also happen with steel-frame guns. The operator does not know if a round is in the chamber or not, as this entirely depends on when the slide released on its own. In most cases, a round is in the chamber, but not in all cases. The operator that just uses the slide catch to release the slide will simply not notice this issue. He lives with the chance that there is not round in the chamber. The operator that has been trained to rack the slide, has also been trained to rack the slide even if it releases on its own. He makes sure that there is a round in the chamber.

The next problem is that if the gun does not have an ambidextrous slide release, the operator has to rack the slide when shooting left-handed anyway.

One may simply argue that the M9 is an outdated platform and should be replaced as a service weapon. One should certainly not carry an M9 as a civilian.

In any case, as Larry Vickers mentioned, S&W M&Ps, Glocks and may other modern firearms should be used in the manner they were designed, i.e., releasing the slide by racking it.

 

[Berto]

Ahh ok. All is becoming clear.
Thank you!!