What was your magazine issue?Originally Posted by Duelist
What was your magazine issue?
Initially, I really liked the gun, until i started evaluating it and really looked at the magazines.
I had several issues with them. I don’t like bagging on guns, so I haven’t really talked about it, but the shield was the first and only gun I have ever dumped at less than 4 weeks of owning and less than 200 rounds of ammo.
When I got the magazines out of the box, I was curious about the odd design. I have several S&W 3rd gen pistols, and the magazines on all the single stacks are true slick little single stacks, smooth finish, perfect welds, slick followers, no gaps or sharp edges. The execution of the shield magazines was not the same at all, from design to attention to detail on finish. The finish was rough, welds were okay but not “nice”, and then the design was ... just different. Different can be good, different can work. I assumed the stepped magazines *would* work. After all, they’ve made over a million of the things, so they’re incredibly popular. And I got it during the fire sale, so I figured I’d give it a chance.
Perhaps I’m spoiled by my 3rd gen mags, but I found the Shield mags stupidly difficult to load to capacity, the sharp edged feed lips uncomfortable, and then they failed. With less than 200 rounds through the gun.
The revolutionary way they stepped from a semi-staggered magazine tube to a single column to feed the cartridges necessitates a step in the spring coil for it to function. That caused binding with the follower on both magazines on loading (why they wouldn’t load right), and both of them kinked at the step and got the smaller upper loops tangled with the lower. After they got all kittened up like that, it was all over. One failed to feed rounds at all, the other just didn’t have enough pressure from the compromised spring to reliably feed the final round, and if it did, flat could not lock the slide to the rear.
I opened the mags, got the springs un-kittened, could not bring myself to waste another round of ammunition on it, and traded it for a G26, which works.
I know I could have warranteed it with S&W, and maybe should have, but for me, it was a cheap, failed experiment and I was so completely turned off by the experience that I had no interest in further messing around. I could have bought mag-guts and replaced the magazine internals, but that would have added a huge expense and hassle to what was supposed to be a cheap gun. I could have done a lot of things, but felt like anything I did was going to be polishing a turd that my initial reaction to was to throw it in a lake as fast as I could. Logic got me to trade it for something else and saved me the loss of $200, which was all I paid for it anyway.
The G26 I traded for has been a completely different experience. As has every other S&W I’ve ever had, from my 14 year old 642-2 that I’ve had since a month after it left the factory to my 1930 M&P .38 to my 4516-1 to my 28-2. New and used, I have and have had more S&W pistols than anything else. This was just a single, lone failure in all those guns. I don’t trust that magazine design. You could give me one, but I’d probably sell it. I wish I’d gotten an SD9VE instead: I’ve owned an SD40VE and evaluated a couple more, and for a cheap gun, that’s where it’s at for me. And it all starts with those perfect magazines.
7500 round update... and nothing to add. Still haven't cleaned it, still haven't any problems other than a possible, but doubtful light primer strike 600 rounds ago.
I recently purchased the 2.0 compact from grabagun, for 399.
I'm transitioning from the Walther P 99 to the 2.0.
So far, I'm at 270 flawless shots.
The factory sights are usable, but I hate 3 dot, and I'm looking at the Proctor sight as an alternative.
Really liking the pistol :
Good size, great grip, good ergo.
"... And miles to go before I sleep".
Why the transition?
I have had mine a few years with no magazine problems or anything else for that matter. I did hear a rumor a while back that some magazines were found with the spring installed backwards in the tube.
It would be sad if that were the reason for the failure. Other than the magazines, I liked it.
I wanted something with a better support base, Ala accessories, holsters...
Walther offered no 99 in a "19" size.
I bought the 99c,but it is more of a 19 slide with a 26 frame. Just didn't work for me.
So far, the 2.0c has been great
"... And miles to go before I sleep".
My M&P .45 had mag spings that were upside down. Many other folks received the same.
Couldn't find a previous thread so does anyone have something factual for a 2.0 CORE release date?
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