M&P Failures

[KeeFus]

I almost wonder if a stiffer slide stop spring wouldn't "solve" the autoforward issue. I'd be willing to install such a spring on my guns if it delivered a more consistent behavior from slide lock, personally.

I brought this up in armorers class yesterday...it happened with an S&W M&P T&E gun I had a few weeks ago. I also noted to the instructor it happened some with my Glock. His response: It happens with most if not all polymer guns. He mentioned that they could fix it but at what expense to the performance of the gun. What you would have with a new slide stop/release with any 'stiffer' alterations would be just a 'slide stop', not the 'release' because it would be more difficult to release.

It is what it is. I have trained myself to slam my Glock mags in while simultaneously placing my left thumb on the release...it seems to make my reloads faster. Of course, that has draw backs...release it too early and you jam the beatch up!

[JV_]

slam my Glock mags in while simultaneously placing my left thumb on the release...it seems to make my reloads faster.

I'm not sure if this is what you're doing, but it's helped me:

You can pre-load the slide release lever, with slight thumb pressure. That slight pressure isn't enough to release the slide, but helps the auto forward work more consistently.

[fuse]

I'm not sure if this is what you're doing, but it's helped me:

You can pre-load the slide release lever, with slight thumb pressure. That slight pressure isn't enough to release the slide, but helps the auto forward work more consistently.

this. I seriously had a come to jesus moment when I read of this technique on FT&T a few months ago and tried at the range that night. angels sang.

[TAP]

Todd showed us the thumb on slide lock technique during reload a few weeks ago. I also noticed twice during the class that his slide dropped on an empty chamber. In his defense, he was using a borrowed G17 for the class. I've tried the technique on my M&P and it is not for me. I agree that it saves time but I think there is an elevated risk of hitting the magwell during your reload and sending the slide home with an empty chamber.

[JohnN]

I still contend that if you look the magazine into the magwell and push it in straight the incidence of auto forward diminishes at least for me. Only when I fling the mag into the magwell does it go in at an angle and tend to auto forward.

[JV_]

The angle for auto-forward on the M&P definitely matters, for me. If I drive the mag home on the rear spine ... it's 99%. If I push straight in, 80%.

I find it very difficult to change how I slam a mag home, at speed.

[DocGKR]

Every brand of pistol I have used has had some degree of auto-forwarding of the slide depending on severity of the magazine insertion--not once has this ever created a problem/malfunction.

[rsa-otc]

I concur with Doc, This is not just a Tupperware gun issue. My S&W 645 would routinely auto slide forward under aggressive insertions of FULL mags. Since this didn't happen on partially full mags I taught myself to check and release with the SS as needed.

[TCinVA]

The angle for auto-forward on the M&P definitely matters, for me. If I drive the mag home on the rear spine ... it's 99%. If I push straight in, 80%.

I find it very difficult to change how I slam a mag home, at speed.

It's odd how important little differences are. I, for example, have never had a pistol auto-forward on me, not even the M&P which is probably the king of the auto-forward. You wouldn't think we were doing anything radically different...

[JodyH]

The slide stop spring is one of the most carefully balanced on the gun. Too heavy and it can cause premature lock back. Too weak and it may not lock back at all.

I believe you have this backwards.
The slide stop spring holds the slide stop in the down position until the magazine follower spring tension overcomes it and pushes the lever up to engage the notch in the slide.
Too light of spring tension and the slide stop can bounce or get nudged up by a bullet nose and prematurely lock open the slide.
Too heavy and the magazine spring won't overcome it quick enough to catch the slide notch before the recoil spring sends the slide home, ie: your slide won't lock back consistently.