# Looking for help/opinions



## Excess windage (Nov 3, 2020)

Hi guys! I was looking for some help on my wifes new M&P 380 Shield EZ when I found this site and immediately joined. Looks like a great place. I am not a complete newbie to handguns but more ground level.
Here is where I need other opinions. On the very first outing we had an issue. After about 16 rounds something seemed "off". Upon inspection I noticed that the guide rod was sticking out about 1/8". I field stripped it and indeed the rod was unseated. Thinking just maybe the slide caused it during assembly I repeated the field strip 3 more times and the rod was still seated in place. I fired 24 rounds and all was well. Should I trust it? Has this been an issue with this model? What is your opinions?


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

I would do the following:
•Place a call to S&W and see what they say.
•Run another mag through it and see what it happens.

Take the data points from above and go from there.

It's possible that it was just in goofy from the factory and is nothing to worry about. 


Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/396330000

Or Galloway precision.

Perhaps the guiderod wasnt fully seated on reassembly? On some models a rigid (i.e steel) guiderod may be a goodthing


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

*Reassembly*
Reassembly of the 380 Shield™ EZ™ has one wrinkle other M&P® pistols do not; the head of the polymer guide-rod is oval, not round, and has to be properly aligned with the guide-rod hole in the slide.


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## LostinTexas (Oct 1, 2018)

Excess windage said:


> Hi guys! I was looking for some help on my wifes new M&P 380 Shield EZ when I found this site and immediately joined. Looks like a great place. I am not a complete newbie to handguns but more ground level.
> Here is where I need other opinions. On the very first outing we had an issue. After about 16 rounds something seemed "off". Upon inspection I noticed that the guide rod was sticking out about 1/8". I field stripped it and indeed the rod was unseated. Thinking just maybe the slide caused it during assembly I repeated the field strip 3 more times and the rod was still seated in place. I fired 24 rounds and all was well. Should I trust it? Has this been an issue with this model? What is your opinions?


It can happen. Did you strip and clean before shooting? You may have just unseated the rod, or it could have been that way from the store when assembled by a customer or counter clerk.
As a party of ONE, and being of a cynical nature, I would advise putting no less than 500 rounds (1000 preferred) through the pistol and running it like a rented mule from a man you hate. Hard-Hot-unmerciful-trying your best to break it. I have only broken one pistol like this, a Ruger, and it was in the 400(ish) round count and lost trigger reset among other functions. Things break, fact of life. You want to find out if it will hold up. Ruger was fantastic on the repair and addressing some other quirks I notices but would have corrected myself normally. They took care of the entire laundry list. The pistol runs fine now.
After that, run 50 of what ever defense ammo you plan to run. Make sure it feeds 100% and you get good performance on target. (Grouping)
We live in odd times and finding the recommended amount of ammo can be quite a challenge, so run it for a few more than 24 rounds for sure.
Good Luck


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## Excess windage (Nov 3, 2020)

Lostintexas... it was fired right out of the box. No prior disassembly. Thank you.


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