Modifying MP Shield

[AjKilgore]

I have no idea where to begin when it comes to modifications. I have now put 1000 rounds through my Shield 9mm. I have cleaned the gun after every use and oiled it up. My biggest complaints are the slide and trigger. The slide is still hard to pull back and especially hard for my wife to use. The trigger has a long pull that throws off my shots in my opinion (could be my skill level too though) but it seems heavy. Any advice at all would be appreciated.

 

[gregkl]

Not sure what you can do about the slide. Teach her to push the frame out away from her. That usually helps. Slides on smaller 9's can be hard to manipulate.

I put the Apex Action enhancement kit in the Shield I owned, smoothed up the mating surfaces on the trigger bar. It was nice, though it was pretty good from the factory.

Personally, on my next Shield if I get one, I'll add the USB and smooth everything else up and leave it as it.

You should be able to get accurate hits with practice, not chasing modifications.

 

[Tactically Fat]

I humbly suggest that both issues being discussed in the OP are training / practice issues for the most part.

Small semi-automatic guns are going to have stiff recoil springs unless they're gas operated like the Walther CCP / HK P7 guns.

The stiff recoil spring of the Shield guns is one of the main reasons that S&W developed the Shield EZ .380 ACP line of guns, actually.

I personally think the Shield trigger is just fine - but I also have decently large hands.

I DO think the Shield can greatly benefit from a more aggressive texture. I think they solved that with the 2.0 Shields - because the 1.0 can get slick. It's also almost TOO thin. Kind of like it's disproportionally long from frontstrap to backstrap and not wide enough left to right if that makes any sense.

 

[gregkl]

I DO think the Shield can greatly benefit from a more aggressive texture. I think they solved that with the 2.0 Shields - because the 1.0 can get slick. It's also almost TOO thin. Kind of like it's disproportionally long from frontstrap to backstrap and not wide enough left to right if that makes any sense.

This is exactly what I thought about mine. If I buy another one, I'll spend the extra and get the 2.0.

I put some skateboard tape on parts of the grip and it helped, but if the texture is the same as on my 2.0 Compact, that would be nice.

 

[AjKilgore]

So i need better training, i can do that. So just step away from modifications and focus on better handling?

 

[easy]

That's a good idea. 'Dry' training, as in no boolits, racking the slide and dry firing will help a great deal. Be sure to use snap caps for the dry firing.

 

[AjKilgore]

snap caps, got it. I bought my first rim fire and didn't realize how bad dry firing was. Learned the hard way on that.

 

[russc2542]

So i need better training, i can do that. So just step away from modifications and focus on better handling?

In short, yes. This is where 5 minutes with someone in person can be worth more than months of doing things wrong yourself.

When I dry fire, I try to spend at least some time with the longest, heaviest, grittiest trigger I have. In a way, it's is similar to weight lifting: you don't up your max lift by running the lightest weights. If you can run a nasty trigger smoothly, an OK trigger is easy.

When you dry fire, don't just pull the trigger, aim at a reference point, grip hard, and squeeze it slowly. Pull through the wall rather than up to it then up to the overtravel limit.

As for your wife racking the slide, I'm in a similar boat: I have to hold on to mine when the wind picks up. Again, it's technique. Rather than holding it like a slingshot, (assuming right-handedness, lefties reverse) have her turn her left hand around on the slide and grab the whole thing. thumb on the left side, fingers on the right. watch out for catching the heel in the breech though (my wife learned that with a Beretta). Bring right pectoral facing left and down of straight forward (as comfortable). Punch forward with the right hand while holding the left hand in place. basically push the gun out of the left hand when the slide reaches full travel.

 

[chezuki]

That's a good idea. 'Dry' training, as in no boolits, racking the slide and dry firing will help a great deal. Be sure to use snap caps for the dry firing.

It’s a modern center fire pistol... no need for snap caps unless you’re practicing clearing malfunctions.