something you don't see every day - broken M&P slide release

[HuttoAg96]

My M&P9FS has about 8000 rounds through it. I was shooting some rapid fire practice drills yesterday at KR Training (dot drills, bill drills, etc., nothing too extreme) and my gun was uncomfortably hot on the metal parts. Side note - hot guns encourage a thumbs-high grip! After the last string, I go to lock back my slide and the slide release lever is GONE on the strong side.







I called S&W this morning and they are mailing out a new one ASAP... good news is the gun still runs normally and I don't typically utilize the slide release, so I will probably still shoot it on Sunday for IDPA.

Between that and the Apex trigger return spring which broke at about 5000 rounds (Apex got a new one out to me ASAP), it's a great reminder about why it is best to have a comp/practice gun separate from your EDC.

[ra2bach]

not frequent but not uncommon. call S&W and they'll probably send you the part or a tag...

[halmbarte]

Between that and the Apex trigger return spring which broke at about 5000 rounds (Apex got a new one out to me ASAP), it's a great reminder about why it is best to have a comp/practice gun separate from your EDC.

If you don't practice with your EDC carry gun how do you know it works?

Even if I had two consecutive numbered pistols I wouldn't trust A to be 100% reliable just because B always worked.

H

[RogerinTPA]

If you don't practice with your EDC carry gun how do you know it works?

Even if I had two consecutive numbered pistols I wouldn't trust A to be 100% reliable just because B always worked.

H

I've broken several on my FS 9, to include a 9c I used as my every day carry. For some reason, they always break on the right side. I recently purchased a new 9c by the way, after going over 15K+ rounds fired, and now use it as a training gun. The slide release/catch is broken on the right side of the older 9c to this day, and has been for several months now. Remember that you have a slide catch on Both sides. Only one is required. It has 3k+ rounds on it, after the catch broke. Both the 9 (which was repaired, also a training gun) and 9c operated just fine. And Yes, I am planning on getting it fixed.

[HuttoAg96]

I shoot it every once in a blue moon, and I've shot it enough to know that it works. Other than that, it stays loaded in a holster.

If you don't practice with your EDC carry gun how do you know it works?

Even if I had two consecutive numbered pistols I wouldn't trust A to be 100% reliable just because B always worked.

H

[HuttoAg96]

Every once in a blue moon I end up having the slide not lock back on an empty magazine due to my thumb riding the slide release (I shoot "thumbs down"). I wonder if I (and others) am somehow stressing the slide release when firing by riding it just a little bit? Still, I'm definitely not the only person in the world who shoots that way, so I think it is still an odd failure to encounter.

RogerinTPA - out of curiosity, are you a thumbs-down shooter as well?

[RogerinTPA]

Every once in a blue moon I end up having the slide not lock back on an empty magazine due to my thumb riding the slide release (I shoot "thumbs down"). I wonder if I (and others) am somehow stressing the slide release when firing by riding it just a little bit? Still, I'm definitely not the only person in the world who shoots that way, so I think it is still an odd failure to encounter.

RogerinTPA - out of curiosity, are you a thumbs-down shooter as well?

I shoot with thumbs stacked with the wrist canted forward. I kinda press into the left slide release, but really try to make a conscious effort to try not to do that. But that's the one Not breaking. The right slide releases (4 of them, that I don't get any where near while shooting or dry firing) are the ones that break on mine. I think it might be a holster issue for me since I draw during dry fire, personal range time, and classes. I may have to remove some material (radius it a little) on my kydex holsters in that area with the Dremel. I thought it might be my draw technique, but after talking with Kyle Lamb about it during a class a couple of years ago, he subsequently (with in a couple of hours) broke the right side slide catch too...

[beastfrog]

The right side is the normal breakage point. Check your holster interaction on the left side. Perhaps it's a little tight at the slide release area?