Massachusetts Compliant M&P9 Magazine Question

[drgrant]

Really..... are you kidding me, something just sounds wrong about that. Put the mag in the gun and slam it like it is supposed to be done with your palm if you are loading with the slide closed. If it is that hard.. lock the slide back, install the mag easily, with no pressure and release the slide loading the first round..

This doesn't work when you're trying to top the gun off, which is something you're probably going to want to do if you're stuck with 10 round mags.

Also bear in mind that not every reload occurs under slide lock... so whats your solution to that? Only put 9 rounds in the mag?

The gun or the mag is not broke. Shoot the darn gun...

Sorry, but given the evidence posted here by multiple users, I'm pretty sure that the new 10 round M&P mags just about meet the definition of broken, or at least unusable. That's not normal, having to smash the piss out of the magazine just to get it to seat in the gun. If I had one I'd either be seeking out
different followers or trying to modify the ones that came with the new mags to make them usable.

-Mike

 

[Roymond]

I mean, have you guys shot your guns, if so, when the last round is fired the slide locks back, install new mag and release slide. This whole situation just doesn't seem right.. I have 4 of these guns, I know what ya mean about loading the last round in the mag, yes, miine are tight on my newest 40c produced gun in Dec. but they load up fine, and yes, the magazine is stiff going in with the slide closed, but heck... if you can install it on your bench top, you can slam it with your palm. The gun or the mag is not broke. Shoot the darn gun...

Well I've owned the gun for 10 days now, and I have put 100 rounds through it. I have put a lot more through them, but it was Easter Sunday. I have loaded/unloaded the magazines to break in the springs but I expected the same behavior with my M&P9 that I get with my M&P45

Is there any way to modify these without a dremel? I'm debating it. Right now I feel like I should discuss this with the people at Smith and Wesson (even if it is just wasting my breathe) because I get the feeling that a majority of M&P owners just modify it without thinking about it instead of telling Smith to fix their stuff.

 

[vellnueve]

I gotta say that I've never had problems loading ten rounds into my ten round M&P mags. I have 5 9mm mags, 7 .40 mags, plus 2 .40 compact mags. They all seat on a closed slide with a normal slap on the butt, and the 9mm mags have the gray followers. Perhaps it's a bad batch?

My M&P40 did have a problem with the old soft magazine catch, but I replaced that and haven't had any malfunctions since. My other two M&Ps run flawlessly.

For the OP - if you don't feel comfortable with a dremel, get a sanding block or emery board and work at it slowly. Cheaper and much more conservative.

 

[mac67]

ok, I really don't see any of this.... by

                  This problem is real. Feel lucky that you got a "Good batch".  The M&P was designed to be a meat & potato go to work out of the box gun. Lately they have been behaving like a high maint. pain in azz race gun. As far as,  "Use the gun, Load the mags, Unload the mags, Break it in".  I personally know numerous LEO's using M&P 45's that thankfully run flawlessly !!!  What do you think a Chief or Armorer would have said if S&W said, "O by the way, you can't fully load the mags. And if you do, you can't insert them by hand on a closed slide" or, " I know these guns were meant to protect your life and the lives of the community, but just have each member of the dept. run a few thousand rounds through each gun until they break in". That shouldn't cost too much in OT and ammo......................

 

[turbo38gn]

I don't doubt there is something not working to your satisfaction. I have a 9mm FS magazine I use in my 40FS with a conversion 9mm barrel, it is definitely a dick to load the last round, but it loads. Also it goes into the gun harder than all my other guns, but it goes in fine. Could it be easier to load the last round and go into the gun.. yup... but it's not the end of the world. I am relatively new at guns but have taken the fast track with the way I have approached this wonderful passion I now possess. I like nothing more than being able to share what I have found, to share positive outlooks and not let my emotions dictate what I say.... usually... Some here, have very little experience and lots of emotion to share, that's too bad cause that only deminishes reality. I share what I absolutely have found to be fact. The magazine whether loaded with 10 rounds or not, lock into the gun without having to do anything crazy. I load 10 +1 everytime Mike, "Drgrant" I have no problem with the slide locked, that's my point. I have new M&P's and old, the newer ones feel tight, I like that, if they went in easily and were loose, some would complain about that. I read that guys don't like a tight spring in their mags or don't like to have to slap their mags in place. The bottom line, I am trying to understand what is wrong and just don't see it when all of mine work. If there is a modification that makes it easier for some to operate, then do it, stop making a mountain out of a mole hill. If you fell you need to send it back than do it, send it back and get it over with..

 

[Roymond]

If there is a modification that makes it easier for some to operate, then do it, stop making a mountain out of a mole hill. If you fell you need to send it back than do it, send it back and get it over with..

It's not making a mountain out of a mole hill. It's me wanting my 500 dollar purchase to work correctly as it should.

And I am sending them back to Smith, I was just asking for other solutions to the problem. Plus who knows in a couple months there might be another person who purchases one of these and experiences the same problem, and they will be able to find this thread.

 

[vellnueve]

ok, I really don't see any of this.... by

                  This problem is real. Feel lucky that you got a "Good batch".  The M&P was designed to be a meat & potato go to work out of the box gun. Lately they have been behaving like a high maint. pain in azz race gun. As far as,  "Use the gun, Load the mags, Unload the mags, Break it in".  I personally know numerous LEO's using M&P 45's that thankfully run flawlessly !!!  What do you think a Chief or Armorer would have said if S&W said, "O by the way, you can't fully load the mags. And if you do, you can't insert them by hand on a closed slide" or, " I know these guns were meant to protect your life and the lives of the community, but just have each member of the dept. run a few thousand rounds through each gun until they break in". That shouldn't cost too much in OT and ammo......................[/QUOTE]


Actually, since LE uses the standard mags this shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Remsport Mfg]

I talked to S&W the other day and they told me they only have had a few complaints about this. It is in everyone interest to call S&W to complain. This is the only way this will get fixed. A few complaints will not trigger a reaction.
Please call and complain.
We in Mass. are in the minority and are stuck with the 10 round magazines. No one with the large cap. mags. will have this problem.

 

[Roymond]

When I sent it back I sent them a little note which explained who I spoke with and included some pictures of how the magazine sat in the gun with 10 rounds in it and how it damaged the round. I sent them back last Monday and I still haven't gotten them back. It feels weird having a firearm with no magazines but I know they are working on making it right. I'm going to call them later today to find out when I should expect them back.

 

[DukeInFlorida]

They MIGHT have to do some quality control. Meaning they have to review their current inventory, and see if they are also defective in the same way. If they have ONLY defective mags/followers, they will likely have to initiate a change to the current drawing for the plastic part, modify the molding tooling, make some sample parts for testing, and then you might get your mags back in a month or so.

As Remsport suggsets, all you guys with this problem should be screaming and kicking at Smith & Wesson.

Heck, even if you have modified your mags to work, or just run them through enough rounds to compress the springs, why not get a new set of mags in the process of this fix???

Someone at Smith & Wesson will get a spanking over this one.

 

[mac67]

I took Remsports advise. Spoke w/S&W C/S yesterday. I explained my concerns, (The same as Roymond) They said it was the first they had heard of it. Really ? I've personally called three times........ Make sure you are sitting down for what I'm about to say. After explaining to the call taker that I live in MA he asked if I had a LTC-"A". I said yes. He says, "Just buy some Hi-Cap Mags out of state and run them in the gun. It's legal because you have a LTC-A. The Hi-Cap, (Regular mags) will not give you a problem." (ie NON -MA Mags) WHAT !!!!!!!!!!! Is S&W serious !!!!!!! After a 3 min conversation w/me explaining to him that it's 110% ILLEGAL the guy STILL told me I was wrong. My head is still cocked to the left like a confused dog. They need to get thiers heads out of the sand !!!!!!!!!!!!

How do you file a real complaint ? Obviously just calling is not enough.
It's becoming clear, (At least to me) that these 10, (Really 9) round MA mags are a huge problem that S&W hopes just goes away.

 

[Roymond]

I would love to run full size magazines through my M&P... I would be the happiest person in the world. But we live in MA and they do not let you do that here... Because someone out in Boston decided that the "Large Capacity" on my LTC-A means before 1994... (I know preaching to the choir right?)

 

[Roymond]

This is so disappointing. Don't really want to revive an old thread but I'm sitting here going WTF?

I sent my Magazines back on May 2nd. Waited a week, called Smith and Wesson and they said it could take 1-2 weeks, now it's May 20th, still no magazines. I wanted to take the gun out to the range this weekend and before I went to California for a week. Oh well... I guess when I get back I'll hopefully have them.

 

[turbo38gn]

This is so disappointing. Don't really want to revive an old thread but I'm sitting here going WTF?

I sent my Magazines back on May 2nd. Waited a week, called Smith and Wesson and they said it could take 1-2 weeks, now it's May 20th, still no magazines. I wanted to take the gun out to the range this weekend and before I went to California for a week. Oh well... I guess when I get back I'll hopefully have them.

Not sure where you are located, but you are welcome to use my mags this weekend.... I'm feeling like a 22lr and 45 acp weekend..

 

[Roymond]

So I finally got to my parents house to pick up the magazines (I had them sent there because I knew my apartment's mailing office sucks at packages.)

I now have 6 magazines (Smith and Wesson sent me 3 additional ones to the 3 I originally sent in), ALL of them exhibit the same problem I originally told them about.I have no idea what to do now. Especially with 6 magazines I don't really need to worry about the reloading issue. Plus the more I think about it if I am going to carry it's going to be a compact.

I wish I didn't live in a 10 round state... Oh well maybe they'll get better as I work them a bit

 

[drgrant]

You should probably look at one of the other threads on here where someone modified their followers. Basically I'd be grinding down the followers (to make it work properly) or I'd be dumping the gun.

-Mike

 

[turbo38gn]

So I finally got to my parents house to pick up the magazines (I had them sent there because I knew my apartment's mailing office sucks at packages.)

I now have 6 magazines (Smith and Wesson sent me 3 additional ones to the 3 I originally sent in), ALL of them exhibit the same problem I originally told them about.I have no idea what to do now. Especially with 6 magazines I don't really need to worry about the reloading issue. Plus the more I think about it if I am going to carry it's going to be a compact.

I wish I didn't live in a 10 round state... Oh well maybe they'll get better as I work them a bit

Nice to see you have been "fixed up"... now if those mags aren't all needed... I could use a few more.. It's Monday night, so I'll be making my weekly trip to S&W to shoot tonight. Think I'll drop the Storm Lake barrel into my M&P40fs and shoot 9's.. I only have 1 9mm magazine, S&W doesn't have any 9mm mags in the store the last couple times I checked.. Think I'll bring my 9mm Colt AR for a little fun too..

 

[Roymond]

You should probably look at one of the other threads on here where someone modified their followers. Basically I'd be grinding down the followers (to make it work properly) or I'd be dumping the gun.

-Mike

Yea I think I'm going to ask around to see who of my friends has a dremel. I got enough magazines, I can take the risk of breaking a few followers

 

[Blix666]

you could prolly do it with a file too...

 

[Blix666]

does this problem exist only with the M&P 9 or is it with the .40 as well?

 

[turbo38gn]

does this problem exist only with the M&P 9 or is it with the .40 as well?

I've only seen the really tight magazines on the 10rdfull size magazines. not on the compact 9's.. They will load the 10 just tight on the last one.

 

[SeanT]

Yea I think I'm going to ask around to see who of my friends has a dremel. I got enough magazines, I can take the risk of breaking a few followers

It is possible to do the modification without a dremel. I used a pair of sheet metal snips and was able to fix the mags. I pretty much cut off the legs on the followers so it looked flat on each end, rather than having an arch. This pretty much resolved the problem. I can get the 10th round in with a reasonable amount of force and can load the mag with the slide locked (or do a 10+1) without a problem.

Edit to add: This was for a 9c

 

[Blix666]

just did both of my 9c mags in about 5 minutes...great mod. toying with the idea of calling S&W to see if i can snag a couple freebies anyways for the inconvenience

 

[Keystone]

you could prolly do it with a file too...

You can. However...after filing on the followers for obscenely long, I finally gave up and found someone with a belt sander.

I still have 2 unmodified mags. Maybe I'll call S&W again, and maybe they won't tell me to go and purchase high caps from NH, this time.