S&W .380 Shield--Barrel Question

[Stainless 14]

Hi all. I own a S&W .380 M&P Shield EZ. (M2.0)
This is my first handgun. It has never been fired.
So, last night I had the slide pulled back and locked. Just looking at some of the innards. That's when I noticed the barrel has a slight but noticeable upward angle. The barrel has the normal "slack" when moved with my hand. I assume that is normal, yes? So, why the angle? Attached is a pic. I was guessing that the barrel will tilt down to a "level" position when the slide is forward. More likely it's my inexperience with a handgun and this is a normal feature for auto handguns. tia.

 

[mousegunfan]

Normal. They are tilting barrels. So are most semi auto's made today.

"Tilting barrel locking was invented by that Utahn gun maestro, John Moses Browning,"

Operating Systems 201: Tilting Barrel Locking -

Previously, we looked at the most common type of locking mechanism for rifles, but what about handguns? Well, today we’ll be looking at tilting-barrel locking, a method used in virtually every modern locked-breech handgun today. Tilting barrel locking was invented by that Utahn gun maestro, John...

www.thefirearmblog.com

 

[MisterHappy]

OP: Don't take this as a slam - it's a credit to you that you had the stones to ask a question in the combination hornet nest / snake pit that NES can be.

You should find a mentor; join a Club, if you have not, already. A lot of the potential oopsies and difficulties that can be encountered by a new shooter can be alleviated by a this procedure.

Personal example - I've been shooting....for quite a while. My older son and I decided to join my Club's Gallery Pistol Team. Now, it's not rocket surgery - you shoot a .22 at a piece of paper 50' away. Simple. Except there are rules and etiquette that I might not have been aware of. So, I reached out to a buddy that had been shooting maybe 4 years at the time, but had been doing Gallery for that period, for coaching and info about what to expect.

The most stupid question is the one that's not asked.

 

[Stainless 14]

OP: Don't take this as a slam - it's a credit to you that you had the stones to ask a question in the combination hornet nest / snake pit that NES can be.

You should find a mentor; join a Club, if you have not, already. A lot of the potential oopsies and difficulties that can be encountered by a new shooter can be alleviated by a this procedure.

Personal example - I've been shooting....for quite a while. My older son and I decided to join my Club's Gallery Pistol Team. Now, it's not rocket surgery - you shoot a .22 at a piece of paper 50' away. Simple. Except there are rules and etiquette that I might not have been aware of. So, I reached out to a buddy that had been shooting maybe 4 years at the time, but had been doing Gallery for that period, for coaching and info about what to expect.

The most stupid question is the one that's not asked.

"the combination hornet nest / snake pit that NES can be."
LOL...thanks for the heads up! You're right. i need to get myself to a gun club. I'm in the Watertown area, so i'll start looking for one nearby...if they exist.

 

[enbloc]

Anti-Aircraft Option...

 

[Wickedcoolname]

Hi all. I own a S&W .380 M&P Shield EZ. (M2.0)
This is my first handgun. It has never been fired.
So, last night I had the slide pulled back and locked. Just looking at some of the innards. That's when I noticed the barrel has a slight but noticeable upward angle. The barrel has the normal "slack" when moved with my hand. I assume that is normal, yes? So, why the angle? Attached is a pic. I was guessing that the barrel will tilt down to a "level" position when the slide is forward. More likely it's my inexperience with a handgun and this is a normal feature for auto handguns. tia.

Do a quick search for John Browning. You'll get a quick education on tilting barrels, blow-back vs locked breech, and some other interesting aspects of gun design.

 

[gerrycaruso]

When I lived in Watertown, I shot at Riverside in Hudson but there are closer clubs. For such an anti-gun state, it's amazing how many gun clubs there are here.

 

[boscru]

"the combination hornet nest / snake pit that NES can be."
LOL...thanks for the heads up! You're right. i need to get myself to a gun club. I'm in the Watertown area, so i'll start looking for one nearby...i

go to utube for basic pistol videos. gotta be tons on there. i knew nothing when i started 10 years ago,
I took basic pistol live fire course, just because i didn't think i got enough out of the required mass firearms course.

still not enough, but got me to point where i had the confidence to join a club. asked questions, learned,
bought more stuff, watched tube videos, built both of my AR's, (which is something i never thought i could do)

take your time, don't ever pretend you know more than you do. you'll be fine

 

[MisterHappy]

WWW.SouthboroughRodandGun.com