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California handguns Discuss your favorite California handgun technical and related questions here. |
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CA M&P Shield Mods & MagGuts Spring Test
Updates:
MagGuts Package - Post #5 Nail Polish Mod - Post #33 Manual Safety Delete and Cover Plate Mod - Post #84 Updates to Nail Polish and Cover Plate mods; HK P2000 Upgrades - Post #92 Talon Grips Gen1 Failure - Post #93 MagGuts Gen2 +2 Kit Part 1 - Post #154 MagGuts Gen2 +2 Kit Part 2 - Post #155 Talon Grips Gen2 Update + Shield's New Big Brother - Post #169 04/30/18 Carry Configuration and Replacement Photos - Post #254 I won this Shield from a $20 raffle to charity + $25 for DROS making my OTD cost a whopping $45 for a BNIB Shield, one 7-round flush mag, and one 8-round extended mag. I've shot one before and never really liked it. I'm a Sig, metal, double stack kind of guy, although I love my P320 and own an HK P2000, I figured I'd give this a go. Now everyone seems to want to go off the CA roster and would pay the additional few hundred dollars of difference. I've compared the differences of the CA version vs non-CA and there's nothing that equates to the premium difference in cost. Cool factor? The LCI is basically the only major change or hindrance to the CA version; I personally hate that it distracts my view and have read that LCIs "may" cause malfunctions. The manual safety is a non-issue since I won't use it anyways so it's cosmetic. Mag DC, blah blah; easily removable. My conclusion, the CA model vs non-CA just isn't worth the price difference. So, I decided to take the money I would've spent buying a shield and use it to get upgrades. Shield is $419 at my local FFL. Upgrades: Mag DC, sear safety, and manual safety are all easily removable. I didn't remove my manual safety yet, but will once I find a filler. I've seen folks use old floppy disks as the filler material, but will need to research more. Now there are some people claiming that the manual safety is required for keeping one of the pins in. S&W certified armorers have testified on various forums that it is not and can be removed without issue. Also the non-manual safety versions don't have them and do have additional parts in that region. So I call it FUD. MDC and sear safety completely removed as I'd never use the sear safety to begin with. Talon rubber grips - $10 Pearce 7-round pinky extension - $5 Additional 8-round mag - $0 (Won as a secondary prize during the same raffle) I removed the Talon grip from the extended mag and cut it to fit the Pearce extension for the carry mag. I didn't like how it prevented the servicing of the extended and figured that I would need the additional grip texture more on the carry mag. CA LCI replaced with the Apex Tactical LCI Block - $20 from Amazon Sights are great for factory and can be improved with a sharpie - $0. Will likely nag my sister to let me use her super skanky girl, bright orange nail polish to redo the front sight. I would like Trijicon HDs, but those sum-beetches are expensive and not necessary at this time. Mag capacity easily upgraded without changing body size using MagGuts.com Shield specific springs. Currently one 8-round carry and two 9-round spare mags. So 8+1 in carry mode plus two 9-round mags = 27 rounds to deploy in a lightweight, slim, highly concealable pistol is pretty darn good. I've tested them fully loaded, partially loaded, 1 round, administrative reloads, malfunction drills, +1, load from slide locked back, load from slide forward, etc. . . and all mags functioned flawlessly with 100% reliability. Slide locked back each and every time. The MG setup actually reduced the spring tension allowing for easier +1 loading. Now, I didn't like the MG floorplates because they protruded outside of the baseplates and impeded the extended mag a bit. No problems with +1, but it does make it a bit tougher to finger push the carry mag with +1; slamming home is no problem. I will have to say that if it annoys you, deburr the corners of the follower as they are a tad sharp. MagGuts Shield Springs - $22 each x 3 = $66 Since I didn't want to splurge on Trijicon HDs, I figured I'd add a light since this will likely be my primary EDC. I chose the shield specific, Viridian RTL with ECR and figured 100 lumens is plenty for this pistol. It mounts to the trigger guard and definitely lights up a room. It came with a so so, novelty OWB holster (the old version came with an IWB that is no longer available), but I carry IWB so will probably order an Alien Gear 3.0 with ECR magnet and probably a Remora sticky with ECR magnet for sweatpants or gym shorts days. I can deploy the pistol with the light automatically activating this way. Viridian RTL-Shield with ECR - $90 Ammo used for testing was approx 100 rounds of 125 gr Miwall Reloads. I have not yet tried HP/SD ammo yet, but will soon since this pistol will likely be my EDC. I learned that I had to modify my grip a bit and add more tension with my support hand with the Shield. Once I figured it out, I started cutting out the center of the target. Next time the target will be cleaner. Go easy on me. I'm used to shooting Sig P229s so the lightweight striker thing is new to me. Not quite used to the Sig P320 yet either. I tried to shoot the N, S, E, W locations of the outer circle at 7 yards. The rest were 5 yards in the C zone of the IDPA target. I do have Trijicon HDs on this pistol; only because I got them for $100 from a local member here. Itemized cost: Shield w one 7-round mag and one 8-round mag - $45 Talon rubber grips - $10 Pearce 7-round pinky extension - $5 Additional 8-round mag - $0 Apex Tactical LCI Block - $20 Sharpie, tactical sights - $0 MagGuts Shield Springs - $22 each x 3 = $66 Viridian RTL-Shield with ECR - $90 ________________________________________ Total cost: $236 Cost of Shield new: $419 + 36.66 (8.75 tax) + $25 DROS = $480.66 Remaining funds to spend: $244.66 All in all, I'm very satisfied with the pistol and the outcome. The AG 3.0 and Remora holsters will probably run about $40-50 each after all is said and done so I'll still have about another $150 to spend. What's next? Last edited by code_blue; 05-01-2018 at 3:53 PM.. |
#3
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Not at the moment. I've already had 5 pistol sale transactions for the year and I want to keep testing this pistol out. Maybe down the line.
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#4
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Nice.
So the new followers ran without issue!
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- Rich |
#5
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That's correct. I'll be testing Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr, Gold Dot 115 gr, Winchester PDX 115 gr, and some other random SD ammo at a later time. I'll report back with each range session if I experience any malfunctions.
They were an all .380 shop up until the Shield and seem to focus only on single stacks at the moment. The Shield is the first 9mm tested by MagGuts and is a dual type spring; their other setups are single springs which is relative to the pressure required for the .380 mags I guess. I'm sure they will eventually make their way to the Glock 43 and Sig P938 as well. You can see the very thin floorplate in the picture below. You should be able to find more photos of it online. Last edited by code_blue; 07-28-2017 at 2:00 PM.. |
#6
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I ordered 4 the other night
How is the pressure? Are the 8th and 9th any easier to insert than the 8th used to be?
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- Rich |
#7
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For those unaware, here's a stock photo of the ridiculous CA and NY compliant LCI:
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#8
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Quote:
Yes, they were easier with the supplied floorplate, but even with the OEM floorplate the pressure was easier than OEM. It's up to you if you want to use the supplied one or not. If you use the OEM floorplate and find the spring pressure when going +1 in the chamber with the flush mag at 8 rounds, swap to the supplied floorplate; it's a noticeable difference. MG also stated that if your extended mags take a 10th round, they may not feed reliably and to mitigate that, switch to the OEM floorplate or count your rounds. It's not such a big deal on the flush mag, but I would recommend that you deburr it a bit as the edges may be a tad sharp. They do cause an additional gap between the baseplate and the adapter on the extended mags. You'll see what I mean when they arrive. Just to confirm, you do have the 9mm model, correct? I do not believe these will work on the .40 variant. At least MagGuts doesn't advertise it to. Last edited by code_blue; 12-09-2015 at 10:01 PM.. |
#9
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Ya, 9mm Shield.
I sat there looking at the four 7rd mags and how the Pearce pinky extension showed under my shirt, and just made the call to go with only 8 rounders. Once I'm totally satisfied I will probably sell all but one of the 7 round mags.
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- Rich |
#10
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Does it? I'll have to tinker with mine once I order the IWB holsters. I have read that others have also made the decision to do so. I may also just switch back to the flush to retain max concealment. I don't NEED the extension, but it certainly feels much better with it. Plus at $5, can't complain for a worthy experiment.
Feel free to post your updates here since it's the same topic. |
#12
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Shield mags retail are about $35 retail, but I can see your viewpoint. My mags were essentially free so you can see the reason behind my decision.
Plus testing them for other Calgunners to make informative decisions, which you have, is a good thing. |
#13
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Nice, I took mine to the range yesterday ran 100 rounds of Critical Defense through it, along with some various other loose rounds I had around. All fed fine no issue's with the gun at all. It even ate the old Remington 147 sub-sonic's, I had from ages ago.
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#14
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OEM mag internals or MG internals, P5?
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#16
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That is a matter of subjective opinion. If the LCI bothers the shooter he/she is not focusing on the front sight enough to shoot accurately anyway. It doesn't bother me, and by law it must be a prominent one, otherwise its purpose is defeated.
Last edited by ifilef; 12-10-2015 at 12:14 AM.. |
#17
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I hate how the LCI looks too but living with it, carrying it over a year, it is a non issue. It's a gun.
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NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor, Shotgun Instructor and Range Safety Officer |
#18
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Love the upgrades and thanks for sacrificing your hard earned dollars testing them out for us.
My Shield is still bone-stock but is definitely in need of some upgrades. Now I have a trusted guide to what works and what doesn't. |
#19
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Yeah makes sense. I paid $24 for my spare mags BTW. You can find them brand new on eBay for $23-25 all day, FYI.
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Living in the free State of Nevada |
#20
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Quote:
Get's hard to focus when contrasts of the LCI start to blend with the front sight, but as you've stated it's subjective. It's one of the reasons why people pay the extra premium for the off-roster variant. This is why there are options for those who feel that the LCI interferes with their sight picture. Quote:
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Thanks for the comments, folks! |
#21
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Op, thanks for the write up. Hope to get one of these at some point.
Did not see where you got the free 8 round mag. Congratulations on winning the shield. I have been to two events that were giving them away as part of a raffle and lost both times. |
#22
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Hi Gary, the raffle holders were giving out Shield mags to random people and I happened to be one of the random people
I never expected to win; just donated to charity then surprise, surprise! You'll get yours soon enough, bud. |
#24
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AY, thank you for the excellent write-up and pics!
I just jailed a Shield yesterday. I'll be reading through this thread a bunch of times in the next ten days! And probably ordering some goodies, too.
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#26
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Thanks! If you want it, Apex Tactical also makes a Shield trigger kit, but that's not necessary for me. It's not a competition gun and the OEM trigger isn't terrible. It's a tad gritty on the take up, but breaks cleanly. For an SD pistol, not an issue.
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#27
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OP, thank you for the info on the maguts! I've been considering them, but my bigger problem was pinching my hand on reloads and also the eight round mags not dropping free. From what I found, the grip extension ring gets caught on my hand, causing it to disengage the mag catch, but not fall free sometimes. After researching, i found this:
http://www.safetysolutionsacademy.co...pad-sw-shield/ I dunno if it's worth the trouble, or just switch over to the seven round mags with the maguts kit... Thoughts? Jerry
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The inconvenience of poor quality lingers long after the thrill of a good bargain. |
#29
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Quote:
A much cheaper alternative would be to use the talon grip type tape to bind the ring and the baseplate. You can see one of my extended mags with the Talon tape in one of the photos. Don't glue them as you'd lose the servicing function. I like the idea behind it and the ledge created for malfunction clearing. I may give them a go to test on my extended mags to see if they're compatible with the MagGuts springs. It's what I have on-hand without buying more and 115 gr is the most common for 9mm loads. My preference is 124 gr Gold Dots and will test those weights at a later time. |
#30
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Quote:
It doesn't stick out any more than the 8rd mag, but the shape is just a bit more eye catching. It probably would not be noticed by anyone who isn't also carrying or who might already suspect you to be carrying. Quote:
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__________________
- Rich |
#31
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[QUOTE=anbu_yoshi;17328654
. It's what I have on-hand without buying more and 115 gr is the most common for 9mm loads. My preference is 124 gr Gold Dots and will test those weights at a later time.[/QUOTE] I don't notice any difference in bullet weight in 9mm when I shoot the different bullet weights. Matter of fact I shot three rounds of Federal HST 147gr +P at a squirrel last weekend right before my shooting session and didn't notice a difference at all.(my mags were loaded with the HST 147gr, and the squirrel had to die) I shoot WWB and Tula 115gr for practice like most other people Also had other sessions were I mixed 115gr critical defense with 124gr +p HST and didn't notice any difference. The only time I notice a difference is out of subcompacts, +P has a little more *** on it. But far as 115, 124 or 147 they all feel the same. Pretty much shoot the same, the 147gr landed right on top of the squirrel at 15 or 20 yards. Not sure exactly on distance. Last edited by Germ1; 12-11-2015 at 9:13 PM.. |
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Update: 12/16/15
Ok, after talking about getting "Skanky girl, bright orange nail polish" to paint my front sight for the past week, the little lady in my life went out on her own to get me a bottle. She said she wanted to support my hobby and wanted to be involved. She then told me she wanted to build an AR together. I said I'll go buy some lowers.
Skanky girl, bright orange nail polish It pops quite a bit in person; the pictures don't do the color justice. I used a toothpick to drip the nail polish into the "cup" of the front sight. Let it dry for about an hour then applied a second coat. I smoothed it out to prevent a concave or convex shape. I found that flush worked better and didn't shine. I liked it so much I did the same thing to my HK P2000 Most recent target. I've gotten better; still a few flyers, but much better now that I know how to hold the pistol. MagGuts springs still 100% reliable. No issues of any kind. Last edited by code_blue; 12-16-2015 at 5:54 PM.. |
#34
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The only things I added to my Shield was an APEX sear to sweeten up the trigger (about 40.00), and two extra mags (about 25.00 each). Works great. The factory sights are OK for me.
Thanks for the info about the +1 mag kits.
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------------------------------------------------ Last edited by ballistic; 12-18-2015 at 3:07 PM.. |
#37
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Another 100 rounds of FMJ and 100 rounds of mixed HP. 100% reliable.
I have not yet cleaned this pistol. I oiled the slides a little out of the box and have shot it since. |
#38
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You do realize that there are some decent self defense loads out there in the 115 grain range, right? Not everything has to be 124 to 147 grain to be effective. I tend to use 115 grain bullets that shoot at the same POI as the 115 grain FMJ practice bullets. It makes my life easier, and lets me practice more effectively. And the Hornady Critical Defense/Zombie Max bullets work just fine. I don't need a barrier-blind +P+ bullet. I need something that hits where I am aiming and provides enough penetration and expansion to pass the FBI testing protocols.
-Mb
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#39
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I tried a shield at the range last spring it was most impressive.
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California's politicians and unionized government employees are a crime gang that makes the Mexican drug cartels look like a Girl Scout Troop in comparison. |
#40
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The LCI blocks the front sight when the weapon is loaded and makes it difficult to focus. It is a obvious design flaw.
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