Colt 2000, it was really junk
Most disappointing gun you've owned?
- Thread starter B00ger
- Start date
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Handgun-Glock 29, frame split while shooting within 2 weeks of having it
Rifles-all production rifles, I shot a custom too early in life and now, nothing compares to a smooth receiver bolt gun with a max trigger pull of 16oz
Rifles-all production rifles, I shot a custom too early in life and now, nothing compares to a smooth receiver bolt gun with a max trigger pull of 16oz
JRHunt0610
Well-Known Member
Ruger LCP .380. Wanted to love it, bought for EDC. Took it to the range and immediately hated it. Trigger feels horrible, sights are non existent, magazine was finicky and hard to seat. I ended up giving it away. I hear the newer LCP II’s are much better and they have a better trigger but I had such a bad experience I don’t even want to give it a chance. Ended up going with a Sig P938 for EDC and couldn’t be happier.
All of them. They just lay there, no movement, no getting up and randomly shooting people.
According to the liberals and the media, they shoot people all the time.
Guess mine are all defective. 🤷♂️
According to the liberals and the media, they shoot people all the time.
Guess mine are all defective. 🤷♂️
OP
My LCPII is getting added to the list. Mine may be a lemon, but for the first year it was outstanding. Tiny little pocket rocket and super easy to carry. Then one day at the range it suddenly became a jam-o-matic. I tried different types of ammo, different mags. Just no idea whats wrong with it. I bought a P365 to replace it, and just never had the time/energy to sell it or get rid of it. I've been told to just send it to Ruger, but after a gun gives me trouble I have a hard time ever trusting it again. So, it will one day go up on the chopping block for a very low price and a big "buyer beware" sign.
Im wired the same way. Like a girlfriend that cheats on you and says i won't do it again, i promise. Yea right😏
Cameronswmp9
Happy to be here
Sig P250. Never had any issues, just not exactly accurate or easy to shoot.
G42, bought it for the wife, she couldn't shoot it well (thought it was her shooting a small gun) but no, it was practically unshootable. I stovepiped like every other mag, have only had one stovepipe before or since.
RIA 1911, shot it well enough but the whole thing just felt like a bucket of bolts.
XDS9, read all the reviews and all, but when I got it hands were all over the controls and dropping mags and hitting the slide lock every time.
G42, bought it for the wife, she couldn't shoot it well (thought it was her shooting a small gun) but no, it was practically unshootable. I stovepiped like every other mag, have only had one stovepipe before or since.
RIA 1911, shot it well enough but the whole thing just felt like a bucket of bolts.
XDS9, read all the reviews and all, but when I got it hands were all over the controls and dropping mags and hitting the slide lock every time.
Most disappointing gun: diamondback DB9. Bought it for the wife, who wanted a small compact 9mm to carry, as an xmas gift. I knew when she fired it, pinched her hand and got a blood blister it wasn’t going to work. She traded it in on a Glock 26.
I nearly did the same thing. I looked at the ballistics on paper and thought they were neat, but at any ranges where I normally shoot, I just wouldn't be able to let it shine and it is much harder to find and more expensive than 5.56.
Honestly, my least favorite has been an AK. I know the platform is iconic and its important to have an example of the operating system, but just not my cup of tea, especially for what they go for now.
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I have a Ruger Mk1 that was giving me hell with modern style magazines. At the only steel challenge match I've ever been to, one of the better competitors recommended I swap in Tk green springs.
It was a night and day difference. Just immediately fixed the problem. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020933989?pid=410507
Obviously, that's with me mixing modern magazines with an older frame, so maybe your problem is different. But it might be an inexpensive thing to try.
It kind of reminded me of an original Browning Auto 5 in terms of recoil.
So, in 2018 a very good friend and CFF member arranged for me to shoot the green beret warrior patriot match at Woody’s. One of the match sponsors was generous enough to share a couple of his pre-ban transfers for a stage. One of which was an Mp5SD and I immediately fell in love with it after shooting. At the time I wasn’t aware of the various clones on the market and told myself, “I must replicate this!” Well! I tried lol I also had not done my research at the time to understand that what I had experienced was mp5 roller-delayed blowback magic… So naturally what do I do? I turned straight to direct blowback disappointment with a 7” PSA AR pistol. Which was ugly and committed the sin of other than Smooth cycling. Also the factory trigger caused malfunction and required a replacement kit from PSA.
Moral of the story: just get an mp5 or clone. I now am mostly fulfilled with a good clone
Moral of the story: just get an mp5 or clone. I now am mostly fulfilled with a good clone
ChickenHawk
I'm a chicken hawk
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Charter Member
Benefactor
Life Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
That was going to be mine. It wouldn't run worth a crap.
4T4Special
Active Member
A Haskell .45 that looked like the Hi-Points made today…it was a gift, but man, it was terrible. Great caliber though!
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Dirtydirtysouf
Well-Known Member
Just one word
Glock
Glock
Bersa 45
It was a terrible weapon even when it was a supposedly a functioning terrible firearm
It was a terrible weapon even when it was a supposedly a functioning terrible firearm
Not the *most* disappointing, but a similar experience - my $ would have been better invested in 5.56 match barrel(s) and a pile of 77smk pills to get the same accuracy with better commonality with everything else in my safe.
On the plus side, Wolf is accurate enough out to 200 to be an interesting practice round (and used to be cheap enough to be economical), so it's not a complete loss. And there is some novelty to having a "different" rifle.
I enjoy shooting it, but realistically it would have made more sense to invest in good 5.56 products.
Just-A-Ripple
Active Member
Beretta 80X
My first Beretta. I want to like it so badly but I guess CZ has spoiled me when it comes to slide serrations. Not a fan of the tactile surface of the 80X.
My first Beretta. I want to like it so badly but I guess CZ has spoiled me when it comes to slide serrations. Not a fan of the tactile surface of the 80X.
ColtComanche
Well-Known Member
Metro Arms FireStorm 1911
Glock 27, bought a Glock 23 when I was 20 and carried it from the day I turned 21 and got my concealed handgun permit. I eventually bought a 27 because I thought it would be a good backup gun to my 23. Sold the 27 after shooting one magazine. It’s extremely snappy, hard to hold, uncomfortable to shoot and carried just like my 23 so there was no real benefit.
2 guns immediately come to mind
1) Bodyguard 380. It was fun to carry because it was small but it sucked to shoot, was a surprise If it even fired off the rondo or needed to restrike it again. I just couldn’t bring myself to trust it even after it went back to Smith and Wesson for 2 weeks and came back with new springs and barrel and trigger assembly stuff.
2) I will get a lot of flack for this one I am sure but a P365. I loved the gun it was great…until it wasn’t….magazines started rusting…Sig replaced them. The trigger went dead and Sig replaced all the springs on it. The front x ray sight fell off randomly. They fixed that on the 3rd trip back to them. When it came back fixed none the less, I finally parted ways with it. I had no confidence in that particular one anymore. I will eventually get another one I am sure.
1) Bodyguard 380. It was fun to carry because it was small but it sucked to shoot, was a surprise If it even fired off the rondo or needed to restrike it again. I just couldn’t bring myself to trust it even after it went back to Smith and Wesson for 2 weeks and came back with new springs and barrel and trigger assembly stuff.
2) I will get a lot of flack for this one I am sure but a P365. I loved the gun it was great…until it wasn’t….magazines started rusting…Sig replaced them. The trigger went dead and Sig replaced all the springs on it. The front x ray sight fell off randomly. They fixed that on the 3rd trip back to them. When it came back fixed none the less, I finally parted ways with it. I had no confidence in that particular one anymore. I will eventually get another one I am sure.
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IO Hellcat .380. What a piece of crap. Mine is a two shot gun, because after the second round, it aways hangs up, no matter what ammo I use. Haven't brought it out the safe in years because I hate it so much. I keep thinking one day if they ever have a "buyback" in WS, I'd take that one just to get something for it.
Anybody want to buy a hellcat?
Anybody want to buy a hellcat?
Maybe not a great reason to be disappointed, but Sig Rattler in 300blk.
Even suppressed it wasn’t any more fun than the suppressed AR9 SBR, and with supers it wasn’t all that in the accuracy dept. Add to that the cost of feeding it, even reloading, and so it went away when ATF gave me an excuse.
Also Beretta nano for no good reason except that it’s pink and never been shot.
Even suppressed it wasn’t any more fun than the suppressed AR9 SBR, and with supers it wasn’t all that in the accuracy dept. Add to that the cost of feeding it, even reloading, and so it went away when ATF gave me an excuse.
Also Beretta nano for no good reason except that it’s pink and never been shot.
CapeFearElvis
Active Member
Llama 45ACP - I remember that pistol from my college days (I'm 56 now), and I still cringe when I see one for sale ANYWHERE. What a worthless, poorly-made, piece of junk! Most everything else I've owned is from a quality gunmaker, so no real disappointments thankfully.
Kimber Compact Carry Aluminum, around 2001 or so. The only thing that worked were the sights as there was no mechanical function. Kimber "customer service" was not at all helpful. Failure to chamber, failure to eject, the list went on and on. Kimber, quite literally, told me it was my problem. lol I get a certain amount of satisfaction knowing their reliability issues continue to this day.
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Ya know, the very reason I purchased my Kimber is because I had been told by many folks just how reliable and well- built these units were, Mind you I actually don’t think I ever had a single FtF or FtE in my 5” stainless w/rail. I only have 4-500 rounds through the thing anyway but due to the reputation I probably couldn’t give the thing away for half what I paid from Bud’s gun shop before it became a megachurch of on-line waiting lists. Oh well, life’s too short to bitch about it.
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Man! I've had bad luck no one will believe. I know some accuse MAC on YouTube of lying about malfunctions or trouble with well-known or popular firearms, but I have his back! I don't care how popular or "trendy" guns are, they can have lemons slip through.
Ultimate Stainless Colt Python .357 (1987) Bought from my cousin's shop and took straight to BLET for Firearms range session. First few rounds were okay, trigger became almost impossible to pull... Gun finally locked up and I couldn't even finish the course of fire. Meanwhile, the guy beside me with a Llama .357 never missed a beat.
Sent back to at my cost, and received it back in about 2-3 weeks. Took it shooting and it did it again!!! . Sold it when it came back the second time. This was at a time when Colt workers/UAW were striking, and I was told this was why it slipped through QC(?)
Kahr K9 9mm (1996-1997) Bought one as soon as they came out after Massad's glowing review in Combat Handguns. All I could find holster wise was an Uncle Mikes IWB nylon holster. Qualified on it and carried it for several weeks and it rusted so bad you couldn't hardly get the slide open. Sent it back (they did issue a Fed Ex call tag so it was on their dime) and they did refinish it. Sold it.
Kahr P9 9mm (1999) Missed the K9 (as it was a sweet little carry gun) but refused to go though the rust thing again. When the P9 (polymer and stainless) came out I bought one and qualified on it and carried it for at least a year as I qualified on it a second time. After this however I needed some cash ASAP so I sold it to a friend. I had NO malfunctions over 250ish rounds. I sold it to a friend and the following day took it to the range and it wouldn't feed more than 4 rounds without a malfunction. I blatantly accused him of disassembling and messing it up but he vehemently denied disassembling it. I checked the assembly and recoil spring orientation, re-lubed it, etc, but it continued. Sent it back to Kahr for him and he sold it when it came back. Another buddy had one and we drove to Charlotte gun show. He bought a spare mag and upon getting back to the car he wanted to check the function of the new mag and put it in and ejected the magazine, the magazine catch, and magazine catch spring.
1911A1s in general. I've had about 8 over the years. While I had a couple that approached 100%, I NEVER have had one (to include Springfield, Colt commercial, Auto Ordinance, and even Kimber) than I consider as reliable as a SIG Classic Series or Glock. It must be me because I have heard more than once from friends that have "100%" 1911s and then when I was on the range, they had a malfunction...🤫 Go figure...
SIGP320s-Probably needs a separate thread but my agency wanted to change handguns and I was to head a committee to pick the successor to the P226 .40. We were almost unanimous on the G22. The then major, being a SIG guy heard the 320 was coming and wanted to "table" the recommendation and wait on the P320. I we got two guns in and we fired about 1500 rounds per gun with no malfunctions. We reconvened the committee and it was decided on the P320 by a good margin. In the meantime, based on that super positive result, my brother in law bought one. He called me a few days later and was angry and frustrated. He had taken his to the range and had numerous malfunctions with different ammo. I pushed him to contact SIG and he did and it was returned. Got it back and it still did this. I reached out to my LE rep and told him about this and how he purchased it on my suggestion. He arranged to have it brought through the LE side and it was fixed. It never malfunctioned again. We got ours in (about 85 guns maybe) and started qualification. It was a crap show. All kinds of malfunctions. Contacted SIG who sent the rep back out. Over the next 8-10 months, we changed frames on every gun (SIG claiming the frames were out of spec). Changed barrels in some. Some were sent back for SIG to inspect, usually coming back with letters saying the gun was "within specifications". I think they might have accused some of out SWAT guys of "limpwristing" them. By the next qualification these issues continued and we got with SIG and the distributor and demanded full credit toward new guns-which would be Glock G17s. So...I know they are cool and sexy and you probably have one and love it but I'll never carry one or trust one again. Don't bring up the military testing or we can talk about how that test was stopped abruptly and SIG declared the winner.
Smith and Wesson M&Ps. While I think the bugs have been worked out on this one, I don't care for the full size M&Ps. Since the local DOC uses our (Sheriff's Office) range, one of our instructors is paid to be on the range with them. I did this gig from 2003 to 2018. DOC had some .38 S&W revolvers that had started coming apart during firing and S&W agreed to replace these gun for gun with the (then) new semi-auto M&P. The M&P was new and unproven, and not known or adopted and S&W initially gave gun for gun (against the old well-used .38 revolvers). An armorer even confirmed this for me, saying that their computers showed "0.00" for cost on these. I noted S&W was then using this in advertising ("the choice of the NC Department of Corrections"...like it was some long grueling test with other makers...)
In the first 3 years, I seen COUNTLESS malfunctions, failures to fire, magazines dropping when a round was fired (even though the shooter's hand/thumb never touched the release), etc. The magazines falling out during firing became so common, some instructors even came up with range procedures the shooter had to follow! I actually heard some DOC instructors telling shooters they were slamming the magazines IN too hard...telling them they were supposed to gently push it in slowly, only until it barely clicked... Yeah, that would work in a gun fight... I seen two different veteran officers/firearms instructors go on loud profane rants on particularly bad days-cursing S&W, the M&P, DOC leadership for allowing such an abomination to be adopted, etc, etc. For any that would say the instructors were out-of-line...I agree with you. But I also say you didn't see 20-30 malfunctions a day, day after day, months/years after the issues were known to management and S&W. I recall courses of fire that should have took 30 minutes going 90 minutes or longer.
I DO like the Shield series though. I carried one for a couple years, and no problems. Bought my wife one, and she loves hers. I leave mine in the house so she actually has BOTH Shields. Until today, when I bought a Shield Plus as her main carry gun. The two standard Shields are "house guns".
Ultimate Stainless Colt Python .357 (1987) Bought from my cousin's shop and took straight to BLET for Firearms range session. First few rounds were okay, trigger became almost impossible to pull... Gun finally locked up and I couldn't even finish the course of fire. Meanwhile, the guy beside me with a Llama .357 never missed a beat.
Sent back to at my cost, and received it back in about 2-3 weeks. Took it shooting and it did it again!!! . Sold it when it came back the second time. This was at a time when Colt workers/UAW were striking, and I was told this was why it slipped through QC(?)Kahr K9 9mm (1996-1997) Bought one as soon as they came out after Massad's glowing review in Combat Handguns. All I could find holster wise was an Uncle Mikes IWB nylon holster. Qualified on it and carried it for several weeks and it rusted so bad you couldn't hardly get the slide open. Sent it back (they did issue a Fed Ex call tag so it was on their dime) and they did refinish it. Sold it.
Kahr P9 9mm (1999) Missed the K9 (as it was a sweet little carry gun) but refused to go though the rust thing again. When the P9 (polymer and stainless) came out I bought one and qualified on it and carried it for at least a year as I qualified on it a second time. After this however I needed some cash ASAP so I sold it to a friend. I had NO malfunctions over 250ish rounds. I sold it to a friend and the following day took it to the range and it wouldn't feed more than 4 rounds without a malfunction. I blatantly accused him of disassembling and messing it up but he vehemently denied disassembling it. I checked the assembly and recoil spring orientation, re-lubed it, etc, but it continued. Sent it back to Kahr for him and he sold it when it came back. Another buddy had one and we drove to Charlotte gun show. He bought a spare mag and upon getting back to the car he wanted to check the function of the new mag and put it in and ejected the magazine, the magazine catch, and magazine catch spring.
1911A1s in general. I've had about 8 over the years. While I had a couple that approached 100%, I NEVER have had one (to include Springfield, Colt commercial, Auto Ordinance, and even Kimber) than I consider as reliable as a SIG Classic Series or Glock. It must be me because I have heard more than once from friends that have "100%" 1911s and then when I was on the range, they had a malfunction...🤫 Go figure...
SIGP320s-Probably needs a separate thread but my agency wanted to change handguns and I was to head a committee to pick the successor to the P226 .40. We were almost unanimous on the G22. The then major, being a SIG guy heard the 320 was coming and wanted to "table" the recommendation and wait on the P320. I we got two guns in and we fired about 1500 rounds per gun with no malfunctions. We reconvened the committee and it was decided on the P320 by a good margin. In the meantime, based on that super positive result, my brother in law bought one. He called me a few days later and was angry and frustrated. He had taken his to the range and had numerous malfunctions with different ammo. I pushed him to contact SIG and he did and it was returned. Got it back and it still did this. I reached out to my LE rep and told him about this and how he purchased it on my suggestion. He arranged to have it brought through the LE side and it was fixed. It never malfunctioned again. We got ours in (about 85 guns maybe) and started qualification. It was a crap show. All kinds of malfunctions. Contacted SIG who sent the rep back out. Over the next 8-10 months, we changed frames on every gun (SIG claiming the frames were out of spec). Changed barrels in some. Some were sent back for SIG to inspect, usually coming back with letters saying the gun was "within specifications". I think they might have accused some of out SWAT guys of "limpwristing" them. By the next qualification these issues continued and we got with SIG and the distributor and demanded full credit toward new guns-which would be Glock G17s. So...I know they are cool and sexy and you probably have one and love it but I'll never carry one or trust one again. Don't bring up the military testing or we can talk about how that test was stopped abruptly and SIG declared the winner.
Smith and Wesson M&Ps. While I think the bugs have been worked out on this one, I don't care for the full size M&Ps. Since the local DOC uses our (Sheriff's Office) range, one of our instructors is paid to be on the range with them. I did this gig from 2003 to 2018. DOC had some .38 S&W revolvers that had started coming apart during firing and S&W agreed to replace these gun for gun with the (then) new semi-auto M&P. The M&P was new and unproven, and not known or adopted and S&W initially gave gun for gun (against the old well-used .38 revolvers). An armorer even confirmed this for me, saying that their computers showed "0.00" for cost on these. I noted S&W was then using this in advertising ("the choice of the NC Department of Corrections"...like it was some long grueling test with other makers...)
In the first 3 years, I seen COUNTLESS malfunctions, failures to fire, magazines dropping when a round was fired (even though the shooter's hand/thumb never touched the release), etc. The magazines falling out during firing became so common, some instructors even came up with range procedures the shooter had to follow! I actually heard some DOC instructors telling shooters they were slamming the magazines IN too hard...telling them they were supposed to gently push it in slowly, only until it barely clicked... Yeah, that would work in a gun fight... I seen two different veteran officers/firearms instructors go on loud profane rants on particularly bad days-cursing S&W, the M&P, DOC leadership for allowing such an abomination to be adopted, etc, etc. For any that would say the instructors were out-of-line...I agree with you. But I also say you didn't see 20-30 malfunctions a day, day after day, months/years after the issues were known to management and S&W. I recall courses of fire that should have took 30 minutes going 90 minutes or longer.
I DO like the Shield series though. I carried one for a couple years, and no problems. Bought my wife one, and she loves hers. I leave mine in the house so she actually has BOTH Shields. Until today, when I bought a Shield Plus as her main carry gun. The two standard Shields are "house guns".
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I'd be curious about second opinions on the M&P 1.0 being prone to issues as I am currently carrying one. I have not had any issues with it personally and it seems to be a late production model 1.0 as the factory night sights still have some life in them.Man! I've had bad luck no one will believe. I know some accuse MAC on YouTube of lying about malfunctions or trouble with well-known or popular firearms, but I have his back! I don't care how popular or "trendy" guns are, they can have lemons slip through.
Ultimate Stainless Colt Python .357 (1987) Bought from my cousin's shop and took straight to BLET for Firearms range session. First few rounds were okay, trigger became almost impossible to pull... Gun finally locked up and I couldn't even finish the course of fire. Meanwhile, the guy beside me with a Llama .357 never missed a beat.
Kahr K9 9mm (1996-1997) Bought one as soon as they came out after Massad's glowing review in Combat Handguns. All I could find holster wise was an Uncle Mikes IWB nylon holster. Qualified on it and carried it for several weeks and it rusted so bad you couldn't hardly get the slide open. Sent it back (they did issue a Fed Ex call tag so it was on their dime) and they did refinish it. Sold it.
Kahr P9 9mm (1999) Missed the K9 (as it was a sweet little carry gun) but refused to go though the rust thing again. When the P9 (polymer and stainless) came out I bought one and qualified on it and carried it for at least a year as I qualified on it a second time. After this however I needed some cash ASAP so I sold it to a friend. I had NO malfunctions over 250ish rounds. I sold it to a friend and the following day took it to the range and it wouldn't feed more than 4 rounds without a malfunction. I blatantly accused him of disassembling and messing it up but he vehemently denied disassembling it. I checked the assembly and recoil spring orientation, re-lubed it, etc, but it continued. Sent it back to Kahr for him and he sold it when it came back. Another buddy had one and we drove to Charlotte gun show. He bought a spare mag and upon getting back to the car he wanted to check the function of the new mag and put it in and ejected the magazine, the magazine catch, and magazine catch spring.
1911A1s in general. I've had about 8 over the years. While I had a couple that approached 100%, I NEVER have had one (to include Springfield, Colt commercial, Auto Ordinance, and even Kimber) than I consider as reliable as a SIG Classic Series or Glock. It must be me because I have heard more than once from friends that have "100%" 1911s and then when I was on the range, they had a malfunction...🤫 Go figure...
SIGP320s-Probably needs a separate thread but my agency wanted to change handguns and I was to head a committee to pick the successor to the P226 .40. We were almost unanimous on the G22. The then major, being a SIG guy heard the 320 was coming and wanted to "table" the recommendation and wait on the P320. I we got two guns in and we fired about 1500 rounds per gun with no malfunctions. We reconvened the committee and it was decided on the P320 by a good margin. In the meantime, based on that super positive result, my brother in law bought one. He called me a few days later and was angry and frustrated. He had taken his to the range and had numerous malfunctions with different ammo. I pushed him to contact SIG and he did and it was returned. Got it back and it still did this. I reached out to my LE rep and told him about this and how he purchased it on my suggestion. He arranged to have it brought through the LE side and it was fixed. It never malfunctioned again. We got ours in (about 85 guns maybe) and started qualification. It was a crap show. All kinds of malfunctions. Contacted SIG who sent the rep back out. Over the next 8-10 months, we changed frames on every gun (SIG claiming the frames were out of spec). Changed barrels in some. Some were sent back for SIG to inspect, usually coming back with letters saying the gun was "within specifications". I think they might have accused some of out SWAT guys of "limpwristing" them. By the next qualification these issues continued and we got with SIG and the distributor and demanded full credit toward new guns-which would be Glock G17s. So...I know they are cool and sexy and you probably have one and love it but I'll never carry one or trust one again. Don't bring up the military testing or we can talk about how that test was stopped abruptly and SIG declared the winner.
Smith and Wesson M&Ps. While I think the bugs have been worked out on this one, I don't care for the full size M&Ps. Since the local DOC uses our (Sheriff's Office) range, one of our instructors is paid to be on the range with them. I did this gig from 2003 to 2018. DOC had some .38 S&W revolvers that had started coming apart during firing and S&W agreed to replace these gun for gun with the (then) new semi-auto M&P. The M&P was new and unproven, and not known or adopted and S&W initially gave gun for gun (against the old well-used .38 revolvers). An armorer even confirmed this for me, saying that their computers showed "0.00" for cost on these. I noted S&W was then using this in advertising ("the choice of the NC Department of Corrections"...like it was some long grueling test with other makers...)
In the first 3 years, I seen COUNTLESS malfunctions, failures to fire, magazines dropping when a round was fired (even though the shooter's hand/thumb never touched the release), etc. The magazines falling out during firing became so common, some instructors even came up with range procedures the shooter had to follow! I actually heard some DOC instructors telling shooters they were slamming the magazines IN too hard...telling them they were supposed to gently push it in slowly, only until it barely clicked... Yeah, that would work in a gun fight... I seen two different veteran officers/firearms instructors go on loud profane rants on particularly bad days-cursing S&W, the M&P, DOC leadership for allowing such an abomination to be adopted, etc, etc. For any that would say the instructors were out-of-line...I agree with you. But I also say you didn't see 20-30 malfunctions a day, day after day, months/years after the issues were known to management and S&W. I recall courses of fire that should have took 30 minutes going 90 minutes or longer.
I DO like the Shield series though. I carried one for a couple years, and no problems. Bought my wife one, and she loves hers. I leave mine in the house so she actually has BOTH Shields. Until today, when I bought a Shield Plus as her main carry gun. The two standard Shields are "house guns".
I hope you got a good one, and it sounds as if you did. These were some of the first released (I'd never even seen one until their first range session), and seen a high round count, higher than most people will shoot. I'm sure SOME will shoot more than these guns were shot, but very few. On the magazine issue (falling out) I recall seeing the armorers taking out faulty magazine catches, and they were surprisingly small, with a tiny piece of metal reinforcement in them, and most were "mangled" from the metal magazines...these were upgraded. Maybe the springs were upgraded also(?) In fairness to the gun and S&W, I think they are fairly trouble free now (?) but I haven't been on the range with them since 2018. If you haven't had trouble by now you're likely safe... You could ponder on a new mag catch and spring in case yours was the early ones. I run Shield Arms mags in my 43X and it is well known in that arena that metal mags and plastic magazine catches don't play well together.
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