Mags dropping free inadvertently? .40 M&P

[Leozinho]

Mags dropping free inadvertently??

A friend is going to have me look at his M&P .40. He says the magazines drop inadvertently during recoil. I'm not a gunsmith by any stretch, but I said would take a look before he sent it to a 'smith.

He did pay a gunsmith to change the mag release to the opposite side. I don't know if he fired it before the swap.

Anything I should look for specifically? Anyone else experienced this? (My first instinct is he isn't seating the mags properly, but he's not inexperienced and says this isn't the case.) He says it happens with both magazines he has.

I'll have the pistol tonight.

Thanks.

[High Lord Gomer]

My son moves the mag release to the other side because his hands are too small to hit it with his thumb. He uses his trigger finger to hit the mag release. The problem is that frequent, during recoil, his trigger finger inadvertently hits the mag release and drops the mag.

Is your friend left handed? If yes, then I would check to see if his support hand is hitting the mag release. If he is right handed, he needs to move it back to the left(correct) side and get used to hitting it with his thumb.

Swapping it from one side to the other is a 30 second job and can be done with a screwdriver (or even a ball point pen if no screwdriver is available).

I did have problems with one of the original M&P 9 Compacts that dropped mags. I sent it back, they replaced the mag catch and it was fine after that.

[SEV]

This has happened to me in the past. Your mag release is worn. Remove it and inspect the steel catch part of the mag release. I think you will find that it will be rounded off just enough to cause the problems you are describing. It is so easy to remove the mag release on the M&P, so take a look at your manual.They are in expensive to purchase also. You will have to use a screw driver or a pair of pliers. Flipping the mag release fixes the problem by use the fresh edge on the mag release.

Edited February 10, 2011 by SEV

[Leozinho]

This has happened to me in the past. Your mag release is worn. Remove it and inspect the steel catch part of the mag release. I think you will find that it will be rounded off just enough to cause the problems you are describing. It is so easy to remove the mag release on the M&P, so take a look at your manual.They are in expensive to purchase also. You will have to use a screw driver or a pair of pliers. Flipping the mag release fixes the problem by use the fresh edge on the mag release.

I looked at it last night. He had the dealer swap it from the left side to the right side when he bought it new. Mags fell with a slight touch of the button. There is some wear from the right side position, but not a lot. I was expecting the wear to be more obvious. I re-installed it to left side, and it seems the mag release requires more force, but maybe it's the power of suggestion.

I think it's wear on the mag release, but can't rule out hand placement yet. I'll know I get to the range.

Thanks guys.

[High Lord Gomer]

I have several M&P with over 10K rounds each and one with well over 30K and they have not exhibited an wear on the mag releases. If it falls that easily (just a slight touch, then I would try a mag release borrowed from another gun or send it back to S&W.

Apparently there are different revisions for the mag release:

http://smith-wessonf...oblem-help.html

BTW, to swap the mag release: