S&W Shield Magazine Loading

[35remington]

Yes. It makes little sense to trade reliability in a lifesaving device for personal convenience. Make it more convenient to load in a much more sensible way. Bad trades are just that.

[trapper9260]

Leave the magazines loaded for a few weeks, They do improve after a few weeks and a few shooting sessions, still tough but better than that first couple loadings. I did use the loader that came with my XDm the first couple times. The 9mm Shield magazines are much tougher than my XDs magazines. After loaded for a month or three, all improve.

I have found this work also not only in the one we have talk about here I have one , but also others I have .Also I was told by my gunsmith that the springs are made to last a long time being loaded with out usen .he said he have one that it sit loaded for over 5 years and no problem with the springs.

[alamogunr]

I started a similar thread a couple of weeks ago and, as a result of responses similar to those posted here, I purchased two of the Uplula loaders. One of the best purchases I've made lately.

[rintinglen]

I bought the Uplula. You guys were right--it is the only way to fly. Albeit limited in that I could not use my right hand to full advantage due to the stitches in my Right arm, I found the Shield to be reasonably accurate, given that I was shooting left handed. The trigger could stand to be lighter, but the sights are good and the feel of the gun in my hands is very good. Were it not for the ridiculous over strength of the magazine springs, I would recommend them whole heartedly.

In spite of a bunch of troll speak, it seems to me that a gun that you can't load with out pain is not well designed. This gun is just about the same size a Kahr. The Kahr magazines are much easier to use. They do not have the dual diameter springs. And they can be loaded with out the use of auxiliaries. S&W would be well advised to reconsider their design.

[35remington]

The Shield is selling like mad, probably more than any other CC pistol. Apparently many find them manageable. To some extent reasonably powerful small pistols and stiff springs cannot be separated. The desired reliability and durability was likely considered more important than ease of loading.

This is very understandable in a primarily defensive pistol.

I suppose one can vote for what you like by buying it. Or not.

[pjames32]

Back to the original question! My wife uses an Uplula and likes it. I'm not an engineer

[35remington]

Please do excuse my adamancy. But given this pistol is carried for serious purposes, a magazine loader is the only correct way to address the stiff springs. The lengthy explanations are intended as food for thought for people who really need to understand the why's more so than the usual topic.

With mag loaders in common use this is the only way to go.

[olafhardt]

The problem with uplulus is I bought one, it worked but not real good, then I lost it. The new 8 shot revolvers are a good fix for stiff magazine springs, so I ordered a 3" 686+. I kept the Shield, but traded off other semis. I don't find the Shield (9mm) that hard to load but it ain't easy.

[garym1a2]

I use this "Maglula" on my shield, my Beratta 92 mags and the 30 rounders for my cx4 storm are much worse than the shield, I cannot get more than two rounds in these big mags without the loader.