Smith & Wesson has announced a recall of some of their M&P Shield EZ pistols made in 2020. The issue involves potentially cracked hammers that may, in worst case scenarios, cause multiple discharges without pressing the trigger. Consumers can call 888-871-7114 or go online to the S&W Shield EZ Recall website to enter their serial numbers to see if their gun is affected.
If your gun is among those with potentially cracked hammers, the good people at S&W make fixing it easy. They’ll send you a free shipping label to send them the pistol for repairs.
M&P SHIELD® EZ® PISTOL IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR PISTOLS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH 1ST, 2020 AND OCTOBER 31ST, 2020
Smith & Wesson has identified two M&P Shield EZ Pistols on which the hammers manufactured by our supplier were cracked. In those firearms, the hammer failed to fully engage the sear, causing the round to fire, cycling the slide, and potentially resulting in multiple discharges without depressing the trigger. This issue can occur in the following two scenarios:
With a loaded magazine in the firearm and the grip safety depressed, releasing the slide (by pulling it back, or releasing the slide stop), may ignite the round as the slide closes, without engaging the trigger. The condition may occur, regardless of the manual thumb safety position if equipped. This may also result in multiple discharges.
With a loaded magazine in the firearm, the grip safety depressed, manual safety in the fire position, slide closed, and a round in the chamber, pulling the trigger will cause the round to fire normally, however as the slide cycles, the next round may be ignited as it is chambered by the hammer failing to fully engage the sear, causing multiple discharges.
In all cases, the firearm will NOT fire unless the grip safety is depressed. While this condition has been found only in two hammers, and our investigation suggests that these two incidents are very isolated, any unintended discharge of a firearm has the potential to cause injury. Therefore, we have established this Safety Recall as a precautionary measure to ensure that all M&P Shield EZ Pistols in service meet our design specifications.
Stop using your M&P® Shield™ EZ pistol until you determine whether it is included in this safety recall, and if so, until it has been inspected and repaired by Smith & Wesson, if necessary.
PRODUCT AFFECTED:
This notice applies ONLY to M&P® Shield™ EZ pistols (including Performance Center® models) manufactured between March 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020, and only to a small percentage of that population. It does NOT apply to all SHIELD™ pistols. To determine whether your M&P Shield EZ Pistol is affected, check the label on the box to determine date of manufacture (see image below), and if manufacture date is between March 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020 – your pistol may be affected. In this case (or if you are unsure of your date of manufacture), simply go to MPShieldEZrecall.com and input your serial number, or call 888-871-7114 .
Again, Smith & Wesson makes it easy to get your EZ repaired in a timely manner.
REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN:
If your M&P Shield EZ Pistol is included in this recall, we will arrange for the return of your firearm to Smith & Wesson for inspection. After inspection, if the hammer from your firearm is affected, it will be replaced at no cost to you. We expect that this entire process will take no longer than 10 business days, and your pistol will be returned as quickly and efficiently as possible. All shipping and replacement costs will be covered by Smith & Wesson.
Here’s how you can identify if your gun was manufactured in the window between March 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020.
HOW TO LOCATE YOUR SERIAL NUMBER AND DATE OF MANUFACTURE:
Image via Smith & Wesson
Please enter the serial number inscribed on your pistol in the field below to determine if it is included in this recall. You may enter multiple serial numbers. After you have checked all of your serial numbers, you will be asked to complete a pre-paid return label request form.
The M&P Shield EZ is a great little gun. If you have one, be sure to follow through on submitting it for a repair.
“This may also result in multiple discharges”? Without bump stock?
Can i have one?
I was thinking along the same lines — where can I get one?
Humorous, but not exactly ‘funny.’ BATF has an interesting take on guns that fire more than one round for a single trigger pull; They call them ‘machine guns.’
Now, if the gun breaks in some manner, and fires more than shot ONCE, to the surprise and chagrin of the operator, that’s a breakage malfunction, and would be forgiven. However, if one KNOWS that said gun now fires in that manner, and keeps it in service that way, NOW it’s an NFA felony because, in effect, the possessor has ‘converted’ the gun into a machine gun and left it that way intentionally.
It happens fairly regularly with ARs when the disconnector spring gets really weak, allowing the disconnector to ‘sag’ instead of holding the trigger at full cock, which lets it fall again as it follows the bolt carrier forward. One time, it’s a failure. Leave it that way and do it again, and it’s a ‘machine gun.’
It’s always something.
“The M&P Shield EZ is a great little gun.”
At least when not trying to do an imitation of a Glock 18, it seems.
Thank God for hammer-fired semi-auto handguns. A lot less of a chance for an ‘oopsie’ like that… 🙁
The M&P is hammer-fired, the hammer is just shrouded by the slide.
Can the hammer be manually-lowered?
Sure! Just let the hammer crack, release the grip safety, and VOILA! The hammer’s down. Then it’s up again. Then it’s down. Then it’s up again. Down. Up. And so on.
The new S&W EZ-Machine Pistol…
NFA doesn’t apply as it was not manufactured as an auto…nor was it illegally modified.
Interesting legal point.
My thanks to TTAG for posting this. My 9MM EZ was manufactured Sept 1, 2020 but the serial number was not on the list, so mine should be ok. Happy Thanksgiving TTAG.
Thanks. Bought mine in March 2020 and it’s not on the list either. FWIW I like the pistol.
Ditto on all counts.
Yeah, but Taurus, amirite?
Never a problem with 6 Tauruses. Or my S&W Sport…but these things are marketed to the weak,old & infirm. Shame on you Smith & Wesson. They ain’t cheap either.
Don’t ever expect decent customer service if you have a problem and they probably won’t fix it right. I was part of the Taurus/ Rossi recall. I lost the use of the gun for 3 years. What a fiasco
Uh oh. Full semi-auto handgun.
Assault weapon.
It appears at least, unlike the Sig you don’t need a set of steps to drop it down for full auto…. LOL S&W does a recall and announces….Sig denies, denies, nothing to see here all is well….then quietly fixes problems.
Did some work for a guy, Gunsmith, who has an M14 the make date is his Bday. He also has a Stechkin APS select fire Russian pistol. A 1945 Bar. And some others. The Stechkin is the Glock 18 before there was a Glock.
I could never figure out how to get my Daisy Red Rider lever action BB gun to go full auto. Something about automatic production of air pressure requiring an external tank, some hoses, a fixture to stabilize the gun when operating full auto, and somehow my paper straw magazine always failed to feed properly. Just seemed to be too much trouble.
I have to confess I actually bought a Sig….. a 1911 steel recoiling BB gun. Has the weight and correct dimensions of my real 1911’s. Got a few BB and pellets shooters. The Sig sounds like a suppressed shot. But takes the boredom out of a day shooting cheap ammo, that I can actually buy at the moment. Got an old Pump pellet rifle you can pump it 10 times I have yet to get it past 7. Gotta be a power lifter. Got a Red rider from the 70’s still works. Just can’t seem to stay away from things that shoot projectiles in one form or another.
Oh no ! Imagine the horror to discover your semi-auto handgun, which you had previously trusted to only go bang in response to your carefully controlled caress now fires promiscuously. The horror. I knew this would happen when the libs took over gun control education. I knew it.
Those 10 business days to get the pistols fixed, is that according to our previous understanding of the passage of time or is that according to the ” new normal” measurement ot time where we still find ourselves in the initial 2 week period to flatten the curve ? Asking for a friend who doesn’t want a full auto hand gun..
Thinking about buying one of these for my wife for Christmas. May yet.
This can’t be good news for the roster lawsuit in California.
Best to have a backup gun. They are going to be backed up with this.
Too bad auto manufacturers aren’t this proactive. “How many hundreds of people have been killed by a problem we know about and chose not to fix? Nah, It’ll be fine.”
“This may also result in multiple discharges”? Without bump stock?
Can i have one?
I was thinking along the same lines — where can I get one?
Humorous, but not exactly ‘funny.’ BATF has an interesting take on guns that fire more than one round for a single trigger pull; They call them ‘machine guns.’
Now, if the gun breaks in some manner, and fires more than shot ONCE, to the surprise and chagrin of the operator, that’s a breakage malfunction, and would be forgiven. However, if one KNOWS that said gun now fires in that manner, and keeps it in service that way, NOW it’s an NFA felony because, in effect, the possessor has ‘converted’ the gun into a machine gun and left it that way intentionally.
It happens fairly regularly with ARs when the disconnector spring gets really weak, allowing the disconnector to ‘sag’ instead of holding the trigger at full cock, which lets it fall again as it follows the bolt carrier forward. One time, it’s a failure. Leave it that way and do it again, and it’s a ‘machine gun.’
It’s always something.
“The M&P Shield EZ is a great little gun.”
At least when not trying to do an imitation of a Glock 18, it seems.
Thank God for hammer-fired semi-auto handguns. A lot less of a chance for an ‘oopsie’ like that… 🙁
The M&P is hammer-fired, the hammer is just shrouded by the slide.
Can the hammer be manually-lowered?
Sure! Just let the hammer crack, release the grip safety, and VOILA! The hammer’s down. Then it’s up again. Then it’s down. Then it’s up again. Down. Up. And so on.
The new S&W EZ-Machine Pistol…
NFA doesn’t apply as it was not manufactured as an auto…nor was it illegally modified.
Interesting legal point.
My thanks to TTAG for posting this. My 9MM EZ was manufactured Sept 1, 2020 but the serial number was not on the list, so mine should be ok. Happy Thanksgiving TTAG.
Thanks. Bought mine in March 2020 and it’s not on the list either. FWIW I like the pistol.
Ditto on all counts.
Yeah, but Taurus, amirite?
Never a problem with 6 Tauruses. Or my S&W Sport…but these things are marketed to the weak,old & infirm. Shame on you Smith & Wesson. They ain’t cheap either.
Don’t ever expect decent customer service if you have a problem and they probably won’t fix it right. I was part of the Taurus/ Rossi recall. I lost the use of the gun for 3 years. What a fiasco
Uh oh. Full semi-auto handgun.
Assault weapon.
It appears at least, unlike the Sig you don’t need a set of steps to drop it down for full auto…. LOL S&W does a recall and announces….Sig denies, denies, nothing to see here all is well….then quietly fixes problems.
Did some work for a guy, Gunsmith, who has an M14 the make date is his Bday. He also has a Stechkin APS select fire Russian pistol. A 1945 Bar. And some others. The Stechkin is the Glock 18 before there was a Glock.
I could never figure out how to get my Daisy Red Rider lever action BB gun to go full auto. Something about automatic production of air pressure requiring an external tank, some hoses, a fixture to stabilize the gun when operating full auto, and somehow my paper straw magazine always failed to feed properly. Just seemed to be too much trouble.
I have to confess I actually bought a Sig….. a 1911 steel recoiling BB gun. Has the weight and correct dimensions of my real 1911’s. Got a few BB and pellets shooters. The Sig sounds like a suppressed shot. But takes the boredom out of a day shooting cheap ammo, that I can actually buy at the moment. Got an old Pump pellet rifle you can pump it 10 times I have yet to get it past 7. Gotta be a power lifter. Got a Red rider from the 70’s still works. Just can’t seem to stay away from things that shoot projectiles in one form or another.
Oh no ! Imagine the horror to discover your semi-auto handgun, which you had previously trusted to only go bang in response to your carefully controlled caress now fires promiscuously. The horror. I knew this would happen when the libs took over gun control education. I knew it.
Those 10 business days to get the pistols fixed, is that according to our previous understanding of the passage of time or is that according to the ” new normal” measurement ot time where we still find ourselves in the initial 2 week period to flatten the curve ? Asking for a friend who doesn’t want a full auto hand gun..
Thinking about buying one of these for my wife for Christmas. May yet.
This can’t be good news for the roster lawsuit in California.
Best to have a backup gun. They are going to be backed up with this.
Too bad auto manufacturers aren’t this proactive. “How many hundreds of people have been killed by a problem we know about and chose not to fix? Nah, It’ll be fine.”
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