Smith & Wesson issued a recall notice for M&P Shield EZ pistols manufactured between March 1st, 2020 and October 31st, 2020. Here is what the manufacturer says:
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:
1) 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.
2) 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:
S&W explains that the 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), 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.”
For owners outside the United States:
”For M&P Shield EZ pistol owners outside the United States, see our list of Authorized Warranty Centers available at smith-wesson.com/customer-service/warranty-stations, who will inspect your pistol and replace your hammer as necessary.”
For dealers/distributors/retailers:
“If you have less than 5 affected firearms, please input your serial numbers to receive return labels. If you have 5 or more affected pistols in inventory, please call 888-871-7114 and we will coordinate a pickup of the affected firearms. In either case, the firearms will be expedited to our facility, repaired, and returned to you ASAP.
For those pistols on the list which you have already sold, we ask that you provide us with the names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mails of customers to whom you have sold them to. Please send this information to us electronically at MPShieldEZrecall@smith-wesson.com. If you do not have the capability to return the form electronically, please call 888-871-7114. This information is vital to ensure that notice of the recall is given to all affected purchasers. Once we receive this information from you, we will immediately arrange to provide notice of the recall directly to your customers.”
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.”
How to locate your serial number and date of manufacture:
To learn more and to determine if your pistol is included in the recall, please visit https://www.mpshieldezrecall.com/.
