I just got back from a range trip today, and now I need to clean this before I carry it for the rest of the day. Follow along to see the steps I take to break down the pistol and get it ready for cleaning!
(Before we get started I also want to point out that you can find this Shield 45 as well as my cleaning supplies and tools all at Brownells.)
The very first step to cleaning is first verifying that the weapon is unloaded and safe to work on. To do that I drop the magazine by pressing on the magazine relase button on the left of the frame. Then I pull the slide back and lock it into place using the slide stop lever on the left side of the pistol. With the slide locked in place, I then visually inspect all around the inside of the pistol and verify that there is no round in the chamber or sitting on the loading ramp.
Now that I have verified that the weapon is clear and safe to work on, the next step is to disassemble the weapon for cleaning. For pistols this means removing the slide from the frame, and then removing the barrel and recoil assembly from the slide. To do this, I rotate the takedown lever downwards until it stops. Then I reach in side the frame with a pick and flip down a small lever at the top of the magwell/bottom of the chamber area. This is the sear deactivation lever. This is unique to the M&P pistol, and it makes it so that the trigger does not need to be pulled in order to disassemble the weapon. After that I pull back on the slide to release the slide stop, and then let it come forward, and the slide comes right off.
Now that I have the slide off, I remove the recoil assembly by pushing slightly forward at the back where it locks up, and pulling gently upward. It lifts right out. That frees up the barrel, and I pull the barrel out by lifting it out of the slide. I can keep going to disassemble the pistol more, but for today that is as far as I have to go in order to clean out the weapon.
After cleaning, I need to reassemble the weapon. Reassembly is, as they say, the opposite of removal. I drop the barrel back into the slide, making sure that it sits in place. After that, the recoil assembly can be reinstalled. To do this I take the recoil assembly and first align and insert the larger end into the corresponding area in the slide. Then I apply gentle pressure to the smaller rear area, and press in so that it presses into the locking block on the underside of the barrel. With the barrel and recoil system in place, I can then reinstall the slide onto the frame. The slide goes on the same way that it comes off, sliding onto the frame from front to back. I take care here to make sure that it engages both sets of rails on the front and back of the frame. I keep pulling on the slide until it stops, and then I reengage the slide stop by pressing upward on it while I release pressure on the slide. With the slide locked open, I then flip the sear deactivation lever back up to engage the sear. Then I can rotate the takedown lever counter clockwise until it stops. When this is done, I then pull back on the slide to release the slide stop, and let go of the slide to let it go forward.
The only thing left to do after this is to check for function. I point the weapon in a safe direction and press the trigger, making sure that the trigger breaks and releases the striker. I then hold the trigger to the rear and run the slide. After the slide goes back forward, I ease pressure on the trigger to make sure that it resets, listening for the sound and looking for the slight click in the trigger. Finally, I press the trigger again to drop the striker. Done!
Check out the full video, including cleaning, on the PT Youtube channel!
Until next time, stay safe!