specifically to avoid), but "clearing" a weapon with the mag in it is NOT clearing a weapon at all. On April 11, 2006, Leon Paige left the magazine in when clearing his Glock, foolishly pulled the trigger in a room full of kids (talk about desensitization), and ended up with a limp. I don't see how the part could have survived the packing and shipping process still in place and then later fell out just because the pin was missing. Something else is going on, send it in. But on a side note, I took the sear disconnect and mag discconect completely out of my 9c. Sometimes when I am dry firing my M&P I discover that the disconnect lever has fallen completely out of the gun on to the kitchen floor, but the pin is now where to be found.... and I need a quick solution, so I just turn to the the drawer that stores my cocktail toothpicks. Yup, more than once just before a big match the darn thing just fell out......hard to believe TOF, but it's true. As luck would have it the toothpick is a marvelous substitute as well as being a great tool to keep on the workbench when working on these darn things. So, that is my M&P gunsmithing tip of the week, with photos as always, to substantiate it. I don't see how the part could have survived the packing and shipping process still in place and then later fell out just