well, i ended up taking it apart a couple times last night. first time was after installing the trigger shield... and it snuck its way out behind the trigger instead of into the magazine well. it got easier each time.
the thin shard of metal was resting on the frame near where the "lug" fits into the receiver. near the front of the frame. at first, i attributed this to the shield, but it was obviously different metal composition than the shield. given how the machined edges of the gun are "poorly" or "adequately" finished, it made sense. each time upon reassembly, the process was easier to do.
i put about 50 rounds through it tonight, all without a hitch. damn that thing shoots well!
lemme try an image...
my wife also got a 9mm yesterday, so this sheet (with 5 targets) is her first ever, so she wrote silly stuff all over it and hung it in the wall. my target there is the first 10 rounds through my ruger. they were shot two handed, with rest, at 25 yards. that's about a 1" circle...
