I posted this in the smithing section, but haven't gotten a lot of replies/info. Since this area seems to get more traffic, I'd like to try it here as well, as I don't know what to do at this point.

I have a Model 39-2 that has recently started acting up. My son had it out yesterday and reported numerous failures to eject, using three different magazines and several different brands of ammo. As he describes it, with the mags loaded to capacity, it fires and ejects fine until the last two to three rounds in the mag. it happens with the original mag, one aftermarket mag and with a newer, stainless 9-round mag. The mag springs have all been replaced, we've tried different weight recoil springs and it still continues. What happens is best described as a stove pipe jam, but the offending case ends up mouth down, rather than up.

Anyone have an idea where the problem might lie? Could there be a problem with the extractor not getting a good grip on the case? It looks OK, the hook not broken or chipped, so I don't know what to look for. I've had this thing for probably 30 years or so, never really shot it a whole lot (maybe 1000 rounds total), and it just recently started acting up

Well, today I took the gun down and found some things. First, there is a removal of the anodizing on the rails. I would expect some wear in the rail areas, but these rails are almost bare of the anodizing. I also found the recoil spring guide rod to be scored lengthwise almost all the way around, and the bluing/anodizing worn off of it as well. It's been awhile since I've done anything with this gun, since it's been in my son's possession, but my thoughts are, he's been shooting it virtually dry. I can't come up with another explanation for the wear that I'm sure wasn't there when I passed this one on to my son. I did check and clean out the extractor and can't find any issues there. I lubed it up properly and if I get a chance this week, I'm going to take it to the range myself and see if I can duplicate what he's having happen. I sent an email to S&W and will try calling tomorrow to see if they still even service something this old. My inclination at this point is, if I can get Smith & Wesson to take a look at it and maybe restore some of its former glory, it's going to be staying with me, until I can impress upon my kid the necessity of properly caring for such a fine weapon...

__________________
Gary

Most likely is the extractor spring. I was having very similar, if not exactly the same issue you've described.
I ordered a complete spring kit from Wolff, and a new extractor from Numrich. The springs came in first, so I changed the extractor spring, and the 39-2 is once again "favorite gun status"! The new extractor did come in, so I guess it will now go into my parts bin as I see no need to install it now.

Good luck.

The old factory armorer fix is to replace the extractor and spring first. There were a couple of generations of extractor with the last being more reliable. Most of the replacements available are the latter reliable version.

Sometimes the extractors would get damaged when people would load the gun by dropping a round in the chamber and then letting the slide go forward without the slowing benefit of stripping the round from the magazine. Check the extractor for chips or breakage. Some times the very tip will break off and it is not noticeable without careful examination in good light.

I agree with you that the wear on the gun is probably from little or no lube. The areas you describe will show wear after a lot of shooting but a little lube every so often will help slow it down.

Maybe Fastbolt will weigh in on this, but I too suspect your extractor spring.
Randy

Good you examined the extractor and cut in the slide and lubed it. I'd replace the extractor spring in any case.

As to the slide rails, I have owned a 39, multiple 39-2s, 3913 and a Performance Center CQB, all with alloy frames. It has been my experience with these guns, that even if kept well lubed, the anodizing wears partially or completely through to the bare aluminum slide rails pretty quickly, certainly in less than a thousand rounds in my guns. Any aluminum recoil spring guides I have used in S&W pistols quicky wore through the anodizing as you have described. Mine also showed wear through the anodizing in a circular pattern, where the spring coils ride against the guide, deep enough to be felt with a fingernail. I really like the S&Ws, but have also owned several alloy-framed SIGs. The anodizing on the SIGs has always held up much better than S&Ws. Wish the S&W anodizing was as durable...

__________________
NRA Life, COTEP 640

How hard is it to replace the extractor spring? Is it something I can do myself? I'm pretty good around my M&Ps, having installed a DCAEK in one of them, and I've taken apart 1911's before. So, if replacing the extractor spring is a do-it-myself project, I'll get the parts ordered tomorrow...

__________________
Gary

Replacing the extractor spring is pretty easy, I've done it several times. The older instructions for the 39-2 include that information, but not the newer manuals. You should be able to find a copy on line. As I recall, after the slide is removed from the frame and the barrel removed, you remove the firing pin, then drive out the extractor pivot pin (it goes one way, not sure which, check first). Remove the extractor, replace the coil spring, then reassemble. Probably a good idea to replace the recoil spring, as well. Good luck

Not hard at all. Field strip, punch the extractor pin from the top down and remove the extractor and spring. I soaked the extractor in Gun Scrubber and cleaned it before replacing in service. Punched the pin back in from the bottom up.

I know that I sound over protective of my guns, but I NEVER dry fire anything. I know that some manufacturers say that it is ok, especially newer firearms, but I never do it anyway, at least without one of those plastic blanks.