3913 problem?

[Makarov9x18]

Hello, I am new to this forum, thanks for the opportunity to join.
I recently purchased a 3913 , in a long quest for compact, da/sa pistol with external safety and I finally found something I really like.
I took it to the range and tested shooting about 100 rounds of different ammo, zero issues.

However i notice one issue with it that looks alarming to me - when i unload the pistol and remove fully loaded magzine - first (top) round often fell off the mag well. This happens regardless to bullet type or ammo brand. On inspection I found that when pistol is loaded and first round goes into the chamber - round right after it moves somewhat forward and when magazine is removed - bullet tip hits the wall of the mag well and round exits the magazine. This happens on any of the 5 factory magazinrs i have.
Is this an issue I should be concerned with and is there a fix?
Change magazine springs, recoil spring?
Overall i like the pistol but this kind of makes me worried about potential realibility problems.
The gun seemed to be shot very little if at all before I bought it.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Had/have several 3913/3914/3913NLs since 1990 don't recall that ever happening; even when doing tactical reloads................

I chamber a round, remove the mag and top off the mag with another round. Just now, dropped the full 8rd mag in the 3913 I'm wearing; loaded 8+1..... no movement of the top round.

Can't safely experiment where I am

 

[ken158]

A video of what you are trying to describe would be helpful. The mag well is on the bottom of the grip where the mag is inserted into the firearm. Perhaps you have the follower confused with the mag well?

 

[BMCM]

Yup, friction from the breech closing drags the second round forward.

And that round which is now at the top of the ammo stack will typically fall out loose when clearing the weapon.

My CS9 behaves the very same way as have several 3913s I've had here for work.

Nothing to worry about, it's kinda common on the single stack 9mm guns.

Cheers
Bill

 

[Makarov9x18]

A video of what you are trying to describe would be helpful. The mag well is on the bottom of the grip where the mag is inserted into the firearm. Perhaps you have the follower confused with the mag well?

I probably called it incorrect, what i mean is bullet hits the top of the magazine shaft wall.

 

[stansdds]

Welcome to the S&W Forums. I presume that what you are saying is that when you chamber a round from the magazine, then next round in the magazine is being dragged forward enough that the tip of the bullet is likely touching the feed ramp, then gets stripped out of the magazine when you remove the magazine. Did I get this right?
Since this pistol is new to you and you likely do not know how it was treated, how many rounds have been fired through it now if the critical springs have ever been replaced, I'd say you should replace the recoil and magazine springs. Fresh springs may solve the issue.

 

[Makarov9x18]

Yup, friction from the breech closing drags the second round forward.

And that round which is now at the top of the ammo stack will typically fall out loose when clearing the weapon.

My CS9 behaves the very same way as have several 3913s I've had here for work.

Nothing to worry about, it's kinda common on the single stack 9mm guns.

Cheers
Bill

My concern is - can that round somehow move too much forward and couse a malfunction?

 

[Makarov9x18]

Welcome to the S&W Forums. I presume that what you are saying is that when you chamber a round from the magazine, then next round in the magazine is being dragged forward enough that the tip of the bullet is likely touching the feed ramp, then gets stripped out of the magazine when you remove the magazine. Did I get this right?
Since this pistol is new to you and you likely do not know how it was treated, how many rounds have been fired through it now if the critical springs have ever been replaced, I'd say you should replace the recoil and magazine springs. Fresh springs may solve the issue.

I already ordered springs from Wolf. It does not like it was shot a lot, one thing that I notice - recoil spring seems to be a bit strong, slide slams forward pretty hard but I never had 3913 before so I am not sure if its normal. I ordered a spec recoil spring and mag springs.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Yup, friction from the breech closing drags the second round forward.

And that round which is now at the top of the ammo stack will typically fall out loose when clearing the weapon.

My CS9 behaves the very same way as have several 3913s I've had here for work.

Nothing to worry about, it's kinda common on the single stack 9mm guns.

Cheers
Bill

Agree with the "drag next round forward' part...... don't recall a loose round ever falling out of the magwell. Note; my guns are all from 1989-1994. CS9s were 1999-2006. Some change in the feed ramp????

Would shoot the gun in USPSA and IDPA with tactical reloads.

 

[GaryS]

The round at the top of the magazine will sometimes do that if a round is chambered and you pull the magazine. While I can't say if it's "normal" others have said that it's nothing to worry about.

Neither of my 457s in .45ACP do that, but it happens with both my pre rail 3913TSW and CS9.

 

[mckenney99]

BMCM is the forum expert on S&W 2nd & 3rd gen semi-autos, so his word is GOLDEN. As BMCM stated, what you are describing is not uncommon in single stack 9mm's. All of my Kahr Arms 9mm's do the exact same thing. Even my custom Colt 1911 in 9mm does it occasionally. It is annoying but under normal use it's not a big deal. It really only is an issue if you are performing a "tactical" reload or during administrative handling.
The recommendation to replace recoil springs and magazine springs on any recently acquired used firearm, is a good one, as you don't really know how much a pistol has been shot and new springs are cheap insurance.

 

[BAM-BAM]

GaryS's 3913TSW [2000-2006] and CS9[1999-2006] postdate my guns by several years.

 

[Makarov9x18]

Thanks everyone for the answers! This is really helpful.

 

[Brian Parrish]

Good Question!

Welcome!
I will concur with the opinion that this is not any problem.
If I ever dropped a loose round on the floor when taking out the magazine, I am sure I never paid any attention to it.
I know that there are people who are bothered by this phenomenon, but I am not one of them.
Some mags will have indentations on the feed lips to mitigate this.
Some mag followers have a little bump on the follower which helps with this. In the photo I show my 457 mag with both indents and the little bump on the follower beside the 3913 mag which has neither.

Kind Regards!
BrianD

 

[kbm6893]

Common in all 3rd gen guns. All of mine do that. Never had a malfunction. I do drop the mag after I chamber the first round and slide the next round back. It's just part of the design.

 

[CH4]

Yup, friction from the breech closing drags the second round forward.

And that round which is now at the top of the ammo stack will typically fall out loose when clearing the weapon.

My CS9 behaves the very same way as have several 3913s I've had here for work.

Nothing to worry about, it's kinda common on the single stack 9mm guns.

Cheers
Bill

^^^^^^^^
Same here. All my 39XXs and 10XXs do that.

 

[BMCM]

My concern is - can that round somehow move too much forward and couse a malfunction?

Nope, it stopped against the bottom of the feedramp when the breech went into battery chambering the top round.

The next place it goes is either... into the chamber and out the front, or pull the mag and out the bottom.

Nothing to worry about.

Cheers
Bill

 

[toddimusnimski]

You've made a great pistol choice. Some believe the 3913/3914 series to be the best concealed carry option that S&W ever produced. Is yours the Ladysmith with the slanted dustcover? You mentioned you have 5 factory magazines, excellent. I'd stick with those - I've heard that the aftermarket single stack magazines for S&W pistols can be problematic.

Welcome to the Forum! Post a pic or two if you can.

Todd

 

[Makarov9x18]

I always liked DA/SA guns, carried Makarov a bit but ammo now is getting rare and sights are getting a bit small for my aging eyes. I always wanted something similar - da/sa, with safety but in 9x19. I bought the 43X, its light, reliable but lack of external safety with a combination of a short trigger make me uncomfortable. And then someone pointed me to 3913 and I found one in a shop in my area. It turned out to be all I wanted - DA/SA, safety , narrow and pretty light. Accurate. Pic attached.

 

[toddimusnimski]

Very nice! I really like my 3914 Ladysmith version. The older 3913 7 round factory magazines with the flat metal baseplate help a bit with concealability but are not as commonly encountered.

Todd