I have a S&W equalizer in 9MM. The only issued I encountered is it doesn't like SIG V Crown JHP ammo. It will fire a magazine full of them but the last one, sometimes the last two rounds will not feed into the chamber. I tried this ammo with all the mags it came with, and yes, the gun was clean and properly oiled and got the same result. Other brands of JHP I tried work great. Only the SIG V crown JHP that gives me problems. It's not a big deal because there are plenty of other JHP(s) to choose from. However I'm curious if any one else has this problem. Also note that this gun is well beyond it's "breaking in " period.
S&W Equalizer doesn't like Sig V crown JHP
- Thread starter Area9211
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The gun comes with three magazines that all experience the same thing with said ammo. Because of that I don't think it's the magazines. I conclude that the gun just isn't made for that ammo. I made this post to determine if it's just my gun or do others have the issue but got no responses. What I might do is contact SW and ask if they know anything on this issue.
Is the V-Crown the same weight as some other JHPs you tried?
Some pistols, like CZs, are known for not liking long 147 gr ammunition.
On the other end of the spectrum, I know a guy with a Kimber KDS9C that gets feeding issues with 115 gr ammunition, but works great with 124 gr ammunition.
Then some pistols/magazines just don't like certain JHP profiles. This gets talked about a bit more with .45 ACP 1911s.
Some pistols, like CZs, are known for not liking long 147 gr ammunition.
On the other end of the spectrum, I know a guy with a Kimber KDS9C that gets feeding issues with 115 gr ammunition, but works great with 124 gr ammunition.
Then some pistols/magazines just don't like certain JHP profiles. This gets talked about a bit more with .45 ACP 1911s.
Old Henny Youngman joke:
Guy goes to his doctor.
Guy (wiggles arm) and says, "Doc, it hurts when I do that."
Doctor says, "Don't do that!"
So, if SIG V-Crown doesn't work in your Equalizer, don't use V-Crown. There are plenty of excellent 9mm self-defense rounds out there. You'll have to experiment to find one that works perfectly in your gun, but it's well worth the time and money to find a round that won't fail you in a crunch.
Guy goes to his doctor.
Guy (wiggles arm) and says, "Doc, it hurts when I do that."
Doctor says, "Don't do that!"
So, if SIG V-Crown doesn't work in your Equalizer, don't use V-Crown. There are plenty of excellent 9mm self-defense rounds out there. You'll have to experiment to find one that works perfectly in your gun, but it's well worth the time and money to find a round that won't fail you in a crunch.
I realized that they are other JHP rounds as mentioned in my original post. However maybe bringing this information to light may prevent another owner of the same gun from buying a case of SIG crown JHP rounds only to find out they got the same problem.
I used 115 and 124 Gr. Both got same results.
Alk8944
US Veteran
The bullets in V Crown ammunition are made by Sierra. Try other ammunition before buying more magazines, the magazine probably is not the problem
I don't know why so many have feed issues! I own a dozen or so 9mm pistols of different make, model and vintage, Astra, Star, Walther, S&W, etc, and have for over 30 years. Every one of them has worked just fine with whatever I have fed them! The only thing I haven't shot in them is 147 gr. ammunition, but everything else!
I don't know why so many have feed issues! I own a dozen or so 9mm pistols of different make, model and vintage, Astra, Star, Walther, S&W, etc, and have for over 30 years. Every one of them has worked just fine with whatever I have fed them! The only thing I haven't shot in them is 147 gr. ammunition, but everything else!
It may simply feed better with pointier profiled JHPs then.
If other JHPs with decent performance work reliably enough, I would stick with those.
If it really bothers you, you could try sending it back to S&W, but they might just say, "Works with X-non-SIG JHP! Good to go!"
Another option might be polishing the feed ramp, as it may be on the loose end of factory tolerances. A decent amount of SIG P220 Carry models from the mid-2000s needed that done to work reliably with a wide array of JHP projectiles. I say this because a guy I knew told me about his experience where he brought it back to the store he bought it from (at the time a high volume SIG dealer). The store gunsmith had seen enough to know what he was talking about; he gave it a quick polishing, and it worked fine after that.
First thing to look at is exactly where the troublesome rounds hang up. Case in point is my Model 6946. When I first bought it, rounds would sometimes hang up on the feed ramp. It only happened with "premium" ammo that had no visible taper crimp. The culprit was the edge of the chamber. My S&W 439 had a small chamfer on the edge of the chamber, the 6946 had a 90 degree edge. I put a tiny chamfer on the edge of the 6946's chamber. This allowed those premium loads with a sharp case edge to glide into the chamber and it became a 100% reliable pistol.
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Just received my new Equalizer, and went to the range today.
Positive: Noticeably more accurate than my Glock 17 and 26, my VP9, and my P365!!!
Required minimal initial cleaning…was actually good to go right out of the box.
$399, including……. three mags, Magalula loader, CT red laser. $399!!!
Plus….$50 rebate!
Neutral: This gun is tight! Initially fairly stiff, but it loosened up sufficiently after less than 50 rounds. Way more solid-feeling than the Rugers…similar solid feel as the Glocks and HK.
Negative: two of the three mags will not accept the specified number of rounds. If they don’t loosen up a bit, I am confident S&W will replace them.
Very impressed with the engineering and apparent quality.
And, pleasant surprise…the grip safety is a non-issue!
Color this ole boy……impressed!
Positive: Noticeably more accurate than my Glock 17 and 26, my VP9, and my P365!!!
Required minimal initial cleaning…was actually good to go right out of the box.
$399, including……. three mags, Magalula loader, CT red laser. $399!!!
Plus….$50 rebate!
Neutral: This gun is tight! Initially fairly stiff, but it loosened up sufficiently after less than 50 rounds. Way more solid-feeling than the Rugers…similar solid feel as the Glocks and HK.
Negative: two of the three mags will not accept the specified number of rounds. If they don’t loosen up a bit, I am confident S&W will replace them.
Very impressed with the engineering and apparent quality.
And, pleasant surprise…the grip safety is a non-issue!
Color this ole boy……impressed!
Autonomous
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Have you left the problem mags loaded for a while?
I've seen mags that looked and felt clean and wouldn't take the last round work after a simple disassembly and wipe down.
I've seen mags that looked and felt clean and wouldn't take the last round work after a simple disassembly and wipe down.
Pisgah
Member
I used the mag loader that came in the box with my Equalizer the first time at the range, then reloaded the mags and just let them sit for a month. Next trip, loading the mags full by hand worked, but was a struggle, so... another load-and-wait. Last time, no problem. It still requires hand strength -- ironic for a gun meant to be easy to manipulate with compromised hand strength -- but at least it is possible without the tool.
I have a custom .45 Commander that doesn't feed Speer 185gr but feeds Ranger T 230gr without issue
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After a few cycles, all three mags work fine….just required a bit of break-in.
I continue to be highly impressed with the Equalizer….a nicely-engineered and assembled product….and a great value!
Too bad....
It's one of the ammo on my 'GOOD' list, especially for .380 acp.
It's one of the ammo on my 'GOOD' list, especially for .380 acp.
