Optimate 9mm COL

[YTL424]

I am having a Failure to Feed about every 10 rounds. 9MM, using 115 gr. RN, COL 1.130, 1.150 at 5.0 & 5.3 gr Auto Comp.

It is a new gun, 2 weeks old & about 400 rds. It is really beginning to annoy me.

Anyone have any ideas on cartridge length.

[Goblin]

That's a little longer than I seat them, but I'd look more at the amount of taper crimp you're using. After, that is, you've ruled out magazine problems. What kind of gun, and do your loaded rounds drop easily into the barrel (when field stripped) and seat flush to the barrel hood?

[Rastoff]

Try some factory ammo.

[ShelbyV8]

Are the rounds hanging up going into the chamber or are they not picking up from the magazine. Breaking in a new pistol need fairly hot round. I prefer 124/125 grain during break in.

[NevadaBob]

You are doing the Plunk Test right? Tell us about your bullets.

[YTL424]

OK. A little more information to help the problem solving. The gun is a S&W PC 5" 9mm Core Ported.

What is happening is that the round comes up out of the mag. The case base comes up on the bolt face before the striker pin has retracted. The pin prevents the case from coming up parallel with the barrel, stopping forward slide travel, causing a jam.

I need to delay the cartridge coming up the bolt face just a bit to allow the slide to move foreward another couple thousands, which will complete the retraction of the striker, allowing the cartridge to continue upward, then forward into the chamber.

The cartridges fall into the chamber easily if they don't get hung up on the bolt face, (striker pin).

Any ideas will be appreciated.

[Ballistic147]

Have you removed the striker and checked it? Not arguing what you're saying but I've never seen one do that. At the point the slide strips the next cartridge from the magazine that striker pin should have long been retracted. I would be looking for dirt or grit in the striker channel making things sticky or a broken/improperly installed striker spring.

FYI (and you may already know this) but the striker channel should be dry with no lube in there at all. I could see if someone unknowingly lubed it this could cause the issue as well.

[Rastoff]

Originally Posted by ShelbyV8

Breaking in a new pistol need fairly hot round.

This is a myth. The M&P needs no break in and should work straight out of the box.

Originally Posted by Ballistic147

Have you removed the striker and checked it? Not arguing what you're saying but I've never seen one do that.

I have seen this before. Sometimes, dirt builds up in the striker channel and prevents the striker return spring from doing its job. Cleaning the striker channel usually cures the issue.


YTL424,
Do you need pics describing how to remove the striker?

[YTL424]

The striker & striker block have been out several times. Clean as I can make it everywhere.

The striker is cocked as the slide closes. The slide catches the striker about 3/8" before coming into battery. The slide should catch the striker just before the next cartridge comes up to be pushed into the chamber. It is a point of very precise timing on the part of the S&W engineers.

I have tried about everything I can think of so I guess it is about time to send it back to S&W. Hate to do that but guess it needs doing.

I am going to try one more cartridge length & then off to S&W unless someone comes up with a good idea.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[YTL424]

I gave up. I called S & W & got a shipping label. It should go back Tues.

I will post what they claim they did to repair it when I get it back.

[Arik]

Try factory ammo to make sure it's the gun and not the reloads

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[Rastoff]

Originally Posted by Arik

Try factory ammo to make sure it's the gun and not the reloads

If only someone had suggested that way back in post #3.

No, this can't be caused by reloads. It's possible the firing pin hole is too small. It's possible the striker return spring is too light. It's possible the striker pin is too large.

[Arik]

Originally Posted by Rastoff

If only someone had suggested that way back in post #3.

No, this can't be caused by reloads.

I know!

Impossible!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[YTL424]

Yup. I tried factory ammo. It might have shot a couple more rounds before jamming, but it did jam.

I measured COL on the factory rounds and it was 1.160. Longer than my reloads. Also a higher velocity out the barrel.

I reloaded some rounds at factory length and higher FPS than my normal reloads. It didn't help.

S&W customer service said only, "send it in". He wasn't surprised by the problem. We will see. Hope turn-a-round isn't to long. I will post the answer.