CS9 Failure to Fire

[Rcdyna]

Took my flawless CS9 out to the range to do some shooting. Every magazine I fired went something like this. Bang, Bang, Bank, Click, Click, Bank, Click. Every mag had misfires and in different order. All this from a gun that never had a hiccup, I was using two different brands of ammo. Some hits looked light and some looked normal. I had the range officer put four of the misfires in his Glock, and it went Bang,Bang,Bang,Bang.

Headed home really bummed, what is wrong with my precious CS9. I thought I felt a strange feeling in the grip at the range but figured maybe the grip screw was loose. So I'm thinking firing pin, maybe the spring, dirt ???

I get home and removed the left grip and something fell out. Upon inspection the right grip had a small plastic part attached to the grip. The left grip also had this plastic piece but it had broken off. It was moving around in the grip and interfering with the guns operation. Went back a few days later and put two boxes down range. In typical third gen. fashion no issues at all. Left the range a happy guy.

 

[TercGen]

Glad you figured out the problem, my used CS9 came with that same piece already broken off as well.

 

[Fastbolt]

The "tab" that broke off is the part of each of the grip stock panels that hold the grip tightly against the middle/upper part of the frame at the rear. (There are forward located, taller frame tabs on each grip, too.) The small rear tabs slip over the raised part of the rear of the frame, to either side of the hammer stirrup.

https://www.hogueinc.com/media/custom/upload/File-1497466128.pdf

While I've infrequently had to "adjust" the clearance of a plastic tab (with the judicious use of a jeweler's file) to let the tabs of the 1-piece wrap-around grips (6906/4013TSW) fit over the raised parts of the frame at that spot, I've never had one break off.

If I had to guess, I'd suspect that someone tried to forcefully shove a grip panel onto the rear of the frame, and didn't realize they weren't positioning the rear tab to properly slip over and clear the rear raised edge of the frame, so they damaged the grip's plastic tab, eventually causing it to break loose from the grip. That tab is a fairly thick piece of plastic, and if it were to be broken off and move around, it's unsurprising that it might impede the normal movement of the hammer's stirrup, or even get down inside the main spring cup and get between a spring coil.

Fortunately, this probably more likely a user-caused type of "problem", and one which is easily avoided when installing the grips. I've seen a lot of 3rd gen guns equipped with Hogue grip stocks, and I've not yet came across one that had that tab broken off. (Of course, we always suggested that our people bring new grips they wished added to their pistols to an armorer for installation, especially if it was an issued pistol, to help reduce the potential for an unintentional problem to occur due to improper installation.)

Midway still has the CS series grips listed, and their price is $10 less than the S&W retail parts list from 2013, FWIW.
CS9 grips - MidwayUSA

Sigh, that link may require you to select the menu button for Continue to midwayusa.com ... sorry. I've tried it a couple of times and had it work differently.

 

[Rcdyna]

Thank you Fastbolt for such a detailed answer.

(If I had to guess, I'd suspect that someone tried to forcefully shove a grip panel onto the rear of the frame, and didn't realize they weren't positioning the rear tab to properly slip over and clear the rear raised edge of the frame, so they damaged the grip's plastic tab, eventually causing it to break loose from the grip)

I think your dead on with this statement.

 

[Fastbolt]

De nada.

I'd not be exactly surprised if my suspicion was probably correct.

I've seen ... and made ... my fair share of mistakes performed by trained armorers, let alone enthusiasts and hobbyists. .

As a young and newly minted armorer, for a while I kept each of the "mistakes" (ruined parts or assemblies) at my own bench, to remind me to use more caution and careful study before blazing away armorin' ...

That's one of the reasons why armorer instructors for the various gun companies usually bring "extra" parts and assemblies to their classes.

Sure, it's handy and good will/advertising to be able to give away the occasional Onesies & Twosies of free parts for armorers ... but it's more often a matter of having extra ones on hand for when armorer students lose, break or otherwise mangle a part or assembly in one of the training guns.

 

[Fastbolt]

Folks, be advised that the CS model grips which come from Midway are ONLY the grip stock panels, not the screws or the Hogue bases. (That's fine with me, as I can always obtain the screws or plastic base from Hogue, but it's the actual grip stocks I wanted to put back as spares.)

They're not packaged in the Hogue packaging, but in plastic bags as if received from S&W as parts (at a guess).

 

[Gunsquirrel]

I called S&W about June of last year looking for replacement grips, the rep I spoke to "found" a new pair in No. Carolina and had them shipped to me..FREE!!