Ejection issue with a 915.

[USNPJS]

First and foremost, hello! This board was recommended to me by a member on AR15.com to hopefully get a little help with an issue I'm having with a NIB 915 I recently acquired (well, for $300 I'd like to think I stole it ).

The general function of the firearm is superb, it's perfectly accurate, recoil is extremely manageable and so far it functions perfectly with Winchester White Box, GECO, and some hand loads. The issue I'm running into is when I'm shooting it, the ejection is almost straight up and only goes about 6-8 inches. When my fiancée is shooting, it ejects straight into her face . Being she apparently is rather fond of this gun and intends to steal it from me as soon as I get it running right, is there anyway to tune the extractor/ejector so this becomes a non-issue? This is the first full size semi-auto I've bought that she genuinely likes, and we all know it's good to keep the boss happy! Picture from the "unboxing" added for your enjoyment.

 

[nocents]

congrats on a new in box 915.....even though you aren't having any cycling issues ....I would first try a new recoil spring before tackling the extractor........even though it's new in box...that spring has been under load for a while

 

[USNPJS]

Sounds like a good place to start, thanks!

 

[Fastbolt]

A new recoil spring (and mag springs) is a good thing to do with a used pistol.

It's not impossible that low-powered ammo and a less-than-optimal grip (especially with g/friend) is involved, and I'd never run reloaded ammo when assessing function in a gun. (Why introduce the potential for more adverse influences and potential confusion if you encounter a feeding/extraction/ejection issue?)

I'd replace the springs ... clean & lube the gun ... and try some better ammo. (FWIW, I've used some tens of thousands of Win USA brand 147gr JHP's in older 5903/6906 guns dating from the beginning of the 3rd gen series, and they ran normally with it, but it also wasn't uncommon to hear reports of lower powered loads with the budget stuff, either.)

Look at the ejector. (Actually called an ejector & magazine depressor.) Left side of frame, at the left side of the mag well. If the tip is broken off it will require a short trip to the gunsmith for a new one. It's a drop-in part, but it requires knowing how to disassemble the frame (without damaging the side plate).

The older ejectors had a shorter tip and an acute corner angle under the tip, which could sometimes develop a stress riser and could sometimes result in a broken tip after enough time. The newer/revised ejector had a longer tip (faster ejection, especially with hotter duty loads) and a more curved angle under the back of the tip (helping eliminate the potential for a stress riser to occur).

In this picture the old style ejector is on the bottom and the new-style/revised ejector is on the top. They also came in black finish, depending on the model.


Also look for any chips or chunks broken out of the extractor hook.


Replacing an extractor is really a gunsmith/factory tech/armorer job, as it involves filing the extractor's adjustment pad and checking for the correct range of extractor tension (adjusted by the use of different extractor springs).

Just some thoughts. No way to know what might be happening with your 915 without being there to check that gun, ammo & shooters.

 

[USNPJS]

It would appear mine has the newer style ejector which doesn't have a mark on it, same with the extractor (being it's a new gun with 70rds through it I would have expected as such). Hosed it down with Slick 2000 and have some heavier loads on the way, as well as a 14# Wolf recoil spring (couldn't find a S&W one) and acquired 2 17rd Mec Gar's for testing/having purposes. Should be next week before I get to try her out while I wait for parts. I'm thinking worst case scenario, I'll sent it in to S&W to get their tuning package done to it if I can't get her straightened out. Not really factoring in shooters as we are both LEO and well versed in firearms handling, but you never know?

 

[Fastbolt]

Good to know it really is NIB. If it has the newer/longer ejector, there's a good chance the rest of the parts are similarly current.

I'd leave the recoil spring stock, in that case (unless the slide has been fully locked back the whole time by someone who had handled the gun and returned it to the box), and try some better factory ammo.

Also, disassemble the magazines and clean out any remaining dried goo that may have been left behind from original assembly & storage. Reassemble dry (and with the springs properly oriented, as I've seen some that were incorrectly assembled from the factory parts assemblers).

I've seen some smaller statured shooters able to induce grip stability related feeding & functioning issues with the 3rd gen double column 9's.

The good news is the flat-backed grip (instead of the curved backstrap grip) makes for the easiest trigger reach for smaller hands.

 

[jimbo728]

I agree with Fastbolt completely but would add if it`s NIB it may be tight.
Shooting in, while properly lubed, may resolve the ejection problem a great deal. I know it`s not the same gun, but slide, extract and eject is similar, I had the same problem with a new 70 Series Gold Cup. After 500 rds it launched brass just fine.
Geco has decent power but WWB seems a little anemic to me.
Good luck, stay safe and enjoy!
Jim

 

[USNPJS]

Admittedly I do "hard break-ins" on handguns with a very minimal amount of lube for the first box or two. After I disassembled and cleaned/oiled her up it did seem much smoother. I do have a spare box of Critical Duty 135gr rounds which would be the "carry load" for this one, and I was able to grab the only box of American Eagle 115gr I could find locally so I'll use them for a function check as well when I take her out. Totally agreed that WWB is a rather vanilla loading, but it's about all you can find locally for a plinking load minus the before mentioned AE, options are sadly limited.
I'll keep this updated (If my ammo ever ships!!), thanks for the help!

 

[Fastbolt]

Admittedly I do "hard break-ins" on handguns with a very minimal amount of lube for the first box or two. ...

Alloy-framed pistols work best with sufficient lube on the rails.

 

[USNPJS]

Sorry for taking so long to update this!

Went back to the range with some more rounds, didn't like any target ammo. Still ejects damn near straight back slightly to the right (even had one hit me in the forehead this trip!). With SD ammo and my hotter reloads (still well within safety standards of course) it would eject a bit more to the right (think right over your shoulder), but not overly so.

I'm thinking this is just the way the gun is, the old lady still claims it as hers but now wears a cap to the range so when it tags her it doesn't bother her. She got scary fast and accurate with the 915, shame she can't use it for her duty gun!

 

[joeintexas]

I had a 915 a few years ago that did the same thing. Took it to a gunsmith and he said just run a ton of ammo through it, I did but it never really ejected properly, always nearly straight back and a bit to the right. He replaced the extractor as mentioned above and it helped a lot. Good luck with it, they really are fun shooting pistols. Every other S&W semi-auto I own ejects the brass about 3 feet straight to the right.