Failing to chamber

[Firstpistolguy]

I have a S&W 5906 semi auto and 2 clips. With the factory clip when it gets to the last round the slide will stay back and the round is not chambered. With the aftermarket clip I bought for it it will fire all the rounds completely and the slide closes when it is finished. Took the clips apart and cleaned everything and the had the same results. Not sure if this is how the factory clip is supposed to be or not. They gun has been thoroughly cleaned and lightly oiled so I don't think that is an issue. Any ideas ? Thanks in advance.

 

[OKFC05]

The gun is designed to lock open after the last shot is fired.

Any ideas ?

Yes, buy new S&W magazines.

 

[armorer951]

OEM magazines, followers and magazine springs are available.

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=5906+magazine

 

[Fastbolt]

Used 5906?

Buy a new factory magazine and try it with good quality, fresh factory ammunition.

This is presuming you're using good technique and properly handling & manipulating the gun while shooting it, of course. I've seen some 3rd gen shooters exert improper pressure against the slide, slide stop, mag catch button, etc and cause themselves problems which they mistakenly thought were "gun problems", but were actually "shooter problems".

Thumbing a slide or slide stop lever during live-fire cycling could cause (has caused) problems for some folks and not be recognized by them at the time.

FWIW, your chosen forum name seems to imply you're new to semiauto pistols (and handguns in general?), so maybe some friendly help from an instructor, RSO or very experienced shooter at a local shooting club might be profitable, just in general. Maybe even a basic handgun/shooting class offered by a local range?

Can't know what's happening without being there to see you shoot or look at the gun/mags, so these are just some thoughts.

 

[twhidd]

What's a clip?


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[nocents]

What's a clip?


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seriously??????.....a haircut....

 

[Lost Lake]

What's a clip?

Something that goes on potato chips bags when you don't eat the whole bag at once.

.

 

[Firstpistolguy]

Is it supposed to leave the last round not chambered and the slide locked back? In other words it does not fire the last round unless you close the slide.

 

[427mach1]

Is it supposed to leave the last round not chambered and the slide locked back? In other words it does not fire the last round unless you close the slide.

No, but it is supposed to leave the slide open after the last round is fired.

 

[scwv67]

Hold the pistol like you do when you fire it, after verifying it's empty of course, and look at where your thumbs are. It almost sounds like you're pushing up on the slide release which can cause the slide to lock back.

Why it's only doing it with one magazine and only when there's a single round remaining, IDK.

Can anyone extrapolate on my theory?

 

[gwpercle]

Semi-auto's and the things that hold the ammo ( be they magazine or clip ) are subject to possession by evil spirits. Then only a new ammo holder thing is required...exorcisions work for a short while.
After tiring of fighting the evil things ( 1 gun and 40 magazines that worked/didn't work depending on weather, time of day/month, phase of the moon and who knows what else ) Plus paying for the exorcisim's, I got a revolver. No more problems. happy happy joy joy.
Gary

 

[flintsghost]

The reason slides don't hold open on the last round can be traced to one of three reasons: 1. Defective slide stop (probably not your problem since it does activate, though incorrectly with the factory magazine) 2. Defective magazine spring ( easily fixed by replacing the spring which may be worn out or insufficiently strong) 3. Defective magazine follower (also possible but replacement followers may or may not be available for purchase new). Springs are easy to get, low cost and are good to have as spares. I would try that first before trying to find a new follower. I wouldn't replace the slide stop till I tried both of the other two.

 

[flagman1776]

Fit each empty magazine & draw the slide sharply to the rear as if firing. Look into the ejection port & notice how the slide stop is engaged by the magazine follower. It should be pretty obvious. Now do it with your ammo in magazine. If the ammunition contacts the slide stop, the slide stop may activate. A weak magazine spring may allow a cartridge to work forward under recoil, possibly activating the slide stop. It's actually pretty rare as spring quality is very good but magazines left loaded for long periods may lose their strength.
When I was trained, it was standard to rotate magazines periodically, rather than leave all loaded. It requires buying spare magazines.

 

[Firstpistolguy]

Thanks for all the replies. I will have to look into it further to see what's going on. First handgun I have owned. Have gotten into reloading for rifle for several years and now got bit by the handgun bug. Will probably load up some dummy rounds and cycle them through by hand and see if I can figure it out. Thanks

 

[Fastbolt]

Just a thought, but I've seen at least a couple of guys shooting double stack .40's (4006TSW's) who had installed their followers backwards at some point when reassembling their mags. Interestingly enough, the guns seemed to feed & fire fine, but the slides wouldn't lock back since the slide stop notch in the follower was on the wrong side of the mag (which is why someone called me over to look at the guns).

Just when you think you've seen it all, someone comes along and shows you something new and silly.