First Range Session EZ380

[ocalabob]

UPDATE 2nd trip to the range:

Back to the range.

120 rounds Sig Sauer Elite...Remington UMC FMJ and Hornady HP

4 last round stand ups. Each one happened when I switched ammo brand/type. Each stand up round was fine I reloaded and fired them with no trouble.

Compared to yesterday this was very good. Total rounds 270 so far. I believe the gun is awake now. The last round hang ups?? Probably a weak spring I don't know. They should stop but for now I'm not worried.

S&W is sending new mag springs and followers. I don't think they will change anything now.

I told the S&W rep that this really shouldn't be happening. The response was that they only fire them once or twice at the factory so these things happen. Kind of like good enough is good enough.

Truth is I have similar stories with my Glocks and my Rugers.

Guns are obviously big business now ... everyone putting them out quick as they can. It is what it is.

==============================================================


First time shooting... very weird:

First mag 8 rounds Magtech FMJ locked slide open, inserted mag pressed slide lock everything ok... Entire mag single shot...no reset no eject... after each shot I dropped the mag cycled the slide to eject the casing and reloaded .. 8 times exact same response. Second mag basically the same thing... tried Federal FMJ this time...same results... Each shot was a single BANG with zero slide movement. No stovepipe no jam no movement at all. It would shoot the round and that was it. Next was Remington green box UMC FMJ this time the slide woke up and cycled the round normally. I kept going it would work normally BUT it started with that last round standing up unfired. Did that a few times and then all of a sudden... normal operation...smooth as silk... I added some Hornady HP... 1st mag the last round did not fire but stood up. 2nd mag it was normal... I shot about 150 rounds total...I would say the bugs were in the first say 30 rounds or so. After that the gun woke up and said OK I GOT THIS.

Very strange.

I loaded full 8 round magazines using the slide lock button to chamber the round. I also loaded 3 4 5 or 6 rounds and inserted the magazine with the slide closed and racked the slide to chamber it.

It seemed like once it got going it was fine. No matter what.

I was very pleased with the gun once the bugs went away. I am hoping that they are gone now and it just needed a good kick start.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

It was really frustrating to start.


If anyone can think of anything I could have done wrong please advise. BTW I cleaned and lubed it before this session.


Thanks for any input

Bob H

 

[MikeAEZ]

I have had intermittent problems with my wife's 380EZ as you describe. I have four magazines, each displays the "live round stovepipe", bullet up, only on the last round. Happens about 25% of the time. I estimate there are anywhere between 500 and 800 rounds through the gun. I haven't noticed a difference with ammo that is significant (the last session I used Federal 90 grain FMJ and it definitely happened). I wrote S&W, and they suggested I send the gun in, which I did last week. I am hoping they can fix it because this is the only gun my wife can reliably rack and comfortably fire due to her arthritis. Other than this problem, it is a great gun.

Some other users on the forum have the same issue. It has sometimes been attributed to weak magazine springs but people have had mixed results when S&W sent them new springs.

 

[Jeppo]

I don't own that model but do have more Smiths than I can count, including numerous M&Ps and one 9mm Shield. I've never had one behave that way. My first thought would be either the gun is bone dry (did you clean and lube it first?) or perhaps the recoil spring assembly isn't seated properly.

 

[ocalabob]

Called Smith and Wesson

I described what happened and they are sending me new magazine springs and followers. Their tech says that's what it sounds like. We shall see.


It WAS cleaned and lubed before I took it to the range.

 

[MikeAEZ]

I described what happened and they are sending me new magazine springs and followers. Their tech says that's what it sounds like. We shall see.


It WAS cleaned and lubed before I took it to the range.

Interesting. When I contacted them with the same problem, they said send the gun back.

 

[Jeppo]

I described what happened and they are sending me new magazine springs and followers. Their tech says that's what it sounds like. We shall see.


It WAS cleaned and lubed before I took it to the range.

While you're waiting, you might try cleaning the mag interiors, springs and followers...no lube. Maybe there's some crud inside?

 

[ocalabob]

While you're waiting, you might try cleaning the mag interiors, springs and followers...no lube. Maybe there's some crud inside?

Brand new gun manufactured beginning of april 2019. If there is crud inside I don't want this gun.

I also should not have to replace springs and followers.

I sense a piece of junk here.

 

[ocalabob]

Interesting. When I contacted them with the same problem, they said send the gun back.

They said if this doesn't work they will have me send the gun back.

This shouldn't be happening at all.

If this doesn't help it is going into the trash

 

[bubbatime]

My EZ380 jams about 5 times out of 100 shots. Gun isn't ready for prime time.

 

[jnichols2]

The 380EZ is designed for EZ racking. That means a light recoil spring.

The trade off is the slide MUST go ALL the way back to produce enough energy to properly load the round. It has no tolerance for a light grip.

The Shield doesn't do this because it has a VERY stout recoil spring, that's why we all complain that it's hard to rack.

But, the 380EZ responds very well to a firm grip.

 

[ocalabob]

UPDATE 2nd Range session today

Back to the range.

120 rounds Sig Sauer Elite...Remington UMC FMJ and Hornady HP

4 last round stand ups. Each one happened when I switched ammo brand/type. Each stand up round was fine I reloaded and fired them with no trouble.

Compared to yesterday this was very good. Total rounds 270 so far. I believe the gun is awake now. The last round hang ups?? Probably a weak spring I don't know. They should stop but for now I'm not worried.

S&W is sending new mag springs and followers. I don't think they will change anything now.

I told the S&W rep that this really shouldn't be happening. The response was that they only fire them once or twice at the factory so these things happen. Kind of like good enough is good enough.

Truth is I have similar stories with my Glocks and my Rugers.

Guns are obviously big business now ... everyone putting them out quick as they can. It is what it is.

 

[Seppi]

Brand new gun manufactured beginning of april 2019. If there is crud inside I don't want this gun.

I also should not have to replace springs and followers.

I sense a piece of junk here.

The thing that gets to me is that feeling of doubt that it's not going to function when you need it. I've had great reliability from my Shield 45.

 

[pakettle]

Just returned from my club range today,fired 400 rounds through my EZ after Smith sent me new springs and followers.
No problems,now I will see how it goes from here!
The funny part of all this is I fired over 1700 rounds through this gun since last june with out any jams or stove pipes.

 

[christak]

Just returned from my club range today,fired 400 rounds through my EZ after Smith sent me new springs and followers.
No problems,now I will see how it goes from here!
The funny part of all this is I fired over 1700 rounds through this gun since last june with out any jams or stove pipes.

So, if you weren't having issues, why did you request/receive new springs and followers from S&W??

EDIT:
Just saw your following post from the other thread...I see your EZ had developed the problem...

I bought my EZ last june,no problems until now, mine ejects live rounds and many stove pipes.
Smith is sending new springs and followers and if that don't fix the problem I was told to return the gun to them.

 

[pakettle]

So, if you weren't having issues, why did you request/receive new springs and followers from S&W??

EDIT:
Just saw your following post from the other thread...I see your EZ had developed the problem...

After 1700 rounds, that's when the problem started with jams,stove pipes last live round being ejected! Called Smith and they mailed me new springs.
I was told to send them the gun if I was still having problems.