My Luck ran out with a 40c

[bronco45]

Love my 45c and have praised it on here several times. However, I purchased a new 40c Saturday the second of this month. Cleaned the bore and took the 40c out to run a couple of magazines of 40 American Eagle through it.

1st Shot with the 40c was a 10 ring at 10 yds. 2nd Shot from 40c and the round penetrated the target half an inch from the first. Third round "CLICK", God those clicks are loud.

Tap, rack, bang on round #4, 10 ring, round#5, bang 10 ring. Next trigger pull is a resounding "CLICK" TAP, RACK. CLICK. TAP, RACK, BANG, 10 RING.

Round 9, 10, were click and click.

All brass, fired and unfired, had very light firing pin strikes on the primer. Two of the rounds that initialed failed to fire, did fire with second and third attempts.

Anybody know what the problem might be?

I really hate to send a "new" gun back to S&W. Don't want to trade it off, and let some other guy find out the hard way, Smith and Wessons are unreliable.




















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[SMMAssociates]

bronco:

Just IMHO, but a return may be in order....

However, if you've got the skill, a couple of likely culprits are fairly easy to get to....

First, remove the striker assembly (I have no idea how but it should be around somewhere) and clean everything - tube, springs, pin, etc. Look for burrs and other obvious problems. Very lightly lubricate and re-assemble....

Second, pop the rear sight (carefully) and remove the firing pin stop plunger. Clean it and it's hole thoroughly, as well as the hole inside the stop and the little spring. Lightly lubricate and re-assemble....

(Be sure to tighten the rear sight, and plan on some Loctite as soon as you get it back to zero.)

This info comes from having pulled apart a couple of guns with this sort of firing pin/striker setup and the drop safety plungers. Not to mention finding a 1911's firing pin stop in my shirt pocket one evening on the range. Some crud in the firing pin tube was holding it in the wrong place, and that's all that holds the fool thing together during recoil.

Also, make sure that the extractor is clean and working properly. Failure to get the claw around the cartridge case can cause light primer strikes too! Getting the extractor out is kinda fun, but you may be able to get a Q-tip in there and dribble in a little lubricant when you're done without taking anything apart. You can test the extractor (somewhat) by just taking the slide off the gun and putting it on it's back. Then see if you can easily slip a clean round under the claw.

I'd guess that a local smith could handle all of this (and have a better idea than I do ) if you're not up to it. Us 1911 guys pretty much have to be able to at least do this much....

Regards,

 

[handgunner356]

There could be crud in the firing pin channel that didn't get clean out. I also had a couple of early models that they changed the striker designed in to give it a harder strike. Anyway a call to S&W and they'll send you a pickup tag to send it in, no cost to you and they will fix the problem. Shouldn't happen, but stuff does and they will usually get it back to you within a couple of weeks.

 

[growr]

It has a warranty.....use it!! instead of trying to diagnose and repair it yourself. S&W has been fantastic for me....almost as good as Dillon's NO BS warranty. Smith is almost no bs.
Randy

 

[SOCOM]

Hate to say it, but I'd send it back to Smith. They'll make it right.

 

[bronco45]

Thanks guys, I think I'll send it back for three reasons.

1. Smith autos are a foreign country to me, more complicated than a Glock. Also more delicate than a Glock.

2. I want it fixed right.

3. Smith needs to know about their screw up so they can address the problem.

 

[MotorCityGun]

1st Shot with the 40c was a 10 ring at 10 yds. 2nd Shot from 40c and the round penetrated the target half an inch from the first. Third round "CLICK", God those clicks are loud.

Tap, rack, bang on round #4, 10 ring, round#5, bang 10 ring. Next trigger pull is a resounding "CLICK" TAP, RACK. CLICK. TAP, RACK, BANG, 10 RING.

Round 9, 10, were click and click.

A buddy of mine once told me that the two loudest sounds you will hear when firing any gun is "click" when you expect a "bang", and "bang" when you expect a "click".

 

[GONIF]

Do not take it apart ,no one likes working on a gun or car that someone else tinkered with and made it worse or lost or broke parts .Send it back , they will fix it . But B4 you do try some differant first quality ammo after cleaning and lubeing it . If the problem persists it needs repair/tweaking.

 

[Fastbolt]

Did you try it with any other ammunition that that one box of the budget Federal?

Can't rule out a potential ammo problem unless you try other ammo.

I'd just send it in to the company and let them look at it. It's free under the lifetime warranty, so why not?

If one problem with one gun were to make an entire brand or model line of guns "unreliable", there wouldn't be a single brand or model line out there that could be considered "reliable". Things happen. It's a new gun. I've lost count of the things I've found which required correction, and even repair, on NIB guns made by the big names in the business. They don't have time to hand fit and minutely inspect each and every gun that comes out of a production cell or off an assembly line.

In the case of the M&P pistols line they shoot 15 rounds (5 rounds from 3 different test mags) through each pistol before it leaves the factory. I've been told the ammunition varies depending on what they've received recently, and that they try to sample the major rounds used by customers (LE/Gov and private owners).

My own M&P 40c had that issue where the slide stop lever spring was too light to prevent early lock back at times. It required the heavier yellow spring in a new slide stop assembly. It also required some burrs be removed at a couple of spots. While I was able to resolve it myself, with parts supplied by the company (I'm an armorer), they told me that if I didn't want work on it myself that they'd happily do it for me, and that it would be resolved even if it required a new slide.

Let them handle it. I'd also try some different ammo next time. I've experienced more ammo problems over the years than I can remember. The shooter and the ammo are the biggest variables when it comes to "problems", but every once in a while a problem comes along with the actual gun, too.

 

[gonzogeezer]

FWIW, I have run three boxes of American Eagle 180gr FMJ through my 40c and all works as expected. I picked this gun because it is American-designed and -made and has a real warranty to a real company in the USA. Agree with others, send it to S&W, they will fix it.

R/Lee

 

[bronco45]

Made the call, it's going back. First Smith that has been inoperable upon receiving, since a 19 2.5" I purchased as a young cop back in 1971.

It galls me that Smith can't get them right, 99% of the time. Glock does and I hate Glock. My last agency before retirement went to the Glock 23 and I was a supervisory RO for 122 Officers and we burnt 500 familiarization rounds per officer over a three month transition period without any stoppages, breakage, or FTFs.

I came away greatly impressed with the Glock as a machine but non-plussed as a personal weapon.All the ammo used for transitioning the 23 into the agency was Federal American Eagle 180 solid.

Appreciate the input.

 

[bronco45]

Called S&W got the shipping label and gun started its journey on 10/11/10 for a much needed fix.

Will keep you posted. Ordered a Blade Tech IWB rig for it today. I have faith and hope.

 

[Forsmithers]

Bronco45,
That scenario is VERY bizarro for a new gun. A used gun that someone improperly cleaned (scrubbing over firing pin hole while slide is pointed upward and all sorts of crap getting stuck in the firing pin channel...) but this should NOT be happening on a new gun.

I am sure that Smith will make it right and please follow up with us to let us know what the problem is.

I am carrying a .40C as my duty pistol and have already put 1,200 rounds downrange without any problems. When my agency first went to the M&P's we had some compact models go down with unintended mag ejection issues. After that was resolved they have been trouble free. I haven't heard of ANY going click instead of bang unless it was on an empty chamber or using dummy rounds.

Oh, and on a side note... I had a Glock 23 as my last issued pistol. After transitioning to the M&P's I shot a course of fire with the .40C and then ran the same course with the G23 and I was really shocked out how much better the .40C felt and shot for me. I used to shoot high 90's and 100's with the G23 but now with the M&P, there is no way I am going back to the Glock. I purchased my retired G-23 for the collection but I confess I really don't enjoy shooting it now. I wonder why that is.

 

[bronco45]

What sold me on the M&P over other plastic guns was the one piece trigger, and the adjustable backstrap. That combo made the 45c feel like a custom gun to me.

The Apex units lowered the trigger pull to 4.5 and made it a lot smoother. Didn't want to wait for the 6000 pulls for the smoother factory release. I also added a HiViz front sight in red.

Talking about my 45c here, haven't had the 40c long enough to try it out. I will when it returns from its visit to the mothership. Got some leather for the 40c yesterday, blade tech IWB ordered.