SW9VE trouble

[Borderboss]

The SW9VE has been 100% for many rounds after the changes were made, until just recently, when apparently the sear/striker interface developed a slippage problem. My SW9F has never failed with the same changes for many more rounds.

Yep, these machines occasionally develop malfunctions from use. Then it's fun and rewarding to fix them. And nowadays, making a liability-lawyer-constrained product better is also rewarding.

You asked input, and many of us suggested that the cause was the spring removal you did. You're clearly not accepting of that as a possibility and continue to ask the same question about what the issue could be. What could it hurt to just put the gun back to stock and see if it clears up the issue? It costs you some time, but perhaps reveals the cause. Your choice.

 

[Pisgah]

Of course, the problem may not be related to springs at all. But long ago I came to the realization that firearms designers have very good reasons for using the springs they use. We all want the slickest trigger we can get on whatever gun we're carrying, but sometimes the springs in it originally are the springs the gun needs to function reliably and safely, and changing them is asking for trouble. Far better to my mind to go with polishing friction points and being satisfied with the results while staying with the original springs -- or, getting a different gun.

This is why, if you return a gun to the factory for repair, they will remove custom or modified springs and install original-spec springs.

 

[SWShootinDave]

Of course, the problem may not be related to springs at all. But long ago I came to the realization that firearms designers have very good reasons for using the springs they use. We all want the slickest trigger we can get on whatever gun we're carrying, but sometimes the springs in it originally are the springs the gun needs to function reliably and safely, and changing them is asking for trouble. Far better to my mind to go with polishing friction points and being satisfied with the results while staying with the original springs -- or, getting a different gun.

This is why, if you return a gun to the factory for repair, they will remove custom or modified springs and install original-spec springs.

I believe that nowadays a gun engineer's good design is not the one that ends up on the market. The good, efficient design is adulterated by the liability lawyers, and somewhat by the marketing department. If a gun engineer could directly market a DA semi-auto pistol, we would be able to buy a much better product than what's been adulterated by the liability lawyers, as I believe happened with the Sigma series. Our society has been polluted by greedy, litigious-happy lawyers, and a lot of people/manufacturers are fearful of them.

"Don't tread on me" is my response to those greedy lawyers, as well as to the anti-Constitutionists.

But yes I agree that drastically altering a gun is asking for trouble.

 

[staylor]

You asked input, and many of us suggested that the cause was the spring removal you did. You're clearly not accepting of that as a possibility and continue to ask the same question about what the issue could be. What could it hurt to just put the gun back to stock and see if it clears up the issue? It costs you some time, but perhaps reveals the cause. Your choice.

I've made similar changes to my SW9VE and had no problems whatsoever. If I did I would, as you say, return it to stock to see if that alleviated the problem. Just good advice.

 

[SWShootinDave]

You asked input, and many of us suggested that the cause was the spring removal you did. You're clearly not accepting of that as a possibility and continue to ask the same question about what the issue could be. What could it hurt to just put the gun back to stock and see if it clears up the issue? It costs you some time, but perhaps reveals the cause. Your choice.

OKFC05 seems to have gotten closest to what the problem is. The SW9VE's striker is cocking fine, but decocks when the slide closes hard; if the slide is slowed by pulling a round from magazine, the striker remains cocked at lockup. So the problem appears to be the striker is skipping off the sear, which is a tolerance issue. Yep, I will reinstall the original springs to see what that does. And I ordered a Galloway sear spring to try. But if the problem persists, I'll buy another striker or sear block or both.

 

[SWShootinDave]

Update for anyone with similar problem with their SW9VE: I disassembled the SW9VE and cleaned the sear block and lightly lubed it with graphite, then worked the sear manually a lot until it was very smooth. Last time I cleaned/lubed the sear block I used more graphite, probably too much, and that [or maybe debris from firing] may have caused the sear/striker tolerance problem by reducing by a few thousandths the sear's travel/contact with the striker, which led to the striker skipping off of the sear when the slide closed sharply.
Then reassembled pistol and using one dummy round in mag, repeatedly dropped the slide, and slingshotted, near 100 times and the striker never once decocked at slide lockup. So I'd say SW9VE is back to 100%, at least until I can test fire at least 50 rounds.