G
Guest
·Hi folks,
I have to formally print a retraction for the problems I reported with my M9 in recent posts. I have come to the conclusion it was operator error in the form of dereliction of cleaning duties.
Readers may recall that my M9 was failing to extract (FTE) on nearly every magazine a couple of weeks ago at a local IDPA match and I thought that the extractor had broken and was the cause of the malfunctions.
I am sorry to say that only yesterday did I remove the extractor fully from the slide. I didn't do this earlier because it moved through its range of motion OK under finger pressure so I thought it was moving normally and something else had gone wrong with it, i.e. the claw had sheared or something similar requiring replacement parts which as we know are nearly impossible to obtain at the moment (and a legitimate gripe).
Anyway, when I removed the extractor I found a film of gunk (lube/carbon/fouling mix) underneath the extractor that had somehow accumulated over 350-450 rounds between cleanings. I hadn't seen the extractor that dirty since I first removed it, and I think it was even dirtier now. I wish I had taken macro pictures to share.
I cleaned it off, and used a Q-tip with solvent to swab the extractor hole and mating surfaces in the slide until it was clean. I cleaned the rest of the gun and shot it today at a local "Practical Pistol" match - a cross between IPSC production and IDPA, more towards IPSC with high round counts using full-capacity magazines - about 170 rounds today in 6 stages with LOTS of steel and no-shoots. The result? 1st OVERALL (12 seconds clear of the next shooter - a master IDPA/IPSC A competitor)
Needless to say I'm overjoyed that my M9 is back to full working order, and even more sad for member Mtobias who is still having problems with her new out-of-the-box M9 (which is failing to reset consistently - it even happened to me when I tried it so I believe her gun actually IS defective).
To recap, the gun was dirty (~400 rounds) and being fed Remington UMC (a mix of 250-Round Mega-pack and 50-rd UMC Green Box from Wally-World) when I experienced the consistent FTE problems. I am convinced that UMC Green Box is a no go in my Steyrs, and others have reported similar experiences here. Today's flawless functioning was achieved after a thorough cleaning of the extractor's grimy surfaces and using WWB 115 100-rd value packs also from the mighty Walton family chain.
I have actually shot my M9 before with about 1,000 rounds between cleanings, mostly with Lancer Custom Ammo's Competition 9mm and WWB and experienced no problems. I do wish that Steyrs were less finnicky with maintenance and ammo brands (like a Glock), but that is the price of excellence I guess.
I also got to shoot a CZ 75 SA (Single Action Only) after the match today and found that I still prefer the Steyr. The grip angle and super-low bore axis make my Steyr feel quicker on shot recovery than the CZ which outweighs it by a good 8 ounces or so.
So now that normal service has returned, I can only hope that IDPASteyr can convince the home office to come out with a dedicated Steyr compeition pistol, a la Glock 34 and XD Tactical. In the meantime I'll keep rockin' on with the M9. Yippee!
Jeff
I have to formally print a retraction for the problems I reported with my M9 in recent posts. I have come to the conclusion it was operator error in the form of dereliction of cleaning duties.
Readers may recall that my M9 was failing to extract (FTE) on nearly every magazine a couple of weeks ago at a local IDPA match and I thought that the extractor had broken and was the cause of the malfunctions.
I am sorry to say that only yesterday did I remove the extractor fully from the slide. I didn't do this earlier because it moved through its range of motion OK under finger pressure so I thought it was moving normally and something else had gone wrong with it, i.e. the claw had sheared or something similar requiring replacement parts which as we know are nearly impossible to obtain at the moment (and a legitimate gripe).
Anyway, when I removed the extractor I found a film of gunk (lube/carbon/fouling mix) underneath the extractor that had somehow accumulated over 350-450 rounds between cleanings. I hadn't seen the extractor that dirty since I first removed it, and I think it was even dirtier now. I wish I had taken macro pictures to share.
I cleaned it off, and used a Q-tip with solvent to swab the extractor hole and mating surfaces in the slide until it was clean. I cleaned the rest of the gun and shot it today at a local "Practical Pistol" match - a cross between IPSC production and IDPA, more towards IPSC with high round counts using full-capacity magazines - about 170 rounds today in 6 stages with LOTS of steel and no-shoots. The result? 1st OVERALL (12 seconds clear of the next shooter - a master IDPA/IPSC A competitor)
Needless to say I'm overjoyed that my M9 is back to full working order, and even more sad for member Mtobias who is still having problems with her new out-of-the-box M9 (which is failing to reset consistently - it even happened to me when I tried it so I believe her gun actually IS defective).
To recap, the gun was dirty (~400 rounds) and being fed Remington UMC (a mix of 250-Round Mega-pack and 50-rd UMC Green Box from Wally-World) when I experienced the consistent FTE problems. I am convinced that UMC Green Box is a no go in my Steyrs, and others have reported similar experiences here. Today's flawless functioning was achieved after a thorough cleaning of the extractor's grimy surfaces and using WWB 115 100-rd value packs also from the mighty Walton family chain.
I have actually shot my M9 before with about 1,000 rounds between cleanings, mostly with Lancer Custom Ammo's Competition 9mm and WWB and experienced no problems. I do wish that Steyrs were less finnicky with maintenance and ammo brands (like a Glock), but that is the price of excellence I guess.
I also got to shoot a CZ 75 SA (Single Action Only) after the match today and found that I still prefer the Steyr. The grip angle and super-low bore axis make my Steyr feel quicker on shot recovery than the CZ which outweighs it by a good 8 ounces or so.
So now that normal service has returned, I can only hope that IDPASteyr can convince the home office to come out with a dedicated Steyr compeition pistol, a la Glock 34 and XD Tactical. In the meantime I'll keep rockin' on with the M9. Yippee!
Jeff
/ :-({|= =D> +100!
