[Gray_Wolf]

I just read a review of (an older) Steyr M by a fairly knowable member that posts on another forum I frequent. He says that inconsistent ejection is caused by the laded chamber indicator. I never thought about this... :?

The only real problem I encountered other than the usual problems of lack of familiarity with a new gun was that the loaded chamber indicator appears to cause erratic ejection of spent cases from the gun. The tip of the indicator (which protrudes from the back of the slide when the chamber is loaded to let you know the gun is loaded) appears to be the cause of the problems, it also appeared to cause the only malfunction I had during the course of firing 100 rounds or so.

http://www.cybershooters.org/dgca/steyr_m9.htm

What do you guys think?

 

[MrApathy]

to bad he doesnt talk about the malfunction in detail.

just checking my ejector it looks little short. wonder how ejectors vary if any.

 

[drsmith58]

The LCI?

Has anyone noticed how a shell casing sets against the slide in the Steyr compared to say The S&W Sigma VE. In the Sigma the casing is flat and the extractor easily hooks the shell casing rim and pulls the expended round back to be ejected.

In the Steyr the loaded chamber indicator, LCI, applies a forward force to the shell casing when the round is in battery it is flat because the slide is forcing it in to the chamber and overcomes the LCI spring. As the round is being ejected the LCI applies a forward force to the shell casing canting it as it moves rearward and something like this may play a part in the irratic ejections. I have noticed that as the LCI spring loosens up I'm having less FTE.

How stiff does the LCI need to be any way?

 

[MrApathy]

on ejection when barrel is camming down the LCI no longer makes contact with casehead. I seriously doubt the casehead would not be anything other than flush on ejection. unless it is a unfired cartridge.

 

[Gray_Wolf]

during the case ejection when the ejector claw holds the case isn't LCI 'in a way'? meaning pushing in the opposite direction? that could explain erratic ejection and failures to eject problems. wouldn't it? :?



I notice my M9A1 seems to get better (~660 rounds); ejection is not as erratic as before - no longer spits he cases up (used to lend on my chest and head) now most fly to the right also only had 1 ETE in 75 rounds (in the last trip) with my problematic reloads - before I would get 2 per box. (factory ammo always functioned fine)...

 

[Gray_Wolf]

Here's what he replied to the the question "In your review you said loaded chamber indicator causes erratic case ejection, how exactly?"

The same as with all pistols that use this daft method of having a loaded chamber indicator. It's a pin that sticks out of the breechface, the round depresses it and the pin sticks out of the back of the gun. I can't say I've ever used a pistol that was particularly reliable using this method of having a loaded chamber indicator.

Obviously if you have a pin sticking out the breechface it has contact with the case (which is the purpose of it) but it can cause all kinds of hang ups when the case catches on it.

You can easily grind the tip off and that solves the problem, but really it should have been designed a bit more cleverly.