Borrow the Digicam from your neighbor and post pictures!
M40 Slide Crack!
G
Hi all,
I'm not sure how much of a problem this is, but it is something for everyone else to look for on their Steyrs. First, the back story. I have an M40 which is probably runnning about 11-12 thousand rounds. A couple months ago, while cleaning my baby, I noticed what looked like a small pit in the bottom of the slide. If looking at the bottom of the slide with the muzzle pointed away from you, it is just to the left of the rails that pick up the next round off of the magazine. I thought that something had probably gotten wedged in the slide while firing, and knocked off a small nick out of the steel. The gun functions fine, and the "pit" seemed to grow no larger, so I didn't worry about it.
Well, fast forward to this past saturday, and I am now cleaning my M40 after 300 rounds out on the mesa. There was a little dirt blowing around, so I figured I would pull down the extractor and give it a good cleaning. So I have my slide totally detail stripped (except the LCI) and am giving it a good look over with my SureFire (as I inspect every part when removing and reinstalling into my weapons). At some point, I notice a small flash of light THROUGH the slide. Uh Oh...
If you look at the extractor, it has the "claw" end and the "post" end (for lack of a better term). The "post" end pivots down into a hole drilled in the channel for the extractor in the slide. If I take my stripped slide and look down into the hole in the channel for the "post" of the extractor, I can see light coming through! I have a crack running from the bottom of this hole, all the way through to the bottom of slide (which isn't actually all that far from the looks of it). I can clearly see light through the hole, and it is missing steel in the crack. This is what made the "pit" in the bottom of the slide I had noticed earlier.
So, I'm not sure how big a deal this is. I have over a thousand rounds (at least) through the M40 since I first noticed the crack, and haven't had any noticeable problems. Also, I have not noticed the "pit" get any larger from when I first saw it, so it does not seem to be growing. However, any time the slide cracks on any semi-auto, it can't be a good thing. So, anyone else seen this problem before? Should I be worried? This is a CDNN M40, so I'm not sure that anything can be done about it. I really love my M40, and I don't want to have to retire it yet!
BTW, right now I don't have a digicam capable of getting a good shot of this. I may try with my video camera and pull a still off of that, but usually those are not very good quality. I will try it out this evening and see what I get. Thanks all for your help / opinions!
James
I'm not sure how much of a problem this is, but it is something for everyone else to look for on their Steyrs. First, the back story. I have an M40 which is probably runnning about 11-12 thousand rounds. A couple months ago, while cleaning my baby, I noticed what looked like a small pit in the bottom of the slide. If looking at the bottom of the slide with the muzzle pointed away from you, it is just to the left of the rails that pick up the next round off of the magazine. I thought that something had probably gotten wedged in the slide while firing, and knocked off a small nick out of the steel. The gun functions fine, and the "pit" seemed to grow no larger, so I didn't worry about it.
Well, fast forward to this past saturday, and I am now cleaning my M40 after 300 rounds out on the mesa. There was a little dirt blowing around, so I figured I would pull down the extractor and give it a good cleaning. So I have my slide totally detail stripped (except the LCI) and am giving it a good look over with my SureFire (as I inspect every part when removing and reinstalling into my weapons). At some point, I notice a small flash of light THROUGH the slide. Uh Oh...
If you look at the extractor, it has the "claw" end and the "post" end (for lack of a better term). The "post" end pivots down into a hole drilled in the channel for the extractor in the slide. If I take my stripped slide and look down into the hole in the channel for the "post" of the extractor, I can see light coming through! I have a crack running from the bottom of this hole, all the way through to the bottom of slide (which isn't actually all that far from the looks of it). I can clearly see light through the hole, and it is missing steel in the crack. This is what made the "pit" in the bottom of the slide I had noticed earlier.
So, I'm not sure how big a deal this is. I have over a thousand rounds (at least) through the M40 since I first noticed the crack, and haven't had any noticeable problems. Also, I have not noticed the "pit" get any larger from when I first saw it, so it does not seem to be growing. However, any time the slide cracks on any semi-auto, it can't be a good thing. So, anyone else seen this problem before? Should I be worried? This is a CDNN M40, so I'm not sure that anything can be done about it. I really love my M40, and I don't want to have to retire it yet!
BTW, right now I don't have a digicam capable of getting a good shot of this. I may try with my video camera and pull a still off of that, but usually those are not very good quality. I will try it out this evening and see what I get. Thanks all for your help / opinions!
James
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
this makes me wonder is Steyr is going to have any kind of warranty once they come into the US.. IF not and XD sounds like a good upgrade. 
G
Here we go with some pictures... warning, may not be modem friendly:
Crack from bottom of slide:
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Crack from extractor groove:
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Crack with light shining through:
![]()
Note the crappy quality and interlacing lines. These are pulled directly from my video camera, so the quality is spotty, but I did the best I could. Anyone have any ideas on this? Thanks.
James
Crack from bottom of slide:
Crack from extractor groove:
Crack with light shining through:
Note the crappy quality and interlacing lines. These are pulled directly from my video camera, so the quality is spotty, but I did the best I could. Anyone have any ideas on this? Thanks.
James
3
It is clearly a crack which is not good, send Steyr an e-mail and have it fixed or they can send you another slide.
James,
Why don't you e-mail your pictures to the Company and see what
they'll do? I bet they would be interested in the metal fatigue.
Good luck,
tF
Contact:
Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG
4442 Kleinraming
Austria
Phone: +43 (0) 7252 896 0
Fax: +43 (0) 7252 896 53
Mail to: [email protected]
Why don't you e-mail your pictures to the Company and see what
they'll do? I bet they would be interested in the metal fatigue.
Good luck,
tF
Contact:
Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG
4442 Kleinraming
Austria
Phone: +43 (0) 7252 896 0
Fax: +43 (0) 7252 896 53
Mail to: [email protected]
G
Alright, I wrote an e-mail to the address you posted, and I'll keep you all posted as to what they say. I'm sure there isn't much they can do until they finish set-up here in the states.
Edited to add:
BTW I also mentioned the board so they know where I got the info, plus begged them for an AUG...
James
Edited to add:
BTW I also mentioned the board so they know where I got the info, plus begged them for an AUG...
James
Hoping that you'll be able to resolve your issue ASAP. Anxious to get an update from you about it.
G
James, FWIW my M9 has the hole for the post portion of the extractor drilled all the way through to the inside of the slide. In other words, where your showing the crack, I'm showing a perfectly round hole, on the underside of the slide.
Same here. On my M9, S9 and M357, the hole goes all the way thru. Just like that shown in the pictures in CGuns post on FTE http://www.steyrclub.com/modules.php?na ... opic&t=822
That is not a crack and will not develop into a crack based on the location and the loads there. It is just the start of the break though of the hole. Do all M40s have a blind hole there or does james have a one of a kind incomplete machined slide here?
That is not a crack and will not develop into a crack based on the location and the loads there. It is just the start of the break though of the hole. Do all M40s have a blind hole there or does james have a one of a kind incomplete machined slide here?
G
yup, didn't notive it at first but there should be a hole there for excess oil to run out of the extracor chanell.
I was seriously wondering how a tennefered slide could crack. tennifer treated steel is supposed to be JUST shy of diamonds on rockwell hardness scale.
looks like a quality control issue that the hole was maybe not drilled all the way through.
either way i think steyr wil get you a new slide once they have their shop up.
even a cdnn gun is new and carries the new gun warranty. How long have you had it?
I was seriously wondering how a tennefered slide could crack. tennifer treated steel is supposed to be JUST shy of diamonds on rockwell hardness scale.
looks like a quality control issue that the hole was maybe not drilled all the way through.
either way i think steyr wil get you a new slide once they have their shop up.
even a cdnn gun is new and carries the new gun warranty. How long have you had it?
I am E-mailing them as well.
Regards, CGuns
Regards, CGuns
G
Hmmm, now this is getting interesting. FWIW, my M40 does not have ANY holes in the bottom of the slide, other than where the firing pin lug rides. I noticed on the pictures linked to that it looked like there is another hole drilled behind the extractor hole which looks to be above the rear plate retaining pin spring. Does everyone have that as well? This could be related to the fact that my Steyr is so early in the production run, being serial #0026** (Note: NOT #026***...) Now I am really curious. I will keep you all posted as to what Steyr has to say on the matter. Of course, I have probably confused them a little by saying my slide is cracked then showing pictures of where a hole should be but isn't....
Edited to add:
Thanks for your help on this CGuns...
Also, I believe that I got this M40 from CDNN in May '04. Honestly, I have no idea what Steyr may say...
Edited to add:
Thanks for your help on this CGuns...
Also, I believe that I got this M40 from CDNN in May '04. Honestly, I have no idea what Steyr may say...
G
Hmm, still no reply from Steyr in Austria about this. CGuns, have you heard anything back from them? I am starting to wonder if I should try e-mailing this to the Steyr America division, but I'm not sure if there is even anyone there that would read the e-mail. Anyone have any insight on this?
G
New Contact Info
Try contacting:
Steyr Mannlicher USA, Inc
Tony Rosetti
311 Hwy 45 Alt. South
West Point, Mississippi 39773
Phone: 662 492 8924
Email: [email protected]
Try contacting:
Steyr Mannlicher USA, Inc
Tony Rosetti
311 Hwy 45 Alt. South
West Point, Mississippi 39773
Phone: 662 492 8924
Email: [email protected]
G
Ok, I sent off an e-mail to Steyr USA, and hopefully I will recieve at least some kind of response. I am a little disapointed that the Steyr offices in Austria haven't seen fit to even mail me back any kind of response. I would have been content with "Your M40 is unsafe but because you bought it through a third party in the US there is nothing we can do...", unfortunatly they haven't even mailed me back saying they got my message... nothing. Frankly, I was hoping for a little more from a multi-national corporation, but I will wait and see if I get a reply from Steyr USA. I really just want to know if I can continue to use my beloved Steyr. I will update when I hear something (anything!) from either party.
James
James
I got an E-mail back.
Austria is on vacation.
"Concerning the cracked pistol slide, may I recommend that the user sends it for inspection to SMI in MS, to determine the cause, and to either replace the slide or the entire pistol."
THIS CAME FROM THE PRESIDENT OF Steyr Arms Inc., the U.S. firm that is now being established.
Austria is on vacation.
"Concerning the cracked pistol slide, may I recommend that the user sends it for inspection to SMI in MS, to determine the cause, and to either replace the slide or the entire pistol."
THIS CAME FROM THE PRESIDENT OF Steyr Arms Inc., the U.S. firm that is now being established.
G
Sweet. I'm glad to hear they are on vacation still and not just ignoring me... . If you don't mind my asking, how should I go about doing this? Should I wait to get a reply from Steyr USA, or should I just box up my slide and send it out to them? Or should I send the whole pistol (My drop safety is also broken... I wonder if they would replace it for me...)? What do I need to include with the slide / pistol so they know why I am sending to them? Any advice? Also, shipping a pistol is a complicated process (from what I've heard on the internet anyways...), so what hoops do I need to jump through if I decide to send the entire pistol?
Thank you so much for your help on this CGuns! I appreciate your expertise and help on this matter!
. If you don't mind my asking, how should I go about doing this? Should I wait to get a reply from Steyr USA, or should I just box up my slide and send it out to them? Or should I send the whole pistol (My drop safety is also broken... I wonder if they would replace it for me...)? What do I need to include with the slide / pistol so they know why I am sending to them? Any advice? Also, shipping a pistol is a complicated process (from what I've heard on the internet anyways...), so what hoops do I need to jump through if I decide to send the entire pistol? Thank you so much for your help on this CGuns! I appreciate your expertise and help on this matter!
G
UPDATE: I recieved a mail back from Tony at SAI. He seems like a great guy to deal with, and responded to my e-mail in less than a day, even with all the hurricane nonsense going on down there! Anyways, I thought this is interesting in that he confirmed that both Steyr Arms (USA) and Steyr Austria employees regularly read this board! Sorry if this is old news, but I am so excited! We have a Steyr in the US!
Mail Text:
Mr. XXXXX,
I will forward your email to Austria, and maybe I'll get a better
response.
I've read the information at the SteyrClub site, and I know that
several of
the Steyr employees in Austria read it also. Thanks for your email, and
interest in Steyr products.
Best regards,
Tony
End Mail Text.
Again, thanks to CGuns and Tony for all of your help on this. If either of you are ever in the Albuquerque area, the beer is on me!
Mail Text:
Mr. XXXXX,
I will forward your email to Austria, and maybe I'll get a better
response.
I've read the information at the SteyrClub site, and I know that
several of
the Steyr employees in Austria read it also. Thanks for your email, and
interest in Steyr products.
Best regards,
Tony
End Mail Text.
Again, thanks to CGuns and Tony for all of your help on this. If either of you are ever in the Albuquerque area, the beer is on me!
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
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