[Guest]

I took my M9 to the range yesterday, and experienced a series of "failures to fire", and I am seeking some advice. This was my second trip to the range with this gun. The first trip went well with no problems...as reported in my previous thread here.

Since the first trip to the range, I followed the cleaning and lubrication advice posted in the maintenance area of the forum, including the thread on slide disassembly. I also bought a second magazine (14 round) to go with the 10 round version that came with the gun. I took a new box of WWB to the range to try out the new mag and see if the cleaning would improve the shell ejection path.

The first few rounds went through fine, but the fourth or fifth round simply did not fire. I did not feel the trigger release the firing pin when I pulled the trigger back. The slide seemed to be correctly positioned, and the indicator showed a round was in the chamber. I removed the clip and pulled back the slide to manually remove the round. The round showed no visible imprint or firing pin marks...nothing. I re-inserted the mag and it fired fine for about three rounds before it repeated the problem described above.

I tried switching to the 10 round mag, and it repeated the problem after about three or four rounds. I tried switching to PMC ammo in each magazine, but the same problem still occured. I let a buddy try to see if he could get better results, and the problem did not go away. I pulled the slide off to see if there was any visible internal damage, but I could see none.

Has anyone ever experienced this issue before, or can anyone offer some advice? Is there something that I could have done during cleaning to cause this?

 

[Guest]

first, thanks for letting us know you tried diffrent mags, ammo, shooter, cleaning as those are usually our first suggestions. Very well written report...

trigger is not resetting. Take the action assembly out of the frame as per the links here. Check if anything is loose or hanging up, or has brass chips etc... see if the trigger bar has a smooth path of travel.

and all around look for anything anywhere on the gun that looks different 8O

 

[Guest]

One more detail I forgot to mention...

After returning home from the range, I decided to manually cock and dry-fire (without the magazine) about 30 times in a row...and each fired as it should.

 

[hihoslva]

You say you disassembled the slide, correct?

I would say it is possible that you over-lubricated the firing pin or firing pin channel.

Basically, the firing pin needs little - if any - lubrication. Oiling it is really not necessary. And over-oiling can cause it to hang up when firing the pistol, causing FTFs.

I would detail-strip the slide again, and check for any obstructions to the firing pin. If there is lube in there, clean it out. Once the firing pin is removed, you should be able to use compressed air (in a can is fine) to blow out any excess lube or junk in the channel. Then wipe down the firing pin, reassemble the slide, and see what you get at the range.

It is entirely possible that careless oiling or cleaning solution can get in the firing pin channel even if you do not take apart the slide. It doesn't mean you are "careless" - it just means "now you know" to be cautious of it.

If your trigger is resetting properly (as you say it is while dry firing and such), then this is a very probable cause of your malfunction.

Give it a try, and report back. Good luck!

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the tips, guys! Without going into too much boring (and embarassing ) detail, the short story is that my M9 is working again! It took three different trips back to the range to get it all sorted out, but I certainly learned several good lessons like:

1. Be careful not to over-lubricate, especially anywhere near the firing pin.

2. It is a good idea to go ahead and clean the trigger group to remove all of the gunk and sludge left over from extended storage.

3. When going through point 2 above, any newbie would be well advised to be very careful to not let the key-lock button (item 23 on the parts list) jump free while removing the trigger group from the frame, as this causes the spring behind it (item 24) to seemingly evaporate into thin air.

4. Keep a fresh set of batteries for your flashlight, as this makes crawling around on the floor under the dining room table looking for microscopic springs much easier.

5. Pay carefull attention to how the slide release spring (item 31) is installed. If you should bother to look at the photos on the trigger group removal link when reassembling like you did when disassembling, it should not pose any problems. This spring is supposed to keep the slide release lever DOWN, not up.

The last trip to the range proved to be a great relief. I put 60 rounds of WWB through without a single FTF. I used both magazines to make sure they were each OK. I did have one FTE, though... The spent shell did not come out, and the next round nosed into the rear of the the spent shell and prevented the slide from moving forward. I pulled the magazine out and had a tough time getting the empty shell to drop out of the chamber.

The shot groupings looked good, and I was very happy with how consistent and tight the patterns looked. Most of the groupings were a little to left and a hair above target, but I guess I need to practice more with it before worrying too much about the sights.

 

[Guest]

we've all sent parts into the void :lol:

at least you found all yours and didn't have to order anything

now plz let us know after the breakin period how she's behaving (say after 600 rounds).

 

[ministerofdeath]

Doing a detailed cleaning without over lubrication and keeping track of those darn little springs is sound advice for any owner of a Steyr M or S series pistol.

As for your failure to eject (FTE) make sure to let us know if it happens again after a few more range trips.

Safe Shooting