Just picked up my M9A1 today and have some questions. 1. When I release the mag catch lever the slide comes forward and hits the mag, becoming stuck. When I hit mag lever down with some force(like some people do to load their pistols) the slide did finally go forward, but this isn't something I like to do. Now there is a slight gouge in the follower which now allows the slide to move forward freely even with an empty mag. Problem solved? Is this typical? 2. The trigger break seems to be a little inconsistant in the amount of force required. was wondering if this has something to do with the slide pushing slighty back(though still in battery)that someone else posted about. Will the trigger wear in after the break in and become more consistant?
Did you have something in the mag when you released the slide? It's possible for the feed lips of mag to stick up into the path of the slide with nothing in the mag, with something in the mag, the case of the next cartridge will touch the slide as the slide moves the staged cartridge into the chamber. The force of the spring in the mag forces the next case up, thus the mag down, so it doesn't block the slide. The mag lever isn't forced down, the slide is slightly forced up when the mag slams home, this releases the pressure on the mag lever so it drops down letting the slide move forward. Put some snap caps in the mag and rack and snap, rack and snap, to break the weapon in. You don't need snap caps, but some people want them. They also let you check the ejection. I did about 600 rack and snap before I headed to the range. If you feel comfortable with it, do a detail strip of the weapon and clean it well. CLP works, I use mineral spirits or Ed's Red (home brew). Use a viscous lube on the slide, it helps the timing. You can make the slide too slick. I use Brian Enos' SlideGlide. Download and read the Big Taco trigger tune-up tutorial. It will get you running well. It's in the Downloads section here on the site.
I am no Steyr expert, but I followed the advice on this site by well-greasing (Tetra Gun Grease) my new M40-A1, and working the slide without pulling the trigger. I then did the same thing while feeding snap caps (and pulling the trigger), through the system. Action really improved from the "stickiness" encountered with earlier efforts. Good luck with yours...Cheers.
