[azmike]

Bought an S40 NIB a couple of years ago from CDNN. Has about 900 rounds of factory (Federal Classic 155 gr HP, Winchester Ranger 155gr HP) through it. Took it out on 7/16, shot 100 rounds through it, and as I was cleaning after the range session, I noticed the following:

With the pistol disassembled, looking at the frame from the top, I noticed that the frame appears to be molded around the front of the steel frame insert. On my S40, the portion of the polymer frame in front of the insert, on the right side of the frame, has cracked, and was leaning into the area where the recoil spring/rod rides. It is a small tab, about 2mm x 10mm. The crack does not extend into the rest of the frame or dustcover. I removed the tab, as I figured it would have to come off regardless, due to it possibly interfering with the recoil spring, and it was hanging by a thread anyway.

To you M and S owners, have you ever seen this happen. Do you think it is a serious issue, or is that little plastic tab superfluous?

I would post photos, but I am not up to speed on the whole digital camera/ uploading photos thing yet. Maybe I can get wifey to show me how in the next few days.

Any constructive comments appreciated.

azmike

 

[Shooter]

Send it back for customer service............or wait a while until the new ones come out and maybe they'll just exchange for one of the new ones.
..........

 

[MrApathy]

post should be in "Maintenance / Tweaks / Technical Difficulties / Solutions" section

believe steyr may replace it with a MA1. last one reported they couldnt replace with a S or SA1. but can use the Steyr contact information stickied in the "Maintenance / Tweaks / Technical Difficulties / Solutions" section.

it may be possible to fix with epoxy or bedding
brownells page on glock grip reduction instead of messing with grip its repairing steyr frame. but the epoxy or bedding may not hold up I dont know for sure and dont know who would
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTec ... &t=1&i=381

 

[Wulf]

Hiya Mikey

Steyr Arms is very interested in fixin' what gets broken. They are trying very hard to make things right with their clientele and are goin' above and beyond to satisfy. Contact Steyr directly via the phone and talk to Allan Cornett. He will fix you up ASAP, no questions asked. Here's the Steyr contact sticky link

http://steyrclub.com/modules.php?name=F ... pic&t=2226

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Wulf

 

[azmike]

Thanks for the prompt, constructive responses. I'll contact Steyr. Wifey is teaching me the procedure for sending photos tomorrow, so I'll be able to show them what's up.

Regards,

azmike

 

[Gray_Wolf]

can you post pics here?

 

[azmike]

Took some pics today, but they didn't come out very well. Will try again tomorrow.

Upon further inspection, I noticed the polymer in front of the left front slide rail is also battered, making me think that the slide is actually making contact w/the frame rails. Must be why the polymer is there, to act as a buffer between the steel slide and steel rail assembly.

At less than 900 rounds fired, I would not have thought the recoil spring would be weak enough to allow that to happen, but that would help explain the malfunctions I have been fighting since the first box of ammo (the slide will not not return to full battery at times, as if the resistance from the striker assembly is keeping the slide 1/8-3/16 inch out of battery. Has happened on average at least once every 50 rounds, from day one).

Will work on the photos.

Regards,

Mike

 

[azmike]

I looked at the Sticky--Steyr Maintenance. If you scroll down to photo #6, and look at the polymer tabs that exist, forward of the forward slide rails (in red), they sit inside the dustcover on either side. On my pistol, the tab on the right has broken off, and the one on the left is smashed back towards the slide rail, deformed with a depression in the front of it, and less than half the thickness of the one on the photo.

 

[bigtaco]

my s40 is broken in the same manner.

being unable to procure another s40, and having put at least 2000 incident free rounds since noticing it was broken, it doesn't even concern me anymore. if you want detailed rationale i'll explain, otherwise i'll spare you.

you are correct that the slide was hitting the plastic. if you have an m series to compare it to you will notice that the slide has been relieved to the tune of .020" in an attempt to clear this problem. to no avail however.

there is the potential that steyr would give you a new ma1. there's the potential that steyr will give you an sa1 when they come out.

there's the distinct possibility that you could go on using the pistol as you would if you had never even noticed without incident.

 

[clodtruck]

well my s40 did the same thing a few months ago and i talked to steyr and they said i can wait untill the new s40-a1 comes out, send mine in and get a new s40-a1. but even though it broke ive shot 600 rounds since it broke and never once had a problem. if you wanted to you could contact steyr and you could probably get the s9-a1 if you wanted that

 

[azmike]

When I call Steyr on Monday, I'm going to ask about getting a new, hopefully more powerful recoil spring assembly.

I'd rather keep this pistol if it can be made to work more reliably, but I'll go with whatever the service dept. suggests.

Thanks again for all of the polite, constructive responses.

Mike