No bang with S&B ammo

rtba · February 17, 2013, 10:30 PM

I got some S&B 9mm ball ammo for my SIG P226. Options are limited of late, but this seemed to be not the worst I could have gotten. But I had five out of the first box fail to fire during my last trip to the range! Two of them fired on the second try, but not the other three. I've heard S&B has hard primers, but I didn't expect this. Anyone else experienced this? Anything that can be done to help? Everything else I've tried has worked flawlessly, but this was the first time I've tried European ammo. I suppose I could try replacing the firing pin spring!?

GLOOB · February 17, 2013, 10:43 PM

I have only one experience with S&B. Back when 380 was scarce a few years ago, LGS finally got a shipment of S&B 380 FMJ. My friend had constant feed jams, due to the bullet shape/OAL. Then had a squib and subsequent bore obstruction kB. Whoops.

Quote:

I suppose I could try replacing the firing pin spring!?

Well, check to see if it's broken, first! A broken FP spring will most certainly cause intermittent light strikes. Unload gun, cock hammer, press on the firing pin with a pencil. If it bounces back, it's fine.

If you want to up the power, you want to replace the mainspring (hammer spring).

holdencm9 · February 17, 2013, 10:45 PM

I've heard that S&B has hard primers too, but have never had a single failure to fire in my Beretta 92FS. It was my go-to range ammo for years, because it had a little more gusto than other brands. However, my friend did have one in his Glock.

I'd say try another box of S&B, maybe you just got a particularly hard-primered box, then if you still have issues, try a stronger hammer spring.

ID-shooting · February 17, 2013, 10:52 PM

Ran a bunch of new stock S&B 9mm through my Sig 2022 saturday. All ran just fine.

rcmodel · February 17, 2013, 10:57 PM

Quote:

I suppose I could try replacing the firing pin spring!?

The firing pin spring on a hammer fired SIG 226 has nothing at all to do with light strikes.

It does nothing except retract the firing pin back inside the slide after the round is fired.

You might be talking about a mainspring / hammer spring.

But that is unlikely too on a fairly new SIG that doesn't have half a gazillion rounds through it.

Have you cleaned the chamber throughly with a bronze bore brush & solvent, ever??
Have you cleaned the slide & firing pin channel with spray solvent?

It could be a dirty chamber holding the slide out of battery far enough to cause light strikes.

Or it could be a dirty firing pin channel slowing down the firing pin strike.

I have shot a lot of S&B .380 and 9mm just to get the brass to reload.
And I've never had a misfire with it.

rc

Rock185 · February 17, 2013, 11:16 PM

Haven't tried any S&B 9MM, but did have a negative experience with S&B .223 ammo back around 2009, when ammo was difficult to get even for PDs. Does this sound familiar? Anyway,our Rangemaster had ordered a quantity of S&B .223, because that was all he could actually get at the time for training. He told me officers had been having failures to extract and he wasn't buying anymore. Within the first magazine, the S&B failed to extract twice in the Dept. M-16 I was issued. The officer next to me had a failure to extract in his rifle immediately afterwards. The rifles were clean and lubed. We had just started qualifications, were shooting semi-auto, and the rifles were not heated up from full auto fire, etc. We could not extract the fired cases until we knocked them out with steel cleaning rods. The rifles gave no trouble with Winchester, Remington and Federal ammo. I have never personally purchased any S&B, and have no plans to unless the ammo situation gets a lot worse than it is now...ymmv

BTW, I carried the P226 every working day for several years. I don't ever recall having a malfunction with any factory Winchester, Speer, Federal or Remington ammo, or my own reloads. I don't think it's your gun......

coalbed · February 17, 2013, 11:31 PM

Hey thought Id jump in, I would get another pistol and try some in it. S&B is quality ammo and they actually load for Winchester and others with Winchester head stamps. Not saying they couldn't have a bad lot, any load company could. I personally have shot literally thousands of S&B rounds in many different calibers and never had any problem with any of it. In fact its usually some of the better and more accurate of what I've tried. Just my 2 cents.

Steve C · February 17, 2013, 11:56 PM

I have shot cases of 9mm 115gr S&B brass ammo over the years and can't remember any failures to fire. Don't own a Sig in 9mm but the ammo has fired in 5 other makes of 9mm that I do own without hiccup and never seemed to have hard primes.

I'd suspect it is your firearm causing the light hits on the primers. Follow RC's advice regarding cleaning to eliminate possible causes of light hits by the firing pin.

The first time I shot my Sig 220 I had similar problems with light hammer strike. After a a thorough cleaning the subsequent range trips over the last 15+ years have been event free.

xjsnake · February 18, 2013, 12:02 AM

I've run about 500 rounds on S&B through my bersa with zero issues. I've shot a couple boxes of 9mm in my S&W with no issues either

CZguy · February 18, 2013, 12:02 AM

Reread post number five. He listed all the things to check.

S&B is good quality ammo. Ive used it for years without any problems.

wojownik · February 18, 2013, 12:14 AM

Been shooting S&B in my p226, p229, p228 and p220 for years and years. Never had an issue (except it is a bit dirtier than some). Not one issue in over 3,500 rounds of S&B 9mm, and probably 1000 in .45acp.

Fremmer · February 18, 2013, 12:27 AM

I've used the 9mm and the 45 acp and never had a problem. The kimber seems to like their 45 ammo.

Cokeman · February 18, 2013, 04:56 AM

They used to have a red sealer around the primers on the .380 ammo. Lately the red seal isn't there. I don't know what the difference is. When I got my first box of non-red, I carried a mag full in my Kahr for a while. I went to the range and on the first shot, I pulled the trigger and click. I put that round back in the mag and it did it again. It finally fired on the 4th try. I'm glad I was shooting that 1st round at the range and not at an attacker.

NYGlock · February 18, 2013, 05:49 AM

I had a case of S&B 9mm ammo that gave my old Taurus PT-111 problems. I found that 2-3 rounds out of every box ould not fire on the first trigger pull; they would almost all fire on the second. I sold the Taurus and bought a Glock 26 and had no problems on the remainder of the case.

Carl N. Brown · February 18, 2013, 06:10 AM

I had a Grendel P10 double action only .380 pistol that ran fine with Winchester, but occasionally failed to fire on first strike with S&B .380 but would fire on second strike. Good ammo for detecting flinch at the range, I must admit, but not good for carry.

I have shot S&B 7.62x25mm in a CZ-52 for about 8 years now with no problems. I did get a batch of Berdan-primed military PPU that occasionally failed to fire on first strike but would fire on second try. The Boxer-primed commercial PPU has been as reliable as the S&B.

Basically, some foreign commercial and military small pistol primers are as thick as our small rifle primers. Some pistols will have problems with some ammo.

Test ammo at the range before relying on it for carry for defense.

jimbo555 · February 18, 2013, 08:41 AM

I had the same problem with s&b 9mm,won't buy anymore. The ammo looks like quality stuff but the primers are a problem for a lot of guns.

railroadman · February 18, 2013, 09:57 AM

I use both a PPS 43 and a CZ52 I wish i could get more.Cases too.I can,t find any in florida.The PPS43 35 rds 4 different mags faultless.

mgmorden · February 18, 2013, 10:38 AM

I've personally never had any issues with S&B ammo myself. Always shot well (and for rifle ammo S&B 150gr SP grouped better than any other factory ammo out of my Savage .30-06).

That said, light strikes are somewhat rare on a hammer-fired gun too (more common on striker guns).

Maybe you just got a bad box. With the companies churning out ammo at the pace they are QC might have slipped at some plants.

heeler · February 18, 2013, 11:28 AM

I have fired hundreds of rounds of S&B ammo in 380,9mm,and 32ACP without one issue.
And before the great panic and drought I ordered a bunch of it because I was getting 9mm for $9.99 a box.
It is my preferred target practice ammo.

1KPerDay · February 18, 2013, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock185

Haven't tried any S&B 9MM, but did have a negative experience with S&B .223 ammo back around 2009, when ammo was difficult to get even for PDs. Does this sound familiar? Anyway,our Rangemaster had ordered a quantity of S&B .223, because that was all he could actually get at the time for training. He told me officers had been having failures to extract and he wasn't buying anymore. Within the first magazine, the S&B failed to extract twice in the Dept. M-16 I was issued. The officer next to me had a failure to extract in his rifle immediately afterwards. The rifles were clean and lubed. We had just started qualifications, were shooting semi-auto, and the rifles were not heated up from full auto fire, etc. We could not extract the fired cases until we knocked them out with steel cleaning rods. The rifles gave no trouble with Winchester, Remington and Federal ammo. I have never personally purchased any S&B, and have no plans to unless the ammo situation gets a lot worse than it is now...ymmv

BTW, I carried the P226 every working day for several years. I don't ever recall having a malfunction with any factory Winchester, Speer, Federal or Remington ammo, or my own reloads. I don't think it's your gun......

Old, blue boxed S&B may be problematic. New, green and red box S&B is among the best ammo you can buy, IMO. I'd take it any day over Rem/UMC or WWB garbage. To the OP try cleaning the firing pin channel as suggested or a new mainspring.

Landric · February 18, 2013, 11:53 AM

Just before the panic started a bought 500 rounds of S&B 147 grain 9mm JHP from a local gun shop for cost. The reason I got it for cost was because the rest of the case had been sold to other customers and had been returned for multiple failures to fire in various handguns. I was buying for my 9mm AR, so I decided to chance it. The stuff works perfectly in my 9mm AR, and is also reasonably quiet suppressed. I also use S&B .380 in my Beretta 84FS without any issues. I suspect that the primers are significantly harder than most US primers, and as such, some guns have problems with it.

jonnyc · February 18, 2013, 12:27 PM

S&B is the only ammo that has miss-fired in my KelTec P32. I just don't buy it anymore, end of problem.

coalbed · February 18, 2013, 02:46 PM

Well I guess this is a perfect example why you should buy a box of several different manufactures ammo with a new gun to see what is most reliable and most accurate for your new gun (tested after break in period). I would say not to throw the baby out with the bathwater and swear off S&B for all your firearms, it just may be what another gun of yours loves better than all the rest. I had cycling problems with Remington .30'06 ammo in a Remington 742 of all things, but it worked well in my Mauser custom of the same caliber and was very accurate, I suspect it was a light loading, but the point is every gun is different and even 2 guns of the same model may behave differently and like different ammo. I've had time to recollect, and I am positive I have never had so much as a jam with S&B in the many thousands of rounds and dozens of different firearms,for what its worth. So If I were you I would try that ammo in another pistol and continue to try it in other guns in the future. It is premium ammo.

kerreckt · February 18, 2013, 03:15 PM

I have shot many thousand rounds of S&B in 9mm .380 and .45acp over the years. I have used their primers to reload many thousand rounds of the same calibers. I never had any problems. I once had some PPU .380 that was bad but they were aware of it when I got in touch with them and made good on it. I hope this is just a freak occurrence and not a sign of things to come. I have always viewed S&B as a good quality manufacturer of ammo and components.

dryflyelk · February 18, 2013, 04:07 PM

Funny, I fired about 300 rounds of that exact same combo just two days ago - S&B 115 gr 9mm through my Sig P226. It went flawlessly. I've also fired thousands of rounds of the same stuff with my glocks and I've never had an issue. Sounds like you got a bad batch or something.

February 17, 2013, 10:30 PM	#1
rtba Member Join Date: November 7, 2012 Posts: 10	No bang with S&B ammo I got some S&B 9mm ball ammo for my SIG P226. Options are limited of late, but this seemed to be not the worst I could have gotten. But I had five out of the first box fail to fire during my last trip to the range! Two of them fired on the second try, but not the other three. I've heard S&B has hard primers, but I didn't expect this. Anyone else experienced this? Anything that can be done to help? Everything else I've tried has worked flawlessly, but this was the first time I've tried European ammo. I suppose I could try replacing the firing pin spring!?

February 17, 2013, 11:31 PM	#7
coalbed Member Join Date: August 11, 2012 Location: Collinsville Al Posts: 111	Hey thought Id jump in, I would get another pistol and try some in it. S&B is quality ammo and they actually load for Winchester and others with Winchester head stamps. Not saying they couldn't have a bad lot, any load company could. I personally have shot literally thousands of S&B rounds in many different calibers and never had any problem with any of it. In fact its usually some of the better and more accurate of what I've tried. Just my 2 cents. __________________ Ohio Ordnance Works Vz 2000 Tactical

February 18, 2013, 12:02 AM	#9
xjsnake Member Join Date: April 27, 2011 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 157	I've run about 500 rounds on S&B through my bersa with zero issues. I've shot a couple boxes of 9mm in my S&W with no issues either __________________ The anti-gun lobby reminds me of that show "Ghost Hunters". They turn off all the lights, shut out the outside world and then proceed to scare themselves silly.

February 18, 2013, 12:02 AM	#10
CZguy Member Join Date: March 25, 2004 Location: Missouri Posts: 3,893	Reread post number five. He listed all the things to check. S&B is good quality ammo. Ive used it for years without any problems. __________________ "When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash." "Directions to heaven. Turn right, and go straight."

February 18, 2013, 12:14 AM	#11
wojownik Member Join Date: May 15, 2009 Location: the Old Dominion Posts: 999	Been shooting S&B in my p226, p229, p228 and p220 for years and years. Never had an issue (except it is a bit dirtier than some). Not one issue in over 3,500 rounds of S&B 9mm, and probably 1000 in .45acp. __________________ A liberal is a man who is willing to spend somebody else's money. (Carter Glass) The liberals can understand everything but people who don't understand them. (Lenny Bruce)

February 17, 2013, 10:45 PM	#3
holdencm9 Member Join Date: October 25, 2011 Posts: 1,209	I've heard that S&B has hard primers too, but have never had a single failure to fire in my Beretta 92FS. It was my go-to range ammo for years, because it had a little more gusto than other brands. However, my friend did have one in his Glock. I'd say try another box of S&B, maybe you just got a particularly hard-primered box, then if you still have issues, try a stronger hammer spring.

February 17, 2013, 10:52 PM	#4
ID-shooting Member Join Date: December 15, 2012 Location: Nampa, Idaho Posts: 282	Ran a bunch of new stock S&B 9mm through my Sig 2022 saturday. All ran just fine.

February 17, 2013, 11:16 PM	#6
Rock185 Member Join Date: July 8, 2005 Location: Arizona Posts: 115	Haven't tried any S&B 9MM, but did have a negative experience with S&B .223 ammo back around 2009, when ammo was difficult to get even for PDs. Does this sound familiar? Anyway,our Rangemaster had ordered a quantity of S&B .223, because that was all he could actually get at the time for training. He told me officers had been having failures to extract and he wasn't buying anymore. Within the first magazine, the S&B failed to extract twice in the Dept. M-16 I was issued. The officer next to me had a failure to extract in his rifle immediately afterwards. The rifles were clean and lubed. We had just started qualifications, were shooting semi-auto, and the rifles were not heated up from full auto fire, etc. We could not extract the fired cases until we knocked them out with steel cleaning rods. The rifles gave no trouble with Winchester, Remington and Federal ammo. I have never personally purchased any S&B, and have no plans to unless the ammo situation gets a lot worse than it is now...ymmv BTW, I carried the P226 every working day for several years. I don't ever recall having a malfunction with any factory Winchester, Speer, Federal or Remington ammo, or my own reloads. I don't think it's your gun......

February 17, 2013, 11:56 PM	#8
Steve C Member Join Date: January 5, 2006 Posts: 3,919	I have shot cases of 9mm 115gr S&B brass ammo over the years and can't remember any failures to fire. Don't own a Sig in 9mm but the ammo has fired in 5 other makes of 9mm that I do own without hiccup and never seemed to have hard primes. I'd suspect it is your firearm causing the light hits on the primers. Follow RC's advice regarding cleaning to eliminate possible causes of light hits by the firing pin. The first time I shot my Sig 220 I had similar problems with light hammer strike. After a a thorough cleaning the subsequent range trips over the last 15+ years have been event free.

February 18, 2013, 12:27 AM	#12
Fremmer Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Posts: 1,488	I've used the 9mm and the 45 acp and never had a problem. The kimber seems to like their 45 ammo.

February 18, 2013, 04:56 AM	#13
Cokeman Member Join Date: February 23, 2007 Location: Utah Posts: 625	They used to have a red sealer around the primers on the .380 ammo. Lately the red seal isn't there. I don't know what the difference is. When I got my first box of non-red, I carried a mag full in my Kahr for a while. I went to the range and on the first shot, I pulled the trigger and click. I put that round back in the mag and it did it again. It finally fired on the 4th try. I'm glad I was shooting that 1st round at the range and not at an attacker. __________________ Glock 23 - CZ 452 ZKM Special - Walther P22 LMT STD 16 - Mossberg 500 - Kahr P380 Henry H001Y - Winchester 12 - Smith & Wesson M&P Shield

February 18, 2013, 05:49 AM	#14
NYGlock Member Join Date: April 24, 2012 Posts: 34	I had a case of S&B 9mm ammo that gave my old Taurus PT-111 problems. I found that 2-3 rounds out of every box ould not fire on the first trigger pull; they would almost all fire on the second. I sold the Taurus and bought a Glock 26 and had no problems on the remainder of the case.

February 18, 2013, 06:10 AM	#15
Carl N. Brown Member Join Date: May 10, 2005 Location: Kingsport Tennessee Posts: 5,992	I had a Grendel P10 double action only .380 pistol that ran fine with Winchester, but occasionally failed to fire on first strike with S&B .380 but would fire on second strike. Good ammo for detecting flinch at the range, I must admit, but not good for carry. I have shot S&B 7.62x25mm in a CZ-52 for about 8 years now with no problems. I did get a batch of Berdan-primed military PPU that occasionally failed to fire on first strike but would fire on second try. The Boxer-primed commercial PPU has been as reliable as the S&B. Basically, some foreign commercial and military small pistol primers are as thick as our small rifle primers. Some pistols will have problems with some ammo. Test ammo at the range before relying on it for carry for defense. __________________ Cogito me cogitare; ergo, cogito me esse.

February 18, 2013, 08:41 AM	#16
jimbo555 Member Join Date: December 11, 2011 Location: Statesboro,Georgia Posts: 353	I had the same problem with s&b 9mm,won't buy anymore. The ammo looks like quality stuff but the primers are a problem for a lot of guns.

February 18, 2013, 09:57 AM	#17
railroadman Member Join Date: September 15, 2012 Posts: 35	S&B 7.62x25 I use both a PPS 43 and a CZ52 I wish i could get more.Cases too.I can,t find any in florida.The PPS43 35 rds 4 different mags faultless.

February 18, 2013, 10:38 AM	#18
mgmorden Member Join Date: May 22, 2009 Location: Charleston, South Carolina Posts: 3,221	I've personally never had any issues with S&B ammo myself. Always shot well (and for rifle ammo S&B 150gr SP grouped better than any other factory ammo out of my Savage .30-06). That said, light strikes are somewhat rare on a hammer-fired gun too (more common on striker guns). Maybe you just got a bad box. With the companies churning out ammo at the pace they are QC might have slipped at some plants. __________________ "What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving." - Adrian Rogers

February 18, 2013, 11:28 AM	#19
heeler Member Join Date: December 18, 2007 Posts: 2,440	I have fired hundreds of rounds of S&B ammo in 380,9mm,and 32ACP without one issue. And before the great panic and drought I ordered a bunch of it because I was getting 9mm for $9.99 a box. It is my preferred target practice ammo.

February 18, 2013, 11:53 AM	#21
Landric Member Join Date: April 19, 2003 Location: Kansas City Metro Posts: 883	Just before the panic started a bought 500 rounds of S&B 147 grain 9mm JHP from a local gun shop for cost. The reason I got it for cost was because the rest of the case had been sold to other customers and had been returned for multiple failures to fire in various handguns. I was buying for my 9mm AR, so I decided to chance it. The stuff works perfectly in my 9mm AR, and is also reasonably quiet suppressed. I also use S&B .380 in my Beretta 84FS without any issues. I suspect that the primers are significantly harder than most US primers, and as such, some guns have problems with it. __________________ Landric "The Engine could still smile...It seemed to scare them"- Felix

February 18, 2013, 12:27 PM	#22
jonnyc Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: SE Pennsylvania Posts: 1,953	S&B is the only ammo that has miss-fired in my KelTec P32. I just don't buy it anymore, end of problem. __________________ Always looking for interesting 7.62x25 Tokarev and 7.63 Mauser cartridges!!! Member: International Ammunition Assoc. (IAA), European Cartridge Research Assoc. (ECRA). Ask me about membership!

February 18, 2013, 02:46 PM	#23
coalbed Member Join Date: August 11, 2012 Location: Collinsville Al Posts: 111	Well I guess this is a perfect example why you should buy a box of several different manufactures ammo with a new gun to see what is most reliable and most accurate for your new gun (tested after break in period). I would say not to throw the baby out with the bathwater and swear off S&B for all your firearms, it just may be what another gun of yours loves better than all the rest. I had cycling problems with Remington .30'06 ammo in a Remington 742 of all things, but it worked well in my Mauser custom of the same caliber and was very accurate, I suspect it was a light loading, but the point is every gun is different and even 2 guns of the same model may behave differently and like different ammo. I've had time to recollect, and I am positive I have never had so much as a jam with S&B in the many thousands of rounds and dozens of different firearms,for what its worth. So If I were you I would try that ammo in another pistol and continue to try it in other guns in the future. It is premium ammo. __________________ Ohio Ordnance Works Vz 2000 Tactical

February 18, 2013, 03:15 PM	#24
kerreckt Member Join Date: April 23, 2011 Location: SE Virginia Posts: 317	I have shot many thousand rounds of S&B in 9mm .380 and .45acp over the years. I have used their primers to reload many thousand rounds of the same calibers. I never had any problems. I once had some PPU .380 that was bad but they were aware of it when I got in touch with them and made good on it. I hope this is just a freak occurrence and not a sign of things to come. I have always viewed S&B as a good quality manufacturer of ammo and components. __________________ "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have". Thomas Jefferson Μολών Λαβέ

February 18, 2013, 04:07 PM	#25
dryflyelk Member Join Date: February 13, 2009 Posts: 26	Funny, I fired about 300 rounds of that exact same combo just two days ago - S&B 115 gr 9mm through my Sig P226. It went flawlessly. I've also fired thousands of rounds of the same stuff with my glocks and I've never had an issue. Sounds like you got a bad batch or something.