Rotating barrels work/ better training needed
I've been less then impressed with the rotating barrel Berrettas and Stoegers I've had come through my class. I've only seen a few, but I've seen problems with them.
It seems to me they really need to be lubricated carefully or they are much more likely to malfunction then a more conventional locking system.
*My theory, yet unproven, is that the addtional bearing surfaces involved in having a rotating barrel requires more lubrication to work properly and is less tolerant of being unlubricated or under-lubricated then conventional locking systems.
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*I think you're right, yet wrong, and here's why - 3 reasons: newbie, untrained, over lubrication/not enough lubrication - mixed with lots of rounds/heat and cheap dirty ammo - as I discuss to below
Most newbies to the Px4's or Stoegers make 2 big mistakes, one being either they don't put enough oil on the rotating barrel slot or on the bottom of the return housing "Hub" that clks on-top of it OR they put to much and shoot cheap ammo and the spent black powder flying around mixing with the oil makes a, fast, thick, goo mess that IF not cleaned and re-lubricated, correctly turns into a thick, tar-like, goo and the next time they go shooting, when the mess has had time to cool, thicken, and "set" in place/s, the first cold shots make for jams and they can, in most cases, continue to jam until remedied/cleaned correctly.
With too much oil, mixing with cheap ammo, spent black powder, flying back and "down" (gravity), especially into the interior of the mags, another feed problem area, and remains, especially when it all cools into a tar goo like mess.
The flip side is not enough lubrication, if at all, and, yep, it doesn't take long for the "heat" of the barrel, itself, right there at the slot, to evaporate a too/thin layer of oil.. So what is the fix..?
Get some Tetra white gun grease, put a dab via finger or swirled onto the end of a Q-tip and gently cover the entire barrel slot (top of picture) and with a small amount of "gun" grease mentioned, put some on the entire bottom/top of Hub (bottom) of picture and a very light covering on the sides and bottom, not seen in pic..
Remembering, light applications of gun grease "does not fly around" stays put, gravity has no effect NOR does heat evaporate it based on the same, light applications vs the same light application of any gun oil. The gun grease is gonna stay/last a lot longer, giving anyone, if the day's class calls for it, a lot of shooting/rounds time and heat will not be an issue/factor whether student/owner has just inspected, prior to class, one's gun, cleaned and lubed, properly OR has less than 500 rounds on a properly tuned/lubricated gun with rotating barrel, as they will go, without any added lubrication's, an easy 1000 rounds without any issues whatsoever. Mine has done this, and more, time and time again without any unnecessary wear because the grease stays put, along with using good ammo, or good re-loads.. And if only cheap, dirty, ammo is all one can get, then it's but a quick, 1 min "inspection" with one of the easiest guns to dissemble, inspect, clean, reassemble, like Sigs, bar none, out there and takes, but another 10 mins to clean and re-lube and reassemble, with a quick, but good, cleaning of one's Px4 or Stoeger.
This, with clean mags, a light application of oil on the frame guide rails and slide rails, again, using a Q-tip with a few drops of good gun oil (or gun grease) starting from middle of slide rails all the way forward then all the way back, "once" per side is all one needs.. done
For the frame rail guides, very sharp, use one's finger, not a Q-tip, top/side bottom with a dab of grease or oil.. done.
Then these rotating barreled guns work like a charm, for a long time, as my, almost, 4yr old Px4 2yr old Px4 40 with just over 7k rounds has run flawless, using good ammo or good reloads, even cheap stuff during the ammo depression, not long ago, and no problems.. none.
Last, the benefit of the rotating barrel over a tilt-up action (in theory) is with no barrel movement, only "level" rotation, it aids in ongoing accuracy vs the tilt up action on barrels - but - having 6 Sigs, I have seen no difference in my on-going shooting of either make/guns..
But the one real benefit of the rotating barrel is it dampens actual recoil, as my Px4 40 shoots like any 9mm, of which I have 2 Sig P229/40's and 3, 229, 228, and 225 9mms. All 40's, mentioned, shoot nearly identical to my 9mms.
This, because, IMHO, is due to both, rotating barrel effect and on a lighter polymer frame and on the Sigs, because of the heavier slide and frame.
It's all about balance and "effect"s.. gun platforms.
Bottom line: one's students need more "functional training" when it comes to lubrication's and their proper uses with "type gun" they own, are shooting for the classes.
OMMV,
Ls
Ps.. I also, during very cold temps, use nothing but good gun oil on the slot groove and hub and go 1000 rounds with no problems as it is a, somewhat, fine-line between to much oil here, there and not enough - but hardly a tough measurement to figure out once one has the understanding of oils, the good and bad of them, in their applications (use) along with the effects of good clean ammo vs cheap, dirty, ammo, over round counts, heat/evaporation using oil and, most important, the "inspections" of one's guns and its importance, especially when it comes to first "cold shots" or during long, continuous shootings, high round counts in a single day or over a few days, in many gun/classes/courses.. "Bring 1500 rounds" types.
None of this, most of this is not "taught", for the very most part to newbies, be them civi or potential LEO students.
The same fault by many "instructors" that fail to ask "is your gun new, how many rounds, aprox, on it, and when was the last time you cleaned and lubed it, prior to class..? And to quickly inspect any students gun to know and see the answer in the same time it takes to read and finish this post. And with a new gun, there is the ever present possible of break-process in the works as tight parts need time to seat and mesh properly, be it 300 rounds, 500 rounds, 1000 rounds and, for many, needs no break in time (and is properly lubricated going in) with good ammo and some with cheap ammo, as well, work fine from the get-go. But for those same type guns, some do not as each gun is a tad different than another, some better, some worse, some need break in time, some don't. But the newbie is the most clueless in the class and cannot be taken for granted that he did an inspection correctly, incorrectly, or none at all, "unless asked" and then made to, or shown, how to open up ones gun and chk the vital lubrication areas, good, not good, corrected, and shown how to button their guns back up.
Far too many "classes" never mention to the buyer/student's "make sure your gun is cleaned and freshly lubed, properly, let alone really checked by any instructors until TSHTF/jams, continually, occur, for the one or 2 day class.. Nope, just pay for it and bring your gun/s and ammo, for the very most part, and newbies, for the most part, of such beginner classes, haven't a clue one way or another as to their guns, and mags, actual conditions.. good or bad, mostly bad with to much oil and to much cheap ammo prior to class or simply not enough lubrication or none.. bone dry guns.
And, the sad part is, all it would take is about the same time, or less, that it took to read this reply.. as mentioned