Disappointing morning at the range

[ACP]

Got to my club at 5:45 a.m. this morning -- brought the S&W 642, the S&W 19 snub nose, my beloved 70 Series Colt Combat Commander, and some reloads.

The Model 19 shot flawlessly until a squib load left a FMJ peeking out of the muzzle. It was the first round of 6 -- lucky I checked the gun when I heard a "pop" instead of a "bang."

I shot the 642 fine with full-power 158-gr. LSWCHP+P, but not as well with 125-gr. "training" ammo. Hmmm...

The Colt choked several times on four magazines of reloads, all of them FTF's with the bullet nosediving on the feedramp (the barrel chamber was cleaned a few weeks ago with Wilson's chamber brush). Thinking it was the reloads, I tucked in my carry load, Fed. Hydrashoks, and got the save FTFs. This is with new Wilson magazines, mind you. The gun was also shucking empties -- get this -- FORWARD about 6'. Only about a dozen cases out of 21 rounds landed behind me. This from a $1,300 customized Colt.

Lessons learned?
1. Don't buy cheap ammo. It ain't worth it.
2. Revolvers good, autoloaders bad -- today
3. Keep practicing.
4. Get that Colt to the gun doctor ASAP.

 

[10-Ring]

Hey, at least you went shooting. I had to go to work

 

[GlocksRock]

That sucks, I'm sorry to hear about your bad day at the range. If you had a Glock you wouldn't have to worry about such catastrophies.

 

[bountyhunter]

That Colt sounds like maybe the extractor is too tight?


been there on the revolver squibs. had three one night at PPC shooting and was able to freeze my finger every time before firing again, even though it was timed rapid fire. There is something about that "pzoof" sound that just makes you lock up (thank God).

 

[VOD]

If it's any help, isn't a bad day at the range better than any kind of day at work???

 

[ACP]

Yeah. But it put me in a sour mood the rest of the day. To top it off... I attmpted to drive the slug out of the barrel. No go. And, I gouged the cylinder release in the process. My gunsmith is gonna have a cow!

Hey, GlocksRock, I got another idea -- a Browning Hi Power!

 

[coonan357]

well your bad day was better than my last several weeks .. I would gladdly trade .. at least you have something to shoot! I am waiting to get the kids back home ..

 

[pax]

GlocksRock,

My Glock 26 broke on Sunday, right before shooting the qual in a class I was taking.

ACP,

Bummer of a day ... Sure, it beats being at work, but so does going to the dentist.

... Uh, maybe not.

pax

Inanimate objects are classified scientifically into three categories-- those that don't work, those that break down, and those that get lost. -- Russell Baker

 

[cool45auto]

I go to a local outdoor range. When I went yesterday they had a bulldozer and a tractor out there redoing the bank at 25 yards and the back wall thats 100 yards.

I'm not off again till next Tuesday.

So I burned off my frustration mowing the lawn.

 

[GlocksRock]

Pax, what happened to it? Was it a part that is easily swapped out, or was it something major?

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I've been lucky the last 5 or 6 weeks to not have that kind of unfortunate day. Been shooting very well, in fact. 2 weeks ago, my shooting partner had such a day. Couldn't hit anything and when I asked what was wrong, he didn't know. He straightened up nicely this past week. Sometimes we're just not on our game and the scores suffer. I like to think I'm not heading for a fall soon, just getting back into shooting seriously, but I've had too many in the past to be sure of that.

 

[pax]

GlocksRock,

The slide lock spring broke.

Unfortunately, it sent my slide straight into a puddle of mud and muck.

Fortunately, it was while I was dry firing and not while I had live ammo. (Could it have gone into battery with the spring "almost" broken and then sent the slide flying with attendant fireworks? I dunno... but I'm glad I didn't have a chance to find out.)

Unfortunately, it was right before shooting the qualifier at the end of class and kind of discombobulated me.

Fortunately, the fellow who owns the school I was at is a Glock armorer and had a tool kit full of spare parts to get me up and running again.

Unfortunately, he did not have a spare slide lock spring. He was a little weirded out by the malf since, in years of shooting, he'd never seen that part fail before -- which is why it wasn't in his kit already.

Fortunately, his wife had a G26 and very graciously allowed me to swap out parts with her in order to complete the class. Good people.

Anyway. Just goes to show that Glocks ain't perfect after all.

pax

Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect. -- Benny Hill

 

[GlocksRock]

I had the same spring break on my 19 before, and I hear that is a fairly common part to break in the Glock 30. The slide won't come off until the mag is shot empty and the trigger is pulled on an empty chamber. It is also a different spring than is in the full size and compact glocks. So keeping a spare spring kit around is a good idea. No Glocks aren't perfect, but all springs will break eventually.

 

[pax]

GlocksRock,

Thanks for the info.

Learn something new every day.

pax

I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean. -- G. K. Chesterton

 

[ACP]

Update ....

Cleaned the extractor and extractor channel last night. Sent 27 rounds through it this morning from nine different magazines -- no FTF or eject problems.

The revo. is headed to the 'smith later today. I told him the problem. His reply? "(insert name of company here) reloads?"
Me: "Yeah." Him: "I had another customer with the same problem. The company bought him a new barrel."