I do not trust my pistol anymore

[Jim Watson]

I don't know what your market offers in ammo, the only way to find what would run up the ramp would be to shoot them all.
My Colt with the nasty old two piece ramp will feed Federal 9BP and the plain Remington hollowpoint now advertised as "High Terminal Performance."

I am sure a competent gunsmith could recontour your ramp(s) to feed some hollowpoint.

Also consider post #17 where I described my college days practice of keeping a JSP or JHP in the chamber and FMJ in the magazine of a pistol I trusted to feed only the hardball.

 

[Old Fuff]

Sorry if I offend any Taurus owners, but that is how I feel now.

I have owned several Taurus handguns, and I not a bit offended by your remarks.

However I will point in defense of the Taurus Company that by your own admission the pistol is reliable when you use the ammunition that it was designed to be used with.

The problem is that you want to use cartridges with bullets that probably have a different nose configuration and construction, and the rounds likely have a different overall length - both factors that be critical in semi-automatic pistols.

Would you be upset with a car manufacturer that made automobiles with gasoline engines and then discovered they wouldn't run when you filled the gas tank with diesel fuel?

I know of no manufacturer of pistols that will guarantee that without any exceptions their products will reliably function with any and all ammunition an owner may use in it.

Frankly, this is why some people are still buying revolvers - for obvious reasons.

 

[Hunter2011]

However I will point in defense of the Taurus Company that by your own admission the pistol is reliable when you use the ammunition that it was designed to be used with.

Noted. I did not know it was designed for FMJ ammo. Is it not a bit silly then, seeing most people buy a pistol for this for SD and not for range use? 80% of people will rather load up with HP ammo than FMJ ammo, not so?

 

[USAF_Vet]

Like I said, there are some 115grain jacketed hollow points that run fine in my 709. It's currently loaded with Magtech 115gr JHP. It's also ran fine on Remington 115 grain JHP. The wider profile at the front of heavier hollow points like 124 and 147 grains are the ones that get stuck on the two piece feed ramp. If you stick to a hollow point whose profile is near to that of an FMJ, you should be fine. The hollow point is a smaller diameter opening, so may not perform as well as the wider 124s, but they'll likely out perform an FMJ of the same weight.

 

[Hunter2011]

Like I said, there are some 115grain jacketed hollow points that run fine in my 709. It's currently loaded with Magtech 115gr JHP. It's also ran fine on Remington 115 grain JHP. The wider profile at the front of heavier hollow points like 124 and 147 grains are the ones that get stuck on the two piece feed ramp. If you stick to a hollow point whose profile is near to that of an FMJ, you should be fine. The hollow point is a smaller diameter opening, so may not perform as well as the wider 124s, but they'll likely out perform an FMJ of the same weight.

Thanks. I do have half a box of the Magtech ammo. Pitty I could not find any the last year to buy.

 

[Steve C]

Sometimes the magazine spring of even new magazines are assembled improperly. Most magazine springs have a definite raised end that will keep the front of the follower up as it moves up the magazine tube. This helps keep the nose of the bullet in the up position in relation to its base so it feeds out of the mag rather than diving into the feed ramp. Check the magazine spring to see if its installed correctly. Check the tube to make sure it hasn't any rough areas that may be retarding smooth travel as rounds are fed.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Hunter2011,

You wrote, "But if it can be fixed and the next 300 rounds are trouble free, I will trust it again, as I have trusted this pistol before."

That is what you say, but the rest of that post really is saying something else. You have trusted a product that you feel let you down, and now you are "turned off" the company and its products. I suspect that even if the gun fired 3000 rounds without a problem, you would still be subconsciously wondering if the next trigger pull will result in a bang or not.

It is like finding that one's "significant other" is cheating and lying about it. You may kiss and make up, but somewhere deep down you won't ever quite trust that person again.

Jim

 

[ChairborneRanger]

In the book "The Snubby Revolver" by Ed Lovett he mentions that the NYPD reported they had 6000 shootings with revolvers and didn't have one single gun failure. I believe I have that number correct. But I doubt any shooting was more than two cylinders full and most a lot less. But they always worked.

And as others have said check your mags. They seem to be the number one problem with autos. At least they are an easy fix. Brownells sells a mag adjusting tool. It just looks like a rod with a slot in the end to adjust mag lips. It sounds like yours need to be opened a little.

I also recall another study of shootings out of NYPD, which quoted (or proposed) the "rule of three:" Shootings typically involve 3 shots, happen at a distance of 3 yards and are over in 3 seconds.

 

[benEzra]

I also recall another study of shootings out of NYPD, which quoted (or proposed) the "rule of three:" Shootings typically involve 3 shots, happen at a distance of 3 yards and are over in 3 seconds.

The NYPD SOP-9 data puts the average number of rounds fired by the police per gunfight (excluding suicides and ND's, which are usually single-shot incidents, and other non-gunfight incidents) at 10.3, with the average number per officer being 5.2.

http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/Aveni/OIS.pdf

Approximately 88% of NYPD shootings in the study occurred at 0 to 7 yards, with 69% of those occuring at 0 to 2 yards; 6% occurred at 8 to 15 yards, and 3% at 16 or more yards. Hit percentage ranged from 38% at 0-2 yards to 8-9% at 8-25 yards. Yes, even at near-contact distance, six of ten NYPD shots missed, possibly because at that range many of the officers were grappling with the suspects. Since police officers are required to close with a suspect to apprehend them, the distance data may be skewed closer than typical non-LEO defensive distances, but I don't know where we would find that kind of data.

 

[GRIZ22]

One really needs to get over the fact that if you shoot guns enough, you will have one break down. The answer is to fix it, test fire it, and continue to carry and/or shoot it. Paranoia about not trusting it is unreal and not healthy. Carry a BUG if it worries you. I do and the likelihood of both guns breaking down is very remote.

If a gun is breaking down often I wouldn't carry it.

 

[Warp]

I do realise its a Taurus but I have seen many pistols of any brand jamming or so on the range in the 25 years I have been going to shooting ranges.
This weekend I shot with my EDC again, it was not being shot for perhaps 3 months. The third shot nose-dived. at least the first shot, the one carried in the chamber went off. So at least I have a reliable single shotter

My father has a very old revolver that costed him secondhand less than 10% of what I paid for my brand new pistol. But is does not matter if his revolver was in the safe for years, all shots will go off.

I think I must trade my pistol for a revolver to EDC. Despite the huge drop in capacity and firing power. But I do need something I can trust 110%

I shot about 60 rounds, and had 2 nose-dives. Strangely I never had that before. seems this Taurus must be cleaned at least once in two weeks to not get problems with feeding rounds

To get a glock can only help, but Glocks also give nose-dives or other feeding problems time to time. I have never seen a revolver give a feeding problem in my life.

Is it stupid to change the high capacily pistol for a low capacity revolver, taking the issues I have into account?

I will still shoot with it at the range, but I honestly believe that your EDC should be 100% reliable, not 99%.

Try a Glock. They work.

I started tracking rounds and malfunctions in my guns a few years ago. My most recently purchased Glock (since I tracked) is up to ~1,885 rounds of 100.00%

To be brand-fair, my HK (VP9) acquired 6 months ago is at 1,940 rounds and the only malfunction was a FTRTB in the first 150 or so rounds.