KVP (Faxon) 9mm 16 inch Barrel chamber

[DBEAM]

I have already emailed Faxon about this, they make the barrel for Kaw Valley, and they were very quick to reply and nice to deal with but I would like some more input.

I recently purchase a KVP upper and paired it with my PSA glock lower. All I have shot through the gun is factory Perfecta and AE 115 fmj. One time when I was done shooting I noticed that the AE was extremely hard to extract (a live unfired round), I ended up just shooting it out. I figured it was slightly different bullet from the perfectas I had been shooting and that it was just a tight fit in a dirty chamber.

Started looking on internet today and found that people had been noticing a short chamber on these barrels (not sure if that is the right term for what I am describing). So I decided to plunk test it and I found that factory WWB and AE 115 fmj fails the plunk test. Also confirmed that it will set back WWB but not to any smaller oal then some of the other bullets in the pack are already loaded to. I found 115 fmj perfects pass the plunk test and most of my 124 xtp plated reloads at around 1.147 oal pass the plunk test.

I think I can safely develop a load to 1.135 to avoid this but does anyone think that the wwb and the ae are a danger to shoot out of this barrel?

 

[Blue68f100]

It sounds like the barrel did not have a finish reamer run through it. I would send the upper back to them and have them correct the problem. Or find a local gunsmith that can do it for you. You should not be having any problem with factory ammo.

 

[Walkalong]

Call and ask them about it. They may just use a very short throat. It can always be opened up (lengthened) of course.

 

[DBEAM]

I am in contact with them by email now and they seem to be a very good company to deal with. They have been responding incredibly quickly and they are really working with me.

How dangerous is a bullet contacting the leads? I know people warn about it maybe raising pressures so you want to be sure your reloads don't but I saw no ill effects from the 100 rounds of american eagle I put through the barrel before I realized this issue. The brass looked fine.

 

[DBEAM]

Ok they are agreeing to either repair my barrel or give me another one which leaves me in a dilemma.

Should I have them ream my barrel which is Black QPQ Salt Bath Nitride treated, I assume that I will loose the coating an where the barrel is reamed.

Or should I get a new barrel and risk it being the same specs as the one I currently have getting me absolutely know where but out of the time removing and installing another barrel.

 

[carbine85]

Faxon makes excellent barrels. They are black nitrided. It should head space without any problems.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

How dangerous is a bullet contacting the leads?

Mark the round with a marker and chamber it. Is it actually hitting the lands? If so send it too them and get it corrected. It can be dangerous with pressure spikes. Better safe than sorry IMHO.

 

[DBEAM]

I just tested a wwb round this way and it is hitting about 1/8" up from the case. 124 factory gold dot does plunk fine. I am sending the barrel back to them. So far their communication has been excellent although I thought they were saying a new barrel was an option earlier I found out they meant that if they can't get my barrel to specs I will get a new one. Sounds fair so long as I don't loose my nitride treatment in the chamber/throat area, that is the most important area to be treated in my opinion.

 

[DBEAM]

Picture of the test round.

 

[RogueNathan]

Hello, THR team and apologies for taking a bit to join this community!

We're here to help, so let us know how we can.

 

[RogueNathan]

It sounds like the barrel did not have a finish reamer run through it. I would send the upper back to them and have them correct the problem. Or find a local gunsmith that can do it for you. You should not be having any problem with factory ammo.

All 9mm barrels are actually chambered only with a finish reamer.

We took a second to verify the reamer on all batches. It is confirmed to SAAMI spec (on the low end, but with chamber drawing dimensions), which indicates rounds are being loaded with ogives that are not compliant... annoying!

As its a KVP barrel, we cannot address it directly, but KVP and Faxon are communicating closely on it. If there are issues, get it back to them and Faxon can assist further.

 

[DBEAM]

I just want to add again that Nathan at Faxon has been incredibly behind their product. He answered me in minutes to hours and answered all of my questions just as promptly, and I can ask a lot of questions. They are currently working with me and I expect my issue to be fully resolved. So far I am very impressed with this company.

 

[longdayjake]

Faxon is a good company. The only complaint I have with them is that their barrel steel is a little softer than others. But I guess I could just buy stainless if I wasn't so cheap. I used their pencil 16" barrel in a build that manages to be under 6 lbs without using plastic upper or lowers. It's sweet!!!

 

[Blue68f100]

Maybe they can cut the leads a little deeper. This will not impact the chamber just move the lands back a little.

 

[rfwobbly]

How dangerous is a bullet contacting the leads? I know people warn about it maybe raising pressures so you want to be sure your reloads don't but...

With a short freebore, the bullet ogive is touching the rifling lands. Well, more than "touching", the nose of the bullet is jammed into the lands if you can't extract an unfired round, which is what you described.

Imagine how much more effort will it take to get the front wheels of your car to jump a high curb when the wheels start out touching the curb, versus backing up 2 feet and getting a running head start. That's the difference you're talking about. It easily takes double the energy. Now apply that to your chamber.

...I saw no ill effects from the 100 rounds of American Eagle I put through the barrel before I realized this issue. The brass looked fine.

You can't "see" high pressure until it breaks a slide, ruptures a case, and/or peppers your face with shards of metal.

 

[RogueNathan]

Faxon is a good company. The only complaint I have with them is that their barrel steel is a little softer than others. But I guess I could just buy stainless if I wasn't so cheap. I used their pencil 16" barrel in a build that manages to be under 6 lbs without using plastic upper or lowers. It's sweet!!!

?

Steel arrives pre-heat treated from 28-34 R(c) and is subsequently QPQ treated. Surface is 65-70 R(c) with the core losing at most a point or two. Most barrels average 31 R(c) on our hardness testers post QPQ which is balanced by the surface hardness.

We don't want to go much harder or the steel can become difficult to machine and too brittle.

 

[RogueNathan]

With a short freebore, the bullet ogive is touching the rifling lands. Well, more than "touching", the nose of the bullet is jammed into the lands if you can't extract an unfired round, which is what you described.

9MM technically has no freebore. It goes straight from the brass shoulder directly into the leade per SAAMI.

 

[DBEAM]

Update. I sent my barrel back to Faxon mid December 2016 and received confirmation that it had been received. I received one status update in late December that it was being worked on and that it should be on the way soon. Since Then I have emailed them 3 times asking for updates and received no response I even emailed the customer service the last time instead of Nathan. I understand stuff happens and this has been over a heavy vacation time frame and I would rather it take longer and get done right but after a month I would like reassurance that it hasn't been forgotten. I suppose there could be a problem with the email.

 

[bbqreloader]

OP keep us posted. Looking at Faxon for my first AR build and then possibly going a 9mm the second one. Heard these Faxon has some quality barrels.

 

[DBEAM]

I was impressed with the barrel besides the fact that factory ammo would not pass the plunk test, then I was extremely impressed with their customer service until over a month went by and I'm now getting no responses. I'll probably call them early next week and see if someone can let me know whats going on. I wouldn't say stay away from them yet but I wouldn't buy another 9mm barrel from them at the moment. Don't trust reviews too much either, my 3 star review on the kaw valley upper on joebob outfitters was removed.

 

[DBEAM]

I called today and got a message about everyone being at shot show and getting back this week. Thought I would throw that out there as possibly explaining the lack of response. I left a message and hopefully will get updated on what is going on.

 

[DBEAM]

Nathan got back to me today, sounds like they have just been busy.

 

[LiveLife]

Faxon ... make the barrel for Kaw Valley ... purchase a KVP upper ... noticing a short chamber on these barrels (not sure if that is the right term for what I am describing). So I decided to plunk test it and I found that factory WWB and AE 115 fmj fails the plunk test.

As its a KVP barrel, we cannot address it directly, but KVP and Faxon are communicating closely on it. If there are issues, get it back to them and Faxon can assist further.

So you bought a Kaw Valley Precision upper with Faxon barrel.

As Nathan from Faxon posted, did you contact KVP? Perhaps Faxon is waiting on KVP?

 

[DBEAM]

I contacted Nathan because I wanted to talk straight to source and once they agreed to fix the issue for me I saw no reason to contact KVP.

 

[LiveLife]

But Faxon has no control over how the barrel was mated to the upper. Since you bought the upper with barrel from KVP, there's the issue of head spacing which is depended upon how the upper was assembled with the barrel. Whoever assembled the barrel with upper should have used go/no go gauges and/or checked head spacing with SAAMI spec ammunition.

Perhaps this QC check was not done at KVP.

I am with Nathan from Faxon that you should have dealt with KVP and posted as such.

As its a KVP barrel [upper], we cannot address it directly, but KVP and Faxon are communicating closely on it. If there are issues, get it back to them and Faxon can assist further.