BHPshooter
Member
Yep... had my first slam-fire on monday.
That morning, I had one of our customers call. The conversation went something like this:
Customer: I have a question for you. I've got a Russian Makarov pistol that I've had for a few years.
Me: Okay.
Customer: My buddy just got one, but his is 9x18mm.
Me: Right, most of those are.
Customer: Well, I want to know if mine is, because after seeing his, I'm wondering. I've been shooting .380 through mine.
Me:
Customer: If I bring it in there, can you tell what caliber I'm supposed to shoot through it?
Me: Sure, bring it in.
About two hours later, he brings his Russian IJ-70 Makarov in, unloaded, in a plastic grocery sack.
So I take a look at it. On the right (starboard) side of the slide, emblazoned in large text is the caliber: Cal. 9mm Makarov.
So I say, "Yep, you've been shooting the wrong caliber." At that point, my boss and I got down a box of each. She showed him the rounds while I explained the differences.
He was a little defensive. "Well, if it's that other caliber, how come it shoots fine with .380?"
We talked back and forth about that for a minute, and he still wasn't convinced.
So I said, "Okay. If your gun is a .380, then this," I said, showing him the 9x18 Mak cartridge in my hand, "won't chamber. The slide won't close all the way." I slid the cartridge into the magazine, and seated it in the pistol. I pointed the gun down and off to the slide and swiped the slide release... BANG!
My boss screamed, and I don't think she knew it. I just stood still with a stony look on my face and took a deep breath... I knew right then what had happened. I stood there for a second, which made my boss think that I'd been shot. I looked into the breech, and that cute little nub of a firing pin was poking out, winking at me. Bingo, I was right.
She asked me, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered quietly, and then looked at the customer. "How long has it been since you've cleaned this?"
"Oh, I don't clean my automatics. I'm afraid to take them apart." :banghead:
So I take it apart--it took all of a second--and went into the back to clean the ******* firing pin and its channel.
My other boss was back there, doing his best not to laugh.
"Do you need to go check your drawers?"
I laughed. It was nice to get some of that tension out of me. "No, I'm fine." That **** **** firing pin channel wasn't, though. That firing pin was gummed up tight. After about 10 minutes I was done and I went back out there.
He looked up as I approached. "Okay, here's the deal," I said. "I got the firing pin channel cleaned up. You need to get some pipe cleaner and clean this out regularly. You at least need to clean that, and you really should clean the whole thing."
"Well, I'm just afraid to take my automatics apart." :banghead:
So then he started talking about the caliber again. "I can't believe this is that Russian caliber. Why doesn't it say so?"
"Um, it does say so, right here." I pointed to the side of the gun.
"Well how was I supposed to know what that meant? The Europeans have a different name for everything! I didn't know!" He simmered a minute, and then, "Now I'm just wondering what to do with the 400-odd rounds of .380 I've got."
I chuckled, "Well, you could always buy a .380."
"No," he said. He waited another minute. "Can you shoot .380 in a 9mm Luger?" :banghead:
"NO. Completely different caliber. The .380 is a straight-wall case; the 9mm is a tapered case. Don't do it. You'll always be best off if you shoot the caliber that is written on the gun."
He left after that, and I had one of my very rare urges to drink.
My coworkers were all really good about it. The owner has been in the business for 20 years, and has been seriously into shooting for about 25 before that, and he has had slam-fires before. In fact, he had one in the shop, too -- an SKS with the firing pin practically rusted in place.
We went downstairs to see if the bullet came through... it didn't. If it had, I would have killed a perfectly good pressure-washer. Afterwards, we all sat and talked for a while about NDs and ADs (I would classify this as an AD), and then we poked fun at the situation some more.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share. Things turned out well, luckily, because I kept the gun pointed in a safe direction, and although it didn't matter, My finger was straight along the frame.
Wes
PS -- the next day, the coworkers poked their heads out front to say, "We're going downstairs, okay? Just wanted to let you know."
That morning, I had one of our customers call. The conversation went something like this:
Customer: I have a question for you. I've got a Russian Makarov pistol that I've had for a few years.
Me: Okay.
Customer: My buddy just got one, but his is 9x18mm.
Me: Right, most of those are.
Customer: Well, I want to know if mine is, because after seeing his, I'm wondering. I've been shooting .380 through mine.
Me:
Customer: If I bring it in there, can you tell what caliber I'm supposed to shoot through it?
Me: Sure, bring it in.
About two hours later, he brings his Russian IJ-70 Makarov in, unloaded, in a plastic grocery sack.
So I take a look at it. On the right (starboard) side of the slide, emblazoned in large text is the caliber: Cal. 9mm Makarov.
So I say, "Yep, you've been shooting the wrong caliber." At that point, my boss and I got down a box of each. She showed him the rounds while I explained the differences.
He was a little defensive. "Well, if it's that other caliber, how come it shoots fine with .380?"
We talked back and forth about that for a minute, and he still wasn't convinced.
So I said, "Okay. If your gun is a .380, then this," I said, showing him the 9x18 Mak cartridge in my hand, "won't chamber. The slide won't close all the way." I slid the cartridge into the magazine, and seated it in the pistol. I pointed the gun down and off to the slide and swiped the slide release... BANG!
My boss screamed, and I don't think she knew it. I just stood still with a stony look on my face and took a deep breath... I knew right then what had happened. I stood there for a second, which made my boss think that I'd been shot. I looked into the breech, and that cute little nub of a firing pin was poking out, winking at me. Bingo, I was right.
She asked me, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered quietly, and then looked at the customer. "How long has it been since you've cleaned this?"
"Oh, I don't clean my automatics. I'm afraid to take them apart." :banghead:
So I take it apart--it took all of a second--and went into the back to clean the ******* firing pin and its channel.
My other boss was back there, doing his best not to laugh.
"Do you need to go check your drawers?"
I laughed. It was nice to get some of that tension out of me. "No, I'm fine." That **** **** firing pin channel wasn't, though. That firing pin was gummed up tight. After about 10 minutes I was done and I went back out there.
He looked up as I approached. "Okay, here's the deal," I said. "I got the firing pin channel cleaned up. You need to get some pipe cleaner and clean this out regularly. You at least need to clean that, and you really should clean the whole thing."
"Well, I'm just afraid to take my automatics apart." :banghead:
So then he started talking about the caliber again. "I can't believe this is that Russian caliber. Why doesn't it say so?"
"Um, it does say so, right here." I pointed to the side of the gun.
"Well how was I supposed to know what that meant? The Europeans have a different name for everything! I didn't know!" He simmered a minute, and then, "Now I'm just wondering what to do with the 400-odd rounds of .380 I've got."
I chuckled, "Well, you could always buy a .380."
"No," he said. He waited another minute. "Can you shoot .380 in a 9mm Luger?" :banghead:
"NO. Completely different caliber. The .380 is a straight-wall case; the 9mm is a tapered case. Don't do it. You'll always be best off if you shoot the caliber that is written on the gun."
He left after that, and I had one of my very rare urges to drink.
My coworkers were all really good about it. The owner has been in the business for 20 years, and has been seriously into shooting for about 25 before that, and he has had slam-fires before. In fact, he had one in the shop, too -- an SKS with the firing pin practically rusted in place.
We went downstairs to see if the bullet came through... it didn't. If it had, I would have killed a perfectly good pressure-washer. Afterwards, we all sat and talked for a while about NDs and ADs (I would classify this as an AD), and then we poked fun at the situation some more.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share. Things turned out well, luckily, because I kept the gun pointed in a safe direction, and although it didn't matter, My finger was straight along the frame.
Wes
PS -- the next day, the coworkers poked their heads out front to say, "We're going downstairs, okay? Just wanted to let you know."