When shooting a semiauto pistol, you can't take the shooter out of the equation when it comes to observed functioning ...
Day in & day out, most armorers would generally agree that something like 95% of the malfunctions which occur with semiauto pistols (in normal, good condition) are eventually diagnosed to be shooter-induced in some manner or another ... followed by ammunition-related issues, and followed lastly by actual pistol-related issues.
One of our guys bought himself a G36, and brought it to our range to qualify with it as an off duty weapon. Our current range ammunition is the standard Winchester 230gr FMJ "contract" ammunition, also known as "White Box" when it comes to over-the-counter sales. The pistol functioned just fine in my hands, and the new owner's hands, for that session.
The owner later told me that he started to experience some occasional malfunctions when shooting the pistol at another range. (I have no idea what ammunition he was using elsewhere.) He said he finally took it to another L/E range where he knows someone who is also a Glock armorer. He thought it was a "problem" with the gun, and wanted it examined and corrected. The armorer told him that his G36 was poorly lubricated, namely noticeably UNDER-lubricated, and found nothing else "wrong" with the pistol.
Last I heard, the fellow is still looking to replace the G36 with a "better" pistol, and he was asking me what would be a good choice. Listening between the lines, it appears he isn't enthused about owning a pistol that requires he pay attention to its regular maintenance. Perhaps his definition of "better" is a pistol that will function properly no matter how little attention he pays to it, or how little he practices with it. If that's the case, I'm not sure what can be recommended to him that will "suit" his needs. I suggested he consider simply regularly and properly maintaining his G36, or any other pistol he may select, and spend sufficient time on the range to become accustomed to shooting it properly.
TANSTAAFL ... or, for you folks that aren't Heinlein fans ... There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.
Shooting compact & subcompact pistols, with reduced slide mass & increased slide velocities, can often make it more likely that shooter-related issues may affect the proper functioning of the pistol. Of course, this is also true of ammunition-related issues ...
The other day I was shooting my CS45 at our range, and was using the 230gr FMJ "White Box" ammunition. It was cold, damp and raining. No problems at all. One of the other instructors was function testing a new Wilson CQB, and was using both the "White Box" ammmunition, as well as some Ranger RA45T ammunition. You know ... new pistol to function test, so take it out in the cold, damp, rainy weather and run a few hundred rounds of different ammunition through it to break it in, so to speak. Okay, okay, so we were taking advantage of a range staff maintenance and scenario development day to spend some time doing some fun, advanced stuff
... which just coincidentally involved burning through several hundreds of rounds of ammunition ... I suspect
I also went through the better part of a case of ammunition with just with my issued 6906, but I digress ...
Anyhow, I decided to run some of the Ranger RA45T ammunition through my CS45, since it had been a while since I'd used that ammunition for simple range practice, although that's what I carry in the weapon. Again, no problems, but I noticed something ... The Ranger loads had noticeably more perceived recoil impulse than the 230gr FMJ. Noticeably more ...
The standard Winchester 230gr FMJ is generally listed as being loaded to velocities of approx 835fps, or thereabouts ... and the standard pressure Ranger RA45T is listed at approx 885fps. The regular Supreme SXT 230gr load is listed at 880fps and the "White Box" USA45JHP at 880fps, FYI ...
What's it mean? Well, if someone were shooting a small framed .45 pistol, AND they had any tendency to relax either their grip, or their wrist/forearm stability, while shooting ... maybe the slightly lower velocity FMJ loads MIGHT contribute to the potential for the occasional malfunction, or not, depending on the shooter. There's that shooter-related factor, again ... Not to mention what it might mean to be breaking in a "new" pistol, as well.
As denfoote just inferred
, many folks shoot a LOT of this Winchester ammunition without any problems whatsoever. We order our training ammunition based upon what's available on the state contract, due to cost, which means we're commonly shooting either Winchester or Remington, depending on the caliber, bullet weight, etc ... We shoot a LOT of the same ammunition referred to as "White Box", like the USA9JHP2 147gr JHP ammunition, and it's always functioned fine in all the various 9mm weapons currently carried by the folks from both our agency, and other agencies for whom we occasionally provide qualification & training. It was even our service ammunition for a while, and I know of at least a couple other local agencies that issue (or issued) it for service ammunition.
It's not expensive ammunition, and it uses "old style" bullets, but it's not "bad" ammunition, either ...
