Gun question

VMAX  Forum

Help Support VMAX Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

ErnieK2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
Messages
81
Reaction score
0
Location
Cochrane
At the range yesterday my Ruger SR9 jammed while ejecting a shell casing. This happened a couple more times, I think I shot around 80 rounds. I've shoot roughly 500 rounds since buying this gun a couple of months ago. It's performed perfect until today. I field strip and clean after every range day. I was using Winchester 9mm, 115 ammunition. I cleaned the gun paying special attention to the ejector area. Anyone know what I should be doing to make sure this never happens again?
 
Were you shooting it? I ask because I saw a lot of guns the "didn't eject" come over the counter that were OK, just the person shooting the gun (like a wife/girlfriend) had a weak grip/limp wrist.

It would seem to indicate that your shooting factory loads, so it wouldn't be the amno, What are you using to oil it? If the oil is thick and it was cold, that could be a reason that a perfectly good gun would suddenly not eject. I use Wilson's combat in all my semi autos, but I doubt you will find that anywhere near you, so you might want to switch to Rem-oil that you can get anywhere. Of course whats the best lube for my gun is a little like whats the best oil for my v-max- you will get a lot of opinions.

I would re assemble the gun WITHOUT the recoil spring and move the slide back ad forth by hand to see if you feel any "bad" spots.

Maybe a better discretion of "not eject" would be in order. is the shell stuck in the chamber? I'm guessing it only happens once in a while? When it dose eject, doest it throw the shells a good ways?
 
Hi
Bolt face must be clean as well as the extractor and it's spring( usually very small and in the bolt.)
As mentioned previously---- a good hold on a semi's is paramount. Try a proper two hand first. Wrap off hand around your hold hand--- don't cup the hold hand.
Good gun lube is a must but don't put on too much as it's a dirt catcher.

Great pistol have fun,
Lew
 
Were you shooting it? I ask because I saw a lot of guns the "didn't eject" come over the counter that were OK, just the person shooting the gun (like a wife/girlfriend) had a weak grip/limp wrist.

It would seem to indicate that your shooting factory loads, so it wouldn't be the amno, What are you using to oil it? If the oil is thick and it was cold, that could be a reason that a perfectly good gun would suddenly not eject. I use Wilson's combat in all my semi autos, but I doubt you will find that anywhere near you, so you might want to switch to Rem-oil that you can get anywhere. Of course whats the best lube for my gun is a little like whats the best oil for my v-max- you will get a lot of opinions.

I would re assemble the gun WITHOUT the recoil spring and move the slide back ad forth by hand to see if you feel any "bad" spots.

Maybe a better discretion of "not eject" would be in order. is the shell stuck in the chamber? I'm guessing it only happens once in a while? When it dose eject, doest it throw the shells a good ways?

I was shooting the gun. The oil I'm using is called Outers gun oil, it came in a kit I bought at a gunshow here in Florida. The spent shell was stuck in the chamber, it usually ejects the shell a fair distance and until yesterday has never done this. I tried moving the slide back and forth with no spring, it doesn't seem to have any bad spots.
 
Hi
Bolt face must be clean as well as the extractor and it's spring( usually very small and in the bolt.)
As mentioned previously---- a good hold on a semi's is paramount. Try a proper two hand first. Wrap off hand around your hold hand--- don't cup the hold hand.
Good gun lube is a must but don't put on too much as it's a dirt catcher.

Great pistol have fun,
Lew

I don't think the way I hold the gun is the issue, I use both hands and have never had this happen before. I clean and lube the gun every time I use it, could to much oil be a possible problem? I try to oil the slide areas very sparingly.
 
Before you head off to start changing things, try a different ammo. I have seen issues with particular brands, types, and/or lots. Winchester has had their issues with QC. From uneven charge weights to weak brass. Any of those could be the cause.

If you still have the issue after switching ammo, have somebody else shoot the gun and see if it runs correctly for them.

Also you didn't specify what type of failure to eject you had. Did the extractor not pull the spent case from the chamber, did you have a stovepipe, etc... The type of ejection jam can also help point to the cause.

Lastly, clean the chamber really well. A case that is difficult to extract from the chamber will use excessive amounts of the recoil energy to free the brass, slowing the slide to the point where the ejector doesn't kick the brass clear. Take a look at the rim of the spent brass where the extractor hooks up. Is it gouged or mangled more than some of the brass you shot earlier? This can also point to a condition where you have difficult extraction.
 
There are numerous things to check. As mentioned, try different ammo first. Winchester cheapo white box is not very good ammo. Its not as bad as hand loads (the kind you buy at gun shows).

Ejection problems can be related to recoil springs, extractor springs or extractors itself. How many rounds are through the gun?

Todd
 
Only time I ever had my smith 9mm (915 if I remember correctly) ever hang up or not fully eject was due to using home loads (first batch that a friend ever did for me and he wasn't sure how much powder to use so he errored on the light side).
 
If you bought this gun new, you should have performed a thorough initial cleaning by disassembling you SR9, then utilizing a superior cleaning solvent like Gun Scrubber. Pay special attention to the chamber and striker channel. The smallest amount of grease from the factory can accumulate with propellant residue and cause a failure to eject from the chamber. However, since you have been shooting, down the gun, disassemble it and perform that extra special cleaning then lightly oil ( a drop of oil) slide rails, side of ejector (not the face of the bolt), slide release at it's pivot point, safety and rear slide rails on both sides and finally your magazine release while depressed.
Now if your failure to eject still exists, it is operator error. The Ruger SR9 has a great reputation, prior issues from the factory like the barrel preening and misfiring (pre 2008) have been addressed. This does not appear to be your situation.What I mean by operator error is usually the result of improper grip, flinching and the prominent "limp wrist", these will all contribute to failure to ejects and the gun not to cycle properly.
Do a proper cleaning, spend an hour or so with an experienced handgun shooter or instructor, or buy a revolver. Good luck and train hard, train right, your life might depend on it.
 
Thanks everyone for all the advice. I haven't had a chance to fire the gun since this happened but I will on Tuesday. I'll report back then, thanks again for all the feedback
 
Just for giggles, try a new box of some other ammo. I would pick up a box of 124 gr. shells just to give it a try. Also when you take your grip, make real sure of where your left thumb is. you don't want it putting pressure on you slide release. I'd also switch to Rem oil, but thats just me.
 
Lots of good advice so far, so do all the stuff recommended here, but 1 FTE in the first 500 rounds does not necessarily indicate a real, on-going problem.

Top three causes for FTE in my experience, when weapon is clean:

  1. Operator error. For FTEs, that almost always means limp wrist.
  2. Mechanical: Extractor/Ejector.
  3. Ammo.
If it was clean in the first place, you've checked the springs, extractor, ejector, etc., and you didn't limp wrist it, you probably had an ammo issue. Small chance at a magazine issue.

When shooting a new auto loading pistol, I usually try to induce failure by limp wristing it on purpose, to see how sensitive it is to that issue. For the outside possibility of a magazine issue, if it happens again, make note of the magazine you were using, and which place in the mag the FTE round was. Mag problems usually show up in feeding, not ejecting, but a goofy follower or feed lips dragging can affect ejection. Again, very small chance of this being the issue.

Problems are easier to solve if they repeat, and I would not happily trust my life to an auto loader I had less than 2000 rounds through. Shoot it more. A lot more. Preferably with lots of different magazines, and lots of different ammo. If it only happens with one particular load, it's smarter IMO to just avoid that load than tinker with the gun. Multiple shooters can be helpful, too. Helps eliminate operator error as a cause.
 
I have all of my mags marked with small dots so I can identify them if I have any problems at the range.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top