Have You Had A Failure In Semi-Auto/Revolver That Made It Inoperable?

[rep1954]

Two weeks ago yesterday I had the whole slide on my Ruger SR22P decide to go down range with the bullet. The take down lever was completely busted up.
Ruger sent me a shipping label for UPS and I got it back last Monday all fixed. Last night I put 400 rounds though it and couldnt be happier. I've had two Ruger Blackhawks become locked up from the recoil plate moving back under high pressure loads.

[Mesquito Whitey]

Yes I have. Just last week. I recently purchased a Para Ordnance 9mm PDA compact pistol. I fired 3 rounds, and then the pistol locked up. Dropped the mag, was unable to move the slide at all. Put the mag back in, same result. I was given some advice on another forum, and tried the suggestions, with no luck. So I have given up and decided to take it to a gunsmith.Thought it would be better to take it to him so I didn't ruin the gun. I will be interested to find out what happened to it.

[JohnKSa]

...the pistol locked up. Dropped the mag, was unable to move the slide at all.

What kind of ammo?

[jasmith85]

The worst malfunction I have had was in a EAA Witness. It had sit for years since the last time it was fired and the first time I took it shooting it constantly jammed. I had already cleaned it and everything looked to be in good shape so I thought it might just not like the ammo since I was using a cheap box of Tul-Ammo so I bought a box of WWB and took it shooting again. Two mags through with less jams but still random problems the recoil spring broke.

[oldgranpa]

what an amazing thread! We've never heard that much about this before. But still good news, nobody has reported a serious injury yet.

Murphy's Law must be valid for sure.

[darkgael]

Some years ago, I was at the range with a used Springfield 1911 that I had just bought. One shot felt very different.
The front half of the slide had cracked off - clean, like it had been cut by a knife - and gone down range.
Called SA and sent them the gun. They had had a problem with heat treatment on a run of slides. They returned the gun to me quickly and it has been perfect since through many, many rounds.
Pete

[FrankenMauser]

Ruger P95-
The C-clip that retains the recoil springs on the guide rod broke, during use. (My fault, I tweaked it a bit, during the previous cleaning. )
The spring made its way between the slide and guide rod, and the washer behind the clip got bent. Everything got jammed with about 1.5 inches of spring sticking out the front of the pistol.

It took about 10 minutes to wiggle, jiggle, and work the slide to the point that I could get the live round out of the chamber. Once home, it only too a couple minutes to get it torn down. But, it took about 3 weeks to get a replacement retaining clip and washer. Now, I keep a few on-hand, even though the replacement has never failed. (And, I think Ruger eliminated the washer when they went to the revised safety mechanism, but I'm not positive.)

[TheSILENTtype]

Kimber 1911.

On the range during a practical examination I had the slide lock wide open, and the safety nearly 'fall off' in the same malfunction.

"the pistol locked up. Dropped the mag, was unable to move the slide at all."

[JohnKSa]

Ruger P95-
The C-clip that retains the recoil springs on the guide rod broke, during use. (My fault, I tweaked it a bit, during the previous cleaning. )
The spring made its way between the slide and guide rod, and the washer behind the clip got bent. Everything got jammed with about 1.5 inches of spring sticking out the front of the pistol.

Very interesting! I hadn't heard of a P95 jamming when the clips break before, so this is a new failure mode to me.

I've had the clips break--I've even figured out how to make sturdier replacements from the right size springs. I've also shot P95s without the clips & washers--using the recoil springs loose on the guiderod.

One thing I typically try to do is to slightly bevel the hole in the slide so it's less likely to peel the clip off the guide rod.

[NC Cruffler]

I had a Beretta 92fs come apart when a WCC headstamped case ruptured right on the rim notch.
The gunsmith at the range said he could get to it in a couple of weeks. I told him I'd rather not wait and took it home after he advised me that it would be a "learning experience." He was right but I got it done.
Thousands of rounds since with no other problems.

[Buzzcook]

The only problems I've had could be cured by clearing the chamber or tightening an ejector rod.

Unless you mean inoperative as in the Raven .22 that was effectively a single shot because it jammed every other shot.

[jon_in_wv]

I voted yes for the Semi-Auto. I had a barrel bushing break in a Colt combat commander that sent the bushing and recoil spring down range, another 1911 the firing pin retention plate slid out, and another that broke the slide stop. I've never had a catastrophic failure like that with anything but 1911s. That is why I won't carry one for defensive purposes.

I should have voted both though. I had a S&W 686 lock up once. I don't know why it did it but I was later able to get it open and it worked fine after that. I think it may have been a loose primer.

[PT-92]

jon_in_wv

I voted yes for the Semi-Auto. I had a barrel bushing break in a Colt combat commander that sent the bushing and recoil spring down range, another 1911 the firing pin retention plate slid out, and another that broke the slide stop. I've never had a catastrophic failure like that with anything but 1911s. That is why I won't carry one for defensive purposes.

I should have voted both though. I had a S&W 686 lock up once. I don't know why it did it but I was later able to get it open and it worked fine after that. I think it may have been a loose primer.

I have had a similar experience with a semi (not 1911) and also the revolver on many occasions (only because I have seen quite a few revolvers from different vendors shipping from the factory with bad "tolerances) with the the cylinder/frame measurements.

Point is IMO when you don't carry a BUG (even a little mouse-gun so small you forget it's there like a Bobcat, P-3AT etc.) you are always in potential danger if the primary gun malfunctions in any way (or you somehow loose control of it).

Anything man-made will at some point break (granted it's not something you read about everyday but I don't even want to chance it).

[StainlessSteel215]

My Taurus model 66, the 6" stainless .357magnum gradually got worse and worse while rotating the cylinder until finally it seized up and wouldn't turn. My only inoperable failure of any kind, with any gun

[KMAX]

I can understand having failures with Taurus because we all know they are all junk. Surely you guys are kidding about having problems with S&W, Colt, Kimber, Sig, and HK. We all know they are all perfect. Say it ain't so. Seriously, I realize any gun can have a problem at some time. It is the nature of mechanical devices.

The only problems I have had from my Taurus autos has been on account of some crappy reloads (my early ones). Fail to feed, eject, or stovepipe. Factory ammo was fine.

The only gun I broke was a Bersa Thunder 380.The lever to break it down just broke off and fell on my shooting table one time when I was shooting. I didn't even touch the lever before it broke. Another time the disconnect spring broke. That may have been my fault for shooting hotter than factory ammo with 100gr bullets or maybe I just got faulty parts. I am not bashing Bersa.

[2damnold4this]

I was shooting a Heritage Stealth C2000 and the striker assembly flew out the back, bounced off my shoulder into the brush behind me.

[bumnote]

Semi-auto problem was magazine problem, the revolver problem was all me. I forgot to charge the round with powder and the primer pushed the bullet out just far enough to lodge between the cylinder and barrel.

[rodfac]

Joe, interesting thread....If we're counting FTF's, FTE's, Magazine insertion problems - all fixable using standard, slap and rack procedures with an automatic - but did prevent instantaneous response to the trigger finger, then I'd have to say by a factor of 30 to one, maybe even more, it's the automatics that have problems. Correctable, yep, but they did tie up the gun for a little bit...

Revolvers subject to ejector rod back out, grit under the ejector star, high primers and the like are almost non-existent in my experience, and I'm far from anal in cleaning my revolvers...it's just not happened in the 50 years or so that I've been a hand-gunner.

Best Regards, Rod

[Sulaco2]

Had a Glock trigger return spring break while the gun was sitting in a holster. So not really a full on stop the gun from working thing, but it did turn it into a single shot with out my knowing. Good thing for me I was on the way to the range to qualify with it so the range master a Glock armorar fixed it right away. Still I always carry a BU now...

Cr*p forgot about the Colt Border Patrol .357 I was issued on being sworn in. First time at the range to qualify with it fired one round and the cylinder locked up tight. Had to remove the cylinder to get it unstuck no way to pull the trigger for a second shot on the range. Glad I found that out in training!

[orionengnr]

I have had one of each, but...

--Revolver was a 6" S&W M27. Locked up and would not open without some effort. Turns out the Gun Show reloads I bought were loaded a bit long, and maybe not so well crimped. Seems that the rounds jumped crimp a bit.

--Semi auto was my wife's Springfield XD. Again, someone else's reloads. One with a high primer chambered (almost all the way) but would not fire and the slide would not budge. On-sight gunsmith had the right tools (vice and a hammer) and got it open.

...the common denominator is OPH (Other Peoples' Handloads).
At a certain point I started loading my own. I'm not going to say that I've never had the slightest problem, but if I do, I know who to talk to about it.

[NO-BODY]

Ruger Vaquero simple single action rugged gun. Hammer would not cock like it was stuck, would not function at all.

[NO-BODY]

I have never had an auto fail to the point it was un-usable. Revolver hung up jammed so bad it had to go to the factory for part replacement.

[Slamfire]

I have had the series 80 firing pin block drop down, stop on the back of the frame, and that took time to figure out why the pistol was jammed. You cannot clear this by racking or tapping, you have to push the firing pin block back in.

That, and that side safety, which can be on, when you want it off, or off, when you want it on, have made me leery of the M1911 as a self defense pistol.


I had the transfer bar break on this Super Blackhawk. I have owned this revolver since 1982, dry fired it an ungodly number of times, shot it too, and this part broke.

Ruger transfer bar mechanisms, they fail “safe”. The pistol will not fire if the transfer bar is not there. You can view that as a good thing, you can view it as a bad thing.

Purchased a transfer bar from Ruger, a couple of file strokes and I got the pistol functional again.

[kdrf636]

It would seem most malfunctions here can be attributed to ammo either being loaded too light, too heavy or poorly.

Mechanical failures seem to be dominated by broken springs, poor maintenance or infrequent cleaning. Other parts that are not springs do break, but not as frequently. Also, bad QC on a few factory fresh guns.

All in all, it's not bad for a mechanical device that controls explosions.


Springs are always the weak point in any mechanical system. I just had to replace a $2 spring that broke inside the transmission on my Harley. That $2 spring cost me $800 to replace. Most all of that labor of course.

[Archie]

Revolver: Border Patrol Ruger Security Six, the trigger return spring broke. Gun would fire, but to cycle for next shot required manually returning the trigger forward. Spring was replaced by armorer and revolver was fully functional.

Ruger Super Blackhawk, similar to Slamfire, the transfer bar wore down where the tip half covered the firing pin. It would not fire if I pulled the trigger slowly, and firing pin impressions were minimal at best. A call to Ruger got me a free replacement and - like Slamfire - I learned how to replace it.

S&W Model 27, primer backed up into the firing pin hole and the gun was jammed but good. Took a rubber mallet to carefully beat the cylinder out of the frame, shearing off that itty-bitty bit of primer. Wiped down and full function restored.

Not directly included are the several times I've had 'gunk' underneath the extractor star. Usually a good blow from my manly lungs will clear it.

Autopistols: Colt Gold Cup in .38 Special. The three leaf (four in the Gold Cup as I recall) somehow bent and was putting pressure on the sear which caused the pistol to go fully automatic. Heck of a surprise on an indoor range. Technically, it would fire, but shooting it was out of the question. Gunsmith fixed with new leaf spring.

H & R Self-loading .32 pistol. Mainspring gave out. Gives nice 'click' but will not ignite primer reliably, very faint primer mark when it does fire. (Other pistols in collection will ignite primers handily.) Have replacement spring, but bent it putting it in, and the pistol won't cock now. Banging head on wall until figure out the rest of it.

Everything made by man will fail at some point or other.