Ruger Sr40c feeding issue

[Because 'Merica]

Having an issue with my ruger sr40c. when i rack the slide sometimes it fails to feed the round into the chamber. it gets stuck halfway in the chamber in an upward position. cleaned it and lubed it including removal and replaced extractor and still occurs. Seen people say it could be extractor or it could be weak guide rod spring. Dont really want to send to Ruger and wait like 3-4 weeks.

[Shotgun Slim]

Couple of things to think about. I see you described racking the slide. Make certain that you don't slightly follow the slide with your hand as it closes.I see a lot of this done by people who swear it isn't happening. Try having the slide locked back and release it with the release button so it goes forward with full force the way it's designed.Also try different ammo or bullet designs. It is a wise thing to be sure that your carry ammo is 100% in your gun.Not all ammo is happy in every gun-not an industry flaw,just the way it is. Check this out before you start throwing parts or return trips. Good luck and please post the cure when found.

[Because 'Merica]

releasing the slide with the slide stop is improper. but it will hang up that way too. im operating the slide correctly. i think a stronger recoil spring might do the job. it seems to just need a tap on the back to get it to chamber. the mag is really stiff on that last round. ill try loading 14 vs 15 in a mag and see if it will chamber. when unloading the mag by hand it seems as if when full its tough to get it out but when getting closer to empty its springing out with ease. if thats the case then i will get a 18-20 lb recoil spring vs stock 16lb. that should give it enough force to grab that first round

[jr24]

I've found that both my SR compacts need to be "slingshotted" hard to feed the first round reliability. Once I figured that out, the stoppages... stopped.

[Rogervzv]

FWIW if you send in your SR40c it will likely be a one week wait. That is what it was for me for one of mine. I've sent 3 Rugers in over the past 5 years and in no case was the wait longer than 9 days and twice it was 7 days.

OP you are correct that you are not supposed to use the slide stop as a slide release.

You are supposed to slingshot the gun when loading the first round. I think that is the issue; if you are not actually slingshotting it. another possibility is off-spec ammo. My gut tells me it is not the gun but I may be wrong. You might try calling Ruger. When I've done that they've been super helpful.

I have two SR40cs (yes, I love the gun; that's why) and neither of them has this issue--not ever.

[g.willikers]

Ok, I gotta' ask.
How did you decide that using the slide stop to chamber the first round from the mag is incorrect?
If that's so, then there's tens of thousands competitive shooters who would be glad to hear about it.
Are you confusing it with the possible damage from doing that on an empty chamber?
Or are you referring to the preferred method of chambering rounds that's taught at most of the self defense and tactical schools?

[Because 'Merica]

well aside from it saying it in my ruger firearm manual in big bold letters. it is incorrect due to the fact that the slide isn't being pulled all the way back on operating when using the "SLIDE STOP" . Its called a STOP for a reason. and sure i do it on occasion too... just because we do it doesn't mean its the right way. I've seen guns completely wear out the slide stop because the owner only uses the slide stop to release the slide. easy fix but its still not the right way to release a slide.

But back to my gun yes I'm slingshotting the slide. trust me if this was operator error i would have figured it out by now. enough of the operator error suggestions. under more testing i have found it to be the top 1-2 rounds in the mag to cause the hang up. An easy tap to the back always will allow the gun to return to battery. The magazines that came with the gun are extremely stiff compared to any other gun i deal with. i think ruger tried to cram every bit of space in that one magazine. SO> i think Galloways 20lb guide rod spring. will do the trick and give it that extra umph to get that top round in the chamber

[T. O'Heir]

"...saying it in my Ruger firearm manual..." Ruger's lawyers put that there. The slide stop is a last shot hold open and you should read the manual again. It says nothing about not using the slide stop to close the action.
"...I've seen guns completely wear out the..." No you haven't. Using the slide stop has been done for eons.
Anyway, the stoppage you describe is mag or ammo related. The cartridge isn't being presented high enough. Possibly the mag spring or the lips are a tick to far in. Most likely the mag lips are a tick too closed at the rear of the mag.
A 20 pound spring is what you have.

[madmo44mag]

just need a tap on the back to get it to chamber.

There is your clue.

I have a SR40c and had same issue.
Changed recoil springs and added a stiffer striker spring to stop the light strike I started getting around 700 rounds of use.

Has worked flawlessly since.

[Because 'Merica]

"...I've seen guns completely wear out the..." No you haven't.

uhmmm yea i have?
and the crap about laywers is stupid. the reason its not supposed to be used as a release is because the slide isnt being fully operated with the release. so please do educate yourself and read this article. http://www.shootingillustrated.com/i...slide-release/

enough about the god darn slide stop.. lets try and stick to main post

I have a SR40c and had same issue.
Changed recoil springs and added a stiffer striker spring to stop the light strike I started getting around 700 rounds of use.

thanks madmo glad to see that it will most likely fix my problems. i will probably upgrade that striker spring too because having a light strike in a SD situation would be a nightmare.

[iamdb]

Does this issue happen with FMJ? Some hollow points have a hard time with steep ramps. Your ramp may just need some polishing. Also how many rounds have you fired through it?

[TunnelRat]

Or you could just send it in and not play detective. The gun should and does work from factory for the vast majority of owners. It shouldn't need a stiffer spring of any sort.

[g.willikers]

Well, just out of curiosity, I went and read the owner's manual at the Ruger website.
While there was the recommendation of how to operate the slide that the OP referred to, there was nothing I could find about not using the slide release to do so.
There was a caution, though, about the slide stop not being very secure and that it could be over come if the gun is jarred.
In addition, they did have some less than stellar advice on handling other things.
Like slinging the slide home on an empty chamber, using the difficult pinch method of retracting the slide, and gripping the frame in decidedly clumsy ways.
Not the best of examples.
When reading these manuals, it pays to remember that the people who make them may not particularly be gun people.

[Walt Sherrill]

Regarding using the slide stop/slide release to return the slide...

There's no hard and fast rule. It's not in the scripture, although many true believers would have you think that was the case.

According to an acquaintance who is an instructor with Special Ops troops at Ft. Bragg, the U.S. military now teaches using the slide stop with handguns as the preferred procedure.

This change was a response to a lot of problems they were having with slides failing to return to battery under combat conditions (where the shooter may be moving, using gloves, etc.) Those failures meant extra time taken to clear the misfed round and wasting a round in the process... Using the slide stop seems to have greatly reduced the problems.

Some gun makers say DON'T use the slingshot or hand-over slide release method, and recommend using the slide stop instead. Kahr is one that immediately comes to mind.

I've only heard of slide-stop related problems with much older guns that had crappy metal in the slides. I'd welcome hearing more than anecdotal evidence about slide stops being a significant cause of WEAR with modern (post WWII) guns. Otherwise I call "BS" on that claim.

[g.willikers]

Like the OP asked, let's get back to his problem.
Was the rim of the errant round still being held by the extractor, at all, or had the rim fallen down and clear of it?
When the extractor was replaced, was the area cleaned very well?
Was the extractor spring replaced, too?

[Because 'Merica]

yes please lets drop the slide stop...

ok the rim usually isn't even under the extractor yet when it jams. just barely underneath is

extractor and slide was cleaned extensively.

extractor spring seemed to bee in spec

[Walt Sherrill]

ok the rim usually isn't even under the extractor yet when it jams. just barely underneath it

"... isn't under the extractor YET"?

If the round has been properly fed from the magazine it should be FULLY under the extractor and positioned held against the breechface as the slide goes forward. If the slide is moving forward and the round isn't YET under the extractor, something is wrong. The first thing that comes to mind is that the mag spring has weakened, and isn't pushing the round up far enough or fast enough to be properly positioned for the rest of the feed process. If that's the case, the bottom of the breechface would catch the top of the round's rim as the slide moves forward and that could cause the problem you describe...

Does it do this with all mags, or just one? If you're not sure, you need to find out... if only to know whether you need just one mag spring or several.

You may have to order a new mag springs from Ruger; if you're lucky, they might replace the springs under warranty. It won't be expensive if you have to pay for them. Wolff (gunsprings.com) doesn't seem to carry springs for the SR9 or SR40 series. If replacing the mag springs doesn't work it may be time to send it back to RUGER for a check... I'll bet its bad mag springs.

Note: while many folks feel that ONLY working (compressing springs and releasing them) causes spring problems (wear), leaving a mag fully loaded and stored for long periods can degrade some mag springs, too. Wollf warns against this on their web site (in the FAQ area) with hi-caps in particular (or smaller mags that hold more rounds than usual.) It all depends on the design of the mag and whether the springs, when the mag is fully loaded, has pushed that spring to it's elastic limit.

Springs in loaded 7-round 1911 mags, for example, aren't near their elastic limit and can be left loaded for generations. Springs in some of the new 17-18 round mags will sometimes fail relatively quickly if the mags are left fully loaded for long periods. If you've got the 15-round mags in your gun, those mags are the equivalent of a hi-cap mag -- that's a LOT of rounds for such a small mag -- and some full-size .40 guns don't hold THAT MANY rounds.

[g.willikers]

Weakened mag springs usually cause the last rounds in a mag to cause problems.
In this instance, it's the first couple of rounds in a fully loaded mag doing it.
Might still be the mag, for this or other reasons.
Like the width or taper of the lips causing the rounds to exit the mag too early.
See if other mags act differently, for sure.
Then try other ammo, as it could be an overall cartridge length issue.
But if a different recoil spring makes it work, even if it's not the real cause, what the hey........

[Walt Sherrill]

Weakened mag springs usually cause the last rounds in a mag to cause problems.

Weak springs can cause problems with the last round, and that's when they first start to show signs of weakness -- if the springs are degrading slowly.

If they've degraded very quickly -- and are really weak -- weak springs can cause problems earlier in the cycle, as well. It's a pretty common "misfeed" cause -- because the springs don't have the power to get the first few rounds UP fast enough. (That spring is pushing up a lot of rounds, and they're heavy!!) With a few rounds gone, the weight of the rounds in the mag column is reduced, and the spring is able to do it's work a little better -- 'cause it doesn't have to lift as much weight to get the next round up.

If the OP tries loading the mag with 8-9 rounds rather than 15, and the mag functions properly, he'll have a pretty good indication that the problem is a weak spring...

Might still be the mag, something with the width or taper of the lips causing the rounds to exit the mag too early.

Right. That's a possibility. But, I would expect that if the gap or feed lips are wrong for the first couple of rounds, those feed lips or gap ought to be wrong for the following rounds, too.

.

[Walt Sherrill]

In addition, they did have some less than stellar advice on handling other things.
Like slinging the slide home on an empty chamber, using the difficult pinch method of retracting the slide, and gripping the frame in decidedly clumsy ways.
Not the best of examples.

Dropping a slide on an empty chamber isn't a problem with ALL guns.

The Beretta M9, for example was designed to allow that -- it was in the specs for the original U.S. DOD competition (allowing single rounds to be inserted in the chamber and the slide closed afterwards). It's bad for some other guns and can damage not only the extractor but things like the hammer/sear interface.

I don't know about the RUGER SR40C, but if Ruger doesn't warn against it, it may not be as big an issue with that design as with other guns.

[Because 'Merica]

If the round has been properly fed from the magazine it should be FULLY under the extractor and positioned held against the breechface as the slide goes forward. If the slide is moving forward and the round isn't YET under the extractor, something is wrong. The first thing that comes to mind is that the mag spring has weakened, and isn't pushing the round up far enough or fast enough to be properly positioned for the rest of the feed process. If that's the case, the bottom of the breechface would catch the top of the round's rim as the slide moves forward and that could cause the problem you describe...

Walt I think i have it diagnosed already. The mag is brand new and the reason it is hanging up is because the mag spring is so stiff on it. The recoil spring is also pretty weak coming from ruger @ 16 lbs. With those two factors in the same equation it doesnt have enough velocity to strip that first round out. Galloways 18lb recoil spring is on the way to fix the problem.

Weakened mag springs usually cause the last rounds in a mag to cause problems. In this instance, it's the first couple of rounds in a fully loaded mag doing it.

G. Wilikers has got it.

[g.willikers]

Let us know the outcome after changing recoil springs.
I tried out a SR9C and found the mag springs so stiff that it was impossible to load them up all the way without pain.
The mag loading tool that Ruger supplies was missing.
So, I didn't, only filling them up about ten rounds worth.
And the gun ran fine that way.

[Walt Sherrill]

A REALLY stiff mag spring and a weak recoil spring can cause problems, but those problems don't always show themselves in the ways you described (i.e., a round that's tilted up and not chambering.) More often it's a failure to go fully into battery -- because the recoil spring (if weak) doesn't have the power to strip the round crisply or power the slide closed.

It would be nice to know if it continues to be a problem with the mag downloaded several rounds... (as g.willikers saw with his gun.)

You'll know shortly if your (joint) diagnosis is correct, and it won't be the first time I've been surprised in one of these diagnostic discussions.

IF the mag spring is very stiff, just leaving the mag loaded for a week or two might cause the spring to relax enough that it won't be a continuing problem.

.

[Because 'Merica]

Update on the gun,

Got the 20lb guide rod and spring from galloway. Fixed the issue. Can now load up a full mag and it chambers that first round now. The mag spring is so rediculous round 12-15 is painful to get in by hand. the mag loader is a must.

[hoss1969]

Gotta Polish the feed ramp... most of my Rugers had sharp edges and manufacture marks on them. Found the wifes finger nail buffer works great. Its a foam padded contraption that has 7 different smoothness buffing areas. The last three are almost like a fine leather. It works great. Also try a product like seal1, it actually penetrates the metal and seals it and lubes the gun, no oil needed and out cleans the others from black powder to edged weapons