Curious issue with my SR-22

[plinker49]

I had several failures with my SR-22 at the range today. Most were simple failures to feed where the next round in the mag failed to load. Cycling the slide successfully loaded the round so I kept firing. However, when I fired the last round from the box I experienced a failure to eject so I got out my trusty wooden dowel and inserted it down the barrel to clear it. As the spent shell left the barrel I noticed it collided with the vertical face of the magazine follower. Just to make sure I wasn't imagining things I reinserted the spent shell and duplicated the problem. I can't help but wonder if that is the actual cause of this particular occurrence, and the few FTE's I experienced with this pistol in the past, and wonder if I should try reshaping the front of the magazine follower into a less vertical shape.

 

[hittman]

Same problem with ALL mags or just that one?
If it’s ALL mags, I’d say the gun is the problem, not the mags.

 

[Mobuck]

" I experienced a failure to eject so I got out my trusty wooden dowel "
Was the case stuck in the chamber?
When you pushed the empty case out with the dowel was it held by the extractor? If the slide was locked open and the case bumped out of the chamber it's quite likely the case could catch the front of the magazine or follower.

 

[plinker49]

I'm not sure I understand your question. The case was "stuck" in the chamber insofar as it did not eject and remained in the chamber after the slide had cycled. This was the last round so the magazine was empty yet the slide did not lock back. I manually locked the slide back in order to remove the case. Since the slide was locked back in order for me to push it out with the dowel the extractor was locked back along with the slide and could no longer make contact with the shell - this is the part of your question that has me stumped.

I did do some more examination and discovered that the underside of the breech block actually sits in contact with the magazine follower (or next round) and keeps it slightly depressed during the ejection sequence, enough to prevent the potential for collision I described originally.

 

[davevabch]

I have the SR22 ever since it first came out. When I first got it, the receiver was out of alignment and I sent it back twice. They finally gave me a new gun and never have had any issues. In fact, I own 12 magazines and never a issue with even one of them. I just shot it last week and ran like a top. I posted about this earlier and stated if is my belief to change OUT recoil springs on a regular basis. I swear by this on all guns, but especially small guns and 22.cals. And get a chamber brush. Not saying this is your issue, but always have a good recoil spring.

By the way here is my issue when first purchased years ago. Again, no issues since replacement years ago.

 

[Mobuck]

" this is the part of your question that has me stumped."
If this occurs again, rather than use the dowel down the bore, cycle the slide (you'll have to pull the slide back and release it) so the extractor re-engages the case and see if the case is actually 'stuck'.
I just took a look at my SR22 and with the slide locked back, the magazine follower sits higher than the lower edge of the chamber so any case (fired or not) is going to contact the front of the follower as it exits the chamber with the slide locked back. The slide prevents the follower from rising this high so cases held to the slide face don't make contact.
If you must use the dowel, first lock the slide back and remove the magazine. I guarantee the case won't hang up on the magazine follower. I've not had any failure to extract with my SR22 and actually no failure to cycle properly except when using sub-sonic ammo.

 

[plinker49]

I have the SR22 ever since it first came out. When I first got it, the receiver was out of alignment and I sent it back twice. They finally gave me a new gun and never have had any issues. In fact, I own 12 magazines and never an issue with even one of them. I just shot it last week and ran like a top. I posted about this earlier and stated if is my belief to change OUT recoil springs on a regular basis. I swear by this on all guns, but especially small guns and 22.cals. And get a chamber brush. Not saying this is your issue, but always have a good recoil spring.

I have exactly that same problem with my SR-22. I attributed it to having upgraded my original recoil spring to one with a steel guide rod and, possibly, stronger spring. The damage on mine lines up with the slide catch lever.

 

[plinker49]

" this is the part of your question that has me stumped."
If this occurs again, rather than use the dowel down the bore, cycle the slide (you'll have to pull the slide back and release it) so the extractor re-engages the case and see if the case is actually 'stuck'.
...

I tried cycling the slide multiple times when the FTE first occurred. That had no effect. However, since posting about the problem here I've found some interesting info on other forums that seem to indicate that is normal behavior for a .22lr in a blowback operated pistol such as the SR22. On such pistols the "extractor" does not engage the case to pull the spent round out of the chamber as it does on larger caliber guns. On blow back operated guns the case "self extracts" as the pressure in the firing chamber pushes out the case which then acts as a piston to move the bolt/slide to the rear while the extractor merely holds the case against the bolt face until it contacts the ejector. At least, this is the way LDBennett describes it on The Firearms Forum. His description also fits my observations and examinations of my SR22. As the photos here show, there is no gap or overlap available for the extractor to engage the case at least until it has already moved to the rear on its own. A couple of other points also should be mentioned: the FTE occurred with the last round from the magazine and the slide did not lock open after the round fired. Since I did not anticipate the failure I cannot say for certain that the slide even cycled fully. It is possible, even likely IMO, that the round was simply under-powered and the slide did not travel back far enough to fully eject the round so it was reseated in the chamber and had to be removed manually.

 

[somorris]

I had a similar problem with an MK II and at the recommendation of a gunsmith, tried different ammo. In my case, it was the ammunition. The MK II would absolutely not cycle Remington ammo, worked a lot better with Winchester but worked best with CCI. this is a new issue for me. The MK II used to handle Remington ammo just fine, but it was loaned out for several years and I just got it back late in 2024. Strange, I know, but that is my experience for what it’s worth.

 

[somorris]

By the way, I also have an SR22 which handled Remington ammo just fine. May be a combination of both pistol and ammo manufacturing processes, sho knows.

 

[Mobuck]

Regardless of WHY the round wasn't extracted, the complaint originally asked about was the case contacting the magazine follower when forced from the chamber with a dowel. " I noticed it collided with the vertical face of the magazine follower."

 

[plinker49]

Regardless of WHY the round wasn't extracted, the complaint originally asked about was the case contacting the magazine follower when forced from the chamber with a dowel. " I noticed it collided with the vertical face of the magazine follower."

Sorry, I thought my subsequent post clarified that when I wrote this:

I did do some more examination and discovered that the underside of the breech block actually sits in contact with the magazine follower (or next round) and keeps it slightly depressed during the ejection sequence, enough to prevent the potential for collision I described originally.

 

[Mobuck]

Yes, you did. I must have skipped that post.