Is this normal?

[buckshotshorty]

My Ruger P345 now has 240 rounds through it. I have noticed that my slide will not go into battery if I ease it forward. Sometimes when I fire a round, it sounds like the trigger makes a "click" when it resets, and seems only to reset when I start squeezing the trigger.

While working up a load of 185 gr. LSWC, I had a couple of failures to fire, with no primer strike at all, and one of those times, I noticed that the gun was not in battery even though the hammer dropped.

What would cause this to happen? The gun is only a few weeks old. Could a light load cause that to happen?

 

[slippingaway]

If the gun is not fully in battery, the firing pin will be blocked and won't strike the primer.

It sounds like it could be your reloads. I had some issues with my reloads causing the same problem, and it was because when seating the bullets, they went in a little crooked and caused a bulge on one side of the case. It made the rounds just big enough that they didn't feed right, and the Lee factory crimp die didn't fix it.

I would try some factory ammo, or at least a load with a different bullet, round nose preferably.

Also, make sure that the slide rails are properly lubed, and that the guide rod spring is installed correctly (large end at muzzle).

 

[Jumping Frog]

While working up a load of 185 gr. LSWC, I had a couple of failures to fire, with no primer strike at all, and one of those times, I noticed that the gun was not in battery even though the hammer dropped.

If your LSWC bullets are seated too far out of the case, then the shoulder gets jammed into the rifling by the recoil spring, and it will prevent your gun from going into battery.

If the gun is out of battery, it is proper and correct for it to fail to fire. (Although Glocks and certain other brands are reputed to fire while out of battery).

Normally, you should have about 0.030" of the shoulder showing above the case. Remove the barrel from your gun, holding it vertically, and drop one of your reloads into the barrel. If it is sticking up above the hood, then it is too long.

Here is an example of a round that chambers correctly:

Here is an example of a round that does not chamber correctly (and should not fire):

 

[buckshotshorty]

While working up a load of 185 gr. LSWC, I had a couple of failures to fire, with no primer strike at all, and one of those times, I noticed that the gun was not in battery even though the hammer dropped.

If your LSWC bullets are seated too far out of the case, then the shoulder gets jammed into the rifling by the recoil spring, and it will prevent your gun from going into battery.

If the gun is out of battery, it is proper and correct for it to fail to fire. (Although Glocks and certain other brands are reputed to fire while out of battery).

Normally, you should have about 0.030" of the shoulder showing above the case. Remove the barrel from your gun, holding it vertically, and drop one of your reloads into the barrel. If it is sticking up above the hood, then it is too long.

Thanks for the reply, but I don't think that's what happened, since I did use the barrel to set the depth of the bullet seat. When the slide did not go into battery, it was out about 1/4 inch, and it only took a light touch for it to go all the way into battery.

In my original post, I mentioned that if I ease my slide forward from its rear most position, it will not go all the way into battery without a little push; it will stop about 1/4" from full battery. That was the same amount when I got the failure to fire.

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[slippingaway]

Have you checked your cases for bulging? Look carefully at the area where the bottom of the bullet ends up, and turn the case all the way around. Mine had just a slight bulge on one side, and that would cause them to hang up intermittently exactly the way you describe. It all depended on the way the case bulge was oriented during feeding, whether it would bind or not.

 

[stare-decisis]

Does it do that w/any other type of ammo?

 

[buckshotshorty]

Have you checked your cases for bulging? Look carefully at the area where the bottom of the bullet ends up, and turn the case all the way around. Mine had just a slight bulge on one side, and that would cause them to hang up intermittently exactly the way you describe. It all depended on the way the case bulge was oriented during feeding, whether it would bind or not.

I do check my cases, and I use a 4 die set. The last die is the LEE Factory Crimp Die which re-sizes the bullet again.


stare-decisis asked: "Does it do that w/any other type of ammo?"

So far, it hasen't done that with round nose 230 gr. FMJ.

Keep in mind though, when I ease the slide forward and it stops 1/4" out of battery; that is with an EMPTY mag or the mag out all together. I forgot to mention that. I have looked for burrs along the rail; have not seen any.


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[96/44]

Why are you "easing" the slide forward? The weapon was not designed for that, does the problem occur when you rack the slide correctly?

 

[buckshotshorty]

Why are you "easing" the slide forward? The weapon was not designed for that, does the problem occur when you rack the slide correctly?

No, the problem does not occur when I rack normally, with or without a round. I never ease it forward in normal use. I only did it to see if something was stopping the slide from going forward all the way into battery, and something does cause it to stop. There is some reason why the slide stops 1/4" out of battery when I tried it slowly, and I'm wondering if it's the same thing that stopped the slide from going into battery when I fired the gun? I just don't see how, considering the light push needed to get it into full battery.


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[dacaur]

My P95 does the same thing if I ease the slide forward with the safety ON. Normally with the safety on if you rack it, the hammer will not stay cocked, but if i ease it forward, it will not go that last 1/4', and the hammer will stay cocked . If I then either give it a bump or pull the trigger, the slide will go forward the rest of the way and the hammer will drop. It does NOT do it when the safety is off, no matter how slowly I move the slide forward....

I have never had a problem with it doing this when firing.