We had a large group on the range this week for rifle/pistol training. We saw numerous 5-gallon buckets of 223/5/56, and about the same in 9mm shot (with one 40S&W and .45acp 1911). Each shooter went through about 1200 rifle minimum, and about 500 pistol. All ammunition was Federal, Lake City and Speer, and all of it ran flawless. Pistols were mostly Glocks, a few XD's and M&P's, a Walther PPS, Colt 1911A1, a couple of CZ75's, a Ruger SR9, and a Desert Eagle MR9. Rifles were mostly AR15's of a variety of makes and different variants, a Ruger SR556, and two FN SCAR-L. Everyone lubed the first morning as instructed with either Slip2000 EWL. All firearms ran the entire time with none going down due to lack of lubrication, this is the reason why we take time to lube all rifles before we start training on day-1. The Ruger SR556 hiccuped until we opened up the gas more, after that it ran fine.
The only handgun issue was that the Walther PPS started failing to fire on the last afternoon, the owner states he suspected a worn striker. I suggested that the handgun be torn down and thoroughly cleaned, as we have seen firing pins/strikers not protrude enough causing ignition failures, due to debris or gummed solvent/lube issues in the firing pin channel and on the back side of the breech face, and once cleaned (especially the backside of the breech face) they ran fine.
The only rifle issue I observed was a FN SCAR that had a double feed in the first 10rds fired, where upon trying to clear the live cartridge that was stuck on the feed ramp it wouldn't clear with a finger sweep, the casing came loose after using a Gerber multi-tool, but the bullet didn't due to being wedged very hard under the live cartridge that was in the chamber, and to clear this one I had to use a cleaning rod to push out the cartridge from the muzzle end. Due to this being wedged in hard, it could not have been cleared any other way, so the lesson here is to have access to a cleaning rod when training, why I keep cleaning rods in the vehicle, and why I keep cleaning rods in the SWAT vehicles at my agency. This rifle ran flawless after that, so a guess is that the malfunction was operator induced, or just a freak of nature.
CY6
Greg Sullivan "Sully"
SLR15 Rifles
TheDefensiveEdge.com
(763) 712-0123
The only handgun issue was that the Walther PPS started failing to fire on the last afternoon, the owner states he suspected a worn striker. I suggested that the handgun be torn down and thoroughly cleaned, as we have seen firing pins/strikers not protrude enough causing ignition failures, due to debris or gummed solvent/lube issues in the firing pin channel and on the back side of the breech face, and once cleaned (especially the backside of the breech face) they ran fine.
The only rifle issue I observed was a FN SCAR that had a double feed in the first 10rds fired, where upon trying to clear the live cartridge that was stuck on the feed ramp it wouldn't clear with a finger sweep, the casing came loose after using a Gerber multi-tool, but the bullet didn't due to being wedged very hard under the live cartridge that was in the chamber, and to clear this one I had to use a cleaning rod to push out the cartridge from the muzzle end. Due to this being wedged in hard, it could not have been cleared any other way, so the lesson here is to have access to a cleaning rod when training, why I keep cleaning rods in the vehicle, and why I keep cleaning rods in the SWAT vehicles at my agency. This rifle ran flawless after that, so a guess is that the malfunction was operator induced, or just a freak of nature.
CY6
Greg Sullivan "Sully"
SLR15 Rifles
TheDefensiveEdge.com
(763) 712-0123