FTE question

[Pokem807]

Picked up a p238 a couple of weeks ago. Love it, but had a few problems with extraction/ejection. At first it would sometimes fail to extract, usually the last round, but it also would randomly trap the brass horizontally between the slide and the chamber with the next round trapped underneath. I cleaned and lubed, tightened the extractor just slightly and paid close attention to my grip. Now it extracts but still traps that brass like a horizontal stovepipe. Going back over my notes I noticed that every failure (six in 100 rounds) now occurs on the fourth round of the six round mag. Does this sound like a mag issue? I only have the one that came with the gun right now, so I can't change mags to see if another would fix the issue.

 

[ez bake]

Picked up a p238 a couple of weeks ago. Love it, but had a few problems with extraction/ejection. At first it would sometimes fail to extract, usually the last round, but it also would randomly trap the brass horizontally between the slide and the chamber with the next round trapped underneath. I cleaned and lubed, tightened the extractor just slightly and paid close attention to my grip. Now it extracts but still traps that brass like a horizontal stovepipe. Going back over my notes I noticed that every failure (six in 100 rounds) now occurs on the fourth round of the six round mag. Does this sound like a mag issue? I only have the one that came with the gun right now, so I can't change mags to see if another would fix the issue.

Take the mags apart and clean them and lube with something like Tetra Lube - make sure to wipe/dry them and put them back together and see if it still does it (and get another mag as soon as you can to test it out).

What kind of ammo are you using - have you tried any other ammo?

 

[Pokem807]

I've shot WWB, Rem UMC JHP, S&B, Golden Sabre and Pow'rball through it so far. The GS and Pow'rball didn't malfunction, and I'm wondering if hotter loads run better in this pistol. Another thing I noticed is that some of the brass that ejected okay was really crushed around the mouth, like it was hitting the top of the chamber on the way out. Most of the other brass had two dings on the mouth like the same thing was happening, just not as bad.

 

[Honeybee]

Your slide could be moving so fast that the shells don't have time to eject before they are trapped. You didn't molylube the slide did you?

One size looser spring might cure the problem, but don't cut the spring you have!

 

[mr ed]

You didn't specify new or used.

 

[gunnut]

Sounds like an issue with the extractor to me. But I don't know... I have had zero problems with my P238 in 150+ rounds. Only shot Magtech FMJ and Winchester Ranger-T JHP through it so far.

I say send it back to Sig and let them fix it, since it seems like you have had an issue with it since day 1.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

This sounds like a magazine issue. If it is consistantly doing this on the 4th round of a six round magazine, I think something inside the magazine is causing it to hang up just enough to cause problems when it reaches that fourth round.

Take your magazine apart and clean and examine it thouroghly and try it again.

 

[Pokem807]

This sounds like a magazine issue. If it is consistantly doing this on the 4th round of a six round magazine, I think something inside the magazine is causing it to hang up just enough to cause problems when it reaches that fourth round.

Take your magazine apart and clean and examine it thouroghly and try it again.

Thanks for all the help. Looks like it was a mag issue. Out of the box, I thought the lips were sprung ever so slightly, but since it was new I blew it off. Found another mag at SW today ($40, good deal!) and compared the two. Sure nuf, the lips on the new one were "tighter", which altered the angle of the follower greatly. I tweaked the old one and ran 60 rounds with no malfs. Still too soon to say for sure, but I had a big grin when the ammo was gone. Couldn't believe a mm or two could make such a difference!