My M&P 9 has developed a failure to extract issue suddenly that I need help diagnosing.
The gun has approximately 10k rounds and has had 2 or three FTEs in the last couple of months. Today I had 3 in an match and clearing the malf on the clock is hell on a guy’s score. Since this has developed so recently my guess is it’s ammo related, but I’d like to list as much info as I can to see what you guys think.
Ammo I’m currently running are reloads from a local vendor and I’m nearing the end of a 500 round box. So far the rounds have all chambered with no problem, during extraction though the extractor drops the case about halfway out of the chamber. Of the half ejected cases I’ve managed to retrieve there’s nothing obvious, no torn case rims or cracks.
Back in 08 the original slide on this gun developed a crack and Smith replaced it. The extractor has a solid pin, the claw looks good and there’s enough tension to hold a live round in place.
So does this sound like time for an ammo change or is there something else I should consider?
unknown reload data is bad juju imo. Switch to fact ammo that is full power and run some cheaper weak WWB and see what it does. It really sounds like bad qc on reloads. If I don’t reload it I don’t shoot it.
The ammo issue is the easy first thing to check, but my Pro had several type 2 malfs on a stage not long after I bought it. I replaced the extractor with a tool steel unit from Speed Shooter Specialties along with an extra power extractor spring. No worries since then.
The way these FTE’s frequency has increased so quickly makes me think spring failure so the extractor spring is where I’ll start. The unknown reload factor is still there so that ammo will be set aside for training only.
A few weeks ago I spoke with John at Apex Tactical and described my problem. He told me the earlier guns had mim extractors and suggested upgrading to their new FRE.
After I installed the new part and extractor spring the gun appears to be born again hard. It’s even chewing through the reloads that I mentioned in my original post with no problem.
PS: The extractor pin is tight, but I didn’t have a much trouble as I’ve read some people have.