Gun Jammed up Today - how concerned should I be

[fabsroman]

I was out shooting my HK USP Compact 9mm today. Something that I don't do much of, but I have probably put a couple thousand rounds through the gun over the last couple of years.

Today, for the first time, the gun jammed, and it didn't do it just once, but 5 times.

The first four times were on the 10th round (i.e., last round) out of the clip. The last time was on the first round out of the clip.

It wasn't a feeding problem, but an ejection problem. The spent case was getting caught in the action. Essentially, the base of the case was caught in the action trying to close.

I was using ammo that I have never used before because this range requires that we purchase our ammo there. I was using some Fiocchi rounds today that had a red sealer on the primer. When I got the gun home today, I checked it out and this red primer sealer is all over the firing pin area.

[BILLY D.]

fabs

if you are using or plan to that pistol for protection of your wife and yourself i would be very concerned.

first thing i would do is a judicious, no pun intended, cleaning with special care of the extractor, ejector or whatever the krauts call the darned thing.

next to check is to insure there is not a gunk buildup in the moving parts of the gun. the less oil and grease you use on guns the better. i'm talking about the slide assembly specificallly here. gunk causes the slide to drag slowing the slide while it is trying to go back into battery. that causes stove pipe jams which is what you are experienceing.

next check the extractor thigmawidget and make sure it's all there first and then insure it's not burred or worn. you could also have a worn recoil spring or one that is weak. casing roolover is when the slide starts back and the casing doesn't get pulled away from the extractor, the slide goes toward battery position and the casing is not thrown clear of the ejection port.

i'm no authority on h&k's but these are things that cover most semi autos. i can take a 1911 apart in the dark and put it back together. i've never had occasion to work on a h&k.

hope some of this helps. goooooood luck.

oops forgot. it could be partially the fault of the ammo also. although i have used fiocchi shotgun ammo and it performed great.

[fabsroman]

Thanks Billy.

I am hoping that a thorough cleaning will prevent this from happening again and intend on scrubbing down the gun this afternoon.

If it were one of my hunting guns, I wouldn't be too worried, but it is the gun I would use to defend my wife and I should somebody decide to try to do us harm. So, I am very concerned. After I clean the crud out of it, I'm going to take it to the range during the week and see if that solves the problem.

[Mil Dot]

Fabs,

I'd clean the heck out it, check for obvious damage to the extractor and other moving parts and go back to the range and use ammo that you used before with out problems. It sounds as though your new ammo is your problem, IMO, either it's causing the gunking, to light a load or a combo of these factors. If you haven't had problems with other ammo and this problem just arose ...

Good luck, definitely don't want a jam in the crunch.

Mil Dot

[gumpokc]

I agree, probably needs a very good deep cleaning.

I have used Fiocchi ammo before with no problems, but the primer sealer didn't comeoff either.

It sounds like that sealer got put on extra think for some reason.

if it was not a known namebrand ammo, i'd suspect it was simply a light charge.

let us know how your midweek test goes.

[Aim to maim]

Since this is the first time you've experienced the problem and the only variable is the ammunition, that would be the prime suspect. A thorough cleaning and a change of ammunition will most likely remedy the problem.

If that doesn't work, the second most likely suspect would be a magazine. Did the malfunction occur with one magazine or all of them?

[TreeDoc]

How were you holding the gun, Fabs? Sounds silly but I have had people do this frequently with polymer framed guns. It's even happened to me with my Glock when single hand speed shooting. Magazine is low on weight so mass changes and the recoil operation does not function as advertised. Add in a marginally stiff hand hold and the recoil is absorbed even more and you end up with a short stroking slide and an FTE. Just one possibility.

Diliberately dump a magazine full down range while consciously maintaining a very stout grip on the gun and see what happens. It could be a function of the ammo not generating enough blow back due to mild charges in addition to my thoughts above. Cleaning might help but it's an H&K and should digest any crappy ammo dirty or not.

[fabsroman]

Well, I stripped the gun down this weekend and cleaned everything on it. However, there wasn't much dirt along the slide rails or in the slides. The extractor pin is just fine too. However, there was a decent amount of red primer sealer on the firing pin area, and these have been the only shells that I have used with primer sealer on them.

TD,

I was holding the gun with two hands at all times. 4 of the jams came with the last round out of the mag, but the last jam came with the first round out of the mag. I'll try to hold the gun a little tighter the next time I shoot. Hopefully, this will solve the problem along with never shooting that ammo again.


Aim to Maim,

I was using three different mags that day, and each one had at least one jam, so unless all three are defective, that shouldn't be the problem. I am leaning toward the ammo being the problem, but I won't know until I gop back on Wednesday and try the gun out again with different ammo.

[Steverino]

I think that its the ammo too Fabs and like some others have posted-give it a good cleaning and head to a range that has proven ammo that cycles well in your set-up.
Good luck!

[Lycanthrope]

Sounds like a mag problem. They all out of the same mag?

[Aim to maim]

Originally posted by Lycanthrope
Sounds like a mag problem. They all out of the same mag?

Excerpt from post above (2 up):

I was using three different mags that day, and each one had at least one jam, so unless all three are defective, that shouldn't be the problem. I am leaning toward the ammo being the problem, but I won't know until I gop back on Wednesday and try the gun out again with different ammo.

[fabsroman]

Aim to Maim,

I see you were paying attention to what I wrote. I thought I had written that already, but I myself am guilty of not reading through entire threads before posting. However, when I do, I usually put a disclaimer to that effect in case I am stating what has already been stated.

I saw this post last night and decided not to respond again.

[Lycanthrope]

Guilty as charged.....

But...if all three mags are used about the same age it's not uncommon to see weak springs cause this issue.

[Aim to maim]

So I guess the main question is---did you ever get to try different ammo and or otherwise get the problem resolved?

[fabsroman]

Haven't had the chance to go to the range yet. My clients continue to amaze me with the problems they can get into and their lack of caring about them. Hence, more work for me.