What Causes Failure To Eject A Round?
A failure to eject a round happens most commonly when the casing of the newly fired round does not successfully leave the chamber of the gun. This can commonly be caused by a broken extractor claw, excessively-dirty gun chamber, case rim failing, or several other reasons.
How to Prevent Failure of Round Ejection
To avoid unsuccessful round extractions, consider these points:
- Ensure your gun is properly cleaned
- Ensure the pieces of your gun are not broken. Damaged, or faulty.
- Have the extractor and extractor spring in your weapon checked by a trusted gunsmith
If your firearm is having problems extracting the round from the chamber, have the extractor and extractor spring in your weapon checked by a trusted gunsmith. If your weapon is having difficulty ejecting a spent case, it is likely caused by the interaction between the ejector and the mass, and center of mass of the polymer case.
No Ejection of the Round: Polymer Addition
The reason why:
The True Velocity polymer cased ammunition is lighter than typical brass cases by a landslide. Polymer cased ammunition is about 60% lighter than select calibers. This reduced mass results in higher bolt velocities during cycling.
In return, results in a finished case having high velocity as it exits the firearm and bounces off the deflector.
Also, the center of mass of a True Velocity polymer case is much nearer to the aft end of the case in contrast to a brass casing. This results in a different rotation of the case as it flees the gun and commonly a change in direction on the case.
For example: If a brass case exits at 3 o’clock, a polymer case may exit a 1 o’clock. Sometimes, the higher velocity and different exit angle can result in a case being caught by the bolt during its onward motion or its stovepiping.
In such cases, it is recommended that the gas port be decreased so that the weapon cycles accurately without pushing the bolt as harshly. Of course, this work should always be performed by a certified gunsmith.
What is a Stovepipe?
Stovepiping happens where a spent case gets caught in the ejection port.
Diagnosing And Fixing A Stovepipe
A stovepipe has several common causes.
Failure to eject a round could be due to switching to lower-pressure rounds. This can refer to firing a bad bunch of factory ammunition. A quite common cause is the recoil spring. If you’re using a recoil spring with excessive tension for the ammunition you’re firing, the slide of the firearm will cycle quicker than the finished case is sent out.
If ammunition is the reason for the stovepipe, either uses a more appropriate load or eliminate faulty rounds.
Limp-wristing can also cause a stovepipe. If you are not sure what limp-wristing is, it is the action of not holding the firearm firmly enough. By not holding the firearm firmly can cause the slide to not cycle as designed. This leads to a shorter return stroke and a stovepipe. Additionally, riding the thumb too high on the slide will also interrupt cycling, leading to a stovepipe.
The extractor is also a likely cause of stovepipes. If the extractor doesn’t have sufficient tension or is worn down, the round will not be pulled from the chamber and extracted with adequate force. This holds it up in the ejection port and causes a stovepipe.
What To Do When Stovepipe Happens:
When a stovepipe happens, pull the slide back to retrieve the round freely. At that point, you must diagnose what caused the stovepipe.
Tightening the grip and ensuring you aren’t short-stroking the slide with the thumb or anything else. If the problem doesn’t repeat itself, it’s likely that the round was bad which can happen every once and a while.
If the problem repeats itself, then the firearm may have a mechanical issue. It is common for a recoil spring issue to come about. Make sure that you’re using a proper recoil spring weight for your ammunition. If your recoil spring is getting worn out, you may want to replace it. If there is another mechanical issue, we recommend that you get your firearm checked out by an educated gunsmith.
