Jamming: user or the gun?

[TMan]

Being a little bored this morning, waiting for the wife to wake up to go to Starbucks, I was reading the "One star" reviews in www.handgunreview.com.

What really drew my interest were three types of problems: slide related, trigger related, and feeding. What I'm wondering is: were these caused by the gun, the user, or the ammo? Briefly in reverse order:

1) I know feeding problems can be caused by mechanical problems such as bad magazines, the ramp not being right, and poor geometry in the design. They can also be caused by bad ammo.

I've experienced more feeding problems with .22 semi-automatics than anything else. On occasions I've been ready to slip the magazine into the pistol when I noticed that the first round had slipped and wasn't in the right position. I've also had problems with not getting the magazine fully into the pistol. With the Ruger MKII's european type magazine release this is never a problem, but it has gotten me on the Buckmarks. My shooting instructor taught me to always tap the back of the loaded magazine against the palm of my hand to seat the rounds. I later read this is an user manual too.

Prior to switching to CCI Mini-Mags for all my .22 auto's I noticed some other rounds would cause a build-up of crud on the feed ramp with subsequent feeding problems.

2) On some of my guns with adjustable triggers, I've adjusted the trigger so there was no take-up. Then after dry-firing it with no problems, I took it to the range and they failed after the first round. Heat or cycling, I'm not sure, but it was in with the allen wrench to back off a little then everything worked fine. So there can be gun problems that cause this, but can there be user problems too?

What if you aren't removing your finger from the trigger quickly enough after firing a shot? Ideally, it shouldn't make a difference if the pistol is designed properly. When you do remove your finger, it should reset the trigger even after the gun is back in battery. However, are there pistol designs where you have to remove your finger prior to the gun returning to battery? I don't know.

3) These appear to be the greatest number of problems reported. I'm sure all of us have had them from time to time. The point is: a semi-automatic must have a certain amount of energy to properly extract, eject, and feed the next round. This same energy is used to lock the slide back after the last round, if the pistol is designed to do it.

Certain manufacturer's ammo has more energy than others. The new Sig .22LR comes with two recoil springs. You use the lighter spring for standard ammo. So ammo can be a factor. (I don't use CCI Stinger's. Just a little too much energy to suit me.)

If the shooter is not holding the gun firmly enough, energy is lost that is needed for proper operation of the gun. When I read of a lot of jamming problems, and then the person mentions "stovepipes", I think to myself - probably user error.

Incidentally, I tend to limp-wrist .22's never .45's.

So, what I'm getting at is to read bad reviews about the above topics with a grain of salt. A Ruger P90 stove-piping a gun problem? I'm highly doubtful!!!

[TA]

I agree, everything I have ever read or personally wwitnessed was a problem starting with:

1) The shooter

2) The ammo or magazine

3) The gun

This is the order of probability. A good Pistolsmith starts with #1 to see if it needs fixed first.

["DoubleAction"]

For awhile my Colt Officer's ACP was my primary carry piece but my shot placements hit low with my POA. I talked with several smiths about installing a raised rear sight to bring the POA up to raise my shot placements. A couple had told me that I might be pulling my shots; That was bull because I was also shooting a Sig 220 and a Combat Commander with dead center accuracy, using the same .45 acp ammunition.
I finally found a real gunsmith who would listen, and he had what I needed to put this Colt on the right track. The sight was one that he had in stock, and it could be raised. I liked this guy because he would not only listen, he would offer suggestions of his own.

As for jamming; I learned along time ago to install nothing but high quality springs, with the correct ratings and tension, high strength magazines, and properly fitted parts. Nothing is more discouraging than to be testing a gun you've spent hours working on than to have the magazine feed lips open up.
A fouled up action that has sat for months before the shooter returns to the range, without cleaning, will certainly put the fault toward the user. Ignoring the periodotic replacement of recoil springs will also put the user at fault when the slide fails to strip a cartridge and chamber the round.
From what I've seen in user awareness; It no darn wonder why most gunsmiths remain in business, or to that fact, why so many guns on the pre-owned markets are found to be fouled up. Many users do not believe in cleaning, much less maintainance; These are the same elements of our society that believe in the 40,000 mile oil change for their automoblies, or by depending on others for their dirty work.
Limp wristing a semi-auto or not having the grip frame aligned with the axis of the forearm is language the general public is not concerned with, along with shooter education. I once engaged in lengthy conversations with the average gun owner wanna be types, but found it was a pure waste of time for the most part.

[kynardsj]

A gunsmith friend of mine here in Alabama told me that he gets a lot of business from owners of semi autos that won't cycle because they used WD40 to clean their weapons. Recommended always using the proper powder solvent and lubricant. I agreed with him, told him how foolish those folks were and then went home and hid my WD40. It's great stuff if used in the right place. Lesson learned for me.