Wynn's Mag-Na-Ported P40 BLOG updated

[TucsonMTB]

Well, I went to the range . . . I started with the MFS... no problems... none with any mags on the first round! Yeehaa! Then I had a few FTFs on the next round, but still for the most part, full mags without problems.

Shooting that P40 is fun! . . . I had a lot less FTFs and a few rounds hung against the lower part of the feed ramp, so the mags need some TLC... or rather, major modifications!

Good news! I wonder if your "new to you" pistol is so new to the planet that it needed (needs?) some more break in. That would be nice.

I am experimenting with the sharp edge removal Greg recommended. So far, the results are promising.

My mags are all modified. Some ammo still insists on failing to feed but very sporadically. Grrrrrrr.

Looking forward to more good news and pictures.

[knkali]

FWIW my mP40 needed 500+ rnds to smooth out and the occasional hic ups left over were solved with a new recoil spring.

[wyntrout]

I definitely thought about the recoil spring... need to order some springs and stuff from Wolff's... Kahr, too... just haven't gotten a round "Tuit". Those things are hard to come by... especially when you aren't looking for them.

I've pretty much wasted another day and Wifey will be home in less than an hour!

After the latest hubbub over OnStar continuing to monitor your vehicle, etc., I went out and un hooked/removed its GPS antenna, packed it into a labeled prescription bottle , and tucked it into one of the cavernous door "pockets". I put my external add-on GPS antenna in its position, moving it from the lower front dash... won't get knocked around by the window's sun shield or washing the window.

While I was at it, I moved my Valentine One's remote panel from a non-optimum place to where I can see it on the steering column, but not blocking anything. I had to move its cord, but that was minor and everything is tucked away.

I still need to upload or post my target pictures and discuss some of the FTFs... a lot fewer, but NONE is the goal. I think when the pistol passes 40 rounds without cleaning, it's more apt to have a burp or two. Speaking of that, I still need to clean the P40 up and try out the Flitz I got at the gun show. I got the 1.75-oz tube and it ought to help clean up some of the blast marks from the Magna-Porting on the barrel and the slide... stuff that's usually hidden, anyhow.

Wynn

[wyntrout]

I've uploaded the photos of the targets to PB and tried to add titles and descriptions to most. Here's the album link:

http://s1134.photobucket.com/albums/...rip%209-21-11/

I have to cook supper now. Calf's liver, fried Vidalia onions, and mashed potatoes!

Wynn

[jocko]

damn wyn and u can cook to, wow!! u get my vote for man pus-y of the year.

[wyntrout]

Gee, thanks. I've always been the cook with this bride. I'm the house husband and that's fine with me... as long as Wifey works and helps me afford my toys!

Wynn

[TucsonMTB]

I still need to clean the P40 up and try out the Flitz I got at the gun show. I got the 1.75-oz tube and it ought to help clean up some of the blast marks from the Magna-Porting on the barrel and the slide... stuff that's usually hidden, anyhow.

It doesn't look like it presents any functional issues, based on your pictures. But, if it really bugs you try MPro7-Gun-Cleaner. It seems to be water based and comes in a pump spray bottle (I got the 32 ounce size) but man does it remove burned on black residue. Not much rubbing required. I usually just spray it on a paper towel unless it needs to soak a few minutes. Spraying directly on the gun works too. I couldn't believe how clean I got our Taurus tracker that had all kinds of "impossible to remove" build up on the stainless cylinder and frame. Not much rubbing required. No significant odor. Gets stainless sparkling clean. What's not to like?!

After all, you have lots of other items on your agenda, like cooking and making holes in paper. Scrubbing off black stuff with polish when you can just wipe it off with chemical warfare should be last on your list.

[jocko]

yes

Gee, thanks. I've always been the cook with this bride. I'm the house husband and that's fine with me... as long as Wifey works and helps me afford my toys!

Wynn

indeed my wife works, YUP LIFE IS GOOD---DAMN GOOD

[wyntrout]

That's partnership... the wife works while hubby plays... well, there's housework, too. You can tell I'm not the most dedicated with that stuff. I am a pretty good cook for the two of us, too.

Time for some togetherness... watching a little TV... rare these days. She's usually off to shower and then bed after supper... that's dinner down South.

Wynn

[wyntrout]

Dang! My Round Tuit made me order 1,000 rounds of Blazer 165-gr FMJ for $265 delivered... $12.99 a box + $4.95 INS & Handling... free shipping + 25˘ round up for the NRA... Graf & Sons. I looked and looked and this seemed the best deal for U.S. ammo in the weight I wanted, too.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...productId/2413

That ought to cover about 5 more trips to the range. Dang, this shooting is expensive! All of this for punching holes in paper... sure is fun, though.

Wynn

[wyntrout]

Just a brief explanation and a few pix of the ones posted on the PB link:

http://s1134.photobucket.com/albums/...rip%209-21-11/

First the P40 and the magazines preloaded for the first round:





I found it was much easier to use the free targets from http://www.mytargets.com/





Free Targets & More



This beats the heck out of getting cans and templates to mark up paper plates.

My very first magazine this trip, loaded with the MFS/Fiocchi 180-gr FMJ FN ammo... bright stuff, especially with the ports.



I had 5 to 6 FTFeed during the whole test... none on the first round of magazine loads(MAG#-load#)...2 FTF on rounds #2 and #3 in Mag#2-2, and one FTF from Slide Lock release on round #1 on Mag#4-2, with the rest OK.

On round 3 of magazine loads, there were no problems!

On Round 4 there was ONE instance of no lock back of the slide on last shot or empty magazine... fluke?

There were only 2 more FTFs with several load, reload cycles... one of those with my weak low-pointing... understandably weak grip there.

The FTFs were split between the c0cked angled/hung in the chamber OR the against the ramp/nosedive types. I had two or three of each. The pictures got out of sequence and it gets laborious to figure out where they go after posting at PB.

After failing to check the first low/nosedive FTF, I wondered if it could have been premature slide lock-back. I checked the later FTFs for that and never found that to be the case.

I think that reducing the follower interference as Greg suggests will possibly eliminate all of those problems. I don't think that any were caused my weak magazine springs! I bought four of the 7-round extended grip models new, and the springs were twice the length of the magazine tube, or more, and a pain to stuff back into the tube. They WERE ALL installed from the factory backwards... the free end to the rear of the follower.

I tried removing any burrs from the feed lips, the magazine catch slot... inside and outside, and tried to deburr the slide lock actuator pins with sanding where they seemed to catch on the tube or cause drag on that side. I didn't get carried away there, but I might follow that up with a bit of fine filing. I think the tough metal in those pins and their sticking out too far, causes too much drag on the follower.

One thing that I experienced several times, was that after firing a mag of one ammo with it winding up left of center, I would fire a mag of Gold Dots and they would be more centered... right on! I like that, since it's my SD ammo of choice... 165-grain Gold Dots. IT makes the brightest flash of the SD ammo that I've tested so far, but I can live with that... hopefully any BG won't... maybe dropping right there from fright... the weird and bright flashes... the muzzle AND the VEE from the porting.



The above target was the first with the second 7 shots being GDs.

Wynn

[TucsonMTB]

Great shots, Wynn! And nicely organized as well. Clearly your talents extend far beyond the shooting range and the kitchen. Thanks for sharing.

If you will forgive me, I have a question about the rounds that failed to feed correctly for you. Do you routinely examine the bullet noses when that occurs? I am particularly interested in rounds that just fail to feed at all . . . a new phenomenon for me.

As you know, your adventures prompted me to revisit the ammo that my PM40 seems to reject. Implementing Greg's recommended treatment to the break at the top of the feed ramp eliminated the bulk of the three point jambs with 155 grain Winchester Ranger and all of the jambs with 180 grain Rangers. A good thing!

However, I am now experiencing no feeding at all with the second round with the Ranger 155 grain ammo. Consistently, the nose of the bullet in the failed round appears to have been whacked by the feed ramp. After being hit in the nose, the rounds just sits and sulks in the magazine, rather than feeding as I would like. Temperamental, I guess.



Since this is now my only feeding problem, it is possible that it happened in the past but was overlooked when mixed in with the other feeding issues.

Admittedly, the shorter action of the PM40 may be the problem making this not something your P40 should experience. However, I am curious. Are you are having any similar experience with deformed bullet noses?

In the meantime, 135 Winchester Ranger remains perfectly reliable, possibly because of the slightly shorter OAL, so long as I have use a magazine to with Greg's follower modification.

Thanks again for posting a wealth of information about the progress of your new range toy.

I am now going to look through you pictures one more time hoping to answer my own question.

[wyntrout]

I believe that most of the FTFs where the top round doesn't feed but bangs into the feed ramp and stays in the mag... sort of... are follower/spring vs. the magazine catch problems. I need to do the drastic mods to the skirt and right front corner of the follower. I think that most, if not all of my problems will disappear. The metal pin pushing or dragging against the left inside of the tube could contribute as well.

Gonna go watch a bit of TV with my wife, before she falls asleep... up around 05:00, at work before 0730 and home around 1830 tonight! I did cook us a great supper... Porterhouse steaks... first in many years... usually she only wants tenderloin (), baked potato and Romaine lettuce salad. I opened a nice 2009 Bordeaux wine as well... yummy! I really want to treat her right!

Wynn

Looking back at your post and pictures, NO, I haven't had any deformations, but I did see some marks near the noses when I had jams while testing with FMJ FN bullets. I've never noticed that kind of deformation in any of my Kahrs. I don't recall any problems with JHP or defense ammo, specifically.

[TucsonMTB]

That's what I thought too. But, with all the mods applied, there is still an issue. The end of the feed ramp is also the most likely culprit for my several broken followers. The front leg gets broken off and ends up inside the magazine, consistent with being struck from outside.

Jay has offered to "take a look at it if followers keep breaking". It may come to that. I'll send him that same picture early next week as a followup.

I'm really glad your .40 S&W is behaving well. And, yes, take good care of that lady. She must have good taste. Look who she married.

[wyntrout]

I left the DLT alone and cleaned my P40. I also worked on the magazines some more, removing some more on the right front of the followers and smoothing the slide lock actuator pins in the followers. Those things drag and push the follower to the right, maybe contributing to the nose-dives. The followers drag and are hard to push down when loading sometimes. I filed and sanded the underside of the pins and sanded all with 400 and then 1200-grit sand paper, as I did my cuts on the followers. I can't wait to see if this does any good. I only had 4-5 FTFs out of 187 shots... and one of those was with my "low pointing" and definitely not an optimum grip.

I really have to watch insertion of the slide lock to make sure the free end of the spring winds up on top of the inner protrusion of the SL, so I ordered one of those springs $6.60 and the washer/screw $1.10. I also ordered a magazine catch, just in case I get carried away some day and overdo it with a bit of scalloping. I got a pin for the extractor/back panel, but passed on the extractor spring... then I took a coil off the spring... the heck when shortening the pin... snip... real easy. I sanded the tip and added a bit of Tetra grease to that end.

I ordered a bunch of stuff while I was at it, including one of the Looper Kydex-reinforced gunbelts... in brown. I'm going to splurge and do it right... get real support for CCW. My Blazers ought to be in Wednesday, so I'll hold off on a trip to the range until after it arrives... another test!

Jeez... this has become "Wynn's Blog".

I also want to try using my old 7-round mags from my K9 in the P40. I have a few of the metal flush-fitting bases coming to see if they will act like the 6-round P40 mags. The dimensions are so close9 a few hundredths of an inch in width) and the rounds will "fit", but the feed lips are spaced differently... will fit as necessary. I use the 8-round extended grip mags in my K9, so these are 3 extra mags that may work with minor modification in the P40.

Wynn