P32 Failure to Eject

[bassjam]

I just picked up a new Keltec P32. Cleaned it over the weekend, lightly lubed it, and took it to the range this morning. Ran 150 rounds of PPU 71gr FMJ's and finished up with 20 rounds of Buffalo Bore 75gr hard cast through it. The PPU was extremely dirty and was flinging crap back at my face. The gun is struggling with failures to eject and I don't know if it's break in issues, ammo related, or something else. It happend twice a mag through the first few mags, but by the last box of PPU was "only" happening once every 3-4 mags. The Buffalo Bore ran flawlessly but 20 rounds isn't a huge sample size and within that margin of error of 3-4 mags. I don't think this is any sort of user error, I've also have had 2 different LCP's over the course of 13 years with 3k rounds combined through them as well as a couple micro 9mm's so I'm used to shooting these small guns.

Every time it was the same type of failure, shown below. To clear it I'd drop the mag, pull back on the slide and the case would then eject. I wondered if riding my support thumb on the slide could have been the issue but it didn't seem to make a difference when I kept my thumb clear. One thing I did not do (which I regret) is inspecting the cases that didn't eject. Both the extractor and ejector appear fine to me.

I'd like to get a different type of ammo and run at least another 100 rounds through it before I call Kel tec, but wondering if you guys have any opinions.

 

[Ethan Verity]

My guess is the extractor isn't strong enough... looks like the round is shifting upward from a weak extractor grip, thus missing the ejector... then getting squeezed by the barrel when returning to battery. Is that extractor spring screw fully tight? Is the spring bent? Extractor claw in good shape?

 

[Rule3]

Field strip it. Clean it. Manually rack the slid 50 to 199 times, Leave it with the slide locked back for a few days. Try some different ammo
Then call KT, they used to send a kit with all the parts needed.

By the looks of the soot on the brass, not very good seal or a weak load.

 

[bassjam]

My guess is the extractor isn't strong enough... looks like the round is shifting upward from a weak extractor grip, thus missing the ejector... then getting squeezed by the barrel when returning to battery. Is that extractor spring screw fully tight? Is the spring bent? Extractor claw in good shape?

It's tight and appears in good condition.

Field strip it. Clean it. Manually rack the slid 50 to 199 times, Leave it with the slide locked back for a few days. Try some different ammo
Then call KT, they used to send a kit with all the parts needed.

By the looks of the soot on the brass, not very good seal or a weak load.

I had field stripped and cleaned before I used it, and it probably had 200 dry fires through it before I took it to the range.

What would make underpowered ammo put soot on the brass like that? I just sorted through my brass and the PPU brass is dirty while the Buffalo Bore brass is clean so you may be on to something.

Edit, looks like others have had issues with PPU in their P32 so I'm definitely going to try some different ammo.

PPU ammo question

www.thektog.org

 

[unclenunzie]

Setting aside any potential manufacturing defects, that looks like weak ammo.

ETA: although I have had issues with other ammo - I have not seen a single failure with Fiocchi 73 gr ball, across several different lots. I recommend getting some and testing again. If you guard against rim lock, PMC 60 gr JHP also works.

 

[5-SHOTS]

Dirty cases means underpowered ammo in my opinion: case doesn't expand enought to seal the chamber, gasses pass between case and chamber (reason why you felt crap back on your face). The jam you posted seems also like it was caused by underpowered ammo, so the case didn't hit the ejector strong enought to clear the ejection port and got stuck by the slide that was returning into battery.

The fact that the pistol is OK is proven by the fact that hot ammo works 100%.
I suggest to try Fiocchi or Sellier & Bellot.

 

[wnycollector]

My P32 runs flawlessly on both Geco and Fiocchi.

 

[bassjam]

Dirty cases means underpowered ammo in my opinion: case doesn't expand enought to seal the chamber, gasses pass between case and chamber (reason why you felt crap back on your face). The jam you posted seems also like it was caused by underpowered ammo, so the case didn't hit the ejector strong enought to clear the ejection port and got stuck by the slide that was returning into battery.

The fact that the pistol is OK is proven by the fact that hot ammo works 100%.
I suggest to try Fiocchi or Sellier & Bellot.

Thanks for the explaination, makes total sense.

 

[Pistolay]

I had field stripped and cleaned before I used it, and it probably had 200 dry fires through it before I took it to the range.

If you were dry firing without snap caps, don't.

And as others have said, I would try a different ammo before calling KT. If you do have to call them, they're a pleasure to deal with.

I have 2 new P32s, both with build dates in late January. One has been flawless with approx. 200 rounds of Sellier & Bellot FMJ. The other had problems with the hammer not falling all the way that started after about 50 rounds. Long story short, they ended up diagnosing a problem with the hammer block which is part of the grip, and since I had already disassembled the pistol once and was comfortable doing that, they just sent me a new grip. That fixed the problem and I shot 100 rounds of S&B and 50 rounds of American Eagle without a problem.

Once you get it sorted, these are great little pistols for what they are. The folks who own them generally prefer Fiocchi FMJ and S&B FMJ, but my arthritic wrist prefers the American Eagle. The European ammo is loaded hotter than the American stuff.

 

[halfmoonclip]

I can remember when KelTec went to the leaf type extractor, instead of a coil, on the .380 iteration, and the guns ran much better. I had a .32 KelTec, and recall it ran well...you did have to be a little careful filling the magazine, to avoid rim lock.
Bassjam, that trapped brass looks European; more generous cannelure, which does help avoid rimlock. Not familiar with PPU.
Moon

 

[wesmonster]

Fiocchi is best option for the P32, hotter than most and has the most generous taper on the rim portion of the cartridge so less likely to rim lock.
Magtec shoots closest to POA for mine and S&B also runs well but Fiocchi groups best.
A good cleaning wouldn't hurt, maybe not a field strip but I'd scrub that chamber with a new brush and put a few drops of oil on the extractor.

 

[W.E.G.]

More oil.

Different ammo.

More cycling of the gun with live ammo.

Shouldn't have to do that with a new gun. But the peashooter guns seem to need it more often than main battle pistols.

 

[Buckeye63]

Something is seriously wrong… send it to me
As others have mentioned… clean grease and work the slide .. over and over .. like 100 or more times
I purchased a Kahr CW 380 that was having feeding and ejecting issues… I couldn’t get through the 200 rd breakin
So I did just what I mentioned… clean , grease and work the slide.. I probably did it for at least 300 hundred times … afterwards.. it ran great for over 5 years and I’m not sure how many rounds
No more problems

 

[bassjam]

Just an update, I was able to find some PMC ammo locally and ran 150 rounds through it on Saturday with no malfunctions. Ejected brass was cleaner and nothing was spit back at my face either, so those who suggested the PPU ammo was weak were spot on.

 

[unclenunzie]

Something is seriously wrong… send it to me
As others have mentioned… clean grease and work the slide .. over and over .. like 100 or more times
I purchased a Kahr CW 380 that was having feeding and ejecting issues… I couldn’t get through the 200 rd breakin
So I did just what I mentioned… clean , grease and work the slide.. I probably did it for at least 300 hundred times … afterwards.. it ran great for over 5 years and I’m not sure how many rounds
No more problems

Works good with Fiocchi ball and PMC JHP.

 

[dodo bird]

Just an update, I was able to find some PMC ammo locally and ran 150 rounds through it on Saturday with no malfunctions. Ejected brass was cleaner and nothing was spit back at my face either, so those who suggested the PPU ammo was weak were spot on.

Glad to hear it. You probably know this but if you want to avoid malfunctions stay away from hollow points in 32acp as they can cause rimlock. Stick with fmj for 32acp. Ymmv

 

[Mosin77]

When I bought my P3AT (slightly bigger brother of the P32) back in the day, it would not cycle well at all. I (not knowing anything about the possible dangers of bullet setback) cycled a couple dozen rounds of my lone box of Cor-Bon .380 hollowpoints, through the gun by manually racking the slide… I don’t know how many hundreds of times, until they chambered and ejected flawlessly. Since that time the gun has had nary an issue.