Ruger SR40c extraction problem with WWB

[Jim NE]

I bought a Ruger SR40c a few years ago. I shot it a few times, then hadn't played with it for a while. I remember that back when I was shooting it more often, it had a couple hiccups, but I couldn't remember what they were, so I went shooting with it again today to refresh my memory.

I shot about 65-70 rounds of Winchester white box , 165 gr. FMJ, and had a couple of extraction problems where the spent casing wasn't pulled out of the chamber. I decided to try some other ammo, but all I had with me was about 25 rounds of Federal range ammo and 10 rounds of Fiocchi 165 gr. , both full metal jacket. Nevertheless, I shot the Federal and Fiocchi and had no problems whatsoever.

What would you suggest?
-Try more of the non-WWB ammo and seeing if it works reliably, and staying away from WWB?

-Or calling Ruger and sending the gun in? They did a great job fixing my LCP.

I'm happy with either solution. I do like the gun. I don't like it as much as my 100% reliable SR9c, but the 40 is still a solid pistol that's easy to carry. If it were 100% reliable I could keep it as a backup for my great FNS40 compact.

Has anyone else had problems with Winchester white box ammo not extracting in their SR40c? Thanks.

 

[SteadyD]

Are you getting double feeds because the extractor is slipping off the rim of the case, cycling completely rearward, stripping a fresh round, and trying to feed it?

 

[Jim NE]

Are you getting double feeds because the extractor is slipping off the rim of the case, cycling completely rearward, stripping a fresh round, and trying to feed it?

That is correct, SteadyD. It did it twice in 70-ish rounds of Winchester White Box. None in about 35 rounds of other ammo.

 

[SteadyD]

I'd send it in, personally. Double feeds are hard to clear, and even if it ran other ammo fine, it'd always be in the back of my mind. It sounds like the extractor may not have enough tension to hold the rim, though others with far more knowledge might think otherwise. At any rate, I don't like burning up ammo trying to diagnose a problem. Best of luck to you Jim.

 

[Jim NE]

Thanks Steady D.

 

[JDR]

I shot about 65-70 rounds of Winchester white box , 165 gr. FMJ,

...and the story promptly went downhill at this point...my opinion of .40S&W regressed to where it pretty much is now when I tried to shoot this crap through a G22, keep using the Fiocchi .40 or the Fed (Champion, I presume?) you were using or try 180 grain Fed American Eagles, which always worked for me

 

[Jim NE]

OK, I went out and shot 150 rounds of Fiocchi Shooting dynamics 165 gr. FMJ today. Worked perfectly, No extraction issues. I'll try some of my Fiocchi Extrema hollow points, but I don't expect a different result because the casings should be the same. I also bought some more federal today, but haven't shot it yet.

So it looks so far like the extraction issue is ammo specific. If I have no issues with federal or Extrema, and I try a box or two of something else with no problems, I'll consider the Winchester White box to be the root of the problem. My gun doesn't like it. I think I'll just stay away from it rather than send the gun in. Sending a gun in and having them not find a problem is not something I want to do. I'm also a bit worried if I have them work on the gun so that it can shoot
WWB okay...will it change how it works with my other ammo (for the worse)?

So I have a strategy. I really don't have a disdain for WWB. My 9mm Walther P1 will only cycle WWB. Go figure.

 

[JONWILL]

Winchester White Box ammo also caused problems in my CZ75B 40. Never would extract all the time.

I got an Extra power spring and the problem went away.

Only had a problem with Winchester

 

[straightshooterjake]

All semi-auto pistols can be sensitive to ammo selection, but I do not trust a pistol which is not 100% reliable with all types of FMJ ball ammo.

Let me explain a little further. When we look at defensive pistol ammo, there can be a substantial differences in pressure level, bullet shape, and cartridge overall length. These differences always have the potential to cause reliability problems, so testing is required before I consider a pistol qualified for use with defensive ammo.

However, for most common pistol calibers, FMJ ball ammo is much more standardized. So if a pistol has problems with one type of ball ammo, but works fine with other types, that makes me suspicious. In this case, I might carefully examine the different brands of ammo to see if there was in fact a significant difference. For example, if the case rims were a different shape or thickness, then that might be an acceptable explanation.

But if I find that a pistol is reliable with one type of ball ammo, but is not reliable with other ammo that appears to be identical and which works correctly in other guns, then I am forced to conclude that something about the pistol is just barely within acceptable tolerances. This makes me believe that the pistol is likely to eventually have malfunctions with other ammo.

The situation where a pistol is unreliable with certain brands of ball ammo is not all that rare. But when one of my guns shows this behavior, I either get it fixed or consider it a "range only" gun.

 

[Jim NE]

Winchester White Box ammo also caused problems in my CZ75B 40. Never would extract all the time.

I got an Extra power spring and the problem went away.

Only had a problem with Winchester

I might do the extra power spring thing...from Wolff springs. You're talking about the recoil spring, right?

 

[JONWILL]

I might do the extra power spring thing...from Wolff springs. You're talking about the recoil spring, right?

Extractor spring. It was a known problem with the early CZ75 40 calibers

 

[shooter1]

I'd replace the extractor, and the spring. The gun should run with any commercial ammo from a major manufacturer. I suspect it's right on the edge of failure with other brands of ammo.
str1