So while out on the range, I had a complete failure of the gun to extract spent cases. Actually loaded cases as well.
After some examination, I discovered the cause: A piece of gravel had lodged itself against my ejector. This was interfering with balance of push / pull on the spent cases.
So…how did a rock get into my action? Usually you could attribute it to position shooting, running and gunning, etc, etc, etc. But on this day, I had only had the rifle on the tripod.
Then it hit me like a big hairy ball of wax. The GP11 ammunition uses a wax coating on the case mouth. I assume this is a water seal. Others on the internet swear it’s to keep barrel fouling down. And some suggest the wax somehow “centers” the round making the ammo more accurate. [Hey. Don’t come at me. I am just reporting what I read on the internet!!]
That all sounds fine and dandy. But what I know for sure us when it’s warm, that cold wax turns into a warm paste. A sticky, gooey mess that gets all over your fingers and the brass.
You can guess what happened. I occasionally drop rounds. And one time I must have picked up a piece of garvel (FOD) and unknowingly left it stuck on the brass, and then inserted it.
Viola! Random extraction issues get worse and worse until finally it stops. Think of it as a forward assist for rocks.
Take away. I’m probably going to be wiping that wax off each round as they come out of their boxes. But no worries. We only have maybe 1300 rounds of the stuff.
Sigh.
Sincerely,
Marky
www.John1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
Areas of focus: Defense and National Security, Modern Light Weapons, Small Arms, Weapons Training.
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