What causes stovepipes?

[Unleashed]

I have a Kimber Custom Tactical II with the external extractor....twice today I had a stove pipe malfunction. I haven't had this problem in the past and this is the gun I am shooting in the nationals, so I need it to work. I know that "limp wristing" the gun can cause it and it just so happens that the two times it did it, I was confirming zero on a bench. I would normally just chalk this up to a problem while bench shooting but there are several brass marks on the top of my slide. Can anyone please shed some light on this for me?

Thanks,

Edwin

[EricW]

What were the circumstances? Last round in the magazine?

You might call Kimber and give them your serial number. I've heard they've had extractor issues.

[mcoliver]

What's your recoil spring weight? Any buffs?

[reneet]

Were you exerting pressure to the magazine when shooting from the bench?

[blackdragon]

Chances are its extractor problems, as Eric has said they have had problems with them.

Ivan

SCS Vegas

[Unleashed]

I sure hope this isn't the extractor....I already have a Springfield TRP that won't shoot better than 12" at 50 yds (that has been independently confirmed, not just by my Area 4 50yd standard scores ). I might have been exerting pressure on the mag. It was not the last round because I had to drop the mag, with ammo, to get the shell out. One of them actually hung up in the extractor. I ran another 50-75 rounds through the gun without any stopages, both slow a rapid fire. The thing that concerns me most is the brass marks on top of the slide. Thanks for the replies.

Edwin

[Unleashed]

I forgot to add.....14lb spring and a red shock-buff!

[LPatterson]

Might try taking the shock buff out and see if the problem still exists. I have 1 Colt that needs a .060 or less buff to work without jams horizontal and it still won't load a round by pulling back on the slide unless the buff is removed. Try a search for Kimber & shock buff.

[froglegs]

Some possibilities

Gun not broken in? how many rnds on it?

Too heavy recoil spring

Rough edge on extractor... polish it

rough or tight chamber... polish or use finish reamer

Is the load normal? overly hot?

[reneet]

I sure hope this isn't the extractor....I already have a Springfield TRP that won't shoot better than 12" at 50 yds (that has been independently confirmed, not just by my Area 4 50yd standard scores  ).  I might have been exerting pressure on the mag. 

Edwin

There are a few mags that I can make my gun malfunction with while exerting pressure from the bottom. It obviously causes drag on the slide. Very possibly your problem.

[EricW]

Using your mags as a rest generally always reduces reliability. For some guns it's a major problem, some it's not.

The extracted case is probably smacking the case mouth of the top round in the magazine. If this problem never occurs in freestyle shooting, you can simply stop resting the gun on the mags.....or spend an inordinate amount of time and effort trying to fix the problem. If you're going to bench the gun, use sandbags under the frame and leave the magazine flying free.

[mas]

I just had a stovepipe and a couple FTF's with my Kimber after about 2000 rounds....it has a 14 lb. spring and a CP buff (I use full power factor ammo - Federal red box).....Kingman bent my extractor a bit, so hopefully that will work. If not, should I remove the buff? change spring weights??