Can p320's fire out of battery?

[OPENB]

I had this happen to me Monday night. 3rd shot of the 2nd string, I heard a lighter than normal pop. Much louder than a squib, but no slide recoil, and I felt a face full of unburned powder. I stopped myself, and ran the slide to show clear, and noticed brass in the chamber that wouldn't come out. I then noticed the extractor missing from the slide. I locked the slide back manually, and cleared the brass in the safety area with a punch. A buddy found the extractor, intact, on the floor. The brass was headstamped "Perfecta" which I recall seeing in Walmarts a couple years ago. I pulled the slide plate off and reassembled the extractor, went out to the plate rack and cleaned the rack 5-6 times, no problems. I shot the stage over again, and it was fine. The brass had a ring bulge all the way around, and a blow out at 6 o'clock. All my other brass before and after it were fine and normal. The gun was a Legion lower with my X5 upper, 11.5# recoil spring on a Springer steel guide rod.

[BallisticianX]

1 hour ago, OPENB said:

I had this happen to me Monday night. 3rd shot of the 2nd string, I heard a lighter than normal pop. Much louder than a squib, but no slide recoil, and I felt a face full of unburned powder. I stopped myself, and ran the slide to show clear, and noticed brass in the chamber that wouldn't come out. I then noticed the extractor missing from the slide. I locked the slide back manually, and cleared the brass in the safety area with a punch. A buddy found the extractor, intact, on the floor. The brass was headstamped "Perfecta" which I recall seeing in Walmarts a couple years ago. I pulled the slide plate off and reassembled the extractor, went out to the plate rack and cleaned the rack 5-6 times, no problems. I shot the stage over again, and it was fine. The brass had a ring bulge all the way around, and a blow out at 6 o'clock. All my other brass before and after it were fine and normal. The gun was a Legion lower with my X5 upper, 11.5# recoil spring on a Springer steel guide rod.

Sounds exactly like my experience. Yeah, that Perfecta brass is a scurge as is CBC & IMI. Perfecta always leave a case wall bulge wherever the heel of the bullet ends up when seating.

Im glad you found the extractor, I did not, but considering the situation I would have replaced it anyway. I bought the Lone Wolf "Alphawolf" extractor. It works perfectly and tougher than the factory MIM part. My strong advice is to also replace the extractor pin (the part at the end of the extractor spring that has the notch you line up to slide over the rear of the extractor body). That pin is what retains the extractor. In order for the extractor to be blown out of the gun it needs be excessively hinged out and against that pin. With all that force I wont take the chance of a hairline fracture to the pin. Top gun supply has them and they process/ship faster than SIG. 

I wont lie, this issue paranoid me and put my gun into a "questionable status". Besides the better extractor and new pin I also changed some things to prevent it from happening again. I bought a Faxon barrel that does not chamfer the chamber entry so deep and wide as the factory one for more chamber support, changed to a slower powder (WSF from A#2), and a tad heavier recoil spring (14# from a 13#). Ive put 300 rounds thru it so far and my cases show less deformity near the web and I actually like the way the combo feels better anyhow. As a bonus the Faxon barrel is more accurate than the Sig. At 20 yards its doing 1.5" clustered groups vs the 3" vertical stringing as was the case everytime with the Sig barrel.

Edited October 16, 2019 by BallisticianX

[himurax13]

I had this happen to me Monday night. 3rd shot of the 2nd string, I heard a lighter than normal pop. Much louder than a squib, but no slide recoil, and I felt a face full of unburned powder. I stopped myself, and ran the slide to show clear, and noticed brass in the chamber that wouldn't come out. I then noticed the extractor missing from the slide. I locked the slide back manually, and cleared the brass in the safety area with a punch. A buddy found the extractor, intact, on the floor. The brass was headstamped "Perfecta" which I recall seeing in Walmarts a couple years ago. I pulled the slide plate off and reassembled the extractor, went out to the plate rack and cleaned the rack 5-6 times, no problems. I shot the stage over again, and it was fine. The brass had a ring bulge all the way around, and a blow out at 6 o'clock. All my other brass before and after it were fine and normal. The gun was a Legion lower with my X5 upper, 11.5# recoil spring on a Springer steel guide rod.

I thought Sig Fixed this issue years ago. I saw three 320's blow out their extractors in the same month, two were during the same match.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[JimmyT]

I experienced a case head blowout during firing and the case also exhibited a hairline fracture higher on the case. This destroyed the frame and the FCU. This was a 2017 mfg new pistol when purchased this year. Sig blamed it on ammo (it was a reload of average pressure in a new case carefully assembled and verified during assembly). I have been doing this for 50 years. I firmly believe that the FCU allowed the strike without full closure. Every round always passes the ‘plunk test’ in my autos. I was lucky, a cut on my face and hands, no stitches. Beware 1st generation P320’s.

[NOSHMJ]

I purchased a brand newn320 AGX Equinox this Jan 2022, and I had a case rupture which blew the extractor out after 20 rds.  Only minor burns, and no major damage to the gun.  I had the same issue of brass being "unsupported", ended up buying a new barrel and having it throated for a longer COAL, and it has helped.  

[dansedgli]

Wow, its still a problem.

I've had no issues since I got rid of those guns 2 years ago. 

 

Wierd. 

[Speedwagon]

All very interesting; I had the same thing happen to me in a match in fall of 2019 with my X5 Legion and I just stumbled on this thread. It destroyed the frame and I never found my Lone Wolf extractor. As another said, if I did find it I probable wouldn't reuse it. I never came to a final conclusion as to what caused this to happen. Others have suggested it could have been a double charge but I use an RCBS lockout die that locks the press if you have a no charge or double charge. 

I use 147 grain BlueBullets with Titegroup powder which is a fast burning powder. I've since fired many rounds from the same gun with same loads since repaired and haven't had any issues. This gun is actually my backup as I have another that I use mainly in matches and practices and have never had an issue with the main gun. I've recently ordered a Bar-Sto barrel for my main gun and it has yet to be delivered but when in install it I'll compare fired cased from the factory to Bar-Sto. 

[StartSignal]

Funny that question came up. Being here in New Hampshire, and 5 minutes from Sig Academy and Pro Shop. It's not unusual to get squadded with Phil Strader from Sig. This question came up when a shooter on our squad was having issues with his gun not going into battery. Phil immediately stated Sig pistols cannot fire out of battery. 

[dansedgli]

Yeah the new ones with the disconnector can't so if a case blows out it is usually because it is unsupported.