Ron Ankeny Posted August 1, 2002 Share Posted August 1, 2002 The comp on my new open gun cracked. There is only one other open shooter within a hundred mile radius of my house and I was visiting with him on the phone tonight. Guess what? His comp cracked and his bullets are tumbling all over the place. Is this a common problem with comps? Also, is there any particular type of comp that is less likely to crack than others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianH Posted August 1, 2002 Share Posted August 1, 2002 Yeah! One that's made right!!!! ( Just kidding....) Where did it crack? What kind of comp is it? Cone? What's the load? How's it attached? Kick down some details and the cause may be obvious....(esp. if your friend has the same comp mounted in the same way....) b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted August 1, 2002 Author Share Posted August 1, 2002 My comp is an STI ith a couple of side ports added. Screwed on. Cracks run from the top port down the sides. I am shooting .38 Super with 115 grainers over 9.2 of 3n37. Friends gun is a lot older. He is shooting a 9x21. I am unsure of the maker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianH Posted August 1, 2002 Share Posted August 1, 2002 Prob. not the fault of the comp or load or anything; but most likely some crap material. Once at work I started turning a bar of pre-hardened 4140; got about a quarter inch off the diameter and found a crack running down the length of the bar, that you didn't see in the bar....If you have material with a bad heat treat or some stress, the blast of shooting and shock of cycling (which you get a lot of with 115's) can start cracking it apart in the wierdest places.... ....I could be wrong, though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBoyle Posted August 1, 2002 Share Posted August 1, 2002 Sharp, squared off ports in comps tend to crack in the corners. A lot of gunsmiths will take the sharp edges off of the outside of the ports and round out the corners to help prevent this from happenning. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmiller45 Posted August 1, 2002 Share Posted August 1, 2002 Never had a comp crack, and I've had stainless, carbon, aluminum, and titanium ones. As stated, if any sharp corners are left, stress risers can be the result, from the shock of the gas impulse. Now if the sides of the comp are too thin, or the chambers were not cut with a ball end mill, then maybe it's a bad design. Then there the suggestion that it could have been a bad piece of metal. What is the general shape of the chambers? How thick is the septum between chambers? How thick are the sides of the chambers? This info might help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted August 1, 2002 Author Share Posted August 1, 2002 The first crack was between the top port and a side port, now it is cracking down the sides of the first port where there are no side ports. Obviously the problem is one of material and perhaps an overzealous gunsmith with a milling machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted August 2, 2002 Share Posted August 2, 2002 MMM I think either bullets are hitting comp or slide is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted August 2, 2002 Author Share Posted August 2, 2002 I think it is a combination of bad material and poor craftmanship. Don't think bullets are hitting the baffles because the gun is scary accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted August 2, 2002 Share Posted August 2, 2002 Ron Yea they usually tumble when they hit. Hold the gun to the light,can you see daylight all the way around the comp? Using tool makers pen to mark it and check works great also. The comp cannot touch slide. Its only 2 thousanths but it everything for reliability or could crack comp if hitting. All this said, it does sound like you got a bad comp which it is weird. They are usually the same material as gun, Tough. But anything can be bad from the start. I would replace and return to Mfg. Most are very reasonable. Good luck. Open guns can require startup work. Heck they are Raceguns. Pushed to the Max so they are "sensitive" Once you get them going you are looking at normal maintenance and wear parts. I have cracked my last comp but that was 65,000+ major rounds slamming into it. That's one out of 6 or 7 I have owned. I shoot them a lot as you see. (Edited by BSeevers at 9:29 pm on Aug. 1, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted August 2, 2002 Author Share Posted August 2, 2002 Bill: I called the maker this morning. I am sending barrel and comp by Priority Mail today. I'll have a new comp within the next 6 days. The maker told me he has had comps crack on his own guns because he experiments shooting them in the white, milling here and there, shooting again, etc. But he said he hasn't had comps crack on customers guns, yet. Of course, I bought the gun used and it was the maker's personal pistol that he shot in the 3-gun nationals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted August 2, 2002 Share Posted August 2, 2002 Ron Sounds like a fair treatment. Good luck. He didn't want the slide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted August 3, 2002 Author Share Posted August 3, 2002 Slide? Oh yeah that reciprocating piece of metal that keeps slamming into the comp. I guess I ought to send that along too, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted August 3, 2002 Share Posted August 3, 2002 sounds like the comp material was not stress relieved B4 milling and maybe poor installation by the gunsmith. good luck with the return and the explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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