M&P 9MML Primer problems

[a63829]

Good Evening,

I am just a little frustrated lately with my M&P. I have used used Small rifle & small pistol primers, and I am getting light primer hits. Today I shot a match of less than 100 rds and I had at least 10-15 light hit primers that didn't go off. I would like to know if anyone out there is having the same problem, and if you have what have you done to fix the problem.

Joel A. Morales

A-63829

Edited January 18, 2010 by a63829

[bompa]

Good Evening,

I am just a little frustrated lately with my M&P. I have used used Small rifle & small pistol primers, and I am getting light primer hits. Today I shot a match of less than 100 rds and I had at least 10-15 light hit primers that didn't go off. I would like to know if anyone out there is having the same problem, and if you have what have you done to fix the problem.

Joel A. Morales

A-63829

It is possible that you are not seating your primers deep enough.. Did you try to fire them a second time ?? Or in a different gun??

I am sure that just about everyone has had this problem at least once or twice..

[a63829]

Actually I have and sometime they do fire and sometimes they don't, also I had a friend of mine who has been reloading for over 15 years and we had the same problem. Two other guys at our club that have M&P 9mm are having the same problem.

Good Evening,

I am just a little frustrated lately with my M&P. I have used used Small rifle & small pistol primers, and I am getting light primer hits. Today I shot a match of less than 100 rds and I had at least 10-15 light hit primers that didn't go off. I would like to know if anyone out there is having the same problem, and if you have what have you done to fix the problem.

Joel A. Morales

A-63829

It is possible that you are not seating your primers deep enough.. Did you try to fire them a second time ?? Or in a different gun??

I am sure that just about everyone has had this problem at least once or twice..

Edited January 18, 2010 by a63829

[Sarge]

Two recommendations. And no, one of them is NOT to get rid of the M&P!

First, make absolutely sure the rounds are not too long. Verify this by using the actual barrel not a case gauge. The round should spin freely in the chamber. My PRO did this and it turned out the rounds were contacting lands and holding the gun slightly out of battery.

Second, do a search on M&P light strikes. There is a lot of history with this issue with the M&P.

Good luck!

Edited January 18, 2010 by sandman

[CocoBolo]

Try a box of Winchester White box, if they all go boom it is not your gun. We have all seen folks with high primers so most times that is the first answer.

Federal makes the softest primers and they are the easiest to set off. Rifle primers are harder and Military aka 223 primers are even harder to prevent slam fire.

I had some Serbian ammo that would not go boom in my AR, well after 3 times I trashed it, the ammo still shooting the gun.

[MemphisMechanic]

I masked this problem by installing a stock G17 Glock striker spring.

I fixed it, I believe, by shortening my 147gr reloads from 1.130" to 1.115" - M&Ps do NOT like long ammo.

[twodownzero]

Evan,

How much Solo 1000 are you using at the shorter length? I'm using 3.4 now at about 1.130". I've had a few problems with a few rounds and I think I am going to shorten them, per your recommendation. Are you loading lighter than 3.4?

[MemphisMechanic]

Actually, I'm burning through the last of my titegroup, Tim. 3.1 is doing the trick for 129pf in my 9L.

My rounds mike 1.109 to 1.120, with 90% of them right at 1.112-1.115.

I would try 3.3 with the shorter OAL in Solo. I had to drop from 3.3tg to 3.1 when i shortened my loads up from 1.145.

Im finally about to order 10k of 130gr Black Bullets. So those 14 pounds of Solo Ive got left will come in handy.

[twodownzero]

Wow, thanks. 14 lbs of Solo sure is a lot. I bought an 8 pounder and I'm sure it'll last me a long time, even loading 3 calibers with it.

[MemphisMechanic]

Had only used a quarter of my first jug , and got a screaming deal on more from a guy who didnt like it.

[jkatz44]

Joel,

I too had a problem with my M&P. Check for 2 things.

1. Make sure you are not loading high primers. The primer should be a little bit lower than the actual case.

2. I think sometimes, my problems were do to CCI primers. They were too hard for my striker.

[gng4life]

Probably not a lot of help but I haven't had any problem like that with my M&P 9Pro. I have had a few failure to extract problems but that's after it's dirty and only a few after about 2500 rounds. I am loading my rounds out to 1.148 and never had a light strike or failure to ignite. I have used Federal (my favorite), CCI, Winchester, and Fiocchi primers.

I hope you find out what it is, these pistols are great!

[b2alpha]

Hi,

You didn't mention if you have cleaned you stricker and stricker channel. My Pros get real cruddy after shooting lead practice ammo. Ever so ofter I'll remove the stricker and clean the channel with a q-tip or pipe cleaner. I also clean out the small hole on the bottom of the slide just back from the breach face with a small paper clip, clean the tip of the stricker too. Replace it with no lub. I have had no problem with Winchester and Federal small pistol, small rifle and small pistol magmum primers. Wolf small pistol is another story. I get a 10% failure to ignite rate. I've tried stock M&P, stock Glock and extra power Glock stricker springs with the same results??

Good luck

[JeffWard]

Evan,

How much Solo 1000 are you using at the shorter length? I'm using 3.4 now at about 1.130". I've had a few problems with a few rounds and I think I am going to shorten them, per your recommendation. Are you loading lighter than 3.4?

Same problems... thought it was the primer seat. Wasn't... My seating die had crept out and my length was long. I stood my ammo up next to a factory round (1.125") and loaded mine the same.

NO PROBLEMS.

I load 147 BBI, over 3.4 of Solo 1000, out of a M&P PRO. At 1.125" OAL. I'm shooting through my stock of Wolf SP Magnum primers, which are NOT soft. They fire fine with the factory striker.

Jeff

Edited January 21, 2010 by JeffWard

[Fishin6061]

I am also having light strikes in my pro. It started all of a sudden. Primers are federal. Ammo works in G17, Kahr PM9, and Beretta 92fs. Therefore most likely gun not ammo.

[mike cyrwus]

Heres my checklist for light strikes; see if it happens with factory ammo, install a fresh recoil spring (preferably 15# or stock assy), clean out the striker channel, run the striker and channel dry with no lube, see if the channel liner insert isnt chewed up, and lastly see if the safety plunger isnt interfering with the striker movement. A pencil test will give an indication of the last point.

[redwoods]

I made some new ammo with wolf sp primers and new plated bullets. A whole lot didn't go bang. I went with other bullets and more went bang but I got good at racking the slide. I went back to winchester primers and they all went bang.

For me it was the primers. My gun has a 2.5 or lighter trigger job on it. I took the ammo that didn't work in my M&P and it shoots fine out of my Kimber 1911 9mm.

Winchester primers work 100 percent in my gun, but the wolf does not.

M&P 9pro with 13lb recoil spring and trigger job.

Randy

[AWLAZS]

Guys thanks for posting. Joel pulled the striker out and it was a little dirty.

I looked at the length of the loaded rounds. He does not load long. I can't remember what I measured but it was in line with what you have posted.

I did notice his bullet is short and fat. The shape may require a shorter oal because they did not spin well in the barrel.

[MemphisMechanic]

1.130 isnt very long, but gave my gun fits with short, fat PD 147s. 1.115 proved to be the ticket.

For those of you who had trigger jobs done and are having issues, I would find out if a reduced power striker spring was installed and replace it if its not factory weight.

The factory spring is really marginally strong enough, IMO. I can't see getting away with a lighter one long-term. And I clean my striker channel and clean/lube the extractor every time I clean the gun. Ive also had good luck running the lower, rails, and barrel much wetter than I did with the Glock.

[a63829]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I did pull the striker, and cleaned it out. It was real dirty in there so hopefully cleaning it out, and I am also going to try using small pistol primers will fix the problem. Once again thanks for all the replies.

[AWLAZS]

Ok guys here is an update. I found a friend who would trade winchester small rifle for small pistol. The light strikes have gone away. We think.

Now we are getting cases stuck in the chamber. He is reloading with all Dillon dies adjusted correctly. He is getting cases with a little bulge at the bottom. Should I use a lee U or FCD.

[MemphisMechanic]

I had to fit a speed-shooter extractor to my gun to get rid of that problem.

Had eight double-feeds (empty left in the chamber that could be flicked out with a fingernail) in a six-stage Steel Challenge match. Not fun.

[AWLAZS]

These are wedged right in there tools required

[TonyT]

I have shot several thousand rounds through my M&P9Pro without any problems using small pistol primers. Are you expereincing the light hits with the small rifle primers?

[Sarge]

These are wedged right in there tools required

Mine had to go to S&W for a chamber polish and a new extractor when mine did this same thing.