Slide release stiffness and a question about ammo

[Control Group]

Hey, all - I was pointed here from THR a couple days ago, and I have to say I like the amount of information that gets posted here.

Anyway, I just brought home my first gun - a Steyr M9 - and I'm more excited than I can say. I can't wait to run some ammo through it...though I won't be able to get to a range until tomorrow. But I'd also like to ask a couple quick questions, so if someone can toss an answer my way, it would be fantastic.

First, the slide release lever seems very stiff. I'm not the strongest guy around, but I don't think I'm exactly puny, either, and the way it is now, it's literally impossible for me to operate the slide release with my thumb while holding the gun normally. Is this usual for this gun? As I said, it's the first pistol I've owned, but I've shot my friends' USP and 1911, and the slide release on both seemed much looser.

Second, not as much a question about the gun, but: living where I do, it's much easier to get to an indoor range than an outdoor range. Any recommendations on what kind of lead ammunition works well with the M9? Anything I should definitely stay away from?

Thanks ahead of time for any info!

[Navy87Guy]

I don't know about the M9 (I'll be getting mine in a couple of weeks) but I have some pistols (like my Sig) that have a very stiff slide release with the magazine out. It's also stiff with an empty magazine but easy to operate when loaded. Do you have any snap caps handy? You might try loading them up and seeing if that makes a difference.

M9 owners may have some ammo advice for you. Some pistols need a little "hotter" ammo for the first 500-1000 rounds to help break things in. I know my Sig ran better on 124-gr rounds until everything smoothed out. I ran my Ruger out of the box with 115-gr Winchester White Box (WWB) from WalMart. At $11 per 100 rds, you can't beat the price.

Have fun and shoot straight! We expect a range report and some pictures!

Jim

[DocChronos]

I'm left handed, so use my trigger finger to release the slide, which is substantially weaker than a thumb release. I haven't noticed a problem with it; it doesn't feel especially stiff or difficult. There are a couple of "techies" on this forum who should be able to answer this question for you.

Regarding the ammo question, I have fired 1200-1300 rounds of 115 grain gun show reload ammo through two M9s and an S9 without significant problems, just a couple of extraction failures when fiddling with grip and stance. There have been a couple of really helpful ammo threads on this forum which should answer the ammo question. I'm not sure how to post thread links, so hope this works.

http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=332003
http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=342950
http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=338477

[KONY]

Control Group,

Good to hear from you again! I think I already mentioned that I have been running WWB FMJs in my M9. Well, tonight I just ran 75 rounds of UMC-Remington JHPs through it without a hitch! Dirty stuff (especially compared to WWB) but VERY cheap at Wally World ($13.96 per 100-pack) considering these are hollow points. However, WWB hollow points are also pretty cheap. Hope this helps!

[hihoslva]

I think part of the stiffness in the slide release is in how you push the lever.

When I first got my M9, I had a tendency to try to push the button in, rather than slide down. I found that holding my thumb against the slide and pushing down on the lever was most effective, rather than "rolling" your thumb down onto the button. I think the natural tendency is to simply operate the lever in an improper way, but it won't take long for you to become accustomed to the correct action. My wife had a very hard time with it at first (she's a tiny little thing), but has no problems now that she's used to how it works.

I'm not sure if the release is stiffer without a magazine or anything like that; I personally never noticed it.

You'll get used to it very quickly.

As for ammo, I have been using Winchester White Box (WWB) since the gun was new - 1300 rounds so far. $10.96 per box of 100 at WalMart. No problems whatsoever, save for one very simple "slow" ejection. The casing got stuck in the port as the slide was returning to battery, jamming the slide partially open. It was no big deal; pulling the slide back released the brass with no drama. I can't blame the issue on the the ammo, and even if I could, one minor "failure" in 1300 rounds ain't too shabby :);):).

I'm going to be buying some CCI Blazer ammo soon; hope to shoot some this weekend, actually. I've heard it's cleaner firing than the WWB, and I can get 1000 rds. online for $114 shipped. That works out slightly cheaper than the WWB (when sales tax is considered for buying WWB at WalMart), and if it's a little cleaner AND a little cheaper, then that's my game :).

You'll have a great time with the M9.

Be safe.

[FlaChef]

either wwb or cci blazer, I use both depending on availability at my local wally world, definitely prefer the cci though.
Lead in an indoor range is sometimes frowned upon because of health risks (i think you would need to be shooting a lot of it reguarly to actually cause harm), i try to stick with jacketed unless I run out and have to buy reloads at the range.

wear a hat for breakin period of first 500-700 rounds as ejection can be erratic during this time until it settles in. Some suggest hats whenever shooting, but I hate hats so i say just for breakin.

I don't know about release lever, I never paid it any attention, but recoil spring, trigger, ejection will improve as the gun is broken in.

Go through a good cleaning as per the tutorial stickied here before taking it out the first time.

get in the practice of using a good grip and stance off the bat, it will save you having to correct habits later, I just switched to the grip pictorialed by IDPA steyr in his thread.
A little net research should give some examples of stances too.
A lot of people say and i agree new shooters should not worry about accuracy outside of 10-15 feet, and should concentrate on good groups and work your way out.

Above all BE SAFE, remember RULE #1 DON"T POINT THE MUZZLE AT ANYTHING YOU DON"T WANT DESTROYED (esp. people)

[CGuns]

FlaChef- I too, prefer CCI Blazer much more over WWB. Seems much more accurate and cleaner, or, I am more accurate with it. One of the two.
What have your experiences been with it? Why do you like it?

Best, CGuns

[KONY]

I have yet to shoot any Blazer ammo but am eager to try some out. Do they make Blazer hollow points? If so, how much they they run?

[FlaChef]

cci blazer is a line of cheap target ammo made in brass or aluminum casings.

It seems marginaly cleaner and more accurate than WWB, but then i could be influenced by hearing people here say that. At the very least I've never had the darn boxes fall apart on me the way one wwb box did (picture 9mm rolling around all inside my range bag). From my wally world 2 boxes of 50 actually come out $0.20 cheaper than a 100 round box val-pack of wwb in .40.

if there is an academy sports in your area they have the aluminum cased blazer from $3.80 something a box!! Too bad there isn't one in orlando and when i went to pensacola earlier this week the academy up there was out!!

CCI is same company as SPEER who makes golddots and other defensive loads.

[CGuns]

If you are up that way again, let me know. Maybe we can work something out and I can send you some $ for ammo.:cool:

[Control Group]

KONY: hey, fancy meeting you here! ;)

FlaChef: unfortunately, the indoor range I'm nearest to over the weekend only lets you shoot unjacketed ammunition. If you look at their backstop, you can see why, too: someone apparently came in to shoot .22 FMJ and you can see the backstop took a lot of damage.

Anyway, thanks all for the information. Hit the range for the first time today with the M9, and had a great time. Only shot 100 rounds through the gun (my g.f. had to leave to go to work, and we came in one car), though. Ran into a couple FTEs and a couple "stovepipes" (right term for an unfired round not quite making it into the chamber?), but only really when my g.f. was shooting, so I'm inclined to think it's a bit of a limp wrist in combination with an extractor that needs to be "broken in" some.

Sound reasonable? Or am I full of it?

Anyway, back out to the range in a few minutes...I'll probably post a full range report later on today.

Thanks again for all the help!

[RIPPED]

indeed let it break in 500+ then you will see less frquent or no fte problems.. I also have used a wide array of ammo in my steyr.. wwb,blazer brass,umc,pmc,wolf"eww",rem jhp,speerGDs,and even some Magsafe.. all amo has fired flawlessly.. cept the wolf. and i shot that when the gun was first purchased. wolf caused FTEs and a helluva dirty gun, :)

[hihoslva]

I would make sure the extractor is as clean as possible.

With the slide removed, work the extractor with your finger - it will be quite stiff, but you should be able to wiggle it in and out.

I was told (via Brian at CDNN, where I purchased my Steyr) that these guns have been sitting for quite some time - possibly years. It's a good idea to do thorough solvent cleaning and lube job, to get out any factory lube that may have gunked up while the pistol was in storage. This includes the extractor, which seems to be manufactured to very high tolerances and may be succeptible to grit and gunk. Clean that puppy well, continue breaking in the gun, and it should become very reliable.

[mrapathy2000]

..

[Control Group]

To be honest, I don't know what their policy might be on plated rounds. I've only gone there with friends who belong to the club. Posted in the range they've got a sign which reads approximately "No jacketed rounds! If you see copper on the bullet, DON'T USE IT."

So lead + cleaning it is...I certainly don't want to do anything which might get my friends in any trouble.

Anyway, I unfortunately didn't make it back out to the range. We ended up taking too much time buying supplies...mostly because while at Dunham's I saw a Mosin-Nagant Model 1944 for $79.99...which I couldn't pass up. Which, obviously, turned into a 4473 and NICS check and such folderol, which ended up meaning we left the store 20 minutes before the range closed.

Which sort of sucked, yes. OTOH, it gave me a chance to begin the (fairly obnoxious) process of cleaning the cosmoline out of the rifle.

I'm hoping to get back out to the range tomorrow, though, so we'll see how that goes.