CZ PCR almost blew up today...

[CMEPTb]

My friend was shooting my 3 year old PCR today when it started jamming in the middle of a magazine. The slide would not close all the way and a round would be partially visible. I ended up taking the gun apart and found that a bullet (S&B) was lodged in the middle on the barrel. If that bullet was lodged another half an inch further, my friend could have lost some fingers.

It didn't look like there is any damage to the frame, but WTF? I have fired a couple of thousand rounds through the gun with no major problems, and I have been using 115gr Sellier and Bellot ammo for years with out problems (at least in the 9mm).

Has anyone had a similar experience with CZ firearms? How does CZ USA handle these types of situations? Should I contact CZ and S&B together or just one of them?


Here are some pics I took (sorry about the size) : http://img127.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img01014fo.jpg http://img127.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img01036in.jpg
http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00940ra.jpg
http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img01083xc.jpg

[macgregor45]

So I take it no round was fired after the bullet lodged in the barrel, correct?

If so, I would contact S&B cause it looks like you had a squib load.

[CMEPTb]

Originally posted by macgregor45
So I take it no round was fired after the bullet lodged in the barrel, correct?

If so, I would contact S&B cause it looks like you had a squib load.

Folks at czforum said the same thing about the squib load. Should I hammer the bullet out or will this cause more damage to the barrel? And if there is no damage to the barrel, then should I even bother calling S&B?

[macgregor45]

Get a wooden dowel of the correct diameter and hammer it out. Do not use a metal instrument of any kind. If it is a squib load, there will not be any damage, how could there? If you had fired another round after the squib, then there would have been. I would call or email S&B and inform them. Maybe you will get some free ammo, and at least they have a heads up that one slipped thru the cracks.

[SonnyD]

Glad you didn't get a second round off and bulge the barrel!! Squib loads are a pain, but Mr. Mink is right, just push it out with a wooden dowel.....

Glad to see you here MM!!!

Regards Sonny

[cpirtle]

For the round to be lodged that close to the chamber my guess is that there was no powder in the cartridge.

Now, if the gun was failing to go into battery and subsequently fired out of battery I suppose it could cause a lodged round in the barrel, but it would probably be closer to the muzzle end.

I guess I'm just thrown off by this part of your original post: "The slide would not close all the way and a round would be partially visible"

Was this after you think the bullet was lodged in the barrel, or was it doing that often through the shooting session?

Sorry if I'm over-analyzing it, just trying to get the order in which things happened.

You may need to replace the recoil spring if the failure to go into battery was not being caused by the lodged round in the barrel.

[CMEPTb]

The slide would not close all the way and a round would be partially visible after the squib went off.

I got a reply from S&B - they appologized for the accident and asked me to find out the price of a new barrel from CZ. At this point I am very impressed with S&B.

[Butcher]

thats awesome! good for S&B for taking responsibility

[22/45]

Originally posted by CMEPTb
I got a reply from S&B - they appologized for the accident and asked me to find out the price of a new barrel from CZ. At this point I am very impressed with S&B.

Wow!!

I've probably shot 2000-3000 rounds of S&B through my CZ's without a single problem. Now I'll shoot it with even more confidence knowing that if there ever is an issue, they'll take care of it.

[Carlitos]

Rather than fault the CZ, I have to agree that the CZ saved your bacon! This was obviously a squib round whcih means a primer, but NO powder.

A bullet from a squb round can do one of two things:

1) Lodge in the throat area and NOT allow another round to chamber or, much worse:

2) Lodge far enough into the barrel to allow another round to fully chamber. Had this happened, the gun would have blown sky high. But your CZ barrel prevented disaster (one caused by an S&B manufacturing mistake).

All of my CZs have tight, match chambers and rifling that begins shortly thereafter - this is one reason they are so accurate.
Apparently , the CZ chamber/throat profile is also SAFE.

I think it says a lot about the quality and safety of CZ handgns. Thanks for the pics. Regards,

D.C. Johnson

[richardoldfield]

When I started reloading 9mms I had a devil of a time getting the crimp right. I had an event that was similar to this one with my TZ75 and my barrel split in two lengthwise. I bought a new barrel and I still shoot my TZ75. My opinion is the CZ75 and clones are incredibly strong handguns. I now use a Lee Factory Crimp Die on semiautomatic calibers. Regards, Richard :supergrin: