TZ75 Malfunctioning

[jasonmgaines]

I own a TZ 75 9mm; over the weekend we did alot of shooting and it did the usual...stovepipe!  This gun belonged to my father and ever since I've owned it it has had the stovepiping problem but this weekend it did it on just about every shot after the first magazine went through.  I'm thinking replace the recoil spring; any in agreement/disagreement?  If agree, where is a good place to pick one up?

[jwc007]

Stovepiping is usually a Magazine or Extractor issue and I would bet on the latter.  Recoil Spring replacement is only warranted if the Pistol has had a lot of rounds thru it and the Slide is starting to batter the frame or seems weaker.  Another possibility is that the Slide Barrel Bushing at the Muzzle Area is loose.

I would remove the Extractor from the Pistol and thoroughly clean the inside of the Slide Area that it rests in.  Then I would inspect the lower blade of the extractor for being bent or having burrs. Remove any burrs with 320 grit Sandpaper.  Adding a slight bevel on the backside of the blade of the extractor should also help in feeding.  It is also possible that the Extractor Spring will need replacement, if worn.

The Extractor is removed by punching the Extractor Retention Pin (ERP) from the bottom of the slide, up, just enough to get the Extractor out, with the appropriate sized Roll Pin Punch.  Reassemble using a slave pin. The shank of an appropriately sized Drill Bit will work as a Slave Pin.

As for the Magazine, disassemble it and give it a thorough cleaning. Inspect the underside of the Magazine Feed Lips for smoothness.  Smoothen with 320 grit Sandpaper over a 9mm sized wood dowel, only if necessary.

As for the Slide Barrel Bushing, remove it from the Slide, thoroughly degrease the threads on both the Slide and Bushing, then coat the threads with Loctite Blue and reassemble.  I had to do this on mine, as it kept coming loose.  It's been fine ever since being Loctited in.

If you are uncomfortable with performing any of the preceding, please seek the services of a competent Gunsmith, familiar with the design.

Your Pistol should be very reliable and accurate.  Mine most certainly is that!

Side Note:  Always allow the Pistols Slide to feed Cartridges from the Magazine, as closing the Slide with a Cartridge already in the Barrel's Chamber, will cause wear and eventual damage to the Extractor.

[saym14]

Stovepiping is usually a Magazine or Extractor issue and I would bet on the latter.  Recoil Spring replacement is only warranted if the Pistol has had a lot of rounds thru it and the Slide is starting to batter the frame or seems weaker.  Another possibility is that the Slide Barrel Bushing at the Muzzle Area is loose.

I am not an expert but isnt the ejector suspect?  the shell extracts fine but does not eject?

[jwc007]

I am not an expert but isnt the ejector suspect?  the shell extracts fine but does not eject?

If the Stovepiping is a failure to eject an empty shell, then Yes. 

If the Stovepiping is a failure to feed a fresh Cartridge, then No.

The original post did not indicate which exact condition it was, but I assumed it was a Failure to Feed (FTF), as Failures to Eject (FTE) are typically described as such.  I suppose I should not have assumed.  Also, the original poster did not indicate that there was any visible breakage, so I assumed again that the Ejector was not broken.

It is difficult to diagnose problems of a weapon you cannot examine or shoot for yourself.
Sort of like going to a Doctor who cannot really examine you and test you for your problems.

[saym14]

I read a stovepipe as an empty shell not ejecting and being cought in the ejection port by the forward moving slide (thus sticking up in the air like a pipe from a wood burning stove) .  I guess it is both a FTF and FTE as the empty does not leave and it prevents the next catridge from feeding correctly.

[jasonmgaines]

I read a stovepipe as an empty shell not ejecting and being cought in the ejection port by the forward moving slide (thus sticking up in the air like a pipe from a wood burning stove) .  I guess it is both a FTF and FTE as the empty does not leave and it prevents the next catridge from feeding correctly.

Yes, I assumed everyone would know what a stovepipe was exactly.  This is what is happing as explained by saym14.  The empty casing is stovepiping preventing the slide from cycling completely and feeding the new round.  With that in mind can someone provide some technical advice?

[saym14]

check my recent thread - I am having the same problem after having the firing pin replaced.

[ReloaderFred]

I would first check the ejector, and if it's ok, then replace the recoil spring with a lighter spring.  If the spring is too strong for the loads, the slide won't travel to the rear far enough to let the ejector do it's job.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[saym14]

I would first check the ejector, and if it's ok, then replace the recoil spring with a lighter spring.  If the spring is too strong for the loads, the slide won't travel to the rear far enough to let the ejector do it's job.

Hope this helps.

Fred

the ejector looks fine.  the recoil spring is the same one that worked near flawlesly for 5000 rounds.  I would think with age it would only get weaker?   could it be cheap amm?  (one friend says maybe so) its PMC practice ammo, FMJ , brass case. 

[ReloaderFred]

Ammunition can always be a possibility.  I haven't shot factory ammunition in many, many years, so I don't know how your PMC ammunition is loaded, or even which PMC it may be.  The company has changed hands many times over the years, and is now in South Korea. 

Before chaning anything, I would try another brand of ammunition, since it doesn't sound like you reload.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[saym14]

I am kicking myself reall hard right now as several years back I was not shooting much and gave my reloader away to a good friend.  thats hen ammo was plentiful and cheap.  stupid move, I know.

[jwc007]

Don't be too hard on yourself.  I know of quite a few in my Gun Clubs that thought the way you did.
They occupied themselves with other activities they thought more important.

Quite a few people could not understand why I still reloaded 9mm.  .45 ACP they understood, but not 9mm.  Now they wish they did, and some like you, who gave it up when ammunition was less expensive ( I never considered it cheap), wish they still did.

For myself, while Reloading and the study of Ballistics was a very nice side hobby, used to feed the main hobby, I never forgot why I started doing it.  Back then most centerfire ammunition was considered by myself to quite expensive.  When times got better, I kept reloading.  Too stubborn to quit I guess.  But I was afraid that the era of less expensive ammunition might not last, and I actually preferred my own loads anyways.  I also consider it a matter of self sufficiency.

At this time however, even if you still had your Reloading Equipment, you might find Components difficult to come by, depending upon local supply.  

We have very few Gunshops left in my area and they have very little, if anything in the way of Primers.  They have some powder and no bullets.  Have to Mail-Order Bullets if I want them.  Berry's Bullets, which are my favorite for handgun, are working a six week backlog.