Failure to Feed Issues P-09

[leroy5000]

Made the rookie mistake of posting this in the newbie sub-thread yesterday and thought this was a more appropriate place.  Any help or advice is most welcome. 

Bought a new P-09 last Saturday after test-firing the range demo model and falling in love with it.  I tried putting 200 rounds through mine the next day for a break-in prior to that night's competition.  At the outset I will admit that I only gave the gun some basic lube and not a complete takedown cleaning and oiling (dumb, dumb, dumb).  However, the number of malfunctions I had was a bit disturbing and any advice would be well received.  First issue was that, with the slide racked, when I would slap a magazine in the slide on several occasions went into battery, sometimes full, sometimes partial with a round failing to feed.  Loading a magazine at the competition with the slide forward and then racking the slide didn't seem to replicate the failure to feed.  Second issue was the failure to feed.  Multiple times (I'm talking approximately 50 occasions out of 300 rounds) a round would seem to go halfway up the ramp and lodge in place with the slide coming forward to rest on the brass at an angle.  Sometimes a full rack and clear would allow the next round to seat properly, sometimes a slight pull and push forward would seat the originally jammed round.  The problem repeated with all 3 magazines (2 coming with the gun, 1 additional purchase, all CZ manufacture).  I was exclusively shooting Remington UMC 9mm Luger FMJ 115 grain.  Never had a failure to fire or a failure to eject, just failure to feed.

I fully plan on putting another couple of hundred rounds through it again after having done a proper takedown cleaning and oiling and plan on using Federal/AE FMJ 115.  I guess what I'd love help with is if people have had similar issues with this failure to feed issue and whether anyone has knowledge if it's primarily an internals, mag or ammo issue (or simply a stupid you didn't fully clean and oil it out of the box one)?

When this thing shoots it is a freaking tack-driver and I absolutely love it (already thinking about a P-07 switch for carry) I just really hope I didn't get a bum gun that's going to require time back with CZ.

Thanks a bunch and glad to be here!

[benq]

Run your finger across the breech face with the firing pin opening, see if the surface is rough anything that would cause the round to catch on something causing the feed failure. Another area is the feeding ramp, again run your fingers across the surface to find anything that would catch the round.

Take some wet/dry 1200 grain+ sandpaper and  polish in the direction the round would touch the surface.  For the breech face, the direction would be from top to bottom.  For the feed ramp it is in and out.

Another option is having someone else shoot it and see if he/she can duplicate the issue.

Keep up posted.

[leroy5000]

Thanks, Benq.  I'm going to put some time into it tomorrow and will take your advice checking the face and ramp.  On the repeatability question, yes, one of my buddies (a very experienced handgunner) encountered some of the same issues I did.

Thanks again and I'll give an update after the weekend!

[M1A4ME]

Hate to hear you're having issues.  So far I've not bought a new CZ that required a break in period.  They eat everything, FMJ, lead, hollowpoints. 

I've not had to use CZ Customer Service but most folks are very happy with the turn around times and work performed.

Good luck with yours.

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

I would give the gun a thorough cleaning and lube and try a few hundred more rounds through it. Should the issues persist I would contact CZ-USA and let them fix the gun. I've used customer service a couple times and always had a positive experience.

[copemech]

Try the Federal or some WWB. I have heard others complain about the UMC stuff, but I have not tried it.

The stock gun likes full powered ammo. That is what it was made for, a NATO round, which is a lot different than the cheap practice rounds.

Was it dropping cases at your feet?

[CZTom]

Ditto on the UMC.  Also, as others have said, polish the feed ramp, in the direction of feeding (not across) and also the chamber.  I use a cotton swab with a fine metal polish until it looks and feels smooth.  It doesn't take much. Also, be sure the cartridges don't have any gummy residue on them.

[eyetat]

'CZ  has a tight chamber every reloader knows to work around length. Imo.

[DOC 1500]

I have a p07, and the same thing , only slid part way up feed ramp. when I got home I polished the feed ramp with the dremel now looks like mirror . noticed the feed ramp b4 polish was  "not very polished" from factory. . I will update when I go shoot again...

[eyetat]

Odd both of my cz,s 07 and 09 had high polishing on both feed ramps.

[mithrils]

I bought a p09 recently,  never cleaned it and shot it, no malfunctions so far after 200 rounds. The ramp is very well polish and doesnt build carbon too fast like other pistols i have. In fact i heard one CZ rep that the high polish on the ramp was to ensure 100% reliability (not that any pistol is 100% reliable tho). That said when you fill up the magazine with 19 rounds the cartridge will seat very tight on the chamber, this wasnt a problem for me but i heard that some had issues with it.

[Joe L]

Leroy5000--just to clarify, take an empty casing and make sure it will slide easiy into place under the extractor at the breech face.  If not, figure out why--extractor not moving freely, firing pin hanging in the hole and not retracting all the way, that sort of thing.  Also polish the ramp.   Also make sure the magazine follower is clean and moves freely, to push the round up in to the breech face.  I had your problem with a P-07 due to the magazine follower hanging slightly. 

Another issue that some folks have had with new pistols is some rubbing of the polymer on the slide, slowing it down.  You might be able to detect this by removing the barrel and the recoil spring and putting the slide back on the frame and seeing if it moves freely.  If not, that may be the problem--frame rub slowing down the slide enough to stop it when feeding a round. 

In this case, I don't think it is the ammo.  I've shot a lot of UMC through the P-09 and P-07 without issue. 

Joe

[DOC 1500]

Odd both of my cz,s 07 and 09 had high polishing on both feed ramps.

It was polished but could have been better so I polished it better

[DOC 1500]

Leroy5000--just to clarify, take an empty casing and make sure it will slide easiy into place under the extractor at the breech face.  If not, figure out why--extractor not moving freely, firing pin hanging in the hole and not retracting all the way, that sort of thing.  Also polish the ramp.   Also make sure the magazine follower is clean and moves freely, to push the round up in to the breech face.  I had your problem with a P-07 due to the magazine follower hanging slightly. 

Another issue that some folks have had with new pistols is some rubbing of the polymer on the slide, slowing it down.  You might be able to detect this by removing the barrel and the recoil spring and putting the slide back on the frame and seeing if it moves freely.  If not, that may be the problem--frame rub slowing down the slide enough to stop it when feeding a round. 

In this case, I don't think it is the ammo.  I've shot a lot of UMC through the P-09 and P-07 without issue. 

Joe

Joe the frame rub you speak of, what part of the frame front middle or back?
 do you have pictures and what is the solution?

[Joe L]

I think mine had a rub near the front end of the polymer frame.  It was several years ago.  I think I just wrapped some emery cloth arouns a file and smoothed down the interference point. 
Joe