95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 18953 Feedback: 0% (0)	Posted: 6/23/2011 10:08:12 PM THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT Almost every other shot lately I get an FTE. Then for several mags, no problems. All mags surplus, look OK. Using Brown Bear 95 gr FMJ. New extractor and recoil spring. STILL stovepiping. Any ideas?
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arty6pd Member Joined: May 2008  UT, USA Posts: 1953 Feedback: 100% (1) Link To This Post	Posted: 6/23/2011 11:19:22 PM Check the extractor. I had a problem similar to this one and it turned out that the extractor was not shaped correctly to grasp the rim of the cartridge.
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95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 18954 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post	Posted: 6/24/2011 12:16:48 AM You might be right. I just broke it down and cleaned it, and the extractor looks flat instead of curved in profile. That, and the feed ramp looks kind of bumpy lately from firing JHP ammo (Barnaul) over the past couple of years.
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Gik-tal Member Joined: Sep 2007  NC, USA Posts: 197 Feedback: 100% (4) Link To This Post	Posted: 7/28/2011 8:27:03 PM You may also want to check and see if you have the recoil spring in the right way, the wider side faces forward while the more narrow side slides down on the barrel.
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skywarp989 gun shop counter dude Team Member Joined: Jul 2004  MI, USA Posts: 3331 Feedback: 100% (14) Link To This Post	Posted: 7/28/2011 9:14:01 PM Originally Posted By Gik-tal: You may also want to check and see if you have the recoil spring in the right way, the wider side faces forward while the more narrow side slides down on the barrel. This! I've seen this mistake cause exactly the problem you're describing. Weird but true.
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95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 19151 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post

Posted: 7/28/2011 11:08:37 PM Originally Posted By skywarp989: Originally Posted By Gik-tal: You may also want to check and see if you have the recoil spring in the right way, the wider side faces forward while the more narrow side slides down on the barrel. This! I've seen this mistake cause exactly the problem you're describing. Weird but true. No, I know how to do that one. It's in correctly. Bought a brand new mag. STILL doing it, every other round or more. Next round loads, while fired one's brass remains stuck partway out of ejection port. Gun is hardly worn at all- it's almost a new gun.

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LaRue556 ..Entering the Unassailable Fortress of Forever... Team Member Joined: Jan 2008  GA, USA Posts: 7092 Feedback: 100% (11) Link To This Post

Posted: 8/4/2011 12:04:40 AM Originally Posted By 95thFoot: Originally Posted By skywarp989: Originally Posted By Gik-tal: You may also want to check and see if you have the recoil spring in the right way, the wider side faces forward while the more narrow side slides down on the barrel. This! I've seen this mistake cause exactly the problem you're describing. Weird but true. No, I know how to do that one. It's in correctly. Bought a brand new mag. STILL doing it, every other round or more. Next round loads, while fired one's brass remains stuck partway out of ejection port. Gun is hardly worn at all- it's almost a new gun. You replaced the extractor from earlier too?

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95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 19206 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post

Posted: 8/5/2011 4:13:00 PM Originally Posted By LaRue556: Originally Posted By 95thFoot: Originally Posted By skywarp989: Originally Posted By Gik-tal: You may also want to check and see if you have the recoil spring in the right way, the wider side faces forward while the more narrow side slides down on the barrel. This! I've seen this mistake cause exactly the problem you're describing. Weird but true. No, I know how to do that one. It's in correctly. Bought a brand new mag. STILL doing it, every other round or more. Next round loads, while fired one's brass remains stuck partway out of ejection port. Gun is hardly worn at all- it's almost a new gun. You replaced the extractor from earlier too? Brand new extractor.

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LaRue556 ..Entering the Unassailable Fortress of Forever... Team Member Joined: Jan 2008  GA, USA Posts: 7116 Feedback: 100% (11) Link To This Post	Posted: 8/6/2011 1:52:39 AM What weight recoil spring?
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95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 19224 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post	Posted: 8/6/2011 10:35:21 AM Originally Posted By LaRue556: What weight recoil spring? It has a 20 lb spring.
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LaRue556 ..Entering the Unassailable Fortress of Forever... Team Member Joined: Jan 2008  GA, USA Posts: 7119 Feedback: 100% (11) Link To This Post	Posted: 8/6/2011 10:44:04 AM Originally Posted By 95thFoot: Originally Posted By LaRue556: What weight recoil spring? It has a 20 lb spring. Have you tried a lighter one with that same ammo?
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NickySantoro Member Joined: Dec 2004  NJ, USA Posts: 2541 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post	Posted: 8/6/2011 2:59:49 PM Take a look at the curved upper portion of the slide catch that acts as an ejector. Is it damaged, bent, or broken off?
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95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 19225 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post	Posted: 8/6/2011 11:12:18 PM Originally Posted By NickySantoro: Take a look at the curved upper portion of the slide catch that acts as an ejector. Is it damaged, bent, or broken off? Looks OK. I checked with pics at makarov.com.
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95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 19226 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post	Posted: 8/6/2011 11:13:18 PM Originally Posted By LaRue556: Originally Posted By 95thFoot: Originally Posted By LaRue556: What weight recoil spring? It has a 20 lb spring. Have you tried a lighter one with that same ammo? The original was 19 lbs. and it still began to stovepipe, etc., so I tried a heavier spring.
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Ron3 Member Joined: Dec 2007  FL, USA Posts: 272 Feedback: 100% (8) Link To This Post	Posted: 8/7/2011 12:18:53 AM Stupid question but simple things first, right? Is your Mak a 9x18 or .380 and are you using the right caliber? A previous owner may have done a barrel change. I would put the stock recoil spring back in it until you've figured out the problem. I've had a couple Maks and they ran perfectly.
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NickySantoro Member Joined: Dec 2004  NJ, USA Posts: 2544 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post	Posted: 8/7/2011 12:30:12 PM At this point I'd try different ammo. All your other bases seem covered. That would seem to be the variable here if started happening when you began with the Brown Bear.
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95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 19229 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post

Posted: 8/7/2011 8:50:14 PM Originally Posted By Ron3: Stupid question but simple things first, right? Is your Mak a 9x18 or .380 and are you using the right caliber? A previous owner may have done a barrel change. I would put the stock recoil spring back in it until you've figured out the problem. I've had a couple Maks and they ran perfectly. It's almost mint. I should take pics of it and post. It's a 9 x 18, and the barrel looks like the rest of the frame- I have had it for about ten years, haven't fired it all that much until recently. The gun used to run really well. My son thinks it's the mags (used surplus stuff), but even with brand new mags http://www.keepshooting.com/makarov-magazine.html it's a real problem. I think I'll try it with the original spring.

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95thFoot I'm from .gov, and I'm here to help! Team Member Joined: Jan 2001  MA, USA Posts: 19230 Feedback: 0% (0) Link To This Post

Posted: 8/7/2011 8:53:01 PM Originally Posted By NickySantoro: At this point I'd try different ammo. All your other bases seem covered. That would seem to be the variable here if started happening when you began with the Brown Bear. It does it with Brown Bear, WOLF, and S&B. All are about 95 gr. I don't think there's much of a difference in recoil problems with the different brands, but it does have a nastier recoil with the heavier spring. I get welts on the skin between my thumb and forefinger on my right hand- never got that before...

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Ron3 Member Joined: Dec 2007  FL, USA Posts: 274 Feedback: 100% (8) Link To This Post

Posted: 8/8/2011 12:05:42 AM The heavier recoil spring should reduce recoil a little, not add to it. 9x18 loads can vary in power and you'll feel it in your hand. I don't know about the commercial Keepshooting mags good or bad, but a factory mag in good condition works great. So make sure you have a good factory mag. Doesn't matter if it's Russian, Bulgarian, Chinese, East German, etc. They all work great with 9x18 or .380.

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