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445 Posts
Hello,
I shot my qualification again last month and we had another M9 fail post-inspection for a broken locking block. Actually, both wings on the piece had broken, but the damage wasn't noted until after the pistol finished the course of fire and was disassembled for cleaning.
This seems to be par for course every time I fire. We usually lose one or two guns to broken locking blocks (about one for every dozen guns on the line), and they usually stop shooting right away. The fact that this one completed the course was a bit unusual. The part must have failed near the end.
I noticed that all the guns had the early "Gen 1" locking blocks without the radius cuts on the wings. I found it strange that the Air Force still hasn't seen fit to supply us with the "Gen 3" upgraded parts which are available.
For that matter, it sounds like we aren't getting any parts at all. The armorer said that the gun would be down for a long time, because they had absolutely no spare parts inventory and were prohibited from using the Govt Credit Card from purchasing them through open sources. For lack of a $25 part, the whole gun is now inop.
Most of the magazines in use were Checkmate junk, but there were a few OEM mags here and there in the group. They all seemed to run OK, but the range is pretty clean and conditions were favorable. No fine sand 'round here to muck things up.
The guns look tired. They have been rode hard and in some cases, abused. The rear sight on mine was drifted way over to one side, and it didn't look like it was done by an armorer! The finish on all the guns was pretty trashed. Incidentally, these are the same guns that get issued operationally, not just a pool of training guns.
You've gotta give the design credit, though. If you maintain it properly, it will keep on running and will beat most service autos for accuracy. Give it a good magazine, good ammo and proper lube, and it will work fine, even if it looks like some numbskull used it as a hammer.
V/R
Mike
I shot my qualification again last month and we had another M9 fail post-inspection for a broken locking block. Actually, both wings on the piece had broken, but the damage wasn't noted until after the pistol finished the course of fire and was disassembled for cleaning.
This seems to be par for course every time I fire. We usually lose one or two guns to broken locking blocks (about one for every dozen guns on the line), and they usually stop shooting right away. The fact that this one completed the course was a bit unusual. The part must have failed near the end.
I noticed that all the guns had the early "Gen 1" locking blocks without the radius cuts on the wings. I found it strange that the Air Force still hasn't seen fit to supply us with the "Gen 3" upgraded parts which are available.
For that matter, it sounds like we aren't getting any parts at all. The armorer said that the gun would be down for a long time, because they had absolutely no spare parts inventory and were prohibited from using the Govt Credit Card from purchasing them through open sources. For lack of a $25 part, the whole gun is now inop.
Most of the magazines in use were Checkmate junk, but there were a few OEM mags here and there in the group. They all seemed to run OK, but the range is pretty clean and conditions were favorable. No fine sand 'round here to muck things up.
The guns look tired. They have been rode hard and in some cases, abused. The rear sight on mine was drifted way over to one side, and it didn't look like it was done by an armorer! The finish on all the guns was pretty trashed. Incidentally, these are the same guns that get issued operationally, not just a pool of training guns.
You've gotta give the design credit, though. If you maintain it properly, it will keep on running and will beat most service autos for accuracy. Give it a good magazine, good ammo and proper lube, and it will work fine, even if it looks like some numbskull used it as a hammer.
V/R
Mike
