P7 Problem?

[Dano36]

Shot one of my grade A P7's from CDNN today and have a problem. After each round the slide sticks open rather than sliding forward to chamber a new round. It is not locking back, just sticking. I could use the thumb of my shooting hand to nudge it slightly and it would slam forward chambering the next round. I cleaned and lubed the pistol before firing and made sure the gas tube was clean. Ammo was Win white box FMJ. Any ideas? By the way, my P2000 ran flawlessly as usual.

[H&K 4 LIFE]

Is not only the gas tube clean, but the gas piston as well? Look for carbon buildup.

How does the slide feel when you work it manually? Any binding?

[Shakey]

Make sure the fluting is clean. The P7PSP has a fluted chamber. If the fluting is fouled with carbon it might be causing a problem.

[AviatorDave]

Yep, carbon in the cylinder would be my guess. You're going to need to find a cleaning tool if you don't have one. And unless there is a chunk of carbon built up on the end, leave the piston alone. You should only wipe it clean, don't use any metal objects on it as per the manual. It even states that "powder residue between the ridges should be left".

This website shows to have the tools for a decent price, no idea if they do or not:


http://www.jtsguns.com/shop/23.htm

[AKpredator]

That looks like a good link with good prices, particularly for the mags. I wonder how come he doesn't have a Phone # to call him or any kind of contact listed on his site?

[thldorian]

WOW that web site still shows P7M13's for sale.
Anyone order from them recently?

I would think that the web site hasn't been updated in a looong time as showing M13 mags as LEO only.

Dorian

[AviatorDave]

WOW that web site still shows P7M13's for sale.
Anyone order from them recently?

I would think that the web site hasn't been updated in a looong time as showing M13 mags as LEO only.

Dorian

I emailed him. He bought a 15 year domain name registration back in 1997. lol.

[AviatorDave]

And he just replied with this:

I’m sorry, but I do not. My online page is broken and not repairable. I’m working on a new site.

Thanks you.
JT

Jay T. Livziey
Owner, JT'S Guns & Ammo
P.O. Box 345
11 Cranberry
Blakeslee, PA 18610-0345
(570) 646-4764 Shop
(570) 643-1841 Fax
sales@jtsguns.com
www.jtsguns.com (http://www.jtsguns.com)

[Dano36]

Thanks,

I have an HK scraper and already scraped the cylinder. The piston is clean and so was the chamber. Anything else I can try?

[Shakey]

If all else fails send it in to HK for a warranty repair. They imported the pistols and should cover any issues you may have. Call them and check. Might be pleasantly surprised.

[AviatorDave]

Thanks,

I have an HK scraper and already scraped the cylinder. The piston is clean and so was the chamber. Anything else I can try?

Well that sucks. Did you really twist and shove it all the way in? Did anything come out at all?

If it's clean and still doesn't work, I'd try and remove the recoil spring and put it back together, then work the slide back and forth to see if you can find out where its interfering. Look for shiny spots on the metal surfaces, maybe you can find where the bluing is worn through. Another possibility is to get some Dykem. It's used in metal machining, it's a really thin blue liquid you can 'paint' onto metal, and then scratch layout marks into it.

You might put some on suspect areas and see where it gets worn off when you work the slide.

[Greg Bell]

That is weird. I would have bet serious coin that the scraper would have done it. You have an HK scraper, not the brush?

[ripley16]

I would check to make sure the drop safety spring is still in place and not "caught up", and make sure your firing pin bushing is in correctly and assembled as it should be. Returning to battery is usually not a piston problem.

You may want to take the grips off to check for broken parts, such as the slide catch bar.

[5wire]

Also, if you have removed the grips for cleaning, sometimes when you replace them one or both can be a little off and impede the slide's movement. Try cycling the action with the grips off. Put the grips back on before putting the slide on.

[thldorian]

Try reading here;

http://www.parkcitiestactical.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=014349

Dorian

[AKpredator]

I believe I had the same problem with my P7M8 about 15 years ago. It happened on the first shot right after I got it back from Checkmate Guns in Florida. Never happened again, though, as I cleaned, oiled and scrubbed her down really good and a P7 armorer put it back together. Hope it gets to runnin' good for you.

[Smarzak]

I read all the replies and disagree with all of them, except the last one. H&K did not practice good quality control on the German police trade-ins and quite a few have malfunction problems. In fact some are missing internal parts!!! Send the gun back to H&K.

[AKpredator]

I read all the replies and disagree with all of them, except the last one. H&K did not practice good quality control on the German police trade-ins and quite a few have malfunction problems. In fact some are missing internal parts!!! Send the gun back to H&K.


Didn't know that! Wow!:eek:

[LSP 972]

I read all the replies and disagree with all of them, except the last one. H&K did not practice good quality control on the German police trade-ins and quite a few have malfunction problems. In fact some are missing internal parts!!! Send the gun back to H&K.

That's a pretty broad condemnation.

What's your source of this information?

[Dano36]

Thanks for all the replies. I ran some solvent down the gas tube and scraped the heck out of it with a .270 brush and the factory scraper. Unfortunately it will probably be a few months before I get to shoot it again to see if this works.

[Smarzak]

To LSP 972,

A buddy of mine works for H&K and he informed me of the lack of quality control in Germany on the trade-ins. That does not mean that all of the guns are defective. Still the best remedy is to send the gun back to H&K for complete refurbishing. Happy New Year to all.

[LSP 972]

To LSP 972,

That does not mean that all of the guns are defective.


There are over a dozen in my immediate vicinity (icluding mine) that were purchased from the most recent "batch" at CDNN. I have personally examined five of them. All are in superlative condition, with a just a surface scratch or two. Some are pristine.

Sorry, but I need a bit more empirical data before I swallow the notion that HK is cutting corners; they stand to lose too much. Arrogant though the Germans may be, duplicitous they are NOT.

Since becoming interested in P7s last February, I have been reading every P7-related thread I see on multiple boards. I have seen only a couple of complaints regarding serviceability of these police turn-in P7s. If things were as bad as your friend says, I think I would have been seeing more...

.

[Smarzak]

Howdy LSP972

Do you have stock in H&K's parent company? Anyway you might want to read the post, started by Judge USP, yesterday on page two. Quite a few replies to problems with refurb. trade-ins. I do not think that H&K is cutting corners, but that quality control is lacking on the refurbished P7's. Caveat emptor.

[LSP 972]

Howdy LSP972

Do you have stock in H&K's parent company? Anyway you might want to read the post, started by Judge USP, yesterday on page two. Quite a few replies to problems with refurb. trade-ins. I do not think that H&K is cutting corners, but that quality control is lacking on the refurbished P7's. Caveat emptor.


TWO is a "quite a few"????? Ooookkkaaayyy.....

We obviously define things differently. To me, not doing a re-furb properly, including a QC inspection, is "cutting corners". Your posts suggest that this is a wide-spread problem. I STILL haven't seen any evidence of that.

No, I don't have any financial interest in HK or their parent company; whoever that might be.

I do, however, take exception to posts that appear to be BS... not to put too fine a point on it. That's why I asked you for clarification first.

.

[THX2008]

Wanted to resurrect this thread as I had a similar experience to Dano's tonight at the range.

History- Bought a CDNN P7, put exactly 50 rounds FMJ through it, cleaned it (except for the gas cylinder. didn't have a scraper or brush at the time), and sent it off for NP3.

So tonight's the first opportunity I had to shoot it since the refinish. I shot about 8 mags of 115gr. WWB through it and all was well, ejected the final empty mag, and racked the slide per my habit. Surprise- it didn't go back into battery. I pushed the back of the slide slightly, and it finally slammed home. Racked it again, same thing, stuck to the back, push, close.

I then put the empty mag in to see if that would make any difference- Racked the slide, slide stayed open (as you would expect with an empty mag in), squeezed the handle, no movement. I released the cocker, tapped the back of the slide and noticed it moved a very small amount forward, as if it had somehow been stuck too far back. Upon squeezing the handle after the tap, it functioned fine and closed.

I kept noticing when I was pulling the slide back that towards the end of its travel there was a slight "hitch", a spot where the resistance changed somewhat.

At any rate, gave it a thorough cleaning at home, including scraping and brushing the cylinder out. There was some fine carbon dust that came out but it didn't appear to be excessive. Following the cleaning it functioned/is functioning fine.

Any thoughts on the malfunction? Is it possible simple grime could overcome the force of the recoil spring? Keep in mind the pistol has only had a total of 114 rounds through it since I bought it. Maybe the NP3 changed some of the tolerances? I'm open to ideas.

TIA

[G3Kurz]

Wanted to resurrect this thread as I had a similar experience to Dano's tonight at the range.

History- Bought a CDNN P7, put exactly 50 rounds FMJ through it, cleaned it (except for the gas cylinder. didn't have a scraper or brush at the time), and sent it off for NP3.

So tonight's the first opportunity I had to shoot it since the refinish. I shot about 8 mags of 115gr. WWB through it and all was well, ejected the final empty mag, and racked the slide per my habit. Surprise- it didn't go back into battery. I pushed the back of the slide slightly, and it finally slammed home. Racked it again, same thing, stuck to the back, push, close.

I then put the empty mag in to see if that would make any difference- Racked the slide, slide stayed open (as you would expect with an empty mag in), squeezed the handle, no movement. I released the cocker, tapped the back of the slide and noticed it moved a very small amount forward, as if it had somehow been stuck too far back. Upon squeezing the handle after the tap, it functioned fine and closed.

I kept noticing when I was pulling the slide back that towards the end of its travel there was a slight "hitch", a spot where the resistance changed somewhat.

At any rate, gave it a thorough cleaning at home, including scraping and brushing the cylinder out. There was some fine carbon dust that came out but it didn't appear to be excessive. Following the cleaning it functioned/is functioning fine.

Any thoughts on the malfunction? Is it possible simple grime could overcome the force of the recoil spring? Keep in mind the pistol has only had a total of 114 rounds through it since I bought it. Maybe the NP3 changed some of the tolerances? I'm open to ideas.

TIA

Guys those of you who are new P7 owners have to keep in mind the very tight tolerances required between the P7's gas piston and cylinder to provide for proper gas breaking during function requires that this area be kept clean. These problems with slide movement rearward, especially at full throw, can usually be prevented by regular and thorough cleaning of the gas cylinder with THE TOOL AND brush and solvent as required. After each range session, every 500 rounds or when you detect a noticable sluggishness or gritty feeling in slide movement. When in doubt clean it. This also varies with ammo type.

All used HK's are sold "as is". Whether they (HK or the former user) detail inspected these is hard to say for certain. In the past HK did inspect them for safety and function but whenever you buy used you always that a chance that you got the lemon or just one that needs a bit of post-purchase TLC. And keep in mind HK has had a "baby boomer brain drain" in Oberndorf over the last decade and many of the folks involved in past P7 production and QA are since "pensioned" (retired). It is an unortodox system not automatically understood by all those who know Browning-style pistols like USP's, P2000's and HK45's.

G3Kurz

[THX2008]

Thanks for the reply G3Kurz. Until proven otherwise I'm chalking my experience up to piston/cylinder grime. Besides, she's too pretty to be a lemon. :8:

[LSP 972]

And keep in mind HK has had a "baby boomer brain drain" in Oberndorf over the last decade and many of the folks involved in past P7 production and QA are since "pensioned" (retired).

G3Kurz

Same thing happened at S&W. Most all of the old-time fitters, who took pride in their work, retired and were replaced by wage-earners more interested in benefits and days off. Ditto the machinists and fabricators.

So, MIM parts, two piece barrels, and numerous other production shortcuts was the result. Its a natural progression; you see the same "sea change" (I HATE liberal favorite terms, but this one fits, unfortunately) in just about everything else today.

All the more reason for one to treasure his P7s and pre-lock S&W revolvers...

.