wmg1299
Professional
I posted earlier about having to send my new SA-35 back to Springfield due to extraction issues that occurred after 200 rounds (1-5 FTE per magazine). The SA-35 performed better after Springfield sent it back with a new extractor spring installed. During the first 100 rounds after it was returned, the SA-35 had 1 FTE per every 2 magazines fired. That improved to 1 FTE per every 3 magazines over the next 100 rounds.
I participated in a sponsored event today where the hosting organization provided the ammo, so I brought the SA-35 along. The SA-35 experienced only 1 FTE over 300 rounds fired. The FTE today may not have been the gun's fault, because it occurred after I had already fired 200 rounds through the SA-35, and 300-400 rounds through a Glock. My range sessions have been limited to about 100 rounds each trip for the past two years due to ammo scarcity/cost, and I honestly believe that I probably limp-wristed the one shot due to the fatigue from firing 500 rounds in fairly rapid succession after such a long run of 100-round sessions.
The only other thing that set this session apart from my previous sessions with the SA-35 is that we were firing Winchester 147 gr. FMJ rounds. My previous sessions had been conducted with assorted 115 gr. FMJ ammo. All of the 115 gr. stuff was name-brand (Federal, Remington, Winchester, Blazer, etc.), but I was firing whatever I could find with no real consistency.
The Possible Takeaways are:
1) My SA-35 is fixed, and it took 500 rounds to break-in the new ejector spring.
2) The SA-35 really likes 147 gr. loads and may not have ever had problems if I had been firing 147 gr. ammo the whole time.
3) A mix of options 1 & 2
I know most people haven't been able to find an SA-35, but I would be interested in knowing if other SA-35's run flawlessly with 147 gr. FMJ ammo. I will probably have to foot the bill for ammo during my next range session, so I will most likely be running 115 gr. FMJ again. I'll post the results after my next session.
I participated in a sponsored event today where the hosting organization provided the ammo, so I brought the SA-35 along. The SA-35 experienced only 1 FTE over 300 rounds fired. The FTE today may not have been the gun's fault, because it occurred after I had already fired 200 rounds through the SA-35, and 300-400 rounds through a Glock. My range sessions have been limited to about 100 rounds each trip for the past two years due to ammo scarcity/cost, and I honestly believe that I probably limp-wristed the one shot due to the fatigue from firing 500 rounds in fairly rapid succession after such a long run of 100-round sessions.
The only other thing that set this session apart from my previous sessions with the SA-35 is that we were firing Winchester 147 gr. FMJ rounds. My previous sessions had been conducted with assorted 115 gr. FMJ ammo. All of the 115 gr. stuff was name-brand (Federal, Remington, Winchester, Blazer, etc.), but I was firing whatever I could find with no real consistency.
The Possible Takeaways are:
1) My SA-35 is fixed, and it took 500 rounds to break-in the new ejector spring.
2) The SA-35 really likes 147 gr. loads and may not have ever had problems if I had been firing 147 gr. ammo the whole time.
3) A mix of options 1 & 2
I know most people haven't been able to find an SA-35, but I would be interested in knowing if other SA-35's run flawlessly with 147 gr. FMJ ammo. I will probably have to foot the bill for ammo during my next range session, so I will most likely be running 115 gr. FMJ again. I'll post the results after my next session.
