[starkcontrast]

Anyone else have issues with Underwood ammo? My MK25 has a lot of light primer strikes with Underwood 9mm. My pistol is stock, other than the SRT. I don't have issues with any other ammo, but the Underwood is about 50/50 light primer strikes. Thoughts?

 

[Cooolone]

Not light primer strikes as the strikes are just fine... Failure to fire is proper description! I've had a few Underwood's require 2nd strike to fire, yes. I'm sure there will be others to chime in.

 

[starkcontrast]

Not light primer strikes as the strikes are just fine... Failure to fire is proper description! I've had a few Underwood's require 2nd strike to fire, yes. I'm sure there will be others to chime in.

True. I talked to Underwood. They acted like they had never heard of this, but I've heard others talking about Underwood "hard primers" before. Underwood tried telling me that 226's are known for light primer strikes. That's why I figured I would ask. The Underwood rep suggested I get a heavier hammer spring. I love the hot Underwood +p+ ammo, but I'm not about to give my pistol a heavier trigger pull just so I can shoot Underwood.

 

[phillmckraken]

I would be very very hesitant to blame the p226 platform. I would also think twice about an ammo manufacturer that has issues with or blames the p226 platform as well.

 

[Flash LB]

Not light primer strikes as the strikes are just fine... Failure to fire is proper description! I've had a few Underwood's require 2nd strike to fire, yes. I'm sure there will be others to chime in.

If they require 2 strikes, the primers aren't being seated deeply enough at the factory.

 

[starkcontrast]

I just wonder if it is a combination of "hard primers" and the 226 firing pin hitting a little on the light side, because I've read about 226 light primer strikes in the past, and I've also heard of Underwood having harder primers. I'll say this...the same ammo is 100% reliable in my other pistols...Glock, Ruger, etc. But when I put it in my 226, it's maybe 50/50 on first strike fires. All other ammo works just fine in the Sig. So that leads me to believe that yes, the Underwood primers are hard, but other pistols don't have an issue with it...just the Sig. I ordered a heavier hammer spring from Wolff springs, but the spring I received was like 2X the length of the factory spring. I couldn't even come close to installing it.

 

[dmb130]

I have had "light strikes" in the past. It was always a result of improperly seated primers. Always lite on the second strike.

 

[Flash LB]

If you've got a strong hammer spring, it can overcome the fact that primers are not seated properly and when the pin hits the primer, it has enough force to seat it and then ignite it.

If you know a reloader, have him tear one of the light strike rounds apart and then see if he can seat the primer deeper with his priming tool. My bet is he can.

 

[jnichols2]

Some guns just don't like certain ammo.

The choices are get rid of the gun, or the ammo.

Unless I hate the gun, I use ammo it likes.

Ammo has no soul, some guns do.

 

[starkcontrast]

Some guns just don't like certain ammo.

The choices are get rid of the gun, or the ammo.

Unless I hate the gun, I use ammo it likes.

Ammo has no soul, some guns do.

Fair enough. I just wish my $1,000 Sig would work reliably with all ammo, the way my $450 Glocks do. I'm not a huge fan of most 9mm ammo. I like Underwood, because it pushes the envelope on velocities and runs flawlessly in my other pistols, even a $300 Ruger.

 

[Thompson415]

I can also tell you that if you continue to feed your firearms a steady diet of hard primer ammunition that you will either have guns start breaking or have a ka-freaking-boom.

Hard primer (and +P+) ammunition is meant to be used when in an open bolt subgun where the added recoil impulse has to move a large heavy bolt back for proper operation. IF you shoot "wimp" loads out of an open bolt gun, you will get to hold onto a runaway gun as it will not reach the sear to reset.

I had a friend who used to shoot subgun ammo (because it was cheap) in his CZ85 Combat until I got a call one day saying "I think I blew my CZ up" and yes he did...Broken slide release (same as a 1911, it hold the barrel in the frame) blown chamber and so on. It took me 2 hours to get the gun apart. I had another guy who was shooting hard primer ammunition and couldn't understand why he was breaking firing pins.

Finally, if I may ask-for what reason do you wish to, in your own words, use an ammunition that "pushes the envelop on velocities"??? What are you hoping to achieve by this?

 

[JJMcD]

If you've got a strong hammer spring, it can overcome the fact that primers are not seated properly and when the pin hits the primer, it has enough force to seat it and then ignite it.

If you know a reloader, have him tear one of the light strike rounds apart and then see if he can seat the primer deeper with his priming tool. My bet is he can.

NO. An experienced reloader would NEVER run a Primer through a priming tool a 2nd time after a "Light" strike. The round is too unstable to mess with. Not without first removing the Bullet and power charge first.

 

[Flash LB]

NO. An experienced reloader would NEVER run a Primer through a priming tool a 2nd time after a "Light" strike. The round is too unstable to mess with. Not without first removing the Bullet and power charge first.

You didn't read closely enough. I said "If you know a reloader, have him tear one of the light strike rounds apart and then see if he can seat the primer deeper with his priming tool"

 

[Buckshot2316]

Anyone else have issues with Underwood ammo? My MK25 has a lot of light primer strikes with Underwood 9mm. My pistol is stock, other than the SRT. I don't have issues with any other ammo, but the Underwood is about 50/50 light primer strikes. Thoughts?
[/QUOTE
I will say my Glock 19 does it and my Ruger security 9 does it only with the underwoods that are brass primers all the nickel coated brass primers shoot fine my question to you on your Underwood ammunition is yours have starline brass and corrosive or what they call non corrosive primers because mine came with corrosive primers and Jag brass which Underwood is known for having starline brass casings which is nickel plated and nickel plated primers but I noticed all my primers are brass which is corrosive and right on the box it says they're known for all Underwood prime but I agree with you it's like 50/50 these primers are hard as rocks

 

[Buckshot2316]

Does your ammunition have brass or nickel plated brass primers all my Underwood ammunition I have ordered it before has always been starline brass and nickel plated cases and primers I just ordered two boxes of Underwood extreme defenders 9 mm plus p they came with Jag printed on the case instead of Star line which I don't really mind you know but I noticed the primers were all brass and I'm like well that's weird because they specifically say non-crosive primers which brass is corrosive but then on my second shot when it didn't go off and had to hang fire I'm like okay and then my third shot has a hang firearm like okay let me try a different gun so I go get the go-to gun the Glock 19 Gen 5 and first shot hang fire and I don't want to hear replace the springs because I don't even have one magazine of bullets ran through my Ruger security nine and I do have brand new springs to replace it but and a brand new guide rod but why should I it's not even a month old I'm just trying to figure out what bullets I'm going to EDC but obviously not these underwoods looks like I'm sticking with Federal HST sadly it took me $80 to find that out