When you have troubles with the function of a firearm and you’ve ruled out the gun as being the problem, we need to check the ammo – in this case, referring to a function issue in the Safariland Gravity holster feature (here), I followed up by checking the gun (here) – so, it looks like we’re ruling out the test gun as an issue.
Perhaps the Monarch “Zinc Coated” steel case 115gr. FMJ, sourced locally, is the problem. The primers have an interesting mark on them (before firing), but that could be denoting that they’re Berdan primers, not the usual modern US standard Boxer primers.
I thought checking the remaining box of ammo in different guns might shed some light. It also created interesting stoppages in one of the guns – but those are unlikely to be ammo related.
Both guns, long-term T&E models, have enjoyed successful function over a considerable time. One is the Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O., this one with a Holosun 507K X2 installed. The other is the Shadow Systems CR920, their pint-sized entry. This gun has the Holosun SCS Carry-GR (green) mounted.
Using the micro-small autos maximized the likelihood that there would be a failure. The cartridge under discussion was designed to run in larger, heavier autoloaders … in 1908.
I started by shooting one-handed – let’s induce stoppages, shall we? – from 25 yards and from 20 yards two handed. This was with the GX4. I tended high, the gun wasn’t zeroed for the load, and all hits were on paper even with the tiny, value-priced pistol. The scores weren’t great, totaling 74/100. Still, a very small budget level gun with budget ammo, from that distance isn’t at all terrible.
With the CR920 – more expensive, though this is a Foundation (base level) example, I shot both groups one-handed from 25 yards. Sadly, I threw one off (I did, not the gun or ammo) and the result was a 76/100.
Yep, losing ten points on one round, the little Shadow Systems gun still beat the value-priced Taurus – not by much. And the lost round was my fault.
Above, the Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O./Holosun 507k X2 and the test target, a credible performance. Below, the Shadow Systems CR920/Holosun SCS Carry-GR shot within the group fired with the lower-cost option. Either would clearly do the job.
I then posted an “opportunity target” – something you get in a non-shooting, non-firearms context, this part of a retail product for display and meant to be discarded – and tried some two-handed shooting at moderate distances.
The target was light cardboard, 7 7/8” wide and 14” high. There were zero misses. The single failure to fire in the CR920 was because I somehow caused the magazine to “unseat” while firing, causing a “click” instead of a “bang.”
Do you still want to lose the “TAP” in “TAP-RACK-ASSESS?”
I also had two failures to feed in the CR920 – and I’m not sure what that’s about. The gun has been reliable thus far. I’m wondering if I induced the stoppages by slowing the slide movement via some interference.
Stay tuned, I’m not through with that yet.
I did recover one of the rounds that failed to fire in the Ruger RXM. I tried it a number of times in each gun – it never did fire.
I guess it was the ammo.
— Rich Grassi
