Worst night at the range: A rant.

[BluePhoenix7]

So I've been married for 4 months now and the wife already owns a shotgun and is looking into getting a handgun. Score.

We decide to do some research and then head to the range. We're currently staying in Arizona so I thought now is a good time to buy.

Last night we get to the range and my Kimber 1911 Eclipse Pro II tags along. We rent a Sig P226 in 9mm, get some targets, and set up.

She fires a round with the Sig and it jams immediately. Ok, no biggy. She clears it, fires again, jams again. Well, maybe she's limp wristing it. I take over, first three shots are fine, fourth jams. I take a look and the feeding round is completely vertical. Looked like a magazine issue. Plus the gun has seen better days. So we go back in and swap it out for a Ruger SR9.

She starts shooting down range with the Ruger, by round 14 it jams. Really? These guns have to be in the worst shape or something. The last time I shot a Sig P226 it was flawless, same with a Ruger. So she goes to clear the jam and it bites her, really bad. She's obviously done. I finish clearing it and toss the last 16 rounds downrange.

Ok, well that was an experience. At least I have my good 'ol Kimber with me. I load it up, hang a new target and send it out. First round felt good. I love this gun. Second round was dead on. Third round-- JAMMED!?!??! ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME! Ok, I calm down. Clear the jam and fire again. JAMMED AGAIN!!!! I look to the side of the gun only to notice the extractor is missing. Oh, well that explains why it was jamming... WAIT WHAT MY EXTRACTOR IS MISSING?!?!?! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGG!!!

Of course it was no where to be found. It didn't break or snag or tweak, it just straight up flew off. Anyone else had that problem with an external extractor with Kimber? I've heard it was a common problem.. but dang.

Thanks for listening to my rant

[gotshotgun?]

Wow, good thing you weren't in a shootout....

Sorry, can't help on the extractor issue but they should be reasonably inexpensive to replace and drop in.

[CK_32]

Haha man that sounds like hell..

But SA range guns are not he best.. My buddy works at a local range and they were selling a used range gun for dirt cheap and they are known guns to hold up and I told him I want it. And he told me dude you don't want any of our guns.. I explained how well those guns were built and the rep for being able to handle anything and he just blank stared at me and said trust me you don't want any of our guns.

They do clean them every so often (nightly I believe but for sure weekly) but he said they treat those guns like trash and customers just ruin their guns on top of how many rounds they take any given day..

But glad to hear there wasn't a kaboom so it could always be worse you know..

Tell your wife get back on that horse! She won't regret it. And wear some cute pink gloves or something to avoid that next time at least till she gets more familiar

[AfghanVetOrcutt]

That sucks. Sorry dude.

[BluePhoenix7]

Yea we'll be getting some gloves for her dainty hands.

Also this experience has shattered all trust I have with firearm reliability! I'm going to have nightmares of shadowy men breaking into my house in the middle of the night and my guns all jamming and breaking for months... I already have nightmares about shootouts against drug cartels with full auto 30+ round mags vs. me and my 10/30 and bullet button...

I certainly wouldn't buy a used gun from a range. I saw the guy take it back to lube it and dink with it for 5 minutes before he let us rent it. Apparently he was expecting problems already. And that Ruger slide was so sloppy it pulled in a huge chunk of her skin under the slide. It was pretty bad.

I'm going to contact Kimber to see if they'll still replace it for me. Otherwise I guess I'm out like $40.

[Magana559]

I bought my girlfriend a sr9c and it has been nothing but bang after bang! Great pistol and she loves it!

We probably have 10k rounds through the pipe with NO wear on the slide or barrel.

[Zartan]

I finish clearing it and toss the last 16 rounds downrange

Bummer on the experience, but you threw live rounds down range? cmon

[shooting4life]

You should have rented a revolver, wouldn't have those problems.

[fighterpilot562]

Bummer on the experience, but you threw live rounds down range? cmon

Pretty wasteful I think, I would have shot them

[BluePhoenix7]

Bummer on the experience, but you threw live rounds down range? cmon

Well, I was upset

She liked the Ruger, the ergonomics at least, it was incredibly light weight. I won't judge a gun solely on one range experience, especially after this trip. We'll probably give it another try later down the road.

[Merc1138]

Well, I was upset

She liked the Ruger, the ergonomics at least, it was incredibly light weight. I won't judge a gun solely on one range experience, especially after this trip. We'll probably give it another try later down the road.

Not sure what renting the same gun at the same range or even other range would accomplish. Rental guns get beat to hell and mis-handled, don't get maintained as often as they should, don't get cleaned as often as they should, etc. About the only good you get out of renting a gun is getting a feel for it while shooting it, that's it.

[BluePhoenix7]

Honestly I believe it was just that particular range. I've fired another Sig P226 another time and it was awesome.

I know they get beat to hell and neglected, but these almost functioned like they swapped parts from guns that died in the past!

[Fjold]

Kimber had a problem with external extractors over 10 years ago but I thought that they had that solved.

[The Virus]

Lol, my buddy works at a range.
They clean there guns by spraying with brake cleaner.
Then spraying with mp pro 7

[Rukus]

I bought my girlfriend a sr9c and it has been nothing but bang after bang!

Thanks for that tidbit, but how are you enjoying the gun?