[Beretta]

Shot 100 rds. 50 UMC no problem..50 Winchester Win Clean first 25 rounds 4 FTE one mag had 2 FTE then noticed that assembly pin was creeping out. I think this may have been caused with slide sticking open on the FTE and my clearing them. Beleive my FTE's caused by soft brass. Extractor pulled thru rim.
Last 25 rds, with WinClean no problem. Could this be extractor losing it's sharpness thru wear. Any Ideas?

 

[Flyer]

Looks like your case is pretty bulged, and filled the chamber without springing back to shape...
The first thing that comes to mind is a very good chamber polishing. Make that chamber mirror-like!
Apparently the case is sticking in the chamber quite tightly... the polishing should help with that.
Flyer

 

[twentytwolover]

Don't think it's your P-3AT

Hello Beretta: My P-3AT has about 250 rounds through it and the only problems were with Win-clean: 3 FTE's. I carefully and lightly polished my chamber with a soft Dremel probe and jeweler's rouge and it hasn't caused problems since. Maybe Win-clean doesn't have a strong enough rim to take the violent extracting that the P-3AT exhibits.

 

[oldgranpa]

Winchester

Hi, Beretta, and all,

yes, it looks like Winchester brass is softer. The only FTE I've had is with Winchester Silvertip JHP. The rim had a tear like your picture.
Look at my chart down below under the deformed brass thread and it also shows Winchester brass as being softer and having a deeper extractor dent with some tears. Limited exams also indicate Fed HydraShok brass might be softer too.

Well, what does it mean? Nothing, really as long as the case doesn't split or freeze in the chamber. It just says if you use Winchester make sure your chamber is polished smooth. As the pistol gets dirty the FTE make occur again. (should Kel Tec furnish a dremel tool with their pistols :lol: :lol: )

og.......like the old saying 'keep your nose clean' :wink:

 

[Beretta]

Thanks fellows........All polished.... Next chance I get, will give it the test with another box of WinCleans.

 

[Midiman]

I find this all very revealing as I had always been under the impression the Winchester brass was hardier. It is, in some cases (no pun intended) but those cases (again) are actually not Winchester cases, They are WCC cases used by Winchester in the manufacture of some of their ammo made elsewhere under their name. I've used a TON of USA made Winchester in my Glock without a single problem but it's not available here in .380 so all I have put thru my P-3AT is UMC and some Federal... no problems with either.

 

[madman]

Hmmm... My first 75 rounds through my P3AT, with an *un*polished chamber, were 50 rds of WinClean and the remainder in Silvertips and HydraShoks (don't remember how many of each) and my brass did NOT exhibit any torn rims whatsoever, nor did I have any FTEs. I examined every single case (with the possible exception of a few lost cases) and not one had any problems (other than the usual deformed mouth).
Since then, no problems with UMC, WinClean, Silvertip or Hydrashok, but I did polish the chamber right after the first range session.

 

[Flyer]

One of these days I'll get the courage to try UMC ammo in my ATs...
But in almost every case in which I've reloaded a cartridge, Remington ammo has been the most elastic, requiring more case trimming than almost any other brand.
Weird...
Flyer

 

[emc]

Looking carefully at the photo of the damaged cartridge case, aren't there some rings just down from the mouth of the case showing what would appear to be some rough areas in the chamber? Maybe my imagination, but that might be part of the problem.

FWIW,

Ed

 

[Flyer]

That looks like the cannelure... supposed to be there.
Flyer

 

[emc]

Thanks, Flyer! What I was referring to was the area just above and below the cannelure. It has a sort of scuffed appearance to it, like the chamber was rough.

 

[Beretta]

No work today.. Took the P3AT with the polished chamber outside
40 rounds no problem.. They should included a chamber polishing in the F&B directions...
Emc.. Your right about the rings most of my brass was dirty looking and had rings around it. Never gave it a thought figured it was part of shooting a small auto.. Prior to polishing it looked like the chamber had a coating baked into it.. This may have been oil/grease from the factory that my first firings cooked into the walls of chamber.
Took a bit of polishing with dremel...nice and shiny now and will stay that way.