Today I went to the range and used my Glock 23. At first I was using Federal 185gr. FMJ. Had no problems. Second box I went to PMC 165gr FMJ and right away started having problems. It fired the first round, ejected it, then followed it with the next round, but did not go into full battery. So I dropped the magazine and tried to rack the slide- no dice. Could not pull it back. I thought something broke on the G23. I decided to push the slide into full battery. It was only about a 1/4" off. Once I did that the gun fired. I went back to the 180 gr. FMJ and had no problems the rest of the day. I thought that was odd.

 

Is this normal? Is it normal for a G23 not to take 165gr. FMJ?

 

My gun was completely, broken down cleaned from the last time used it too.

 

Thanks,

S.

No that should not happen. They should both be within saami spec. Mic the 165. If you don't have appropriate measuring tools at least visually compare it with the 185 that works.

What Raz said. That's not right. My guess is the PMC is out of spec.

Get one of these and toss it in your range bag.  Answers a bunch a questions up front.  

 

http://www.egwguns.com/tooling/4-caliber-auto-ammo-chamber-checker-9mm-40-s-w-45-38-calibers/

Someone once showed me a trick for a jammed slide where I couldn't get it to budge (ammo issue). Assuming you're a right handed shooter, angle your body so you can keep the muzzle downrange, you take your left hand and grip the slide, with your left arm parallel above the barrel (without actually pointing the gun at yourself!!!). You take your right hand and make a V with your thumb and fingers, and whack the grip forward with your right hand. You can also push forward with the right hand while pushing backwards with your left, it works better than trying to pull the slide with your weak hand. This has worked for those stubborn times a gun has otherwise locked up in a situation similar to yours.*

 

I'm guessing there was bullet damage or some other out of spec reason for the issue you had. I'd inspect that barrel extra close for bulging or other issues, just in case. Doubt anything bad happened but better to be sure.

 

 

*or throw the gun over a wall into an empty range, thats standard range safety procedures, right?**

 

 

 

**Please don't do that.

Thanks all. I will take a closer look at the 165gr PMC ammo. 

 

What could be the reason I could not rack the slide? And no, I am not a wimp..... It was jammed tight until I pushed the slide forward. 

Check your extractor.  Check the brass for strange markings. Never know.

Check your extractor.  Check the brass for strange markings. Never know.

 

Okay. The extractor was fine with the 180grain though. I am mic'n the bullet or the case? What numbers am I looking for? 

http://www.saami.org/pubresources/cc_drawings/Pistol/40%20SandW.pdf

 

That's why I recommended getting the chamber gauge from EGW.  For twenty bucks you leave it in your range bag,  Problems as the range, drop it in the gauge, if it plunks in your GTG, if not there is your problem. I have never had one problem with any of my reloads that have been gauged checked, and I check them all.   In fact the gauge has seen more use solving other's problems at the range.