Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case - The Firearms Forum

neilin · 03-22-2011, 12:59 PM

My Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case. The case sets loosely on top of the empty magazine with the slide locked open. Normally, it causes no problems at all and the case can either be shaken out through the ejection port or will follow the magazine when it is removed from the gun. If I happen to drop the slide and the fired case attempts to chamber, it can cause a slow-to-clear jam.
This only happens with jacketed factory rounds or jacketed reloaded rounds. With lead semi-wad cutter reloads the last fired case does eject, but only travels two or three feet, instead of nine or ten feet. Is there a solution to this problem, or should this not be considered a problem?

hogger129 · 03-22-2011, 03:49 PM

Try taking the magazine out before firing the last round. Maybe the mag follower is popping up too early. Idk just a suggestion.

Helix_FR · 03-23-2011, 10:19 AM

Hogger is right, probably the follower getting in the way or your extractor tension is weak and it can't hold the round to the breech face, instead it drops it down and then it get hung up on the mag lips.

neilin · 04-09-2011, 07:00 PM

The Star has been fixed, and now works fine. I ran in to a gunsmith at a gun show, today. He relieved the the inside of the extractor where it touches the slide, and polished the part of the tip of the hook of the extractor that touches the rim of the case when it is being pulled out of the barrel. The smith said there was essentially not enough extractor tension against the case. (There was more than enough spring pressure, the extractor just needed a bit of relief to allow the hook to put more pressure against the spent case.)
This gunsmith had never seen a Star Firestar before today. The primary auto he works on (in addition to revolvers and long guns) is the .45 1911. He just applied the principles of gunsmithing to solve the problem.

hogger129 · 04-09-2011, 07:59 PM

Good to hear you got the problem fixed.

-Hogger

03-22-2011, 12:59 PM	#1
neilin V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Clinton, MO Posts: 116	Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case My Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case. The case sets loosely on top of the empty magazine with the slide locked open. Normally, it causes no problems at all and the case can either be shaken out through the ejection port or will follow the magazine when it is removed from the gun. If I happen to drop the slide and the fired case attempts to chamber, it can cause a slow-to-clear jam. This only happens with jacketed factory rounds or jacketed reloaded rounds. With lead semi-wad cutter reloads the last fired case does eject, but only travels two or three feet, instead of nine or ten feet. Is there a solution to this problem, or should this not be considered a problem? __________________ I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I can still cut through all the political muck. -->

03-22-2011, 03:49 PM	#2
hogger129 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,064	Try taking the magazine out before firing the last round. Maybe the mag follower is popping up too early. Idk just a suggestion. Last edited by hogger129; 03-22-2011 at 03:50 PM..

03-23-2011, 10:19 AM	#3
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,617	Re: Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case Hogger is right, probably the follower getting in the way or your extractor tension is weak and it can't hold the round to the breech face, instead it drops it down and then it get hung up on the mag lips. __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com

04-09-2011, 07:00 PM	#4
neilin V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Clinton, MO Posts: 116	Re: Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case The Star has been fixed, and now works fine. I ran in to a gunsmith at a gun show, today. He relieved the the inside of the extractor where it touches the slide, and polished the part of the tip of the hook of the extractor that touches the rim of the case when it is being pulled out of the barrel. The smith said there was essentially not enough extractor tension against the case. (There was more than enough spring pressure, the extractor just needed a bit of relief to allow the hook to put more pressure against the spent case.) This gunsmith had never seen a Star Firestar before today. The primary auto he works on (in addition to revolvers and long guns) is the .45 1911. He just applied the principles of gunsmithing to solve the problem. __________________ I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I can still cut through all the political muck.

04-09-2011, 07:59 PM	#5
hogger129 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,064	Re: Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case Good to hear you got the problem fixed. -Hogger __________________ Samuel Adams once said, "among the natural rights of the colonists are these: first, a right to life, secondly to liberty, thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can."