Pardini SP HP FTE Stove Pipe Explanation

[AlexFromPardini]

Hello Everyone,
It was suggested to us by one of our clients to post a synopsis on the reasoning behind Failure to Eject, Failure to Extract, and Stove Piping.

I hope that my explanation helps all of you to better understand our Pistols.

The Pardini SP and HP will tend to encounter these types of malfunctions through use. One important element to keep in mind, the proper ejection of the spent casing happens when the bolt is in the rear most position. Since the ejector is located on the magazine, it is important that the bolt has enough time in the rear position to allow for the ejection to happen.

In MOST cases, this type of issue is caused by the recoil management system. The recoil management system has three parts that affect operation at varying degrees.

1. Recoil Spring (resistance in moving the bolt back due to recoil, and assistance in moving the bolt back into battery)
2. Buffer (absorbing some energy to provide adequate time for ejection)
3. Magazine spring (providing friction along the bottom surface of the bolt. Friction reduces as rounds in the magazine are fired)

Proper operation requires that all three components work in harmony. If items 1 and 3 are too stiff, they provide too much resistance. If 1 and 3 are too soft, they provide too little. The buffer plays a key role in ejection, its importance varies depending on the condition of items 1 and 3.

As a guide, we find it best to replace the recoil spring every 5,000 rounds. The buffer every 10,000 rounds. And the magazine spring every 20,000 rounds fire from said magazine.

In SOME cases, the extractor can also be responsible. If the tip of the extractor has worn or is damaged, the bolt will lose control of casing and drop it prior to the case reaching the ejector.

The best way to test the integrity of the extractor is to remove the bolt from the pistol, place an unfired case in position within the bolt and apply force with your finger opposite of the extractor. You should be pushing the tip of the bullet away from the extractor. If the extractor loses the cartridge right away, you need a new extractor. If it holds and excessive force is needed, the extractor is good.

In RARE cases, a worn barrel or chamber may be the issue. If the chamber has worn and changed shape (too little friction), or if there is an excessive amount of dirt/lead/etc within the barrel (too much friction in extracting the case).

In the RAREST cases, the frame is bent, a pin is sticking out too far, or a pin is bent. The first has only happened once in our 12 years of business. A pin sticking out is an easy fix, push it back in place and use an oversized pin punch to hit the surface of the bolt to lock it in place.

In any event, at first occurrence of one of these types of malfunctions, it is best to clean the pistol first. Once at the range, lightly oil the 5th round loaded into the magazine and shoot. If it happens again, replace one/all of the items suggested. If this does not resolve your issues, it is best to send the pistol in.

[BobGee]

Thanks for that explanation Alex. It also helps to understand what might be happening with other pistols displaying the same behaviour.

Quite surprised though, at the short life span of a recoil spring - 70 ISSF style matches plus practice, i.e. less than one year's use.

Bob