Getting nosedive stoppages with FEG Hi-Power clone

M

MuzzleBlast

New member
I have a FEG Hi-Power clone that I have been shooting for 20 years and uncounted thousands of rounds, trouble-free. In the past year I have started to get nosedive stoppages where the top round dives into the mag.

I don't think it is a mag issue, because it does this with different mags from different manufacturers.

I don't think it is an ammo issue, because it does this with different ammo.

What else could it be?
 
It does this with commercial ball ammo? It also does this with different magazines?

Hows the recoil spring?

tipoc
 
If you are getting the problem with different magazines that work fine in other pistols then I would look at the slide stop and feed ramp. Basically, you are looking for something that might slow the feeding of those first few rounds just enough that they are not able to get nose high on the feed ramp easily.
 
Something has changed, and it's not the feed ramp or the slide stop.
Clean the crud out from under the extractor and clean the breech face.
 
The slide stop on a Hi-Power, especially an FEG clone may very well have changed as the cracked one I have can attest to. If the geometry of the part that comes in contact with the magazine has changed to where it just adds a little extra drag, you can see nosedives.

Basically, the slide is grabbing the top rim of the cartridge case and pushing it forward just by pressure on the top edge. The top round of the magazine is the hardest one to push up the ramp as it sits lowest (same spring pressure but more weight on magazine spring). So any extra little bit of friction in the feed process can slow the round enough that it nosedives instead of feeding.

And the feedramps can change as well on the Hi-Power, they will build up a pretty hard coating of carbon if not cleaned regularly. If the pistol is 20 years old, pitting or rust might be an issue also. When you see just the top round nosediving with multiple known good magazines, you've got extra friction somewhere in the feed process and it isn't the magazines.

What is your thought process behind recommending cleaning the extractor or breechface? How do you see that causing a nosedive stoppage in the top rounds?
 
If the round is not readily slipping under the extractor, it could nose dive.
Most of the time when a gun stops working, it's something pretty simple-usually cleaning-related. Parts fail, but not very often.
 
Thanks for the suggestions

I will look at taking out the extractor and detail cleaning, and the condition of the slide stop.
 
20yrs and thousands of rounds? My mags would have cracked and have been discarded, non HP pistols. Weak mag springs may cause the follower to tilt excessively.
 
Weak mag springs will cause nose dives.

It may just be something that is a problem with one gun but not another, such that the mag works in other guns, but not in this one (different interface with the feed ramp). (Some guns are more forgiving. :))

Some hollow point ammo (or flat tipped ammo) will hit the base of the feed ramp wrong and cause problems, too. Same as the first problem... but the feed ramps or mag position when installed is slightly different. (It could be something as subtle as the mag catch is worn or not fully engaging the mag, and letting the mag set just a smidgen lower...)
 
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The mags are new, Mec-Gars and ProMags. The recoil spring is new.

So anyway, I dug out my pin punches and completely disassembled the slide, and there was some crud in the extractor slot, maybe just enough to restrict its movement. Cleaned it out well, and cleaned all the accumulated crud from the extractor. Also did some smoothing of the breech face and feed ramp with very fine steel wool. Took it to the range Sunday and put a hundred rounds through it, perfect as it always was, so maybe it is good to go now.

This gun is just fantastic. The only times in twenty years it has ever failed it has been my fault, not the gun's. It has either been neglect on my part, or my crappy cast bullet reloads.
 
The problem came back

So a good cleaning helped for a while, but then came back. So I was advised to replace the extractor. A Browning extractor falls right into a FEG. Put two boxes through it stoppage-free. So far, so good.
 
Was the original extractor worn or shaped differently compared to the Browning extractor?

Some autoloaders are picky about the extractor shape.
 
This is a very interesting post. I have a 1969 "C" Hi-Power and an FEG PJK-9HP, both are great shooters. I'll have some idea what to look for if either of mine start having failure to feed problems.
 
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