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frankie_the_yankee wrote:
Flint,

Any mechanical device can fail.

I have a Stainless Para-Ordnance P-13 that I've owned for about 10 years. All in all... it's been a pretty decent pistol. Naturally, its a "series 80" design (meaning it has a firing pin block).

Today while practicing some reloads (not shooting, just reloading from slidelock and dropping the slide on a fresh mag. with a snap-cap). On the third reload...I noticed the slide had not gone all the way into battery, very strange for this pistol. I tapped and racked, same thing. I pushed the slide forward (nothing doing), it wouldn't budge.

I dropped the magazine, pushed the slide back..and engaged the slide stop. Thats when I noticed the plunger (the firing pin block) was hanging out of it's bore about 3/8" inch!

The slide couldn't go back into battery because of this. I immediately disassembled the gun and found that the extractor (a Wilson bullet-proof) had worn in the area that retains the plunger. This had allowed the plunger to take a beating during some recent shooting. It was enough to let it hang out of the slide (but not fall out) when I was practicing.

If this had happened at a time when I needed it most, then woe on me.

I have now removed it (permanently) and will be getting a spacer to replace the "cams" in the frame.

Disclaimer/Warning/Caveat: I am not suggesting anyone perform any modifications to their weapon. I am simply pointing out something that could cause you a problem.

I have many thousands of rounds through this pistol...and a certain amount of "wear and tear" is to be expected... so you might want to look at your extractor if you have a lot of mileage on your pistol.

I thought I was familar with every clearance drill there is for auto pistols, but this one caught me by surprise. The scary part is: It could have cost me my life on a different day...and under different circumstances.

Check 'em out guys and gals!