.38SPL plop test?

Familiar with the plop test for .22 rimfire, but does that test apply to a S&W Model 52-2?
Should a wadcutter round easily drop in and out of the chamber?

The plunk test should work with any pistol barrel, rimfire or center fire. If you've got to push the bullet into the chamber you may have chambering issues.

Yup- I have a leading issue.

zanemoseley wrote:The plunk test should work with any pistol barrel, rimfire or center fire.

Unless you're an Engineer at CCI, then the image I attached is perfectly acceptable.

Removed as out of context. Will repost in new thread.

Removed as out of context. Will repost in new thread.

Tony,
Were those rounds wiped down before the test to remove waxy buildup?
Is that a European chamber? Looks mighty tight!
Which ammo mfg does that barrel prefer?

Removed as out of context. Will repost in new thread.

MG2 pistols do not have a tight chamber. I use CCI SV bought a few years ago exclusively with 100% reliability. I’m up to 3500 rds through my latest MG2 with no malfunctions. I have yet to be blessed like you guys with the newer CCI crap ammo. 
Jon

Removed as out of context. Will repost in new thread.

In the attached image, notice the glob of wax on the top bullet? I sent this photo (along with many others) to CCI of a bad case of ammo, the new stuff with the orange stripe. According to CCI Engineers, that is acceptable. I had problems with light strikes from the cartridges not fully chambering, and a couple of fire out of battery which caused the case to swell, but luckily did not rupture. I tried to explain to them that an European target pistol will fire when slightly out of battery. CCI said that is a design flaw of the pistol that has nothing to do with their ammo.

Greetings,

Interesting that there are nine posts regarding 22lr and not the 38 Special the Original Poster was asking about???

Cheers,

Dave

fc60 wrote:Greetings,

Interesting that there are nine posts regarding 22lr and not the 38 Special the Original Poster was asking about???

Cheers,

Dave

OH! Sorry!

Answer: YES.

Thanks! Super cleaned lead out of chamber- was built up at the beginning of rifling.
However, still getting fail-to-eject problem. Passes plop test fine. Slide jams on new round from magazine, because fired round is still in the chamber. Once jam is cleared, pulling back the slide does eject the fired round. Maybe I need a new extractor?
Disassembled, and the extractor appears to be holding the brass ok.
Older gun, so maybe worn out? Any advice on extractor tuning, or other ideas?

Kroil works wonders on lead deposits!

John, what are you loading? The one I gave you?

i soldered a length of brass rod to a .357 mag case & filed some notches into the mouth.
Now it's a handy little chamber scraper for my 52.
And of course there's the copper wool on a bore brush trick.
A little bit of crud can make a quick trip to a sad place.

Yes Bruce, but problem occurs with Federal factory ammo as well as my reloads. Can't understand how the slide can cycle back, but the fired brass remains in the chamber. I thought the blast pushed the fired brass and slide back, so how's the brass staying in the chamber? 
Chamber was lead-free for this last dozen or so shots, but now I know a few more ways to keep it lead-free.

Be sure to...be sure to what? What was he trying to tell me!!! .....oil your shells.

Greetings,

Examine the barrel chamber carefully looking for any burrs or defects that could be stopping the case for extracting easily. Also, check the once fired Federal cases for unusual marks.

Moving to the extractor, installing a new one with a new spring may be the next test. Prior to installing it, compare the new with the old to see if there are any differences.

Model 39 and Model 52 extractors "look" almost identical. Be cautious when buying a new one.

The Model 52's in my neighborhood are quite reliable with good ammo.

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Dave- the extractor swap may be the next thing to try, when I locate one.
No Bruce, oiling didn't help.
Still wondering how the slide goes into recoil if the fired brass stays in the chamber. What am I missing?

Numrich has in stock.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1292180

Just to satisfy your curiosity. The 52 cycles and puts the fired case right back into the chamber. It's designed to be able to put a case with no bullet sticking out into the chamber. It wasn't kicked out of the way for the new one in the magazine to replace it. Or option 2 it didn't make it all the way to full recoil and never had a chance to pick up new case or eject spent case.

Thanks! Ordered a new extractor from Numrich.
After a malfunction, I have the new round butted up against the back of the fired round still in the chamber. If the fired brass was pulled out of the chamber and then reinserted, the slide would have prevented a new round from getting up there. 
Wish I had access to a high speed camera.
Thanks for the help guys, we'll see if the new extractor fixes all.

jwax wrote:If the fired brass was pulled out of the chamber and then reinserted...

The extractor doesn't really "pull" the brass out of the chamber, except when cycling manually. When firing, the blowback of the round *pushes* the brass out of the chamber, driving the slide with it. The extractor's job is to have the brass hang on for the ride, until it hits the ejector.

If the chamber is tight, the extractor lets the brass wobble, or the ejector doesn't hit it squarely, the round can simply go back with the slide, either landing in the chamber, stovepiping, or otherwise preventing the next round from rising. It's a synchronized dance, and any misstep can trip it.

-TT- wrote:

jwax wrote:If the fired brass was pulled out of the chamber and then reinserted...

The extractor doesn't really "pull" the brass out of the chamber, except when cycling manually. When firing, the blowback of the round *pushes* the brass out of the chamber, driving the slide with it. The extractor's job is to have the brass hang on for the ride, until it hits the ejector.

If the chamber is tight, the extractor lets the brass wobble, or the ejector doesn't hit it squarely, the round can simply go back with the slide, either landing in the chamber, stovepiping, or otherwise preventing the next round from rising. It's a synchronized dance, and any misstep can trip it.

Last time I looked the Smith 52 is a locked breech pistol.  The brass isn’t blown out by residual pressure.  It is easy to tell this by removing your extractor.