10k P35 Update

[BLR]

Picturey goodness first:







Barrel feet - mag particle inspection shows no crack formation.





Two piece barrel failure example:



The good: Just a wonderful gun to shoot a few rounds through. Has been totally reliable trough 10k, almost all lead TC bullets over Bullseye.

The bad: The sights are absolutely 100% crap. The trigger has improved, meaning some time stoning the internals would likely yield big gains.

The ugly: Well, it's a 9mm. So there's that. I'm developing the oddest callous on the web of my hand.

Slide to frame fit is nearly unchanged. Locking lugs are nice and crisp. Finish is ugly, but tough as nails. Magazines are expensive. Ammo is cheap. I'm going to send it to Novaks next week for sights. I can't take the stock sights anymore. I just can't. I have a KKM bbl in standby when this one fails. There is disagreement as to the cause of the lower lug failures in my circle of shooting buddies. More on that later.

[JeffJ]

Bill,
What safety is that?

I've got a Belgian High Power in my safe right now that belongs to a friend who doesn't want to store it in his home. I haven't shot it but I did notice in dryfiring it that the safety is awful.

[BLR]

It's the stock safety.

It's pretty crappy. But the trigger steals it's crappy thunder.

[JeffJ]

Huh, looks different, I'll have to check it out when I get home. I'm pretty sure the one I've got isn't ambi and is smaller than that.

I'm so bad at shooting single action triggers that it'd be hard for me to notice, even in dry fire. But you'll probably be happy to know that I'm spending the winter months shooting a Colt Commander heavily customized by CT Brian the I inherited from an uncle in order to improve my .45/1911/SA shooting skills.

[BLR]

Huh, looks different, I'll have to check it out when I get home. I'm pretty sure the one I've got isn't ambi and is smaller than that.

I'm so bad at shooting single action triggers that it'd be hard for me to notice, even in dry fire. But you'll probably be happy to know that I'm spending the winter months shooting a Colt Commander heavily customized by CT Brian the I inherited from an uncle in order to improve my .45/1911/SA shooting skills.

Likely is an older gun. This is a fairly new MKIII.

A CT Commander =

[JodyH]

There is disagreement as to the cause of the lower lug failures in my circle of shooting buddies. More on that later.

Poorly fitted where it mates with the slide stop?
Been a while since I owned a HP, can't remember exactly how things go together.

[BLR]

Take a look at the broken one - it didn't break at the nice sharp 90 degree corner like you (and I ) thought it would.

That one broke on the semi-circle where the slide stop mated with the barrel.

[JodyH]

Take a look at the broken one - it didn't break at the nice sharp 90 degree corner like you (and I ) thought it would.

That one broke on the semi-circle where the slide stop mated with the barrel.

Yea, I edited my post after going back to look at the pics.
The obvious shear point is the 90 degree stress riser.

[BLR]

Yea, I edited my post after going back to look at the pics.
The obvious shear point is the 90 degree stress riser.

I have 1 industry professional/walking firearms industry encyclopedia who thinks it's a spring/unlocking time issue. I have another industry professional who thinks it's likely a timing issue.

Me, I think a batch went out that had inclusions in the part, and after a few broke, the legend was solidified. I had to work like hell to find the few broken examples I have.

I think this the whole broken barrel thing/20k service life is bull, btw.

I can tell you, if the P35 were given the attention it needs by the same industry that gave the 1911 it's advances, the P35 would be one sweet, durable pistol.

[JodyH]

Could be as simple as a batch of barrels with that half-round cut/drill just slightly crooked which unevenly loaded the lug.