Attention Kimber Micro 9 owners

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I posted this over at the Kimbertalk Forums site. A couple folks did this test and were surprised when they noted they were getting the same results as me. The trouble is, I am a newby to semi-auto pistols so I don't want to be picky, but the sense I am getting from you folks is that a bullet setback of two or three hundredths inch the first time a cartridge is chambered is too much.

Try this test:

Would you guys do me a favor?

Try loading a full magazine in your Micro 9. Just a full magazine, not the mag +1. Then rack the slide to chamber the first round. Fire that round. Then hand eject the next one and inspect the bullet nose.

Then let me know what you find.

[Hossfly]

I’ve tried to get any of my reloaded 9 MM Luger to move with push test on a digital scale, up to 53# as hard as I could push with a piece of wood on top. None moved, any, using Lee factory crimp die. If you got bullet set back that ammo is not crimped correctly factory or home rolled.

[onelight]

I’ve tried to get any of my reloaded 9 MM Luger to move with push test on a digital scale, up to 53# as hard as I could push with a piece of wood on top. None moved, any, using Lee factory crimp die. If you got bullet set back that ammo is not crimped correctly factory or home rolled.

Yup , and Or the expander is to big

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I’ve tried to get any of my reloaded 9 MM Luger to move with push test on a digital scale, up to 53# as hard as I could push with a piece of wood on top. None moved, any, using Lee factory crimp die. If you got bullet set back that ammo is not crimped correctly factory or home rolled.

You haven't done the test have you?

[rancher1913]

done something similar, went to the fcd and my problem went away. helps to make sure all brass is trimed the same.

[4719dave]

you have to trim 9mm brass no way that's crazy

[RED BEAR]

I don't own a kimber so can't do the test. If you're gun is pushing the bullet back then that is a problem. I would have to say if it is marking up the second bullet then it sounds like it is catching on ramp or barrel. If this is a new gun i would contact the manufacturer. If not you could try polishing feed ramp i would try a marker on feed ramp and see if you can tell where it is hitting. I will also say just because you can't push a bullet back by hand really doesn't mean much.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I don't own a kimber so can't do the test. If you're gun is pushing the bullet back then that is a problem. I would have to say if it is marking up the second bullet then it sounds like it is catching on ramp or barrel. If this is a new gun i would contact the manufacturer. If not you could try polishing feed ramp i would try a marker on feed ramp and see if you can tell where it is hitting. I will also say just because you can't push a bullet back by hand really doesn't mean much.

The normal way a semi-auto causes setback is when the slide pushes the cartridge forward and the bullet collides with the feed ramp. In order to understand the Kimber Micro 9, you have to throw all that thinking out the window.

What is happening is the feed ramp flies backward under recoil and bashes the next cartridge before the empty case is even ejected.

[tazman]

What you described is an incredibly poor design. No way to fix it I can think of.

[Texas by God]

If said Kimber shoots accurately and reliably; you have a non- problem.

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[Black Jaque Janaviac]

If said Kimber shoots accurately and reliably; you have a non- problem.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Ok. That's where a newbie like me gets confused. Yes it shoots reliably & accurately. But there are some people who are alarmed by the idea of shooting ammo that has had the bullet setback 0.03" (which is a visible amount).

[Texas by God]

As long as your loads aren't max to begin with you're probably safe. You didn't say if you used factory or reloads. It's very strange for that to happen, though. Examine your fired brass to see if the pressure's high.

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[Handloader109]

Well, I've got a relatively new Micro 9, about 4 months old. I've shot my reloads, no issue with setback. I've shot various configurations and no issue with any movement in bullets.

And I was concerned about the comment that the feedramp could be hitting the bullets to cause the movement. Nope, no way, it won't move back far enough to hit any of my bullets. If it does, you have a way out of spec round. Btw, the micro 9 is just a slightly modified 1911 design and barrel and slide movement is about the same. Not the same barrel link, but similar.

In my opinion, something isn't kosher with the reloads and factory ammo if it is moving. It ain't the gun. At least not mine....

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[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I, and a few others, have found this phenomena with several factory loads as well as reloads. Some get set-back, some just get a bad dent in the nose.

It is not from OAL being out of spec.

You HAVE to run the test exactly as I posted in my original post. If you don't fill the magazine, the subsequent rounds will not be pushed forward enough to get smashed. If you load +1 style, the second round won't get dinged because you usually push them back in the magazine before putting the mag back in place.

One guy on the Kimber forum said he ran the test and it didn't do any damage so it must be just some Micro 9s.

I tried clipping a loop off the magazine spring and squeezing the feed lips - No joy.
Here's a quick video:
20190605_194955[1] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/40087717@N03/]

[Handloader109]

When you load up the magazine, I've found the second round moves forward in the magazine. So when the second round tries to load, it is already forward slightly. I do get a dropped bullet if I remove magazine, but no ding.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

And I was concerned about the comment that the feedramp could be hitting the bullets to cause the movement. Nope, no way, it won't move back far enough to hit any of my bullets.

I would really love to see photos of this. If I remove the slide, then replace the barrel and pin it in place with the slide-stop, it is pretty obvious how easily the feed ramp contacts the bullet nose if the cartridge is pushed forward slightly. In the photos, the cartridges are as far back in the magazine as they can go. Any slight forward movement will place the bullet nose in the way of the recoiling feed ramp.

DSC05086 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/40087717@N03/]
DSC05085 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/40087717@N03/]

[charlie b]

Looks like your barrel is out of spec. I'd send them an email with all the pictures and see what they say.

[SSGOldfart]

Sir try another magazine,fixed my wifes kimber.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Looks like your barrel is out of spec. I'd send them an email with all the pictures and see what they say.

Sir try another magazine,fixed my wifes kimber.

I've contacted Kimber. I sent it back to the Mother Ship. They told me the gun is in spec and functions flawlessly and that some bullet setback is normal. I spoke with a manager to double check that they understood that I was not talking about the normal cause of bullet setback which is from the slide pushing the cartridge forward into the ramp as it loads. I made sure they understood that the problem was from the ramp coming back. I asked if they performed the test as described in my OP and they said no, they don't do anything at the range other than to check function.

I have 4 magazines. Two Kimber, two Sig 938s, all four present this problem. I've clipped springs on the Kimbers, pinched feed lips, nothing helps.

Perhaps I could send emails with photos and videos.

[Walks]

This is really weird. I've shot A LOT of different 9x19 handguns in my life, including some with really sharp angled feed ramps, such as the P-08 And Steyr Hahn made duing WW2.

NOPE, if Somebody at Kimber told you bullet set back is normal. Then they are talking out of their ***.