Pardini 4th round jams:Solved??

[hurt]

Several years ago i bought a used Pardini SP from this site. It came with 2 used magazines and two new magazines. Anxious to shoot it, I tried several brands of ammo that i had on hand. It quickly became apparent that CCI standard was the only one that functioned nearly perfectly, and i used it exclusively. The new magazines had the same results.However, during the ammo shortage, i was using other brands to train with, at which time, it became evident that jams were the 4th round! Recently, on this site, i discovered that I am not alone!! With other people's experience in mind, the question why?? As i read further, it seemed as though the retreating empty case hits the nose of the next loaded round, knocking it off the extractor and into the works. But...only on the 4th??I think CCI has a different shaped nose allowing the retreating case to slip past. I speculate it has something to do with the dimple ate the top of the magazine on the rear. It changes the angle as the follower rises to 4th round? It seems to rise the nose rather than keeping it the same? Doing some experimenting, i cast a new follower out of white brass with altered dimensions. It is near flawless with non CCI ammo through 700 rounds. Experimenting further, i altered the existing plastic follower with a strip of .5mm thick nickel sheet that wraps the top of the rear onto the rear section of of the top. It is running near flawless through 300 rounds. Obviously, these quantities of ammo are not a true test...but December weather in Iowa grants few opportunities!!! This seems to have worked for my pistol but other solutions have been suggested and may work for other pistols. I love the Pardini wishing i would have had it 20 years ago!! I will try to post pictures.

[Gwhite]

I'd love to see a few pictures. I'd like to try 3D printing replacement followers. I tried a while back just as an experiment, and I can't do the thin sections at the front & back that guide the spring. However, if I guide the spring with a tapered rectangular post in the center, I think I can make suitable replacements.

I posted some pictures of what is going on in an earlier thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=60512&p=290849

I had speculated that a modification to the magazine follower might fix it as well, but I haven't had time to pursue it.

[hurt]

Gwhite..your pics and thread was instrumental in my experimentation! Thanks for all your postings of repairs experience. I am sure you have helped thousands!!! I will try getting the pics up.

[hurt]

DAC14D60-8340-4B09-A1F3-6627631E550A.jpeg (30.17 KiB) Viewed 1092 times

[hurt]

One cast of white brass the other original modified with strip of nickel

[Gwhite]

Thanks for the photos!

So, I have a question (actually three): Do you think it works primarily by lifting up the back of the round? Or do you think the added material in back is tilting the follower forward? Or both?

[hurt]

Gwhite, maybe both? I tried adding just the top strap...didn’t work! I tried wallowing out the front half of the plastic follower to drop the nose...didn’t work! I tried rear only: didn’t work! Seems the combo of top and rear works.The extra material i have added causes the magazine to be a bit more fiddley to load...i load the five, turn mag upside down, and with finger over bullets i reduce tension a few times to allow the rounds to all align with their noses heading up and out. Not much of a deal when you get used to it. I think that rear dimple may be the cause of the problem but i did not pound it out to try it. I don’t know why some pistols have this issue? Maybe the “run” of mags is out of spec or the magazine catch is out of spec, allowing the mag to clip in too high?? I am enjoying the ability to shoot various ammo, both from a supply and cost basis. Aquila now functions great and is less $$...and i have 3 cases! Further testing will see if it is as completely reliable as CCI for me. In the mean time, i am able to train without clearing a jam every magazine.

[Gwhite]

Thanks again! I'll kick a 3D printed follower back up the priority list.

For printing purposes, I'd like to keep the top flat. I can add the thickness you used in the back, but basically tilt the top of the follower down a few degrees. Any reason to think that would be a problem?

[hurt]

I bet it would work!! Let us know how it goes!