 That's me in the Nike shift I grew up hunting. From the time I remember, I was tripping and stumbling through a pheasant field, gunless of course. I was the pheasant peasant, they would load me up with the harvested birds and let me carry them around. I still remember the feel of their sharp claws, beaks, and at times, their last movements.
Being out in the field, wind and leaves blowing, the browns of the grass fields, it was really special. I was lucky enough to grow up hunting behind some of the best dogs you could imagine. Most of them were German Shorthairs, and they were fantastic! They would work back and forth until they caught just the faintest smell of a bird. The dogs would lock into a pointing position, signaling to us that there was a bird close. Sometimes, the dogs would work together and point together, one pointing from a far, the other working closer and closer until the dog was sure the bird was really close. This would allow us to work towards the bird and get into position. Those moments, before the bird was flushed up and out, were magical! For anyone that has experienced that, it's amazing, isn't it? For those that haven't, please, try it! After the bird was flushed up, there would be a designated shooter, ready to harvest the bird. If that person missed, there was always a skilled shooter ready to pull the trigger. The sound of the shotguns, some pumps, some over and unders (nobody really used semi-autos then) were really exciting as a young boy. You couldn't imagine something that loud, but it didn't hurt your ears. I always attributed it to being outside in the open, and having adrenaline pumping through your veins. When the bird was shot, the dogs would amaze me once again, finding a literal needle in a haystack, grabbing the bird, and with a mouth so soft, soft enough to not puncture the bird, the dog would retrieve the bird to their owner. That's when I'd be loaded up with the bird. At the end of the day, my feet and legs were tired as could be. Kicking through the high weeds and grass all day, trudging through the snow, and carrying the added weight of the pheasant, it made for a physical day. But to be outside with my dad, Uncles, cousins and their dogs, shooting guns and enjoying the outdoors, that was the best thing for me!
I have had my Kel Tec PF9 for a few years now, and haven't had an ounce of trouble with it. I've shot it well and it continues to be one of my favorite concealed carry guns. That was until a few weeks ago, I started to have misfeeds.
Kel Tec PF9 Misfeed
As you can see, the chambered round would go off well, but the case would remain in the chamber as the next round try to come up through the magazine. My initial thought was that it was ammunition. After trying a couple different rounds, I still continued to have the same problem. Then I started to think it may be the extractor. It did seem as if the extractor was just slipping off the spent round, leaving it behind.
I went back to the house, jumped on Google and found the solution! Kel Tec PF9's have been having extractor problems, and a lot of people said that a replacement extractor fixed their troubles. I had a great experience with Kel Tec customer service. After a couple back and forth comments on a support ticket, the new extractor was on its way! The real work started after I received the new extractor... The bolt that holds the extractor in place, along with the firing pin, was TOUGH!! It was a T11 Torx bit. I grabbed the proper size, and STRIP... This lead me to try different sizes torx, common and phillips head screwdrivers, and nothing. I even went to Ace Hardware and bought a screw extractor kit, meant to remove a stripped screw, to no avail. Lastly, I added a little PB Blaster, then used a dremel tool and small disc to cut a slot into the screw head. I barely had enough space to get the disc to the screw head without hitting the slide, but managed to get a decent slot cut into the screw. The moment of truth... AND SUCCESS! The screw came out! |
AuthorJack of All Trades, Master of None Archives
February 2018
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed