insomnitec
Plinker
M&P15-22 - Cartridge exploded in the chamber. I need help!
Update: Obviously the cat is out of the bag, so I will go ahead and admit that the firearm in question is indeed the Smith & Wesson M&P15-22. I'm sorry for not immediately stating this, but I honestly just do not know if it may have impacted Smith & Wesson's liability for the matter. I am also adding some photos at the bottom of this post in a moment.
I am a bit leery to post this, but I am counting on the mature, responsible members of this forum to help me resolve a serious firearm safety concern.
I have had a long and upsetting experience with a certain brand and model firearm. I want to be specific, but I'm afraid I may say something that I shouldn't or interfere with a possible solution to the problem. To get to the point, I will say this; I have been communicating with the manufacturer of this firearm since the day I first purchased it. I was having repeated issues with the firearm failing to fire, failing to chamber, and failing to eject and I requested a new replacement of the firearm after I had decided it was defective. The manufacturer responded as I expected, stating that they could not replace it and that I should send it in to the factory to be repaired. Their answer was unacceptable to me, so I replaced the firearm on my own. I fully expected that this action would resolve my issue, but unfortunately I was sorely disappointed.
I took the brand new replacement to the range yesterday and prepared for a few hours of target practice. I loaded 3 magazines and began to shoot. Each magazine holds 25 rounds and after about the first 15 shots, I had a cartridge that failed to chamber. When this happened, I simply pulled the magazine out and removed the dented cartridge. I continued to fire the remaining rounds in the first magazine without issue. I inserted the second magazine and was able to fire 10 more shots. The 9th cartridge came out of the chamber with an excessive amount of powder burn, but it still fired appropriately. However, I was not so lucky with the 10th round. The 10th cartridge that I attempted to fire actually exploded inside the chamber of the firearm. Fortunately, I always take the necessary safety precautions and therefore I went unharmed. Had I not been wearing safety glasses, I could have very likely been seriously injured.
I have performed some research and determined that I am not the only individual that has been through this terrifying experience. This is why I am now extremely concerned. It appears that this company is currently manufacturing a defective product and I want to make sure they are held accountable. More importantly, I want to prevent this experience from happening to anyone else. Can you imagine giving your teenage son a small caliber rifle for Christmas, only to watch them lose their eyesight when they fired it? The problem is, I don't want to be misunderstood. I am a NRA member and obviously a supporter of the 2nd amendment. I am by no means attempting to hold this company accountable for unlawful use of their product, but only for the manufacturing of a defective product that has produced very serious safety concerns.
I have no idea how recalls come about. As far as I can tell, there is no government agency that regulates the production of firearms in terms of quality assurance. I don't want to address it directly with the company in question because I am concerned that my efforts will only result in a solution for me personally. I want to make sure that this company remembers what happened to me every time they manufacture a firearm. I also want to see them increase their QA procedures to a point that ensures the safety of every single one of their customers.
So the question is, how do I accomplish this? The only thing I knew to do was to collect the exploded pieces and to use my cell phone to record a video immediately after the incident and take pictures once I got home. I'm sure all of these things could be used to assist me in my efforts, but who do I give them to? Could/would the NRA actually be interested in assisting me? Who else can I contact that may be able to help? Are there specific groups that are dedicated to firearm quality and safety that would be interested in my story?
Let me be clear. I am not interested in making a quick buck or trying to use this experience to defame the company. I simply want to be compensated for a defective product and to hold the company accountable for this very serious safety concern. If that results in recall, so be it, but seeing as this company has had various recalls in the past, it does not seem like that alone will prevent them from manufacturing another defective product.
Update: Obviously the cat is out of the bag, so I will go ahead and admit that the firearm in question is indeed the Smith & Wesson M&P15-22. I'm sorry for not immediately stating this, but I honestly just do not know if it may have impacted Smith & Wesson's liability for the matter. I am also adding some photos at the bottom of this post in a moment.
I am a bit leery to post this, but I am counting on the mature, responsible members of this forum to help me resolve a serious firearm safety concern.
I have had a long and upsetting experience with a certain brand and model firearm. I want to be specific, but I'm afraid I may say something that I shouldn't or interfere with a possible solution to the problem. To get to the point, I will say this; I have been communicating with the manufacturer of this firearm since the day I first purchased it. I was having repeated issues with the firearm failing to fire, failing to chamber, and failing to eject and I requested a new replacement of the firearm after I had decided it was defective. The manufacturer responded as I expected, stating that they could not replace it and that I should send it in to the factory to be repaired. Their answer was unacceptable to me, so I replaced the firearm on my own. I fully expected that this action would resolve my issue, but unfortunately I was sorely disappointed.
I took the brand new replacement to the range yesterday and prepared for a few hours of target practice. I loaded 3 magazines and began to shoot. Each magazine holds 25 rounds and after about the first 15 shots, I had a cartridge that failed to chamber. When this happened, I simply pulled the magazine out and removed the dented cartridge. I continued to fire the remaining rounds in the first magazine without issue. I inserted the second magazine and was able to fire 10 more shots. The 9th cartridge came out of the chamber with an excessive amount of powder burn, but it still fired appropriately. However, I was not so lucky with the 10th round. The 10th cartridge that I attempted to fire actually exploded inside the chamber of the firearm. Fortunately, I always take the necessary safety precautions and therefore I went unharmed. Had I not been wearing safety glasses, I could have very likely been seriously injured.
I have performed some research and determined that I am not the only individual that has been through this terrifying experience. This is why I am now extremely concerned. It appears that this company is currently manufacturing a defective product and I want to make sure they are held accountable. More importantly, I want to prevent this experience from happening to anyone else. Can you imagine giving your teenage son a small caliber rifle for Christmas, only to watch them lose their eyesight when they fired it? The problem is, I don't want to be misunderstood. I am a NRA member and obviously a supporter of the 2nd amendment. I am by no means attempting to hold this company accountable for unlawful use of their product, but only for the manufacturing of a defective product that has produced very serious safety concerns.
I have no idea how recalls come about. As far as I can tell, there is no government agency that regulates the production of firearms in terms of quality assurance. I don't want to address it directly with the company in question because I am concerned that my efforts will only result in a solution for me personally. I want to make sure that this company remembers what happened to me every time they manufacture a firearm. I also want to see them increase their QA procedures to a point that ensures the safety of every single one of their customers.
So the question is, how do I accomplish this? The only thing I knew to do was to collect the exploded pieces and to use my cell phone to record a video immediately after the incident and take pictures once I got home. I'm sure all of these things could be used to assist me in my efforts, but who do I give them to? Could/would the NRA actually be interested in assisting me? Who else can I contact that may be able to help? Are there specific groups that are dedicated to firearm quality and safety that would be interested in my story?
Let me be clear. I am not interested in making a quick buck or trying to use this experience to defame the company. I simply want to be compensated for a defective product and to hold the company accountable for this very serious safety concern. If that results in recall, so be it, but seeing as this company has had various recalls in the past, it does not seem like that alone will prevent them from manufacturing another defective product.
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