After experiencing several frustrating stovepipes at the first trigger pull...I was determined to figure out why....then another issue became clear. I was foolishly dropping my chamber flag in the dirt as well...after clearing and locking, i was inserting a dirty/sandy chamber flag into the barrel.
that's a good point. after i whittled down my Official Appleseed Chamber Flag to make it fit lengthwise, i started finding plastic residue in the hollowpoint pit of rounds i had chambered but didn't get to fire.
gotta be careful not to jam it in there too quick and shave flakes off the sides of the flag and directly into the chamber, even if it is clean!