[Sgt Neutron]

Went shooting today, and brought along my 400 with 100 rounds of surplus Toledo 1949 ammo (not the best around-10% misfires, but got a good price on it). Anyway, when I got home I started to clean it(corrosive ammo you know), and noticed that the rear frame rail is cracked about ¾" from the back of the frame going diagonally down to the rear of the frame. Looks like it will eventually break away. I could probably shoot it like this, as there is still considerable bearing surface on the remaining rail, but dang, this is such a tack driver! Anyway, I'll start looking for either a frame, or another gun and have lots of spare parts. In the meantime I still have about 250 rounds of the Toledo stuff left, and 2,000 rounds of 1963 Santa Barbara ammo, PLUS 500 Starline cases. Might need to find a Star "A" as well .

 

[GUNBB]

They used to say that shooting .38 Super , in these 400's would crack the slide. Maybe the previous owner was reloading and wasn't too careful about it. Best to retire it . BB

 

[Begemot]

Is your 400 from the 1920s? An informal "survey" on this board I prompted on this board a few months ago turned up some others with 1920s - era 400s with cracked frames, but none from the 1930s and 1940s. Ditto the 600s, which fire the 9mm Luger out of what is essentially a lighter version of the same gun -- no cracks in the 600s (which were designed for the Germans around 1943).

 

[graybeard]

A good replacement barrel for the Astra 400 is real hard to find - don't give it away!!!

 

[JP1]

I would take the frame to a professional welder and get a opinion on it. Preferably one that has worked in the aerospace or pipeline industry where there quality is or was assured by xray.

 

[Sgt Neutron]

I would take the frame to a professional welder and get a opinion on it. Preferably one that has worked in the aerospace or pipeline industry where there quality is or was assured by xray.

I think for now I'll try to find another Astra 400 to use as a shooter (I have a lot of ammo, so logic dictates that I need a gun to shoot it all, right? ). If all fails, I'll have a good supply of spare parts from the old gun. As Begemot posted above, the gun is a 1920's production (#226xx), so it isn't unheard of for the frame to crack. I'm getting ready to move in the next few months, so this will be a back burner project. I'm pretty sure I could find a quality aerospace welder either here(Wichita), or where I'm moving (Seattle).

 

[partsproduction]

A photo sure would be nice. I'd like to see where to look on mine. Thanks

 

[Sgt Neutron]

A photo sure would be nice. I'd like to see where to look on mine. Thanks

I'll try a photo here:

 

[Sgt Neutron]

I'll try a photo here:
View attachment 529118

UPDATE---Found another 400, and shoots just as good as the old one. "New" one is in the 88xxx serial range, so hopefully won't have weak frame issues. Good thing is that now I have lots of spare parts.

 

[gunbarrel]

Está rota.

 

[Eagleprof]

Years ago I owned an Astra 400 that had a crack in the rear of the slide. It didn't go along the length of the frame like yours but up and down, perpendicular to the one in the picture. It was about a quarter of an inch long on the back face of the slide about a third of the way from the left edge, and went to the bottom of the slide. I "retired" that piece and it is long gone. If memory serves, the serial number was below 10,000. Perhaps the metallurgy was not up to speed yet in the early 400's.