Gee… I never had an issue with punching in/out audio tracks here. But maybe it’s the way I do it that saves me from hearing a drop out.
When I get a flubbed section that I want to fix with punch in/out, I quickly make a copy of the track. Lower it’s volume a bit, then do the punch in/out on the original track (punching in/out a bar or two on either side).
After that, it’s a few cuts (usually, but, not always, at zero crossing), add the crossfades, and it’s done. Repeat as necessary for other flubbed areas. When satisfied, I delete the duplicate track.
I like making the duplicate track so that I can listen over the flubbed section(s) while I’m doing the punch in/out.
Regards 