My 1911 FTF issue

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  • Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Kimber Target Stainless I purchased used
    Came with an after market mag
    I did bring a Kimber factory and a Wilson combat mag and they did this less but each did it at least once. Put 100 rounds today and 4 FTF total. When I got the gun it was flawless for first 200 rounds then did this almost every mag. Extractor had lots of crud when I pulled it. I just pulled and cleaned it last night. Once today the round instantly fed when I pulled the mag. It’s like the mag is holding onto it too long?

    I shoot reloads with SWC. They all drop into a case gauge fine

    Suggestions? Switching to all factory ammo is out of the question. I’m following a well documented target SWC formula.

    I can however try a box of factory 45 but I was saving that for my GI 1911 and 45 is hard to replace right now. I have plenty of reloads to tinker with.

    Photos are recreations with dummy rounds as the indoor range I was at today does not allow cell phone pics on the range
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    brianns

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 29, 2015
    3,559
    Montgomery County
    Do the rounds drop into the chamber like they do into the case guage? Have you reloaded 45acp for other guns? Are you using 8rnd or 7rnd mags? I never had a perfect experience with the Kimber 8 rnd mags in mine.
     

    Huckleberry

    No One of Consequence
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 19, 2007
    23,306
    Severn & Lewes
    To quote JMB from his website, "I designed two types of 1911s. Those have had a failure to feed, fire or eject a round and those that will have a failure to feed, fire or eject a round. As JMB tweeted General Pershing, "Remember, SPORTS, Jack! Always be prepared for SPORTS!"

    1911 Shooters forget that "Perfect is the Enemy of Good" especially when it comes to their pistol's specifications and tolerances.
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    That was helpful...

    OP, remove the slide assembly and look for barrel bump. Kimbers are notorious for that. It will stall the feeding round as you illustrated in the pic. Barrel bump occurs when the curved section of the lower lugs just in front of the flat bump the slide stop pin. These will show up a shiny polish marks to deep curved depressions. If barrel bump is evident reduce the radius on the front of the lugs until the edge of the link pin hole just misses the bump location(s).

    If barrel bump is not the culprit try feeding a few dummy rounds with the extractor removed. If the feed event is greatly smoothed the extractor should be tuned and tension adjusted.
     

    Huckleberry

    No One of Consequence
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 19, 2007
    23,306
    Severn & Lewes
    4 FTF in the first 300 rounds of reloads is more than enough empirical data to jump though hoops instead of letting the gun breakin a little more with some cleaning, lube and different ammo.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,728
    Socialist State of Maryland

    dfitzs1

    Member
    Mar 24, 2020
    61
    My crappy advice that worked for me is to reduce extractor tension. I've also read to see if chambering the round from the mag while putting pressure on the mag from the bottom. If that fixes it, allegedly you need a new part that allows the magazine to sit higher for the round to feed better.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    The for the “constructive “ suggestions

    Cleaning I follow the Card that came with the gun. It was used but had all the original docs.

    Extractor is beveled at the bottom

    I purchased the wiegan tention gauge. Cleaned it was at 24oz so I left it there.

    Today I took 100 reloads and used the 8 round mag it came with. I loaded up 8 rounds at a time and it failed after about 3 mags. It fails loading the first round and I’m slingshotting it and yes I’m letting it fly.

    After 50 rounds I shot 8 new factory and it was fine. I also repeatedly loaded the first of 8 and it was fine. After letting the 1st round i unloaded and ran the test again.

    For next 50 I loaded 5 at a time and it was fine for about 25 then my steel target came off and I had to end the day. I think the SWC shape is not letting the bullet rotate down. Curios why more rounds in the mag is making a difference.

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    Trigger Time

    Amazed
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 23, 2013
    1,231
    OK,
    I"m also wondering if I don't have enough crimp on the reloads and the mouth of the brass is catching on the top of the chamber?

    The top of the chamber should be smooth all the way so that shouldn't be an issue as long as your rounds pass the plunk test to begin with.

    I was thinking you should run your test with a different magazine.
     

    Trigger Time

    Amazed
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 23, 2013
    1,231
    If you look at these two mags, the one one the bottom has the GI style feed lips ,it was designed to feed the 230 grain ball ammo that the gun was designed for. The one one the top with the tapered lips was designed buy Checkmate to feed SWC bullets , it allows the mag to release the cartridge sooner in the forward cycle.
    As I'm sure you are aware there are a lot of other variables in the operation of a 1911 but most feeding issues are caused by issues with the magazine.
    That's why I would advise trying other magazines before doing damage to an otherwise perfectly good gun.
     

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    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,728
    Socialist State of Maryland
    One more thing you can try. Pull the recoil rod and spring and hand operate the pistol slowly with a loaded magazine. Keep gun pointed in a safe direction and finger away from trigger. You should be able to feel where it is hanging up. Try with different amount of rounds in the mag and note the difference.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    I will load up some dummy rounds and verify the crimp
    With that light trigger I don’t want to mess with live rounds

    Here are the 3 mags I have
    Wilson combat, kimber, 8 round mystery mag
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    I have mostly been using the 8 rounder


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    MaierApril

    Member
    Oct 17, 2017
    66
    Have you tried testing the extractor to see if the case will sit properly with the slide off the frame? I bought a used Charles Daly 1911 a while back and I was having similar issues. Turns out that the previous owner had tried to install an aftermarket extractor without properly fitting it and it wasn't allowing the rim of the case to seat properly causing a similar FTF.
     

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