View Full Version : normal break in or serious problem
i just purchased my first 1911 pistol. i bought the sprongfield armory 1911 gi. on my first trip to the range i kept getting a feed problem. the slide would stop about a quarter inch shy on the initial chamber. then it would stop about an 8th inch from closed while firing through the magazine.if i pushed the slide forward it would be fine. i tried 3 different magazines with the same problem. i cleaned it and no change.i only have about 200 rounds through it. being this is my first 1911 i dont know if this is normal or if i need to take it in. the gun was nib when i got it. i was using winchester targets and remmington umc ammo.any help whould be appreciated.
G36's Rule
07-11-2004, 11:09
Could be any number of problems.
Tight extractor, tight chamber, weak recoil spring, too tight a slide to frame fit...
How often is it happening?
For what it is worth, I bought the standard Mil-spec back in December and have over 3,000 rounds through it with 1 FTE. And that happen around approx. round 800 after any supposed break in period.
its about every other magazine.
joegerardi
07-11-2004, 11:15
Originally posted by snaponj
i just purchased my first 1911 pistol. i bought the sprongfield armory 1911 gi. on my first trip to the range i kept getting a feed problem. the slide would stop about a quarter inch shy on the initial chamber. then it would stop about an 8th inch from closed while firing through the magazine.if i pushed the slide forward it would be fine. i tried 3 different magazines with the same problem. i cleaned it and no change.i only have about 200 rounds through it. being this is my first 1911 i dont know if this is normal or if i need to take it in. the gun was nib when i got it. i was using winchester targets and remmington umc ammo.any help whould be appreciated.
Sounds like it might possibly be an extractor problem. Springfields, while nice pistols (I have a realtively new Loaded Operator) have a reputation of not having the greatest extractors.
Try taking off the slide, and after disassembly, flip the slide bottom up. Place an empty shell casing under the extractor. Can you fit it in somewhat easily, or is it tight? Does it hold it in place when you flip it right side up? If not, you might want to conside replacing the extractor. I say replace, rather than send to SA, because - whilst they have *great* customer service - you might not want to wait the time it takes to get it out and back to you, and the extractor is an easy self-replacement.
..Joe
G36's Rule
07-11-2004, 11:35
I to would go with the extractor as the problem right now. Do the check that joegerardi said. If it is real tight to get the shell under the extractor, that is probably the problem.
joegerardi
07-11-2004, 11:54
Forgot to add:
If it is too tight to fit the shell casing under the extractor, there are 2 solutions:
1- remove and replace the extractor. See if it is just a fit problem
2- Some VERY judicious use of a file will fix the problem. Use a finer file, and make only one pass at a time until the casing fits snug. It's a WHOLE lot easier and cheaper to take a little more off than it is to put it back on! :)
If it is not the extractor, then I would head over the The High Road (www.highroad.org) and do a search on the username "1911tuner" and ask him the same question. This man is one of the most knowledgable people I have ever encountered on all things 1911, and is always willing to help.
..Joe
I would check the lower edge of the extractor to see if it has the bevel. If not, check out the how-tos at the 1911forum. If so, again check the how-to section on how to adjust the extractor. I would try all this first before doing any other filing on the extractor itself.
i tried to fit the bullet under the extractor. it fit pretty tight.i flipped the slide over and the bullet stayed in place. is that bad? and if that is a problem what kind of extractor is recommended?how will that effect the warranty?
Doesn't sound like a break-in issue to me.
akapennypincher
07-11-2004, 21:54
Originally posted by snaponj
i just purchased my first 1911 pistol. i bought the sprongfield armory 1911 gi. on my first trip to the range i kept getting a feed problem. the slide would stop about a quarter inch shy on the initial chamber. then it would stop about an 8th inch from closed while firing through the magazine.if i pushed the slide forward it would be fine. i tried 3 different magazines with the same problem. i cleaned it and no change.i only have about 200 rounds through it. being this is my first 1911 i dont know if this is normal or if i need to take it in. the gun was nib when i got it. i was using winchester targets and remmington umc ammo.any help whould be appreciated.
I would reread you post above. Than ask yourself one question. Would I trust my life to this P.O.S. Than I would return the P.O.S. to Springfield Armory with a note saying please remanufacture this P.O.S. so that I could trust my life to it.
P.S. This is just my opinion. Maybe you should have bought a Sig, or Gold, or Colt..... :( :( :( :(
G36's Rule
07-12-2004, 13:09
Originally posted by snaponj
i tried to fit the bullet under the extractor. it fit pretty tight.i flipped the slide over and the bullet stayed in place. is that bad? and if that is a problem what kind of extractor is recommended?how will that effect the warranty?
Too tight is not right. Yes, the extractor should hold a loaded cartridge in place when the slide is turned over. But it should slip under the extractor fairly easily.
You can buy aftermarket extractors at a number of places. I use www.brownells.com for a lot of different parts. Ed Brown or Wilson are supposedly the best brands. You can do a search here on a poster by the name of critter as he has excellent advise. A guy by the name of 1911tuner also is good. Also try a search on "1911 extractor tuning", you will probably get a dictionary worth of hits.
Don't pay any attention to the silly post by Colt cultist. ALL brands of 1911's can have extractor problems. I've seen a lot of different brands of 1911's choke because of extractor issues.
Go to http://forums.1911forum.com/ and check under the different brands. It is a common issue.
Gee, Pincher does that mean Colt and Sig only put out pistol's that won't fail? I have a Springfield 1911-A1 that has been very reliable. I would let the factory have another crack at fixing it.
i've had couple sigs that would not work out of the box and rusting out of the box.
this is probably just extractor issue, either tension or the tip is a little sharp.
Well, this isn't uncommon nor is it aacceptable. I'm certain it is a simple adjustment here or there.
First, since you went through 4 boxes of ammo from two manufacturers I would rule the ammo out. It would be possible for a bad misized batch to get out, but the odds from two manufacturere would be too great.
Your extractor should hold a loaded round when you turn it over, but a sharp wrap on the bottom should normally turn it loose. At the very least, a very slight push should let it fall out. That adresses tension problems. Look at the tip of the extractor to see if there are any burrs. I'm doubting this is the problem anyway, but it's possible.
Gun too tight? Well, i guess it could be possible, but unlikely from a production gun. Tolerances on a production line would normally not allow it, besides the gun functions, so I would haveto say it's not binding. If you know how to detail strip one completely you could check by assembling the slide with barrel and bushing in plase to a completly stripped frame with the slide stop and see if it will cycle under it's own weight. It should.
Now, if it were in my shop, I would look at the relationship the back of the barrel has to the feed ramp. There needs to be a gap, if not, you need barrel work. I would check the chamber, you could actually do this by seeing if a loaded round will drop in freely and fall out freely and make sure it's nice and smooth inside. There are also a few things I would check on the breechface including the width of the lower part and the smoothness and squarenes of it. Most of these things get addressed ina a reliabilty tune up. They should have been addressed at the factory forst though, but that would add up to too much cost. The warranty department should take care of it, it's kind of hit or miss though from what I hear. Other than that, take it or send it to a smith sopecializing in 1911's. Sometimes it's just the combination of a few minor things that cause failures like that. It's just hard to say without seeing it myself.
Bill
My GI had the same problem but worked fine once I cleaned it. Put some more ammo though, it could be your pistol had a tight extractor that needs some more ammo to loosen up. Tell Springfield and see what they say. Your gun is covered by a warranty.
Another possible problem is you did not clean the gun good enough. When a pistol is sitting on a shelf over time the lube from the factory will dry up, it’s crucial that you do a detailed strip of the pistol and clean the parts very well. Dried up oil can be like glue in a gun.
Also check your ILS to make sure its in the proper place for firing and isnt semi locked...
akapennypincher
07-12-2004, 16:49
Originally posted by KIDCOP
Gee, Pincher does that mean Colt and Sig only put out pistol's that won't fail?
No what that mean is simply if I own a firearm, any firearm. I have a very simple rule, and expectation of it.
It must be reliable enough to trust my life too. If it is not it is totally unacceptable to me.
All I expect is dependability, & accuracy with high quality ammo. Nothing more, nothing less.
If it is not dependable, & accurate that it is a paper weight, or wall hanger. Nothing more, nothing less.
You are lucky KIDCOP as you have P-32 that I am sure is 100%++++ Percent Dependable.
thanks for all the help guys. i talked to the gun smith at the shop i bought it at and i'm going to take it up to him this week. i'll post what he says.are there any sites that aid in taking my 1911 apart? this is my first one and at this point i can only strip it down for cleaning. what tools will i need to completely strip it down?
joegerardi
07-12-2004, 21:38
1911tuner's great detail strip article:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56796
..Joe
Originally posted by akapennypincher
No what that mean is simply if I own a firearm, any firearm. I have a very simple rule, and expectation of it.
It must be reliable enough to trust my life too. If it is not it is totally unacceptable to me.
All I expect is dependability, & accuracy with high quality ammo. Nothing more, nothing less.
If it is not dependable, & accurate that it is a paper weight, or wall hanger. Nothing more, nothing less.
You are lucky KIDCOP as you have P-32 that I am sure is 100%++++ Percent Dependable.
Pincher, I was just playin with you. I won't put a problematic pistol on my gun belt unless it's gone 1,000 rounds without a hickup. Others can go at 500. So far the only one I've had problems with was a Sigma 9mm and it was a POS. P-32 has been 100% in doing what I think it ought to do.
well i picked up my 1911 today. the smith filed down the extractor and smoothed out the mouth of the barrel.he said he put 50 rounds through it with no problems. i'm taking it to the range this weekend to see how it does. i asked him about changing the sights on it and was told that it would have to be machined to fit. is this true? or does someone make sights for the gi model? i dont care for the low sights.
If you go with the Colt commercial sights it won't need to be. They look just like what you have on the pistol but are a little larger and taller. The front site will need replacing also to match the hight difference. It will retain the original look but give you an excellent sight picture.
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