Let us know the result.
I’m curious what causes the problem. Feeding ramp or magazine.
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+1 on quality mags. I shoot Wilson Combat. I love the 1911 and have more than one in four different calibers. When I acquire a new 1911, or a buddy does and wants me to go shoot his new 1911, first thing I do is pack up a bunch of the WC mags and until a couple boxes of ammo have gone through it, then try it with the factory mags. Sometimes, there might be small burrs manufacturing marks, etc. that are left over that will smooth out relatively quickly. That said, it might provide just enough roughness on a new gun to jam things up or make things not want to play nice. So, you take the magazine out of the equation, let the gun run the way it was designed a couple hundred times, and they will usually become much less fussy on mags.
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I agree with @Enzo_T, good mags will go a long way to solve many feeding issues as well as recoil springs. That being said the most common problem is IB-TAT. Interface Between - Trigger And Target. 1911’s require a certain modicum or force to hold them still or they wont run right. The cheapest fix is to find out if your grip or you is the problem by handing the pistol to a 1911 shooter (or big revolver shooter) and see how they run it.
I don’t call myself a “professional” gun plumber because I don’t do it for money/living but I have more than a fair amount of experience that would get me a gunsmith position should I choose to seek one out. I carve on 1911’s because I enjoy doing it, in addition refer to the previous statement. A “ramp and throat job” can be extreme or mild depending on your needs or desires. My specific mods are considered to be on the more extreme end but the end result is the ability to feed empty cases from a mag, cases as in 7/8 just by racking the slide. I’m not a betting man but I have won a frosty beverage or three by demonstrating it.
Cheers,
Craig6
@DBrogue another thing competition guys run into is when they dump mags on occasion the feed lips will hit an immovable object and the result may be an almost imperceptible change in geometry of the feed lips (normally called a dent) creating issues.
On an range etiquette note: I was RSOing for a IDPA type match some years back and as a courtesy we would follow behind the shooter and pick up the dropped mags and hand them to the shooter at the end of the run. One shooter experienced multiple malfunctions on a single mag and after too long he dumped the mag, reloaded and kept going. The dude lost his mind when I handed him the mags. Fortunately I was taught to keep the mags in order and after calming the guy down we figured out which mag was the issue. That run took him out of contention for the win so he was HOT!!! He had a habit of “flicking” his mags as he ejected them and had bent the feed lip on one just enough to cause issues but didn’t notice it on reloading because his son was using a “Uula” and dropping the rounds in. So note to self: Self, if you see a significant issue with one mag, go to that mag and don’t touch it but be able to point it out as the problem child.
Cheers,
Craig6
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@Enzo_T This is a thread I still have hanging out there until I get to the juicy bits on the ramp and the sear an, and, and
Right now my time is much more taken up with a 1995 Roller Block 351 Windsor that I need to get into my 1977 Ranchero along with an AOD transmission as I would really like to make Trunk or Treat in October. I’ve got it stripped down and I’m ready to send it off for clean, polish and 0.030" over bore prior to reassembly but first I need to yank the old motor and trans, clean up/paint the engine bay, stuff in a Turboboost brake system, re assemble and mate the two and hope like hell that it all runs because I can’t check one without the other.
I suppose I could do the 1911 while I’m waiting…
Cheers,
Craig6
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I have had two issues with 1911s feeding. One was some of the black KimPro on the feeding ramp of a Kimber Micro Raptor in .380. And yes, I call it a 1911. Got the guys at the range to buff up the ramp. Cost me $5. The other was a misalignment of the two feeding ramps following service at Kimber on my CDP Ultra in .45 ACP. I noticed this issue when trying to load Federal Premium HST Hollow Points, 230 grain. These have a big hole in the mouth and the bottom lip was catching on the bottom of the feeding ramp attached to the barrel. As this was a Custom Shop pistol I asked Kimber to take it back and fix the fit. They did and and it is now a great pistol that I often carry.
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