EMP 1911 slide sticks, won't return to battery.

[OneSevenDeuce]

Hello, wondering if I can get some help with my Springfield Armory EMP 9mm. About 25-30 percent of the time, when I release the slide SLOWLY forward, it will stick and not slide all the way forward. I have to tap on the back of the slide, or the bottom of the magazine well to get it to unstick and go into battery. Now, I know what you are thinking "Just don't release it forward slowly". The thing is, every so often my EMP will fail to return to battery when shooting normally. I suspect that this phenomenon is the reason why. Can anyone give me an idea as to what causes this and how I can fix it? Here is a pic of what it looks like.



Here is a video of the problem as well.

http://youtu.be/VWTUJG9IGTw

 

[mastergunner]

If you can get it to continue into battery by tapping the magazine that may be your problem. I have had problems with after market magazines and even manufacturer mags, sometimes they just get bent or have a burr on them.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

The manual says, "Pull slideback and release slide smartly to allow slide to move forward and load a shell from the magazine into the chamber." (That's the instructions I found for the ESP on the internet... page 18.)

Releasing it slowly, except when you're closing on an empty mag, is clearly NOT the way to do it. If the mag's empty you probably should release it slowly and nudge it closed at the end -- as that minimizes any possible damage to the extractor. (But empty, without a cartridge to chamber, it probably won't need a "nudge.")

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

I don't think that is it, because if you look at the video the pistol does not have a magazine in and it still does this.

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

Walt, thank you for the reply. Yes, I understand that releasing it slowly is not the way to go when normally loading the weapon. However the reason I found out that it does this is because I was having problems returning to battery when shooting normally. Ultimately, releasing the slide slowly is not what I want to be able to accomplish. I want to prevent failures to return to battery, which I think this is causing.

 

[2wheels]

When shooting, is the failure to return to battery accompanied by the nose of a bullet hanging up on the feed ramp? If so, I'd bet what you're doing here has no relation.

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

You know, that's a good question. I can tell you this, the feed ramp is looking a little rough. Maybe polishing that up will solve it.

 

[2wheels]

Some EMPs, mainly early production ones I believe, have issues with the feed ramp that can normally be solved by either polishing or worst case scenario recutting the ramp. Springfield will take care of you either way.

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

Awesome, I'll give it a try. I just so happen to have a can of Mother's Mag right here.

 

[rcmodel]

Have you tried cleaning & oiling it?

Put a dab of grease on the slide rails, barrel locking notched in the slide, disconnector notch in the bottom of the slide, and on the hammer cocking surface.

Then shoot it some more till all the rough spots wear off.

rc

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

Yup, tried all that, to no avail. It already has about a thousand rounds through it.

 

[rcmodel]

Is the slide sticky on the frame with the barrel out of it?

rc

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

No, for most of the cycle it's smooth as can be, with or without the barrel. It's just that last little quarter inch or so.

 

[rcmodel]

Sounds like a barrel link fitting issue then.

The link may be too short, causing the barrel cam lugs to bind hard on the slide stop pin as it tries to lock up.

Try putting the slide & barrel back on Without the recoil spring and slide stop pin in place.

Then feel for the 'catch' as you ease it shut.
If the catch is gone, the barrel link is too short.

If it's still there, the locking cams on the barrel lugs are fitted too tight to the slide stop pin.

Two fixes for that.
1. Send it back for proper fitting.
2. Or open up the bottom of the hole in the barrel link slightly with a round needle file if it's that?
3. Or if it is the barrel locking cams, polish them slightly with a rubber Cratex tip on a Dremel tool.

rc

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

Thanks, will check that out.

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

I just noticed that there are tiny burrs on the forward edge of the locking lugs on the barrel, like they have been rubbing against the slide just a bit too much.

 

[rcmodel]

Well, that might indicate the barrel link is too long already and not pulling the barrel down away from the slide far enough!

This might be a good cantidate for a trip back to the mothership and let them sort it out!

rc

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

I think you are right.

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

Update: I filed down the burrs on the locking lugs just to the point that my fingernail no longer catches on them. The problem is becoming harder and harder to replicate, so I think I'm on the right track. Thanks guys.

 

[BBBBill]

Just to be sure that you understand - Filing them down will not eliminate the problem if the link is indeed too long or there is insufficient link down clearance for some other reason. It will only get worse until the source of the problem is corrected or it destroys the barrel and/or slide.

The burrs are the result of the problem, not the cause. They are damage from the lack of clearance, not the cause of the clearance issue.

 

[george burns]

Yes, I had one that did the same thing. Polish the inside of the slide, where the magazine sits with the next round touching the frame.
That little piece of metal that the cartridge rubs against, Just smooth it out with some good polish, don't take off material. Just a mirror shine with a dremmel will do. That should get rid of your problem, it did mine, after that I never had another problem.

 

[OneSevenDeuce]

BBBBill, yes I understand. And of course you are right. All I did was smooth out some burrs, and I will see if it remains a major problem. If the burrs redevelop, or if I keep having the same problems then there is certainly a bigger issue at play.

 

[Lafitte]

Looks like it is stopping just as slide to barrell lockup takes place. I would take a look at that, might test it with a shorter link to see if that is the problem.

Lafitte

 

[Claude Clay]

most current model 1911's will have a ~hang-up at that spot when the slide is slowly manually closed. I forget what the name of the safety feature is, has to do with being in batter for the firing pin stop disconnect.

but if it is happening when being fired than I go with ( perhaps in addition to) the chamber being cut small... still within tolerance but on the small side. thus some ammo that is tolerance 'fat' will hang up by the base -- same area of the slide as the safety disconnect area. thus compounding the trouble.
my Sig C-3 has a tight chamber and will once in a while hang up as in your picture.
I run it just with the ammo it likes and golden sabers for SD

mic the rounds that cause the hang-up. this will help eliminate the fat/tight from the equation.

good luck

 

[1911Tuner]

Point it straight up and cycle it.

If it doesn't hang up, it means that the barrel is moving into the slide too early and the front lug corners are catching on the slide's rear lug corners.

This is what causes a slide to stop during a Three Point Jam.
It just happens for a different reason.

most current model 1911's will have a ~hang-up at that spot when the slide is slowly manually closed.

If they do that...somethin's wrong. See above.