Should I polish my chamber?

Electricmo said:

View attachment 933048 These mags have never caused a issue in my compact 1911.

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The OP edited out what model he has, and I can't remember if he has an aluminum framed 1911, but be aware the Devel follower used in many of the Chip McCormick magazines can tip out of the top of the tube and ding aluminum framed feed ramps.

Justin9999 said:

It’s a Kimber that I received as a gift, which makes me quite reluctant to sell.

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It may take some time, effort, and money but you'll get it running.

I quick comment about magazines. I assume that your pistol is built on a compact frame. If that is the case, the flush fit magazines for those size frames were originally designed to hold six rounds. As time went by the magazine manufacturers modified the design to hold seven rounds while still being flush fit. Unfortunately, this redesign resulted in little to no free space into which the spring could be further compressed as the magazine was seated. It is my SOP to never load more than six rounds into a flush fit magazine meant for use in a compact frame 1911. You can read more about this and other magazine related fitting issues HERE.

When carrying a compact frame 1911 for CCW it has one in the chamber, six in the flush fit magazine, and two modified eight round magazines as spares. Here's a LINK showing the modification allowing the eight round magazines to work in a compact frame.

It's a Kimber? Does the barrel still have a finish as smooth as file?


Might need to knock that down, and use heavy lube until it smooths out. Don't forget to lube the bushing if it has one. Lugs, link, everything.

Zerodefect said:

It's a Kimber? Does the barrel still have a finish as smooth as file?
View attachment 933063

Might need to knock that down, and use heavy lube until it smooths out. Don't forget to lube the bushing if it has one. Lugs, link, everything.

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I prefer bastard files myself

See post #41 - httpd://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/should-i-polish-my-chamber.872507/page-2#post-11590019

Justin9999 said:

There’s been some wild & tacitly assumptions in responses here, baseless statements of “fact”, and inquisitive reasoning had been met with contempt. Now, you’re lying.

I have no interest in taking advice from people of this ilk.

Mod - close this thread & delete my account.

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Whoa.

Didn't you originally mention what model Kimber you had in your OP? Aren't there a couple of missing bullet points in your current OP?

I was merely pointing out if you have an aluminum framed Kimber, using magazines with the Devel follower, as is commonly used in Chip McCormick's line-up, could cause damage to an aluminum feed ramp.

If I am in error with my observations, I apologize.

I see a lot of negativity in this thread, so I haven't read it in detail, but if your problem is not solved yet, theres about a 99% chance, if the gun fully chambers, but does not go into batter, the problem is the extractor tension. I set them to 2.2LB using a scale, and this gets rid of the problem. As others mention, Kimbers can have issues, sub-government 1911's can have issues, and the combinaton can be unworkable.

To offer my help, take a fired case, whatever your favorite brand, knock the primer out, file a notch across the bottom. Run a string through the primer hole, with a knot big enough to keep it from coming through. Tie a loop on the end, mount the slide in a vice, or if you don't have one, just have someone hold it down steadily. Attach the loop to a fish/trigger scale, and keeping the case flat to the breach face, measure the force to get it INTO the extractor, not OUT OF. Take a few measurements, and tune the extractor until you reach around 2lb force required. Any more than 2.5, I start to see your issue, just my experience. The extractor on a 1911 acts as a brake to slow the slide, and if its too tight, that brake works too well. Hope this helps, I can take pics if this didn't make sense. Avoid setting your tension by hanging cases and shaking the slide. That advise is as good as stuffing pipe cleaners in an AR gas tube, or caking it in coconut oil..

I should add too, don't go much lower than 2lb. Below that, I have seen extractors loose their grip, and the case inertia follows the barrel cam arc, slip below the ejector, and tear through a magazine. Strange to see, but I have seen it twice. The magic spot for me, and the 5 or 6 1911's I have done extractor fits for was 2.2-2.5LB. this fine tuning is the big reason one piece extractors have been phased out of all but a very small number of designs.

Mal H said:

Then start apologizing. As an admin I have visibility of everything that is in or ever was in a post, including changes and deletions. At no time did the OP state what model 1911 he had in the first post of this thread (other than it was a 3" 1911).

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I apologize.

Justin9999 said:

I am requesting that all future responses to this thread be limited to those which can conceivably aid in a methodical problem solving process.

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OK. Then help us help you.

How about a methodical "root cause" approach?

Here's the presented problem from OP
So the first round in a fully loaded 7 round magazine fully chambers/goes into full battery? And subsequent rounds in the magazine (3rd through 7th) fully chamber/go into full battery?

Justin9999 said:

It’s a Kimber that I received as a gift, which makes me quite reluctant to sell.

It’s relatively old given the number of rounds that have travelled through the barrel.

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Was the 1911 gifted to you new or used?

• If new, when did the problem start or has this problem existed since new? And what work have you done and parts replaced?
• If used, do you know if the pistol ever cycled/fed all rounds reliably? Is this a new problem FOR YOU? And what work have you done and parts replaced?

If someone approached me with same problem, these are questions I would ask first to start identifying the possible cause of the chambering issue.

In another thread the OP stated the gun was a gift. Supposedly new gun. He shortened the extractor pin and said he polished the ramp and hoped he didn’t mess it up. Stated he has shot 800 rounds through it. Said Kimber wants more rounds shot through it before they will look at it. I thought Kimber wants 500 rounds sent through it for break in. My bet is gun may be ruined. Only a gunsmith will know for sure.

Electricmo said:

In another thread the OP stated the gun was a gift. Supposedly new gun. He shortened the extractor pin and said he polished the ramp and hoped he didn’t mess it up. Stated he has shot 800 rounds through it. Said Kimber wants more rounds shot through it before they will look at it. I thought Kimber wants 500 rounds sent through it for break in. My bet is gun may be ruined. Only a gunsmith will know for sure.

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I always told customers don’t do anything or make any assumptions about a Kimber until you put 1200 rounds through it minimum.

daniel craig said:

I always told customers don’t do anything or make any assumptions about a Kimber until you put 1200 rounds through it minimum.

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That’s 24 boxes of shells. A lot of money in today’s reality. Kimber can take a hike!

That is a ton of ammo to see if the gun will work right.

Want a compact hammer fired .45 ACP that you can rely on to work right the first time every time? Look at the HK45 Compact, you can even carry it cocked and locked. As a bonus it carries more ammo on board.

3.5" Officers models can work well and can be set up to keep running. Same with the Para P-12 ,took me two years to short out the issues on that and yes the second round feed proble came about every 3 mags full. I tried to sort out my friends Colt Defender 3" but it ran most of the time and nothing would make it 100% reliable with ball ammo.
The biggest problem with under Comander length .45 1911 pattern guns seems to be the recoil system, it is really stressed and has a hard time being reliable. In the 3.5 " Guns either the Wilson, which needs machine work or the drop in EGW using the Clark plug work much better than the stock systems. I use the Wilson in Colt Officers and the EGW in the shorty Paras . When you get down to 3" the system gets crazy cramped ! Maybe something works better in one but I have not found it yet. The square bottomed firing pin stop did help in my friends 3" Defender , seemed like it was the answer , but in a few mag dumps there were occasional hang ups like you describe, but less than stock. I would recommend a careful polishing of the roughness in a feed ramp , yes you need a good reference book to know what it should look like. Extractor tension is a problem on 1911s and more on the short version. Para tried to help it with their power extractor system, but being they went out of business and it was proprietary . So that is the challenge ! You might try lighter pointier bullets.

I'm no 1911 expert, but - on any semi-auto, the spring should close a .1" gap and the slide should not hang there. Can you recreate it hanging if you work the slide, pull it back and rack it and let go, or by just pulling it slightly back like a press check 1/4" back, it should close again completely? If it is new - I'd certainly be going through my warranty information and not mucking with it myself.