1911 feed ramp questions

[1911Tuner]

Just don't allow anyone to think I was responsible for the 'work'.

I think that would go without sayin'.
Anyone who's seen your work or pictures of same would know better than that.

And...I will use them in my never-ending quest to get people to leave that flippin' Dremel in the drawer...cause there ain't nothin' that can be screwed up that can't be screwed up faster with a Dremel. A lot faster...

 

[1911Tuner]

Just as an addendum...lookin' at those pictures provided by RogersPrecision...they tell a story.
I know what happened without even bein' there to watch it happen.

Dan decided to blend the frame ramp into the barrel ramp for a smooth, no-bump transition. That the gun possibly fed just fine had no bearing on his decision. He had to do it. It said so in American handgunner!

So...he proceeded to blend. Then, when he noticed that the leading edge of the barrel ramp was overhanging into the magwell, and would grab the bullet nose...he broke out the file and knocked the edge back.

At this point, he probably started thinkin' that this may not have been such a good idea because he didn't proceed immediately to blend the barrel ramp into the barrel bed...and he test-fed a few rounds before doing anything else.

They probably fed okay...once in a while...but the gun was now failing to go to battery due to a hard 3-Point Jam...which is the natural result of the bullet nose slamming into the barrel ramp.

So...sweating profusely, our genuis starts troubleshooting and discovers that the reason for the jam is, in fact, because the bullet nose now hits the barrel ramp.

Hmmmm. Desparation sets in. If it's somebody else's gun...he starts to feel queasy. Sweat is now coming in dollops and dripping in his eyes.

"The Dremel! Of course! All I gotta do is grind the barrel ramp down far enough to let that ol' bullet slide right in."

So, now, he's got the gun feeding again. Whew! He takes it out to shoot it...juuuuuuuuuust to make sure....and bangbangbang...all is working...just...PERFECT!

"Ahhhh! Good show!"

Until he picks up the brass and notices that ugly little guppy belly bulge just ahead of the extractor groove.

"OMG! What have I done??? OMG! OMG!"

And a few days later...somebody who has the equipment and the knowledge to mill away the damaged ramp and install an insert or a ramped barrel gets the gun.

Cost of machine work and installing the insert...I dunno. Probably about 150 bucks these days. Pistolsmiths gotta pay for that equipment.

Cost of a new barrel and correct installation...What? 200 dollars? More?

Now, we're up to about 75% of the cost of a new GI Springfield, or almost half the cost of a NRM Colt.

And there's still shipping and handling...insurance...and that long wait until the smith can get to it.

Gentlemen! Start your Dremels! The smiths of America have bills to pay.

 

[ironlung]

Thanks for the clear descriptions. I really enjoy when tuner and RP talk shop.

In my minds eye I see an invisible ramp between the top corner of the frame ramp and barrel ramp that must be "correct" for proper function.


Chuck you description of how you cut the ramp was perfect. By generous I mean compared to the fit of oter parts of the machine .360"-.420" is pretty wide.

I now understand the profile is the shape of an arc with no flat area. I could see that the "end" of the endmill was clear in the void of the magwell to not leave a step. I suppouse someone (me?) could get away with a similar setup but use a boring head instead of a custom endmill to fix just one frame or maybe finish an 80%er like I've been considering.

Kuhnhausen's books are on the way. Any others good to have in the library?

I have to get me one of theese 1911 contraptions!

 

[1911Tuner]

One last point...

If the frame ramp angle is wrong...it's much better and easier to work around if it's a little too steep/acute.. i.e. 30 degrees is better than 33 from the mechanic's approach. Not a problem for a fully-equipped shop and a smith who can do a ramp insert repair...just expensive.

I'm not a gunsmith. I'm a mechanic. I don't have the necessary equipment for such things. Chuck/RogersPrecision is a smith. George Smith/Evolution Gun Works is a smith. They repair. I salvage when and if I can without major surgery. If I hit a ramp angle that I can't work with, or if it's been "polished" beyond the limit by Dan or Bubba with their handy-dandy Dremel...off to the smith it's gotta go. Or...in the scrap bin.