1911 Full mag, First round failure to feed.

[TnShooter83]

First off....I just replaced the extractor in my RIA, that had a Charles Daly slide. Ordered the extractor form Numerich. The rear of the extractor
stuck out the back of the slide a 1/16", and the head of the extractor was slightly longer causing it to 3-Point jam, as the extractor was pressing against the rear of the case. Not to mention the grove of the extractor needed beveling to feed over the rim of the case easier.......Not the 3 minute job I thought it would be....

Anyhow I bought a new ProMag Magazine today, and the first round will not
chamber on a full mag. If you remove the first round it will load. I did notice on loading that after the 6th round the spring became VERY stiff. This is an 8
round mag. Could it be the spring is to stiff? The only thing I know could cause it. But this is also my first 1911?

 

[CWL]

It is very common for new mag springs to be very stiff and have problems on the last round. This should 'loosen' in a short amount of time.

 

[TnShooter83]

It is the first round of the full 8 round mag.
I've had a few that the mag riser was to low on.
But never a First round jam.

 

[Steve C]

On new magazines that I've had similar problems I just leave the mag fully loaded between using it the next time. That usually lets the spring take a bit of a set and loosen up. The next time the mag is used it will most likely work fine.

 

[B. Adams]

My dad's was doing that with his old Auto-Ordnance 1911 and the mags he had, which were a generic 7 round mag and a Kimber 8 round mag, both very well used. It worked fine with my much newer 7, 8, and 10 round mags. I had him replace his mag springs and the recoil spring in the gun, and the problem was solved.

I imagine that the problem is with the magazine spring, and will probably work itself out naturally once the spring sets. Also, how long has it been since you replaced the recoil spring, or how many rounds have you had through it with this spring? That could be another possibility, based on my experience.

 

[TnShooter83]

As for the recoil spring, I don't know as I bought the gun used.
A new recoil spring should be put in. As I'll add it to my order when buy new
a new front site.

Thanks

 

[Ken Rainey]

A properly tensioned extractor and a good magazine are critical for proper function of 1911 pistols. I recommend C&S spring steel extractors but other name brand extractors will work well also. I've never heard any good reports on ProMag magazines, not that they can't work but I've just never heard anything good about them. The most reliable 1911 magazine is a well made standard 7 round magazine with a dimpled follower such as sold by Colt or CheckMate or Metalform...you can look up some threads/posts by 1911Tuner and see why...although, he has recently helped in the design of an 8 rd magazine by CheckMate that looks promising according to him, and believe me, he knows what it takes to make a 1911 reliable...read some of the 1911 "stickys" in the Gunsmithing and Repairs form...look for the "consolidated 1911 clinic thread" and be sure to read the one entitled "troubleshooting".

 

[1911Tuner]

Just a word...

Check-Mate's 8-round magazines come in two flavors. One has the tapered, late release feed lips identical to Colt's proprietary 7-rounders. The other one is the parallel lipped, early release design. Some reports are starting to trickle in concerning problems with the tapered lip design...in 8-round only.
The 7-round tapered aka "Hybrid" lipped magazine are fine. The parallel/early release 8-rounders also seem to be okay.