1911 Jamming Issue

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cyclopsshooter

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I have a 1911 that was once 100% reliable but now is occasionally jamming

The pistol is in spec with no bubbaing
The three mags I use are Colt

The jam could be called a horizontal stove pipe-
it is always the second to last round and happens occasionally in each mag
the second to last case does not eject and crashes into the chamber hood

i replaced my old 18lb spring for a new 16lb (which was stiffer!) but the problem persisted... put in a new 18lb and the problem is still there.

premium hollowpoints seem to work fine (have not shot too many)

jam happens with ball ammo from magtec and remington

any thoughts? :banghead:
 
Stop using that ammo? Remington is the only ball ammo that my glock acts weird on. WWB or Sellior bellot works just fine in 230 gr.
 
wish i could try different ammo but nothing else is available locally... the remington used to work fine but i had two jams out of the last box- ii have at least 4 or 5 jams with a box of magtec-
 
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It's doubtful this is it, but disassemble and clean your magazines. Your followers and magazine interiors may be dirty and dragging along the sides or front & back.

Another possibility is weak magazine springs. If you shoot a lot, continuous compression and release wears out springs. Constant load will not wear them out, but loading & unloading will. You can leave them loaded for decades and it won't wear them out.

I disassemble & brush the heck out of every mag I own once per year. My Hi Standards are the worst for getting dirty and malfunctioning because of all the fouling 22 ammo leaves behind.
 
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The more rounds you put threw it the more likley it will loosen up and become more likley to shoot most ammo's.
But it is true some guns are ammo picky, So you may need to try several brands and keep putting that threw the gun.
The expensive part is testing hollow points for SD, Worst case scenario is to use Powerball ammo if HP's give you issues. Usually ones with the smallest mouths tend to feed better than large wide open HP's.

Just how old is the gun and mags and how many rounds you shot threw it?
 
it is a build i put together a few years ago- colt postwar military contract slide, commercial colt barrel with wide throat- throat and chamber have been polished

the problem isnt a feeding issue but rather an ejection issue
 
the problem isn't a feeding issue but rather an ejection issue
Click to expand...
If thats the case id definitely be looking at the extractor and check its tensioned right and also that its not worn or peened.
Depending on how tight the slide/frame fit is and how everything is set up, A round that is on the weak side can cause issues also. I say that since you just said the new ammo worked flawlessly.
If thats the case you may check for binding or sticking of the slide and even drop down to a lower spring rate depending on how far its throwing brass.
How far is it throwing the brass now you put the new lower powered spring in?
 
my old spring was weak, the new 16lb was quite stiffer and corrected some of the problem- also bumped it up to a 1new 18lb

the rail fit is good and silky smooth to rack

i have been looking at the extractor and the claw is perfect- as for its tension... its positioning looks good but i may just need to add a hair...

like you said, im probably just in need of a little tune up- thanks, das, for being a sounding board! sometimes the hardest gun to fix is your own... its kinda like not being able to notice how your body changes over time :)
 
cyclopsshooter said:
I have a 1911 that was once 100% reliable but now is occasionally jamming

The pistol is in spec with no bubbaing
The three mags I use are Colt

The jam could be called a horizontal stove pipe-
it is always the second to last round and happens occasionally in each mag
the second to last case does not eject and crashes into the chamber hood

i replaced my old 18lb spring for a new 16lb (which was stiffer!) but the problem persisted... put in a new 18lb and the problem is still there.

premium hollowpoints seem to work fine (have not shot too many)

jam happens with ball ammo from magtec and remington

any thoughts? :banghead:
Click to expand...
I've never had that same problem, but I have noticed that the only time I ever did have any failures was using Magtech ammo. Ever since then, I never buy Magtech. Also never had a problem since. Coincidence?
 
Would weak/sticky mags not put up enough pressure on the empty case to cause it to eject properly? What does it do with only 1 round in the mag or with a round chambered but no mag in? Those two tests could eliminate some things.

I would clean the mags and try a new one just to be sure. But I dont think this is the problem really.


I would expect and out of tune extractor or a out of spec ejector.
 
I was having the same problem with a brand new gun. The extractor was not chipped and looked to be in perfect alignment. I looked this up and followed the directions. It now runs 100%. If you try this, don't take it too far as it will cause feeding issues. Hope this helps.
http://www.m1911.org/technic2.htm

I just saw that dasfriek posted the same link. Sorry for the repetition but consider it a second endorsement.
 
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Just replace the extractor with a Wilson Combat one. That has solved many a problem for me.
 
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