1911 mags locking in?

[txgunsuscg]

So this is the second time this has happened, once with a Springfield GI 1911, and now with a Ruger SR1911 Commander. The problem is that if I leave the mags in for a prolonged period of time - more than 1 week - without removing it, it actually locks into place, and takes way more effort than I want to make with a loaded gun to remove it. I can't remember if it was the same mag both times, but it was an 8-round mag, with 7 rounds in the mag. With the Ruger, it was the stock mag catch. With the Springfield, it was a Nighthawk extended mag catch. Any ideas?

 

[VetPsychWars]

******* comment: stop using WD-40!

True comment: Dried lubricant of some sort, and probably too much of it. Clean everything really well and only use a light weapons oil, wiped on and wiped off. I'm using Wilson Combat oil, for now, it works well. There's nothing wrong with PL-S, GI oii, current version is Castrol 300.

Tom

 

[rcmodel]

Dried lubricant of some sort, and probably too much of it.

Or, no lubricant, and probably not enough of it.

Take the mag catch out of the frame, and clean & lube the spring & mag catch lock before putting it back in.

rc

 

[txgunsuscg]

Amplification - the mag catch moves freely, or at least appears to, the mag just won't come out...

 

[rcmodel]

O.K. then!

Look inside the grip and see if any of the grip screws are too long and sticking into the mag well.
If they are, file or grind them off so they aren't.

rc

 

[huntershooter]

Next time it happens, make a note of which magazine.
If it's a "sometime" problem, good chance it's the magazine.

 

[txgunsuscg]

So in the continuing drama, I decided to take out the mag catch to check it. It won't come out. The mag catch won't push in far enough to rotate the catch lock and remove it...

 

[Steve C]

Cycle a round or two out of the mag to relieve some of the spring pressure that pushes the magazine against the catch and see if that doesn't help. Anytime you load a full mag and try to eject it the release will be harder to operate due to the heavy spring pressure against it from the rounds in the magazine that have a fully compressed spring underneath them.

 

[rcmodel]

It won't come out. The mag catch won't push in far enough to rotate the catch lock and remove it...

I ran into the same thing with the mag catch lock plunger on a Springfield GI of a friends last year.

As I recall, I smacked the mag catch a few times with a rubber mallet to fully seat the spring and knock off any burs in the frame.

Then, you had to hold your mouth just right to hit the sweet spot where it would rotate.

If they put it in, It Will come back out, if you hit on the right combination.

rc

 

[Jim K]

If it only happens with one magazine (or one brand), it may be that the magazine is too long. The 1911 magazine is stopped from going in too far by the toe of the floorplate hitting the bottom of the front strap. If the magazine is too long, the top can go up too far and jam against the ejector, making it very difficult to remove.

(Some years ago there was a batch of ten round magazines sold at gun shows that had no stop in the front; when inserted, they jammed in and spectators at bowling pin shoots learned some new words.)

Jim

 

[Zach S]

Next time it happens, make a note of which magazine.

Which is why all of my magazines are numbered...

 

[txgunsuscg]

I ran into the same thing with the mag catch lock plunger on a Springfield GI of a friends last year.

As I recall, I smacked the mag catch a few times with a rubber mallet to fully seat the spring and knock off any burs in the frame.

Then, you had to hold your mouth just right to hit the sweet spot where it would rotate.

If they put it in, It Will come back out, if you hit on the right combination.

rc

Yeah, it took some very unauthorized banging to get it out... Then I noticed that the spring, catch lock, and catch all have what appears to be rust on the interior. Apparently there is either burrs or rust built up on those parts that are preventing them from operating properly...