1911 will not feed SWC

[Charlie Martinez]

Recently I posted for assistance in fitting a new barrel to my 1911 pistol. With advice from many here at THR I finally got the barrel fitted & the pistol fully cycles. However it will only reliably cycle with roundnose ammunition. Semiwadcutters will not reliably cycle, or better said they don't cycle at all. This was not a problem when the old barrel was installed.
Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Blue68f100]

Have you tried different magazines. There are specific magazines design for feeding SWC. If your handloading leave around a thumbnail of the bullet shoulder exposed above the mouth of the case. This is the happy medium for most to feed. May need to play with the length to find what works best in your gun.

 

[Bcwitt]

that is often the case w 1911s. Can be corrected w stoning, but lower end models are usually an FMJ proposition.

 

[entropy]

Unless you're seriously competing in Bullseye, SWC bullets in 1911s are more trouble than they're worth. Scoring can be a little harder with FMJ, but after you've done enough of it, the small advantage gained with SWC is lost.
If you have a bunch of SWC that aren't feeding well, just shoot em up plinking.

 

[Charlie Martinez]

Have you tried different magazines. There are specific magazines design for feeding SWC. If your handloading leave around a thumbnail of the bullet shoulder exposed above the mouth of the case. This is the happy medium for most to feed. May need to play with the length to find what works best in your gun.

I handload and have lots of SWC lead. The bullets jam top shoulder of the bullet with the top edge of the barrel chamber mouth. Would exposing more of the bullet shoulder help?

Can be corrected w stoning, but lower end models are usually an FMJ proposition.

Any idea where the stoning should be done? I am shooting Chip McCormick magazines, I believe, the same that I have shot for a while. They worked well with the previous barrel and work quite well with my Colt Ntl Match pistol. The new barrel is an Ed Brown Target drop in barrel. Not the most high end I suppose but not lower end either, or maybe it is, don't rightly know.

 

[Rule3]

Before you go overboard

Not uncommon but we need info on the seating depth of the bullets. Pictures would help
Sometimes just a hair difference solves it.

 

[Col. Harrumph]

If I were you, I'd buy another gun.

I'm not you, but I think I'll buy another gun anyway.

 

[rdnktrkr]

My 1911s also don't like swc but if you look around you can find some rnfp that operate in mine without issues and create nicer holes in paper than standard rn bullets, I bought some bulk boxes of 200gr that have become my favorite.

 

[Blue68f100]

If you have some play to raise the magazine in the receiver may help. It's highly possiable that the new barrel is setting at a different height. Pushing up on the bottom of the mag may give you an indication the barrel is setting higher. If thats the case you can buy magazine releases that are rasied to help correct the height.

 

[Bcwitt]

Lock the slide open & look straight down where the bottem of barrel meets the frame. Thats the trouble spot.

 

[Jim Watson]

Semiwadcutters will not reliably cycle, or better said they don't cycle at all. This was not a problem when the old barrel was installed.

Suggestion: Compare the two barrels' ramps and positioning in the gun.

 

[BBBBill]

Recently I.. fit[ted] a new barrel to my 1911 pistol... I finally got the barrel fitted & the pistol fully cycles. However it will only reliably cycle with roundnose ammunition. Semiwadcutters will not reliably cycle, or better said they don't cycle at all. This was not a problem when the old barrel was installed.

Have you actually fired the gun with the new barrel or just hand cycled? More specifics about how it is failing will help. Does the nose of the round make it into the chamber? Photos of the failure?
The highlited text above is a clue. Look for differences at the pertinant spots: where the barrel mouth meets the frame feed ramp, barrel chamber finish reaming, etc. Never assume that a barrel is correctly reamed regardless of manufacturer's claims. Depth can be right while diameter may be too small (here's looking at you, Kimber). Chamber leade can be inadequate or non-existent

 

[Charlie Martinez]

Have you actually fired the gun with the new barrel or just hand cycled?

I fired the gun.

My only source of comparison for my problem 1911 is my Ntl Match pistol (maybe not a fair comparison but it's all I have).

Comparing the two pistols all appears the same except that when both pistol slides are locked open the barrel of the problem pistol is not 100% tight and can be wiggled slightly back and forth (about 1 mil) & about half that distance side to side. When I move it back and forth the edge of the barrel mouth and the edge of the pistol ramp separate edge to edge from 0 mil to about 1 mil apart. This slight barrel play when the slide is open also appears on my recently bought and almost brand new S&W MP 45 and it too is finicky cycling SWC ammo. On the other hand with the slide locked back the barrel of my Ntl Match pistol is tight and has no play in any direction at all. My Natl Match will cycle just about anything I put in it so I am inclined to believe that this could be the source of the problem. When the slides of all three pistols are closed there is no looseness or play in any of their barrels.

When the problem 1911 fails to cycle the SWC rounds either don't completely enter the chamber or the top edge of the cartridge hangs up with the upper edge of the barrel mouth. If I place the same cartrige in my Natl match pistol none of the problems occur. It is possible that one of the problems is that the cartridge angle of entry is too steep. As Blue68f100 said raising the level of the magazine closer to the barrel mouth would reduce the angle of entry & possibly correct that problem but I would rather solve the issue modifying the barrel not the pistol. I'm thinking that perhaps honing the top of the barrel mouth a bit will do the trick. However I won't do anything unless someone tells me it's OK and how it should be done.

In the end if the solution to the problem involves a great deal of work or buying another barrel I will simply shoot it with FMJ or JHP ammo and save my lead SWC for the Natl Match.

 

[Jim Watson]

But what about the original barrel in the same gun, not two other guns?

 

[Charlie Martinez]

But what about the original barrel in the same gun, not two other guns?

I damaged the original barrel when I accidentally fired a round after a squib load.

 

[Jim Watson]

Can you not compare the ramp position and angle of even a bulged barrel?

 

[BBBBill]

My only source of comparison for my problem 1911 is my Ntl Match pistol (maybe not a fair comparison but it's all I have).

Comparing the two pistols all appears the same except that when both pistol slides are locked open the barrel of the problem pistol is not 100% tight and can be wiggled slightly back and forth (about 1 mil) & about half that distance side to side. When I move it back and forth the edge of the barrel mouth and the edge of the pistol ramp separate edge to edge from 0 mil to about 1 mil apart. This slight barrel play when the slide is open also appears on my recently bought and almost brand new S&W MP 45 and it too is finicky cycling SWC ammo. On the other hand with the slide locked back the barrel of my Ntl Match pistol is tight and has no play in any direction at all. My Natl Match will cycle just about anything I put in it so I am inclined to believe that this could be the source of the problem. When the slides of all three pistols are closed there is no looseness or play in any of their barrels.

I've seldom seen a 1911 or any auto for that matter that will not wiggle a bit at the chamber end with the slide locked back. I seriously doubt that has anything to do with your problem.

When the problem 1911 fails to cycle the SWC rounds either don't completely enter the chamber or the top edge of the cartridge hangs up with the upper edge of the barrel mouth. If I place the same cartrige in my Natl match pistol none of the problems occur.

Without seeing the gun, I'm betting that you have about 95% fit of your new barrel. Need a bit more to finish it up. First tell us what brand/model barrel you bought and what instructions/directions you used to to fit the barrel.
Things that can befuddle you right at the end are: barrel to frame gap with the barrel all the way down in the barrel bed, breakover from barrel mouth to chamber, and final chamber reaming. I'm guessing that your problem may lie there. All easy to fix. One step at a time.

 

[Charlie Martinez]

First tell us what brand/model barrel you bought and what instructions/directions you used to to fit the barrel.

Ed Brown Target "drop in" barrel with fairly simple instructions. I initially measured the old barrel and filed the new one to match. Eventually what seemed to be most effective was filing each side at the top of the barrel between the first and second lugs. I filed just enough on each side to get the slide to fully close with normal spring action. Perhaps a bit more in these area is necessary.

 

[jmorris]

First thing I do with a 1911 is gather up some different mags and a few fired cases. When the pistol feeds an empty case, those are the mags you want to use with it, with any bullet shape.

Looks like this.

1911 mags

www.youtube.com

 

[Coyote3855]

I shot a metric ton of SWCs in a Springfield 1911 in USPSA. I had occasional feeding problems until slightly increasing the taper crimp on handloads. Since they fed in your original barrel, probably unrelated unless the new barrel has a tighter chamber mouth. As others have noted, more information and pictures of the failure to feed issues might help diagnose the problem.

 

[Dan Wesson]

Seating the swc so about a fingernail (.030) of shoulder is exposed is most important. Next, using a sharp knife blade or reamer, scrape the bottom edge of the chamber opening (transition from ramp to chamber) just enough to break the sharp angle there and lightly polish with 1000+ grit sandpaper. Does not take much. Finally, polish the chamber with 1000 grit sand paper so the top of the chamber (where the nose of the swc impacts on cycling) is completely smooth.

I suggest trying these steps before more drastic measures. You may clear up your issues, and none of this will damage your barrel.

 

[NMexJim]

Have you tried different magazines. There are specific magazines design for feeding SWC. If your handloading leave around a thumbnail of the bullet shoulder exposed above the mouth of the case. This is the happy medium for most to feed. May need to play with the length to find what works best in your gun.

Peaked my curiosity, and I looked around for magazines designed for feeding SWC and couldn't find any such animal. Would you attadh an example?

 

[NMexJim]

A call to Ed Brown about your barrel might be of help. There are a lot of posts on the 1911 and Brian Enos forums related to this issue. Maybe some help there.

 

[Charlie Martinez]

I spoke to ED Brown and they said if all else failed (and I didn't ruin the barrel) they could fit it for a reasonable fee (plus shipping). This is still one option but since the gun works with hardball ammo I feel I have it extremely close to done and needs just a small touch in the right place. I'd like to try just a little longer to do it myself.

 

[epags]

A properly fitted barrel should cycle empty (unloaded) brass. Trick magazines are a crutch to an existing problem.
Years ago, I had Tussey do a reliability package on my 1911s and they cycle SWCs and any other ammo without issue. I would like suggest you stop trying to fix the issue and send it to Ed Brown or https://www.tusseycustom.com/pricing/reliability/
Unfortunately, Tussey's cost has almost doubled since I had mine done but on the other hand inflation has more than doubled.