Colt 1911 factory repair or not?

[SHavis]

I have inherited my Dad's Colt 1911 Gold Cup National Match. I even have the original box from 1963. It was his first and most used duty weapon. (I learned to shoot with this gun, so there is much sentimental value here) It still shoots very straight with the 2-5% FTE on the last round. There is significant blueing wear, but, physically, no harm, chips, dings or scratches. I am no 1911 expert, but from a little searching here, there seems to be an ejector issue and, maybe the chamber is out of tolerance. Anyway, on to my question.

Should I send her off to Colt to be refinished and fix whatever ails her or should a local smithey be able to perform the same work as well? I'm in Houston if anyone has first hand experience with anyone here.

 

[rcmodel]

Couple of things you might check.

See if it has a plastic buffer on the recoil spring guide?
If it does, take it off and throw it away.

Next, pull the extractor out of the slide and clean the hole with a used .22 bore brush, as well as the extractor itself.
It may not have been cleaned out in there for years, and crud could be keeping the extractor from doing it's job.

Now, put it back together in the slide and see if you have enough extractor tension to hold a case on the breach-face without it falling off.

If not, bend more curve in the extractor until it will hold a case in place.

While you have the slide off, check the ejector and see if it is loose or might have one leg pin broken that allows it to turn in the frame.

If all that checks out, it should work perfectly, if it ever did.


As for refinishing, I just don't know what to tell you.
It sounds like all the finish wear was put there honestly in your dads duty holster.

Do you really want to loose that family history to a high-polish reblue job?

rcmodel

 

[Jim Watson]

The "issue" is more likely the extractor than the ejector. Chamber flaws show up more in feeding than extraction or ejection.

I don't know if Colt would service a 45 year old gun. I don't guess you could call and ask.
A Customer Service Representative can be reached by calling 1-800-962-COLT(2658), Monday through Friday 10am -12Noon and 1pm - 5pm EST.

If I had a gun that was not ejecting, I would take it to my local 1911 man. Unfortunately, I do not know anybody in Houston. Perhaps somebody can recommend a shop. Shipping to Colt or an outside expert who might post here will run the cost up a good deal.

If it were MY Dad's gun, I would not have it refinished and cover up the use he put it to.

 

[rcmodel]

+1 to Jim.

That the 2-5% F-T-Eject is always the last round, indicates it has nothing at all to do with the chamber.

Sounds like rounds coming up in the mag are doing the 100% ejecting, and when they are all gone, there is nothing left in there to knock the last one out.

It's almost sure to be not enough extractor tension to maintain control of the empty until it hits the ejector, or a broken / loose ejector.

rcmodel

 

[SHavis]

I think you guys are right about the finish. I hadn't really thought about getting her back without the wear. It would be like a new gun. I can go buy a new gun. I'll keep the finish as-is. Thanks ya'll.

On the chamber, the only reason I think there might be an issue there it ther spent casings have, what I think might be exessive powder residue on one side. It's about 25% at the mouth tapering back to a dull point about 75% down the case. None of my other pistols do that, so I was concluding something isn't right in there. This is with new Winchester 230 FMJ.
Thoughts?

 

[rcmodel]

All that tells us is that the WWB ammo is not developing enough pressure to fully expand the case and seal it. And it is dirty ammo to start with.

Dirty powder causes some smoke on the case due the infinitesimal time delay between the bullet moving and full pressure development expanding & sealing the case.

It is nothing to worry about.

Have you tried different ammo besides the WWB?

It is usually not the most powerful ammo around, and that could contribute to your ejection problem.

rcmodel

 

[SHavis]

It's what I got from the range. I shot PMC a while back and don't remember anything odd with that, but I didn't collect my brass then either. Did have the FTE issue though. I'm going to pull the extractor this evening and see if there's any junk behind it and check the other stuff suggested. I have me a really comfortable UBG holster for this & I'd like to be able to carry this on occasion. For that, though, (sentementality aside) she needs to be 100% reliable.

 

[Jim Watson]

I am still thinking it is the extractor; it does not have enough tension or hook, or has years of crud binding it. A marginal extractor will pull the empty out of the chamber and it will be guided by the next round in the magazine until it reaches the ejector. Last round doesn't have that guidance so it goes astray.

Don't worry about scorch marks on the brass. Some loads do it, some don't. All they have to do is hit the target and function the action, no style points for color or cleanliness.

 

[harmonic]

Personally, I've had problems with Colt's repair department. I had to send a Combat Commander back, twice, for the same problem.

They finally fixed the problem, but also managed to put an inch long scratch on the slide. It was a brand new gun.

If your only concern is reliability/functionability, why not send it to THR's own 1911 Tuner? The guy's storehouse of knowledge is phenomenal.

 

[Jim Watson]

I don't think Tuner has a current FFL, you can't ship him a gun to work on. Long way to NC to handcarry it.

Surely there is somebody in the Houston area who knows his way around a Gold Cup.
I have heard well of Gene Williams but he is in Princeton, way up near Dallas.

 

[rcmodel]

I'm still thinking this is going to be such a simple fix (Extractor tension or packed grime) he won't even need a gunsmith!

rcmodel

 

[SHavis]

Over the weekend I had some time to tear her down a bit futher than I have in the past. It took a bit of figuring to finally understand how the extractor is held in place. Pretty simple once I learned how the firing pin holds in a plate that secures the extractor. Once I took all that apart, I found all the internals very respectably absent of any grime. However, the hook on the extractor is visibly worn. The case kind of rolls up and out of it. I could probably file the hook back to square, but surely that is not a very obscure or expensive part.

Any hints on what would be a good aftermarket upgrade?

Thanks much for all the input!
Scott

 

[rcmodel]

It sounds like the extractor hook is perfectly fine.

It is supposed to have a clearence angle on the bottom of the hook, and the case is supposed "kind of roll up and out of it." when it hits the ejector.

Take the extractor, stick it halfway in the hole in the slide, and bend more curve in it, until it will hold an empty case in place in the slide.

Replacing it with an aftermarket extractor before you try that is an excercise in frustation.

The new one will not have all the proper clearance angles cut on it, nor will it be polished in the right places.

You are very likely to have a worse new extractor then the old one you already have, after you increase the tension on it by bending the curve slightly!

rcmodel

 

[SRG]

I think rcmodel offers sage advice. Also, since match guns have typically tighter tolerances, check that the gun has a lubrication film on the rails.

And this may be a longshot, but are the magazine springs as old as the gun? Change out the mag springs.