Failure to return to battery

[graffer]

I have a Sig GSR 1911. It was among the first made. Using hand loads
of 200 grain lead swc over 5.2 grains of Win 231 powder, I have experienced
erratic failure to return to battery.

I have tried various recoil springs and the problem exists with all three.
Recoil springs of 14, 16.5 variable and standar 18.5 pound were tried.

The problem seemed the least with the 18.5 pound spring.

When the slide strips the round and it is going for the chamber, the round
fails to chamber. I have checked the extractor claw and do not believe it
to be the problem.

As best that I can tell the slide binds when it has stripped the round.

What would cause the slide to bind erratically? Does the grip safety have
anything to do with failure to return to battery.

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I will likely end up
sending it back to Sig. Naturally, I would like to talk to them intelligently
about this problem.

Thanks

graffer

 

[Jim Watson]

Read about "stem bind" at
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58497
Look for the crescent dent in the brass.

Do you gauge or chamber check your reloads?

Does the gun run on factory loads?

 

[BEARMAN]

If your gun fires and functions with factory ammunition , maybe it's your reloads. Remove your barrel from your gun and drop your reloads into the chamber. If they don't fit , the problem is your reloads. If they don't fit ,post sizing them or using a Lee taper crimp die may help.

 

[BigO01]

graffer , had the same problem this summer with my Charles Daly 1911 and 200 gr semiwadcutters , first off remove the extractor and clean the tunnel out with a very small brush and then Q-tips and of course powder solvent .

After that check your reloads , make sure when you bell the case mouth you are doing it just enough to make setting the bullet in the case easier do not over do this or the bullet will start into the seating die at an angle and you wont be able to get a good crimp on the brass due to a overly large Bell and perhaps a bulged case due to the angled entry of the bullet .

After this try an Over All Length of 2.0-2.3 it's a safe load as I do this same thing with 5.4 grains of Winchester 231 .

With all of this your gun should run fine with the 16# recoil spring .

 

[Jim Watson]

An overall length of 2.0-2.3 WHATS?

The usual bulk SWC from a Magma copy of H&G Mould No 68 usually loads out to 1.250" or a bit less.

 

[BigO01]

OOPs call that OAL a brain fart , try 1.20-1.23 .

No idea what I was thinking .

Thanks Jim

 

[graffer]

I will try factory ammo next. This will be on Thursday. If the problem
exists with it, it will help prove to me that stem binding is the culprit.

I will also talk to local 1911 smith.

Thanks for replies.

graffer.

 

[graffer]

Sig GSR

I went to range last nite. I shot 100 rounds of 230 hard ball Win white box.
No problems existed. I am currently blaming the CCI cases that I used to reload the semi wad cutters.

The factory ammo was very accurate and the reliability where I want it.
I am OK with shooting factory ammo only.

Thanks a lot

graffer

 

[deadin]

Semi Wadcutters can give feed problems in any 1911 or clone. Sometime the feed ramp will need polishing and a slight throat change in the barrel will be required. Unfortunately, throating the barrel will cause you to lose a little head support, making the gun a little less able to handle really hot loads. Of course if you are shooting SWC's they're probably target loads and pressure is not a concern. (It just gives you an excuse for two 1911's, one for target work and another for HD/SD. )

A problem I ran across, early on, with reloaded SWC's was not making sure the "step" on the slug was seated flush with the case mouth. If it was forward a little the cartridge sometimes would try to headspace on the bullet lip instead of the case mouth.

Dean

 

[Azrael256]

Sometime the feed ramp will need polishing and a slight throat change in the barrel will be required.

NO! NO! NO! Don't mess with case support. Don't even polish the ramp. Leave it alone. Absolutely any properly tuned gun will handle wadcutters, ball, and JHPs of any (standard) pressure. Demolishing the barrel and ruining the frame is not a necessary modification.

If you're having trouble shooting wadcutters but ball feeds fine, check your magazines. There are two different types: one for ball, and one for wadcutters (and one that's a sort of hybrid, but that's not important).

Try shooting with some factory wadcutters to eliminate reloading mistakes from the equation.