I WANT to love the 1911

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ezypikns

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I had a 5" Kimber Custom TLE. 2 trips to the factory and some more money paid to a gunsmith wouldn't fix the FTE problem. I finally sold it off.
Now I've got a RIA. I figured if I had a good experience with it, I might pop for a S&W or Springfield.
The first 200 rds it ate everything and asked for more. Now I'm coming up with one or two FTF every magazine. I've tried different mags, different ammo, cleaned it thoroughly. It feels good in my hand and is surprisingly accurate, but I'm just about done with the 1911. What good is a weapon if you can't depend on it.
I hate to say that but I see others here who feel the same way.
 
On the positive side, a pistol that is not reliable allows for more practice clearing malfunctions...
 
The first 200 rds it ate everything and asked for more. Now I'm coming up with one or two FTF every magazine. I've tried different mags, different ammo, cleaned it thoroughly. It feels good in my hand and is surprisingly accurate, but I'm just about done with the 1911.
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What kind of mags did you get? Did you get gun show bargains or band names mags like Wilson or Metalform? BTW Wolff spring is now selling mags and they have worked well for me. 1911Tuner preaches 7 round mags flat follower with the dimple. When I bought some quality mags a lot of my problems went away. It also sounds like you extractor needs tuned a bit.

And if you are totally done with 1911s send it to me :) I'll be happy to take it off your hands :)
 
I use the standard Chip McCormick Shooting Star mags and have had good success in my Kimbers, Colts, Springfied, and Norinco pistols.

The 1911 is a good design, it's too bad some companies don't have a decent QC department to make sure they all leave the factory functioning like they should.
 
I hate to hear about your problems with your kimber. Everyone I have dealt with has been totaly reliable. I have one with over 10,000 rounds through it I will never part with it.
 
You really haven't given us enough information with which to help you. All I can say is, I have two Springfield Armory 1911's that have run flawlessly for 1000's of rounds, with Metalform 7rd mags (flat follower, dimpled), and OEM internal extractors. This experience is not unique to me, but is the typical experience. You've either had bad luck, or have chosen the wrong guns. It's known that the external extractor Kimbers have exhibited more problems (though I'm not going to say there have been a LOT of problems, just more), which is why Kimber redesigned their external extractor several times, before recently initiating the switch back to the traditional internal extractor. As for the RIA, well, I'll just say I'm pretty sure you bought the wrong gun there. I bet you could get it to run, but I think you'd be better off getting into a Springfield Armory GI or Mil Spec.
 
I have had personal experienc with three Kimbers, and none of them were reliable. I have three Springfields, and they are all completely reliable. I have three Colts currently, and they are completely reliable. I have Smith & Wesson that is Completely reliable. All are 1911s. I recommend you buy a Springfield Armory Loaded Model or a Smith and Wesson full sized model.
 
ezypikns

I’m sorry to hear it. I’ve been shooting 1911A1s since “78” and I’m now on my 6th. Five have been Colts, and my latest a Les Baer. I must be lucky cause to date I haven’t gotten a bad one, one needed just some minor tweaking and it was bought used. I’ve still got a Series 80 Gold Cup which has a little over 10K through it, and my Baer has now passed the 6.5K mark in a little over 10 months. I replace the recoil springs about every 3k and they seem to just keep going and going.

If you like the ergonomics, I wouldn’t give up on the design just yet. I’ve owned/own SIGs, BHPs, and S&Ws but keep coming back to the 1911. My SIG 220ST almost took me away from my Gold Cup, but my Baer brought me back to the 1911 design. Something about the grip and trigger of a 1911 just seem “right”.

All 1911s are not created equal, don’t give up yet. A lot of problems are either magazine or extractor related.

Chuck
 
Yeah, the 1911 can be an acquired taste...don't give up too quickly! I've gone through a few diff't models from the big 3...er 4...er 5...er...anyway, all 4 of the ones I've owned have been 100% reliable. I sold them off for various reasons but kept a Colt that really shined over the others.
Bottom line...the 1911 may not be for you, just don't be too quick to judge. I've said this many times before...there are too many choices out there to settle. As nice as the 1911 is, if your shooting style isn't enhanced by owning & shooting one, move on
 
+1 on the Les Baer's~!:D

I've just recently acquired a NIB Thunder Ranch Special 1911, and its
by far the finest 1911 I've ever owned. With not much trigger time, it
has been flawless. But, the same can be said for my two Springfield
Armory WW-II G.I. 1911 replicas. Now, I have added a Springfield
1911 mil spec too the mix.:uhoh: As a side note, I already have a
Springfield XD-.45ACP and a .45 caliber West German SIG-SAUER
P220A in place; not to mention a Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry~!:D
 
my S& W 1911 Sc is a terrific gun, only a few minor problems..The great thing about S&W is lifetime warranty and they pay shipping both ways...great reputation for the service department as well
 
Curious about a 1911 that is 100% for the first 200 rounds and then develops problems -- usually its the other way around, problems in the first couple of hundred rounds go away with a little "break in".

Is FTF failue to feed or fire? If failure to feed, remove the extractor and clean the tunnel, its possible crud or FOD is blocking the extractor making it hard for the rounds to get under the hook. Usually takes a lot more than 200 ruonds for crud to build up, but it could be something is in there that shouldn't be.

If failure to fire, crud could be in the channel or the firing pin might have broken. Removing the extractor lets you check the firing pin at the same time.

You can send your RIA back to Armscor in Nevada for repair if the problem persists.


What different ammo have you tried? I was at the range a while back when a guy was having all kinds of problems with his Colt, turns out he'd got a bunch of gun show reloads and many just wouldn't chamber.

My two RIA (one has a J-point red dot optical sight) work fine with the motly assortment of mags I have -- 8 round CMC, 8-round Mec-Gar/ACT/Novack 7-round GI, 7-round GI forgeries with flat or curved followers.

--wally.
 
Cool Barber head Dime medallion grips.

Anyone who has a Kimber that dont run, I will pay you $200 cash no questions for it.

PM me.
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You're too late. I sold both of my unreliable Kimbers, and a friend of mine sold his unreliable Kimber. They were all series one. That's, by the way, a 100% unreliable rating from both of us. Amazing coincidence that I have had four Colt 1911s, three Springfield Armory 1911s, a Wilson 1911 and a Smith & Wesson 1911, and all of them were completely reliable, though one of the Springers required adjustment under warranty, but that problem showed up right out of the box (could not get through a mag without a few jams) and was resolved immediately and completely. The Kimbers had several trips back to the factory, with no solution. Been shooting 1911s since 1981, by the way. Glad you've had such good luck with Kimbers.

PS That's an awesome idea putting that old coin in the grips like that.
 
I have 2 RIA 1911s. My wife was experiencing the same problem. I then shot the pistol with no problem. It turned out that she was "limp wristing" due to her carpal tunnel. With a 1911, you do need to keep your wrist stiff or you will have feed problems.
 
I have 2 RIA 1911s. My wife was experiencing the same problem. I then shot the pistol with no problem. It turned out that she was "limp wristing" due to her carpal tunnel. With a 1911, you do need to keep your wrist stiff or you will have feed problems.
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While it is true that a firm wrist will often mask over a latent reliability issue, I have plenty of 1911s that cannot be made to malfunction as a result of limp wristing. This is crucial, because when one is lying in a pool of one's own blood, one needs one's gun to fire even if he lacks a firm wrist. Usually the people who get tagged "limp wristers" are people who own 1911s that are either lightweight or compact models, or both. These guns do indeed require a firm wrist at all times, as the inertia of the gun's own weight is insufficiently to allow for a sufficiently forceful ejection.
 
Hang in there. I have a Springfield MilSpec that has FTF (feed) problems, giving me a hangup about every 150 rounds. At first I was frustrated and wanted to sell it, but I have been playing around with it a little, and so far, it seems to be doing better.

I believe the problem in my case is the extractor, but a little tweaking seems to have helped.

Wes
 
Wilson 47D magazine

Wilson Bulletproof Extractor

Wilson Custom Tune Spring Kit (with extra power recoil spring)

...cured my cantankerous 1973 Combat Commander. Cheap fix, if you ask me.

100% reliability in a Colt/Hartford 1911...whodathunkit? Now the Colt runs like my Springers!

- Brickboy240
 
Sorry to hear you got FTEs.Good suggestions to remedy have been mentioned. I have Colts, they've been completely reliable, maybe just lucky...
 
Update on RIA

I believe my problem is solved. I purchased a Wolff 7 rd, flat follower (with dimple), 11 pound Wolff spring magazine. In addition, I pulled my extractor and discovered what I can only describe as burrs on BOTH sides of the extractor groove. I carefully smoothed these off and it appears that between these two things, my problem is solved. I wonder if the heat treatment/softness of the extractor material may have caused a problem.
At any rate, I'm shootin' again, and not just ball. She's digesting everything again. What a relief. Thanks for all the assistance.
 
No offense intended to the 1911 crowd as there is a grip for every hand but when I reading about the Kimber woes, a quote comes to mind from one of my favorites. "throw away that nickel plated sissy gun and get yourself a glock".
 
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