New Kimber 1911 not fully chambering

[ontarget]

I picked up a couple of Smith and Wesson 1911 mags for use in my RI. Granted it's not a kimber but the S&W mags have been flawless feeders. Getting the 8th round in is a challenge though. Even fully loaded no problems.

 

[3Crows]

You might consider a Wolf heavy spring. I would stop polishing parts and send it back to Kimber if the Wolf spring does not sure the issue. This is a known problem with the 4 inch Kimbers but not so much on the full size pistols. But, it cannot hurt to try.

 

[Rock185]

OhioShooter, the extractor can, and did, cause the type of malfunction you're seeing with one of my new Colts.

But FWIW, on a new Kimber, it was what Jim Watson described. That break-over point between ramp and chamber needs a slight radius. A small thing, and easily corrected, but it needs to be there. Might mention, had the same issue with a rather expensive Springfield custom gun by a nationally known gunsmith. Just the slightest "softening" of that break-over point between ramp and chamber corrected the issue...

 

[WrongHanded]

Sounds like a frustrating situation. Not to discount the feed ramp and extractor suggestions, but if you can even just borrow a magazine that is known to be reliable, that would be the simplest thing to rule out.

 

[OhioShooter75]

Thanks,

So I have the pistol cycling well now, at least on the bench it doesn’t malfunction at all. I cleaned up the the face circled in the picture below a little. Smoothed out the surface and added a little radius to the lead in.
I’ll shoot it this weekend and see how it goes. I may have to take a little tension off the extractor still but I want to test fire it first.
If I’m still seeing the marks on the bottom of the case mouth I might ease the bottom edge of the chamber a little.
I really don’t think the mags are a problem like I said I’m using KimPro tac-mags made by CkeckMate. They work perfectly in my brothers gun and his doesn’t improve anything in mine. I’ll post a follow up after I test things out.

 

[mljdeckard]

My Kimber Custom II has been the best handgun I ever owned. If it has ever malfunctioned, I can't remember it. I have tried everything from factory mags from Kimber, odds and end s in my old box of stuff, and USGI mags, but I run Wilson 47Ds.

I had this same problem with a 9mm 1911 from RIA that also runs .22. TCM. I sent it back, and they made it better, but not perfect. I bought a Wilson Combat Bul,etproof extractor, and had a local Smith I trust tune and install it, and now it runs flawlessly.

So, the correct answer is call Kimber. But if it was me, I would buy a good extractor and have a local Smith install it.

 

[Electricmo]

Your not going to figure much out by cycling the action by hand.
Mags, extractor tension or recoil springs may be the problem but hand cycling rarely leads to the source of problems.

 

[OhioShooter75]

Ok so I shot 100 rounds through it today. Had 4 of the 100 fail to go fully into battery. That’s a huge improvement from where it was. It was more like 4 per mag.
It’s also ejecting the spent cases better, more to the right and back VS up and forward. I think I need to just take a hair more tension off the extractor and it’ll be good.

 

[kell]

Look for burrs or sharp edges on the extractor hook... a needle file or 22o sandpaper wrapped around a popsicle stick will break the edges. Also, watch this:
and this:

I agree. I'll bet this is the fix - either burr or too much tension. I'm looking forward to the answer! Please let us know.

 

[OhioShooter75]

So to update this and close it out. I took a little tension off the extractor it was pretty dam hard to bend so I don’t think it moved much. Testing with a dummy round the tension seemed barely less.
I shot 132 rounds today and only had 1 hang up. All were reloads, 50 Hi-Tec coated 230gr RN and the rest were powder coated 230gr RN. I think the one that hung up may have been bulged a little or something because after I cleared it I sat it aside and shot it later. When I dropped the slide on it I had to help the slide close.
I think I’ll call it good and figure it will loosen up some more over time.
Thanks

 

[ctdair1]

+1 one all the recommendations for the Wolf spring. Solved my Kimber SIS Pro feed issue.

 

[Griffen]

I have seen this issue on a Kimber and a Walter PPK/S and it was resolved by polishing the breech face. Seems the round had trouble sliding up into the proper horizontal position and would hang at a slight angle preventing full entry into the chamber. Kimber did theirs on warranty and I did the PPK/s on my own after seeing the results on the Kimber. I polished feed ramps and changed springs and all that trying to work through this issue.

That PPK/S has been the most finicky firearm I own until that last step. Now it functions reliably.

YMMV

 

[FL-NC]

Send it back. Those pistols are way too expensive to not work- you shouldn't have to do anything but load, shoot, and enjoy.