Novak Mag Feeding Problems

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

I just got my Colt 1911 series 70 model back from the gunsmith yesterday, but while it was in the shop I ordered 3 Novak mags for the weapon, So I went to the range to try them out and all three Novak mags caused my gun to jam and I had fail to feed almost everytime but the original colt mag that came with the weapon and the 2 Kimber mags I have for it fed fine I never had any problems until I tried to use the Novak mags. Now the Kimber mags look almost identical to the original Colt mag but the Novak follower and top part of the mag is a little different. Has any one else had this problem? I have used Novaks before on other weapons and never had a problem infact they usually feed better. Could it be my gun is 30 years old?

By the way gun is clean no missing parts nothing broken, and Ill say again the only mags that jammed were the Novaks.

 

[2TransAms]

...*scratches head* Well I'm sure you know that some 1911's are a little squirrely about which magazines they like. But generally if I have feeding problems,Novaks will fix it. Can you borrow some other Novaks to try out?

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

2 trans am

No, the only other shooter that I know is my wife and brother and my brother lives in Texas, but I took the Novacks out to the range yesterday and again they had feeding problems then I looked at the back of the mags and they had split sometime in the section at the top on the back were the bullets sit when loaded, first thing I thought was maybe I had a .45 gap mag but nope stamped right there on the side It says .45 acp and thats my weapon .45 acp I put a call into Novak but havent heard backl yet I cant figure it out either, so i guess for now I will stick with kimber mags.

 

[fastbolt]

The earlier ACT Mags did seem to have some reported cracking in the area of the rear of the feed lips (going back approx 3 years ago). I was told it supposedly mostly occurred on the right side, at the back of the feed lips, and mostly in the blued magazine bodies. I've been told that the nickeled mag bodies didn't seem to exhibit the problem to the same extent.

Although I've heard of some very scattered reports of some cracking which is still supposed to have occurred with newer magazines, the problem seems to have been resolved. For example, few owners of the newer SW1911 pistols have apparently reported any cracking. (ACT Mags replaced the Wilson magazines as the factory supplied magazines a while back in SW1911 pistols.)

I've been trying some newer ACT Mags for a short while, and I know some other guys who bought SW1911's who have also been using the newer magazines, and so far no problems have surfaced.

Another vendor who has switched over to using the ACT Mags is Wolff Gunsprings, who used to have their mag bodies and followers supplied by Metalform, but now use ACT. They're available in both blued & nickeled.

I'd expect Novak ought to replace them without much fuss ...

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Thats odd my mags cracked on the right side top and they are the blues mags the caused my colt and my kimber to jam. the mags that have worked the best so far are the ones that came with the weapon.

 

[1911Tuner]

Jam

"Jam" is pretty generic. Describe the stoppage specifically and in detail.
Every round? Top round? Last round? Does it enter the chamber and stop...or does it stop before it gets into the chamber?

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Every round jams hell, one time I had to beat the top of the mag with slide back to get the mag out thats when I noticed the mag was split badly, but every time I either have to hit the back of the slid with my palm to get it to go foward or I have to clear a jam were the bullet didnt make into the chamber all the way, Its really hard to describe in words over the internet but I hope I am atleast giving a good visual.

 

[bluto]

My experience parallels 2TransAms. I have switched over exclusively to Novak nickel magazines for the last 2 and a half years in 5 different 1911's. From SA MilSpecs to a Colt Model 70 and an old Remington Rand. They have been flawless (as far as mag related problems) with a total of over 7,000 rounds. I know at least one other shooter of a S&W1911 that also uses the nickel Novaks and swears by them. I wouldn't consider using anything else.

On the other hand, I've read quite a few posts complaining of cracks in the blued Novaks.

I hope they'll replace them. If they do, I'd ask for the nickel.

 

[1911Tuner]

Jamz

BDLS....Sounds like you're having a failure to go to/return to battery.

If the gun fed and functioned okay before it went to the smith, I'd check the extractor first. Either too much tension or he installed a new one and the hook is so deep that the tip is digging into the case at the bottom of the extractor groove. You can find out if it's the extractor in quick-time by removing it and seeing if the gun will go to battery on a round. If you use live ammo...be careful.

Still gotta wonder if some of these guys actually test-fire the guns before they sign off on'em.

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Well, when I got the gun back from the gunsmith it seemed to fire just fine using the Kimber mags and the original colt mags, I had the gun apart for cleaning last night and the extractor looked like the same one I always pull outta there, but the mags also caused my kimber to jam aswell.

 

[Walt Rauch]

Did the gunsmith do anything to tighten slide and frame? Sometimes this work alters dimensions such that some mags then will not work.(I have two Swenson 1911s that will not run with eight round magazines.)

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

nope, all i had done on the Colt was a beavertail grip safety installed, but like I said the mags also caused my Kimber custom to jam aswell and the Kimber is fairly new with no extra work done to the weapon.

 

[1911Tuner]

re:

Quote:

>I had the gun apart for cleaning last night and the extractor looked like the same one I always pull outta there<
**************

Doesn't mean that it still has the same tension on it. Try it to see if the problem goes away or gets better without the extractor in the slide.

Weak mag springs can also cause a failure to go to battery by not providing enough upward push to get the rim under the hook. Best guess is that...if it only does it with certain (a) magazine(s) and runs fine with others...it's probably the magazine.

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

did that same problem feeding and the mags are split at the top back where the bullets sit. Split bad on the right top back side. And it is clearly stamped
.45 acp on the mags so I dont have the wrong mags.

 

[FIREARMZ]

Try somone elses Wilson magazines and see if you are still having the problem.