Polishing Feed Ramp

[Jrrrrr]

Other than Polishing the Feed Ramp is there any other Parts of an Automatic that should be Polished?

 

[BBBBill]

Polishing feed ramps when they don't need it is a really good way to ruin a gun. I am currently repairing a project gun that I got from a fellow who let someone talk him into polishing the feed ramp and that is not the first one that I've repaired. If a QUALIFIED smith did it the cost would be in excess of $200 plus the parts. Since I am retired and have all of the equipment my only cost is for the part and my time.

So first you need to determine whether that it really does need to be polished. Got photos? Has it been malfunctioning? If so what kind of malfunction (in detail)?

 

[JJFitch]

Just for the record does the bullet "slide" up the feed ramp or carom off it and the barrel hood going into battery?

Asking for a friend......

Smiles,

 

[herrwalther]

Polishing feed ramps when they don't need it is a really good way to ruin a gun

To expand on this, it is very easy when polishing to remove too much metal or change the angle of the feed ramp. Which would cause more issues than solve. There has to be a reasoning for attempting to polish a feed ramp such as poor cartridge feeding.

As far as other areas, too many variables. Not all automatics are the same. Many people who shoot 1911s and work on them will polish the sear surface where it interacts with the hammer. Polishing the sear on a different handgun can be downright dangerous, making a too light of a trigger pull or even something dangerous.

 

[Jrrrrr]

Understood
If it isn't broke don't fix it.

 

[velocette]

With respect to all, polishing a feed ramp implies POLISHING. Not re-shaping, Not enlarging, not, not, not etc.
Polishing implies jewelers rouge, a soft felt buff or high quality metal polish. possible removal of burrs, sharp edges but NEVER removal of anything but rough edges
or roughness in or near a feed ramp. Keep that Dremel and it's grinding, cutting, etc as far away from a firearm as possible.
All that said, recognize that modern mass produced firearms manufacturers do not have the time to make every part of their product as perfect, smooth etc as might be desired.
They will work properly and reliably but a little bit of CAREFUL, gentle clean up and polishing can only help.
Finally, if you choose to polish or clean up your firearms internal workins, made darn sure you KNOW what you are doing and which parts you are polishing and why.

 

[BBBBill]

For many semi auto handguns feeding issues can be directly traced to problems with extractors and/or magazines. Frame feed ramps and extractor throats can be an issue, but proper diagnosis is key to repairing the correct part. Immediately jumping to the Cratex wheel on your Dremel is the wrong answer. Do the diagnosis first.

 

[herrwalther]

Polishing implies jewelers rouge, a soft felt buff or high quality metal polish. possible removal of burrs, sharp edges but NEVER removal of anything but rough edges

More often than not, bubba gunsmith will think the smoothest sanding drum of their Dremel kit is good enough for polishing. A Dremel can be an amazing tool if you know what you are doing. Most people should never put them near a gun, ever.

 

[gobsauce]

What are the pros and cons of different polishing methods?

 

[edwardware]

Other than Polishing the Feed Ramp. . .

As you may have detected from the replies, you aren't the first to ask that question. You wouldn't be the first to ask why your gun doesn't work after polishing the ramp either.

Most of the surface you would call the feed ramp is more accurately thought of as a clearance, touches nothing, and could be left as-machined. A very small sliver of that area engages the nose and ogive of the bullet, and a bit of the case, during feeding. For this area, the dimensions are enormously more important than the surface finish.

If you don't see copper or brass galling on the feed ramp after firing 50 rounds, you don't need to smooth the finish. If you move the surface even a few thou, you might change the feeding enough to spoil it.

 

[Double_J]

I had to SLIGHTLY break the edge of my 1911 feed ramp with a jeweler file, after working with a 1911 gunsmith. There was a slight "burr" where the feed ramp met up with the frame. I found it while running my finger nail and a piece of gauze over it. After a couple of light passes I did the same check again...rinse and repeat until the edge was smoothed enough to feed an empty case. But I did this after working with the Smith to determine where the flaw was.

 

[Jim Watson]

The usual amateur ruination of a 1911 frame ramp is to radius over the ramp at the top, which destroys feeding. The ramp should be straight bottom to top at a design angle of 31.5 degrees. Shiny or not.

Shoot the gun a while with a smoky powder like Bullseye and look at the ramps for the track of the bullet nose rubbed in the soot.

Another error is to NOT put a SMALL radius or bevel at the chamber mouth. If you see crescent shaped dings in fired brass, you are on the edge of a "three point jam" on a sharp chamber mouth.

 

[a2x4bbl]

With respect to all, polishing a feed ramp implies POLISHING. Not re-shaping, Not enlarging, not, not, not etc.
Polishing implies jewelers rouge, a soft felt buff or high quality metal polish. possible removal of burrs, sharp edges but NEVER removal of anything but rough edges
or roughness in or near a feed ramp. Keep that Dremel and it's grinding, cutting, etc as far away from a firearm as possible.
All that said, recognize that modern mass produced firearms manufacturers do not have the time to make every part of their product as perfect, smooth etc as might be desired.
They will work properly and reliably but a little bit of CAREFUL, gentle clean up and polishing can only help.
Finally, if you choose to polish or clean up your firearms internal workins, made darn sure you KNOW what you are doing and which parts you are polishing and why.

Your post should be printed and put in every box of every Dremel ever manufactured.