Problems with my Springfield 1911

[Dave Markowitz]

I have a Springfield 1911A1 Loaded that I picked up used a few years ago. The only things I've done to it since buying it have been adding a Wolff 18# recoil spring, an ambidextrous safety and replacing the grips with some nice walnut stocks. Yesterday I replaced the FLGR with a GI-style guide rod and spring plug.

Up until today it has been extremely reliable, digesting around 1,000 rounds of Federal American Eagle, Winchester White Box, and Sellier & Bellot 230 grain FMJ without problems. This afternoon I put 50 rounds of UMC 230 grain FMJ through it, loading 5 at a time, and about half the time after shooting the final round in the mag, the empty would not clear the ejection port. Instead, it got hung up between the magazine feed lips and the top front edge of the ejection port. The slide would be locked back as it should but somehow the last empty would get jammed in there as if the gun was trying to feed it back into the chamber.

I was using two mags that came with the gun -- a 7 shot SA mag with a stepped follower, and an 8 shot SA mag with a Devel type follower. Previously these two magazines gave me no trouble.

Before starting, the gun was clean and lubricated with FP-10.

I was able to run 10 shots, 5 at a time, though the gun with a Wilson mag and experienced no malfs. I also fired 5 rounds of S&B using the 8 shot SA mag and it worked OK, although the sample size is too small to rely on. I did notice that the UMC ammo was not loaded as hot as the S&B.

Does this sound like an ammo or magazine problem, or is it something else?

Thanks.

 

[Murphster]

Am I correct in saying that the gun worked perfectly for years, you replaced the guide rod yesterday and it immediately began malfunctioning? If that's the case, I may see a cause/effect thing at work here. I've never heard of a GI guide rod causing problems like that but before I did anything else, I'd stick the original flgr back in and see if the problem goes away.

 

[rbernie]

My first thought is that the 18lb spring is too much for a full-size pistol and is affecting the timing of things. Might could be that the 18lb spring is simply not playing nicely without the guide rod to keep it unkinked and recoiling properly...

But I can tell you that my first reaction to this would be two-fold; put in a 16lb recoil spring and beg/borrow/steal some standard flat dimpled follower 7 round magazines. If, after doing those two things, you still have an issue, then I'd take the problem to the Gunsmithing forum for further discussion.

 

[Kruzr]

Are you sure you didn't put the spring on backwards? Closed end goes on first so it's against the guide rod head.

 

[BullfrogKen]

Put the 16 lb spring back in that it left the factory with. You're shooting factory ammo, an extra power recoil spring is not necessary, and will do things like . . . prevent your pistol from cycling properly.

 

[Technosavant]

It isn't clear if the 18# spring was installed immediately before the failures, or if it had been functioning fine with other ammo.

If the first, go back to a 16#.
If the second, keep clear of UMC, go back to an ammo your gun likes, and see if it works well.

My guess is that it was the ammo. It isn't loaded hot enough to cycle your gun with that heavier spring.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

The spring was put in the gun right after I got it. I've fired 500 to 1000 rounds through the gun using this spring and it's worked fine. The only things different over the weekend were the GI type spring guide and the UMC ammo.

Thanks guys. Next step will be to try it with WWB ammo.

 

[trickyasafox]

if ejection is erratic for the whole magazine check your extractor tension?

 

[Dave Markowitz]

It's only the last round in the mag, not every shot.

 

[Jim Watson]

That is a sign of marginally weak extractor tension, extractor misfit, or maybe funny rims on the UMC brass. All rounds but the last are somewhat guided back to the ejector by the top remaining cartridge. The last shot doesn't have that so if the extractor is not RIGHT it tends to fall off and can wedge back into the magazine.

 

[1911Tuner]

re:

Quote:

>About half the time after shooting the final round in the mag, the empty would not clear the ejection port. Instead, it got hung up between the magazine feed lips and the top front edge of the ejection port...<
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It's an extractor problem. If the last empty case is actually being stuffed part-way back into the magazine, the extractor tension is good enough to extract, but the extractor is "clocking"...or rotating counter-clockwise and dropping the case low enough for the rim to re-enter the mag. The slide continues rearward, and actually slides the case back in, dperessing the follower and preventing lockback. The slide heads back toward battery and tries the feed the empth case...now sitting nose-up in the mag...and jams it hard into the barrel hood or front edge of the ejection port.

More tension on the extractor may help...but probably not.

If the extractor channel isn't located too far to the right, an oversized stop...fitted to keep the extractor square in the channel...will cure it. If the channel is mislocated, the oversized stop won't help.