Springfield 1911 rough muzzle and other issues.

[JB111]

I purchased a new Springfield Armory Range Officer Target in 45acp back in 2019 as my first 1911 and never really noticed the quirks(or flaws) until I aquired several other 1911s since then. The first thing I will comment on is how tight tight the slide to frame fitment is. I know that tight is supposed to be good, but this one is very hard (almost impossible) to rack using my thumb and index finger grabbing it by the rear serrations. I have to grasp the slide with my whole hand and rack it with "authority". Also, the 'racking action' for lack of a better word, is not smooth. I can feel a catch if I ride the slide home instead of just letting it go. Secondly, The slide stop plunger is out of spec, I have to press it in using a tiny flat head screwdriver to press the slide stop back into place. None of my other 1911s are like this so I know it is a flaw. Third, the muzzle looks rough. I didnt notice it in store (poor lighting) but it has tool markings, scratches and a few dings. With that being said it shoots surprisingly well. At 25 yards I can stay in the 10 ring using cheap target ammo such as winchester and fiocchi fmj 230gr. The few times Ive tried shooting it at 50 yards I can still produce 6 inch groups using the same ammo.

I did contact SA customer service back when I first bought the gun and started noticing these issues but told that I should not complain until I had shot it a few hundred times to wear it in. 3 years later, 800 shots in, the slide is still frustratingly tight, the plunger still has to be pressed in with a tiny screwdriver, and the muzzle has the same blemishes and dings.

With that said though, I still really like the pistol and would not part with it.

 

[JB111]

Links to viewer for full size images...

https://ibb.co/0GVcjpS
https://ibb.co/wWYsNj7
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https://ibb.co/5T0W16Z
https://ibb.co/1spB1xg

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Looks pretty typical for a mid-level mass-produced gun. About 5 minutes with a Dremel and the appropriate grinding and polishing wheels would fix these two issues.
Now, the excessively tight slide is a little more concerning, but probably not insurmountable. Try removing the recoil spring and barrel. If the slide is still too tight, you will need to determine where it is binding (marking compound will help) and either polish away any burrs/ high spots, or spread the slide a tad- Ive seen this before on mixmaster GI guns.
If the problem gos away with the barrel out, you probably have a barrel/bushing/link issue. Try swapping the bushing from one of your other 1911s. Too tight can bind, but too loose hurts accuracy.
I know you shouldnt really have to resort to this trouble with a new gun- but Im not surprised. None of my SAs were ever really right out of the box and I wouldnt trust their customer svc to fix it to your satisfaction without multiple trips to the mothership. Your choice, but if it was me Id take a crack at correcting it myself first.
Either way, good luck!

 

[Demi-human]

None of my SAs were ever really right out of the box and I wouldnt trust their customer svc to fix it to your satisfaction without multiple trips to the mothership.

I’ve seen this several times as well, yet they are championed as a prestigious-ish manufacturer of 1911s. I have been disappointed with a couple of Loadeds that I got the chance to shoot.

I agree with the DIY approach here too. Especially the muzzle polishing. What you see are the artifacts of ceramic polishing media, it will buff right out. It’s the same thing the guy in the factory is going to do, if they feel like that is something they warranty.
And any part here can be replaced cheaply, needing the same amount of fitting and polishing to install as fixing the originals. So I vote “Have at it”.

(And, firmly pressing the recoil plug with a plastic tool and not rotating the barrel bushing while in contact will keep the plug’s checkering from becoming flattened. )

With that being said it shoots surprisingly well. At 25 yards I can stay in the 10 ring using cheap target ammo such as winchester and fiocchi fmj 230gr. The few times Ive tried shooting it at 50 yards I can still produce 6 inch groups using the same ammo.

Well, the muzzle polishing won’t change something with that. (Unless one goes crazy.)
And the slide stop plunger can be shaped and polished for positive retention while providing ease of assembly.

 

[md7]

The catch you feel when slowly riding the slide forward could be contact with the disconnector. All SA 1911’s I own and others I’ve handled will have a slight catch such as I think you’re describing

Take the slide off and observe the internal side. Your slide should have 3 digits etched on it that coincide with the last 3 digits of your serial #. I’d wager a guess that the catch you feel is likely the disconnect contacting displaced metal from these etched numbers on your slide. Very common in SA 1911’s to the point I call it normal for them. You can either shoot and it’ll smooth out some or you could smooth out the etched numbers with high grit sand paper or a stone. You may also slightly touch up the disconnect, but I’d advise taking your time and not going too far if you do that. That may also help with the catching you describe.

Plunger tube and reinstallation of slide stop. Both of my SA 1911’s slide stops are difficult to reinstall, similar to how you describe. While I do not require a screwdriver to reinstall, such as you describe, I have observed that they are significantly tighter to reinstall vs other 1911 brands that I have handled. It may be par for the course for SA 1911’s. In your case, it’s possible that it’s out of spec, and offer my input as additional data points to help you trouble shoot.

The marks on your muzzle appear to be cosmetic only. I’d say that they could be polished out most likely.

I’m not knowledgeable enough to offer input on racking the slide or addressing that.

How has reliability been for you in the 800 rounds you’ve fired?

 

[kidneyboy]

With that being said it shoots surprisingly well. At 25 yards I can stay in the 10 ring using cheap target ammo such as winchester and fiocchi fmj 230gr. The few times Ive tried shooting it at 50 yards I can still produce 6 inch groups using the same ammo.

It's a keeper. ^^^^^^^ This is what's important. Personally, all I would address is the slide stop, which looks like an easy fix.

Otherwise -
Polish the muzzle.
Try a lighter recoil spring.

 

[Slamfire]

The catch you feel when slowly riding the slide forward could be contact with the disconnector. All SA 1911’s I own and others I’ve handled will have a slight catch such as I think you’re describing

One of the functions of the disconnector that John Browning designed into the pistol was to hold the slide in place when the hammer was at half cock. From the 1903 model forward, John Browning designed his semi auto pistols so the safety position was the hammer at half cock. And if there was a round in the chamber, and the hammer was at half cock and the slide forward, the disconnector makes it difficult to rack the slide. That way, when you stuff your loaded and half cocked pistol into a holster, the slide won't rack.

Try this on series 70 1911's. No round in chamber obviously, but put the hammer at half cock



and try to pull the trigger. It won't move and it won't let the hammer fall. And try to rack the slide. You can force it, but it is not as easy a movement when the hammer is forward, or cocked.

Most of the OP's issues are cosmetic. Polish your muzzle, make everything pretty. Pretty is expensive. When I purchased my Rodeo from USFA I asked what was the difference between the Rodeo (mat finish) and the more expensive models.





The primary difference was polishing! Polishing about doubled the price of the prettier pistols.

 

[jmorris]

The first thing I will comment on is how tight tight the slide to frame fitment is. I know that tight is supposed to be good, but this one is very hard (almost impossible) to rack using my thumb and index finger grabbing it by the rear serrations.

Does hammer down vs cocked change this?

 

[Steve in Allentown]

The slide stop plunger . . . I have to press it in using a tiny flat head screwdriver to press the slide stop back into place.

You can overcome this by modifying the slide stop. Here's a picture of the modification commonly known as the idiot scratch modification. A round file and some sandpaper is all you need.

Here's a link that describes it in detail: IDIOT SCRATCH MODIFICATION

 

[doubleh]

The marks on the muzzle affect nothing with with the gun. I wouldn't care for them but they are harmless. Without having the gun in hand I am going to let the hard racking and slide stop issues go except to say I had another brand that did the hard racking thing and It required some correction to the barrel to slide fitting.

 

[trackskippy]

The catch you feel when slowly riding the slide forward could be contact with the disconnector. All SA 1911’s I own and others I’ve handled will have a slight catch such as I think you’re describing

Take the slide off and observe the internal side. Your slide should have 3 digits etched on it that coincide with the last 3 digits of your serial #. I’d wager a guess that the catch you feel is likely the disconnect contacting displaced metal from these etched numbers on your slide. Very common in SA 1911’s to the point I call it normal for them. You can either shoot and it’ll smooth out some or you could smooth out the etched numbers with high grit sand paper or a stone. You may also slightly touch up the disconnect, but I’d advise taking your time and not going too far if you do that. That may also help with the catching you describe.

I had a number of late 90's SA 1911's that had the etching on the underside of the slide where the disconnector rides, that made it feel as if there were sand dumped into the gun and a lot of drag when you worked the slide. They had the whole number etched in mine, and it took a good bit of stoning to get it smoothed out.

 

[md7]

I had a number of late 90's SA 1911's that had the etching on the underside of the slide where the disconnector rides, that made it feel as if there were sand dumped into the gun and a lot of drag when you worked the slide. They had the whole number etched in mine, and it took a good bit of stoning to get it smoothed out.

On one hand, it’s kind of nice to see the frame and slide matches like this. I like it. But it can create some drag! Fortunately, mine is very minimal. I can feel it, but it’s not terrible and with the performance I’ve gotten to this point I sure ain’t touching it!!

 

[Demi-human]

Take the slide off and observe the internal side. Your slide should have 3 digits etched on it that coincide with the last 3 digits of your serial #. I’d wager a guess that the catch you feel is likely the disconnect contacting displaced metal from these etched numbers on your slide. Very common in SA 1911’s to the point I call it normal for them. You can either shoot and it’ll smooth out some or you could smooth out the etched numbers with high grit sand paper or a stone. You may also slightly touch up the disconnect, but I’d advise taking your time and not going too far if you do that. That may also help with the catching you describe.

I wondered why they felt like that. The two I tried were well used, but still gritty feeling, one significantly better than the other. The dirty one! Ha!
Why put them there as opposed to any where else? Ease I suppose. (Sigh)

The other things are fixable, but where to draw the line at pleasure of shooting and pleasure from shooting well, that is hard. I wouldn’t touch the slide feel either. Once started in a session there is minimal manipulation of the slide anyway. But I don’t know how truly miserable it is, so I might be wrong. I’ve held accurate loose ones, well, AN accurate loose one. A single one and not an SA.

 

[Slamfire]

Does hammer down vs cocked change this?

You can play with your 1911 and see that fully cocked, but not locked, the only force holding the slide closed is the recoil spring. If the pistol is cocked and locked, the thumb safety positively blocks the slide



But, that thumb safety is easily bumped off to "Unsafe". Which is why I now consider my Kimber Clackamus a fun range toy, optimized for quick draw games. That long thumb safety is easy to bump to Unsafe, and then all you have is a light single action trigger, and a small nudge on the grip safety, and the pistol will fire. Recently at the local gun store the salesman behind the desk told me of "an idiot" he knows, it could be staff, whose cocked and locked 1911 went off in the barbers' chair. Stuff like that happens all the time with cocked and locked 1911's and with striker fired pistols.

Also, that long safety is easily bumped to safe, when you want it at unsafe. That is why the combat schools teach students to ride the safety, and why the grip safety dimensions and location has been subtlety shifted up to make riding the safety more comfortable.

This grip safety was designed for Bullseye Pistol shooting in the period when shooters were required to hold the hammer back when the slide was dropped. This was due to too many trigger jobs failing. The hand is pushed low on the grip, and there is a lot of clearance under the slide for the thumb. It is very hard to accidentally bump this safety with the support thumb.



This beavertail was designed to protect the cocked hammer from impacts which might shear the sear surfaces. There is no way in heck anyone can get their thumb under the slide with this combination. This 1911 has been altered for a cocked and locked carry mode.



Even funnies can happen when there is nothing in the chamber, but a loaded magazine in the pistol. A shooting bud of mine told me of an incident involving the WW2 Remington Rand 1911 in this WW2 holster. (I thought it was neat that a saddlery maker in Milwaukee was still around in 1944, and making holsters for the war)



He had been driving on a wet, or icy road surface and lost control. His truck spun around and hit the curb hard. Hard enough to disable the vehicle. Bud called a friend who came, and before they left, the friend asked whether there was anything important in the truck. There was, Bud forgot about his Remington Rand in the glove compartment. The pistol was not in any holster, but had a loaded magazine, and nothing in the chamber. Friend opens the glove box and pulls out the Remington Rand, and Bud noticed the hammer is back! The muzzle of the Remington Rand had punched through the sidewall of the glove box due to the force of the accident, and that was enough to rack the slide, and load the chamber!! EEK!

So even with hammer down, something funny can happen to rack the slide. I do not plan to smash my truck to find out if the slide would rack if the hammer was at half cock. But, given enough smash, I don't see why not....

This has to be one of those flying taxis we read about, and it crash landed.

 

[deadeye dick]

I have a Ronin in 9MM made in Mar.21 Bought it used 2 months ago. have the same problem with the slide stop plunger. it' not a big deal to me so i will let it be. Maybe a little fine lapping compound on the rails, (if indeed the slide is just a extra tight fit) might help.

 

[JB111]

Looks pretty typical for a mid-level mass-produced gun. About 5 minutes with a Dremel and the appropriate grinding and polishing wheels would fix these two issues.
Now, the excessively tight slide is a little more concerning, but probably not insurmountable. Try removing the recoil spring and barrel. If the slide is still too tight, you will need to determine where it is binding (marking compound will help) and either polish away any burrs/ high spots, or spread the slide a tad- Ive seen this before on mixmaster GI guns.
If the problem gos away with the barrel out, you probably have a barrel/bushing/link issue. Try swapping the bushing from one of your other 1911s. Too tight can bind, but too loose hurts accuracy.
I know you shouldnt really have to resort to this trouble with a new gun- but Im not surprised. None of my SAs were ever really right out of the box and I wouldnt trust their customer svc to fix it to your satisfaction without multiple trips to the mothership. Your choice, but if it was me Id take a crack at correcting it myself first.
Either way, good luck!

Ive never polished a muzzle before, not really confident in my ability to make it look better without messing up a good shooting barrel. The slide is very tight, not to the point that it causes malfunction but it is very hard to rack. WIth the barrel and spring out it is easy to move the slide back and forth, butter smooth in fact save for the catch that I mentioned in the op. I agree about SA customer service, I dont ever plan on sending it in.

I’ve seen this several times as well, yet they are championed as a prestigious-ish manufacturer of 1911s. I have been disappointed with a couple of Loadeds that I got the chance to shoot.

I agree with the DIY approach here too. Especially the muzzle polishing. What you see are the artifacts of ceramic polishing media, it will buff right out. It’s the same thing the guy in the factory is going to do, if they feel like that is something they warranty.
And any part here can be replaced cheaply, needing the same amount of fitting and polishing to install as fixing the originals. So I vote “Have at it”.

(And, firmly pressing the recoil plug with a plastic tool and not rotating the barrel bushing while in contact will keep the plug’s checkering from becoming flattened. )


Well, the muzzle polishing won’t change something with that. (Unless one goes crazy.)
And the slide stop plunger can be shaped and polished for positive retention while providing ease of assembly.

Its not that Im dissapointed with it per se, just that it had flaws and blemishes that at the time I purchase I thought were just quirks of a 1911 but later on found out it was just Springfield, or rather this particular specimen. About the muzzle polishing, Im not really confident about doing that. As long as it shoots good, I can live with the blemishes. About the recoil plug, I was new to the platform and didnt know any better. Im surprised that I didnt also end up with an idiot mark considering how I have to reinstall the slide stop

The catch you feel when slowly riding the slide forward could be contact with the disconnector. All SA 1911’s I own and others I’ve handled will have a slight catch such as I think you’re describing

Take the slide off and observe the internal side. Your slide should have 3 digits etched on it that coincide with the last 3 digits of your serial #. I’d wager a guess that the catch you feel is likely the disconnect contacting displaced metal from these etched numbers on your slide. Very common in SA 1911’s to the point I call it normal for them. You can either shoot and it’ll smooth out some or you could smooth out the etched numbers with high grit sand paper or a stone. You may also slightly touch up the disconnect, but I’d advise taking your time and not going too far if you do that. That may also help with the catching you describe.

Plunger tube and reinstallation of slide stop. Both of my SA 1911’s slide stops are difficult to reinstall, similar to how you describe. While I do not require a screwdriver to reinstall, such as you describe, I have observed that they are significantly tighter to reinstall vs other 1911 brands that I have handled. It may be par for the course for SA 1911’s. In your case, it’s possible that it’s out of spec, and offer my input as additional data points to help you trouble shoot.

The marks on your muzzle appear to be cosmetic only. I’d say that they could be polished out most likely.

I’m not knowledgeable enough to offer input on racking the slide or addressing that.

How has reliability been for you in the 800 rounds you’ve fired?

After reading through this thread and further inspection I would agree that it is probably the disconnector making contact as you said. Its kind of annoying but not enough so to try to fix it. I will just shoot it until it goes away, although after 800 rounds I figured it would have smoothed out somewhat but it is what it is. The difficulty is racking the slide is aggravating but I honestly think its just that good of a fit and will eventually ease up. I have had exactly 1 malfunction. The gun jammed on the last round in the magazine. It chambered the round but the slide locked up about 1/4 of an inch from full battery. The slide could not be pull back to extract the live round nor would the magazine release. I slowly worked the slide back a few times while pressing the magazine release button and after a few tries the empty magazine shot out the bottom and the slide clicked forward into battery. I extracted the round to inspect the gun. The only thing I could ever figure out is that it must have been a magazine problem of some sort. I retired that magazine and never had another problem.

It's a keeper. ^^^^^^^ This is what's important. Personally, all I would address is the slide stop, which looks like an easy fix.

Otherwise -
Polish the muzzle.
Try a lighter recoil spring.

I will probably leave everything as is unless it starts having problems. I believe over time it will smooth itself out. I wish the muzzle looked a little better but I can live with it as long as it shoots good.

Does hammer down vs cocked change this?

Having the hammer cocked makes it a little easier to rack but it is still tight.

I have a Ronin in 9MM made in Mar.21 Bought it used 2 months ago. have the same problem with the slide stop plunger. it' not a big deal to me so i will let it be. Maybe a little fine lapping compound on the rails, (if indeed the slide is just a extra tight fit) might help.

The plunger is something I just got used to, using the screwdriver to reinstall the slide stop is just another step in reassembly now. Ive also gotten used to how tight the slide is over time as well. One day if I ever shoot it enough to make it loosen it I will probably complain that its not as good as it used to be.

 

[Demi-human]

Man, that’s a good lookin’ pistol!

Polishing won’t change the dimensions of anything. And any surface you see that needs polishing isn’t going to touch the bullet to change performance. I’d do it. And did!

This is my carry 1911. A Taurus PT-1911AR.
(A great pistol, not a really great 1911.)
On my mower, at the lease I lost, and drive by everyday and see it languish in a state of disrepair…I miss my Dakota, too! I have to admit though, I love the Ram full size.

The muzzle, RS plug, full length guide rode face, safety levers and barrel hood were polished by myself. I’m a crow, I like the shiny! Even the MIM levers polished nice.
The trigger is getting a buffing by my dirty mitts all by its self.

The hood won’t stay perfect for ever but it only takes five seconds with Flitz and a rag to bring it back. And if you sit on a tractor and drive the muzzle into the steel uncovered seat, a round on a flat stone and another polish will take out the dings. Mine was rounded, so just a soft pad buffing. But yours can be polished with the chamfer and face intact.

I might do the whole bushing too, if that was the only stainless on the pistol.

It’s really preference. It’s only looks, and believe me, you are the only one you have to please. If you like the shiny, make it so!

 

[jmorris]

Having the hammer cocked makes it a little easier to rack but it is still tight.

What’s it feel like with the recoil spring removed and what are you using as lube?

 

[JB111]

What’s it feel like with the recoil spring removed and what are you using as lube?

With the barrel and spring out it glides a lot easier but it is tight, no play between the frame and slide. I normally use hoppes elite oil but have used Lucas and have used tetra gun grease once. It performed the same with all 3.

 

[Slamfire]

With the barrel and spring out it glides a lot easier but it is tight, no play between the frame and slide. I normally use hoppes elite oil but have used Lucas and have used tetra gun grease once. It performed the same with all 3.

Back in the day before precision CNC machining, the only way to tighten slides to frame began with peening the rails oversize. Gunsmiths peened frame rails, coated the slide rails with valve lapping compound, and then the slide was beat back and forth on the frame until enough material had ground off so that slide movement was smooth, and the fit between slide and frame was tight.

Shooters at Bullseye Pistol matches needed that tight frame to rail fit, and still do. However those gunsmithed 1911's required lots of lubrication to run reliably, and the advice given to new shooters was "your elbow is the drip point!"

The exact type of oil is not as important as being oiled. A wet 1911 is a happy 1911.

 

[epags]

With the barrel and spring out it glides a lot easier but it is tight, no play between the frame and slide. I normally use hoppes elite oil but have used Lucas and have used tetra gun grease once. It performed the same with all 3.

The rule is: If it rotates, oil it. If it slides grease it.

 

[JTQ]

The rule is: If it rotates, oil it. If it slides grease it.

Or...

 

[Palladan44]

Lube it up. Shoot it, it will loosen up. Break in.
Areas that need to be polished will be "polished" by doing this.

 

[tarosean]

If it’s still hard to rack with spring out of the gun I would look at the lower barrel lugs. Inspect for uneven wear or flat spots on the lugs and the slide stop. I seriously doubt it’s the slide to frame figment. With a run of the mill SA

 

[Navy87Guy]

Secondly, The slide stop plunger is out of spec, I have to press it in using a tiny flat head screwdriver to press the slide stop back into place. None of my other 1911s are like this so I know it is a flaw.View attachment 1113613

It is not a “flaw” - it’s standard. As noted, it can be solved by a simple mod to the slide stop, but it is like that by design. I have 17 1911’s (including three SA’s) and every one of them is made the same way. Granted, some are easier to install the slide stop on than others, but there is absolutely nothing “out of spec” about a plunger that doesn’t want to retract without some persuasion. A few minutes with a hand file to cut the channel will solve the problem forever.

The slide isn’t designed to be “ridden” forward. As others have noted, the pistol has some mechanical contact by design so it’s not out of the ordinary to feel the engagement you describe. As far as it being tight, that’s usually the goal for high end 1911’s. I had a Les Baer that was so tight I couldn’t get it off the first time I field stripped it. I thought something was stuck…but it was just tight. It could also be a function of the recoil spring or the hammer spring.Try cocking the hammer before you rack the slide and see if that helps.