Springfield GI45 - Failure to Return to Battery

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BenjaminR

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I have a new Springfield GI.45 1911 that is experiencing some Return to Battery failures. The slide usually stops about 1/2" from home and this occures about 1 out of 30. Just FYI I've put about 350 rounds through the gun since new. I can get it to feed with no problems when I'm at home, but when I take it to the range it starts to act up...usually starting when I release the slide from the slide stop, chambering the first round. It sometimes but very rarely occures after that, I think because the slide is travelling faster. I doubt its the magazines as it acts up with both--one original and the other Chip McKormick...both new.

I'm thinking its the extractor, as I can't find any other obvious reasons. The tension seems to be a bit excessive, but in all honesty, I dont know what a good extractor feels like. I dont want to replace it unless I absolutely have to. What can I do to test it? What can I do to 'tweak' or modify it?

One more thing, I've tried MagTech 230grn FMJ, along with similar Winchesters both FMJ and 230grn hollowpoints. It doesn't seem to matter.

Thanks ahead of time.

-Benjamin
 
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So it chambers a round about 80% into the chamber when you release the slide?

My GI model did that. I sent it to Springfield yesterday. They said they would take care of it and send it back, along with covering shipping both ways. (I had to front the initial shipping though, but I get it back).

I posted over at 1911forum.com about it in greater detail. Mine was doing it a little more often than yours, but it sounds like its the same basic problem.
 
So the round stovepipes or just feed jams? If its feed jams could be the ramp or definetly the magazine, I ha a similiar problem with magazine that were knew and the springs were much to tight and it was causing the slide not to release on the first battery. 1/2 the way means you got to have something getting in the way. Gun may not be worn in enough, but with 350 rounds you should be getting there or be there, the thing is with the actual ejection port on that is considered small, if you look at newer style 1911's the ejection port is much lower cut to allow for easier extraction, could be a design thing but I am sure that if you send it back to Springfield they would not hesitate to look at if for you. But honestly I would put another 500 rounds through it just to make sure its broken in...and 500 rounds to me is 1 time to the range if necessary, lots of practice that day.:)


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=2872359

Please check this thread also, read the first post. (damn I have been somewhat useful today)
 
Thanks for the replies.

Outlaws:
I've thought about sending it to Springfield but I wanted a little input about the problem before sending it back. This is my first handgun (and I've wanted a 1911 forever) so I'm just a little hesitant to send my 'baby' back to its maker.

SoCalShooter:
It's not stovepiping. A round gets chambered (almost) but the slide stops moving about 1/2" from battery. This gun has no problem with ejection. Money is a bit tight, but I'll try to put a few hundred more rounds thru the thing in the next couple weeks.

Regards,
Benjamin
 
re:BenjaminR

Put some more rounds through it, get to about 1000 and see if it still happens, remember the design was NEARLY perfect (gonna get slammed for this one) thats why there ARE improved version of the 1911 design.:)
 
Do you keep your mags loaded at home? It may be caused by tight springs in new magazines. Keep all your mags fully loaded at home and see if the problem doesn't go away.

I used to have a similar problem with all eight of my new Springfield mags. The slide occasionally wouldn't close completely on the first round. Started leaving the mags loaded at all times and the problem disappeared.
 
For the purpose of preserving the spring, I only keep one magazine loaded at a time. I switch 'em every week or two. I have 4 more magazines from Springfield on the way. I'll try to break 'em in a bit more tho.

Regards,
Benjamin
 
I adjust my extractors so that they will hold a loaded round against the breech face with the slide removed from the frame, and the barrel out of the slide. Here are a couple of links to help explain. Link Link

An old gunsmith trick to test the tension of the extractor is to remove the slide from the pistol, and push a round of ammo up under the extractor from below. With proper tension, the round should be held in place regardless of how the slide is turned, yet when the round is moved downwards from its center position about 1/10 of an inch, the round should drop off.

It has been my experience that the recoil spring supplied in the Springfield guns wears out rather quickly. I have replaced the recoil spring in all three of my Springers with a Nowlin variable spring. The first two Springfields developed the problems you describe prior to 500 rounds, on the third, I simply replaced the spring preemptively.

I would polish the extractor as shown in the second link above, and set the tension, then perhaps try a new recoil spring.
 
I might try a new recoil spring cuz they're so cheap. Should I go the max and get the 18.5lb spring?
 
For the purpose of preserving the spring, I only keep one magazine loaded at a time. I switch 'em every week or two.

You won't wear out magazine springs anytime soon. Not that you can't, but its not something to worry about. Infact some will argue that the more you use them (loading and unloading/firing), the faster they wear out.
 
Try oiling the slide rails. Only time my GI45 failed to go into battery was going off slide lock onto a new magazine - slingshot the slide and it would load. All following rounds went off fine. Some oils may dry up quicker than others, YMMV.
 
It's been oiled well. But it still has the problem. Usually when it recycles or I rack one manually it works...usually, but I've had a few problems even then.

-Benjamin
 
Any idea what the factory recoil spring weight is? I do admit, mine does seem a little weak.

-Benjamin
 
Stem-Bind?

I looked into the possibility of stem-bind also, and I think I may have this problem as well. I don't think it's too serious, but it may be enough to hang a round up here and there. Here's a photo of one of my bullets with alleged stem-bind marks. Should I just send this thing back to Springfield? Or perhaps some more use would break it in?
 

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SA 1911 issues

While SA makes a really good, solid 1911 pistol, there are some issues that I have had to address with mine. The recoil spring is weak- I would replace it with a 16# Wolff. The extractors aren't the best- I like Wilson or Brown (an easy replacement). Make sure you're using a good lube- I like FP-10. Good luck solving your problem.
 
I realize I'm talking about a different style gun, but my XD-40 has had this problem from the beginning. It's had probably several thousand rounds through it, a trip back to Springfield, different people try it (to rule out it being me not holding it stout enough), different ammo, etc....

Bottom line, it still fails to quite return to battery about once every mag. It stops about 1/8", and a quick bump with the heel of my hand fixes it, but needless to say, this is not our primary self-defense gun anymore. I love the gun, just has this little glitch that can't seem to get fixed.
 
Had a used Kimber do this. The round would almost chamber, but stick 3/4 of the way in. A slight bit of barrel throating fixed the problem. Take your barrel out of the gun and "chamber" rounds by hand from an angled position under the barrel as they would feed from the clip. If they want to hang up a little going in the top of the feed ramp just at the chamber could have to sharp of an angle on it. A SLIGHT rounding and polishing here will often make those same rounds jump into the chamber. Be real carefull, don't take much off. I use a 1/4" polished metal rod about 1 1/2" long wrapped in sandpaper chucked in a drill. 400 grit. then 600 grit, then a felt bob on a dremel and polishing compound. If you have dremel attachments that will do fine work they will work also in place of the sandpaper and finish with the felt bob. NO HEAVY GRITS! Put the barrel in a vise,(protected with wood or rubber) and carefully do this without hitting the top of your chamber. Easier than it sounds.
The barrel is a .400 Corbon untouched and feeds fine. Shoot it in an parkerized Springfield I bought in the 80's. Great Gun.
 
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followup pic - barrel throat.

Here is an XD .40 SC barrel that I did. Hard to see in the pics, but gives an idea how little to take off.
 
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BenjaminR,

At least pit 500-1000 rounds through the gun to break it in, then try swapping the return spring, then as Xavier Breath suggested, adjust the extractor claw, and if non of these fixex the problem, make use of the great warranty Springfield offers and send it back to them before you even consider altering the barrel.

tex
 
Bigmike45,
Yeah, I'm thinking I'll give it a few hundred more rounds before I consider doing something. The top of the throat really doesn't seem sharp enough to be the cause of this kind of jam. We'll see what happens with time.

-Benjamin
 
Unless my eyes (or the photographer) deceive me, that doesn't look like a stem-bind. Flat photographs of round surfaces always throw me. Stem bind should give a crescent shaped dent a little farther down (about where the heel of the bullet is). The positon of that mark looks more like the top of the barrel ramp (not the frame ramp) is catching it, but I don't think that's actually the probem unless you can feel a big honkin' burr.

The gun should run fine with a Springfield factory spring (14#, IIRC) unless something else is broke. Ramming it home with a 20# spring might make the gun work, but "working" and "working right" aren't the same thing. My gun will "work" with a 22# spring and WWB ammo, but it'll drop casings on my right foot and beat the snot out of the gun. No good. Use a standard spring and don't go over. Underspring for extremely light target loads that don't cycle properly.

Is the case head well into extractor territory when it jams, or does it fail to get under the claw? The factory extractor on my Springfield was so dang tight that it would barely feed and wouldn't turn loose of spent casings about half the time.
 
Throating

It does take a big leap of faith to tinker with a new gun. I just did it to my new EMP and it fed hollow points like a champ today. The smart thing is to let Springfield handle it. I just can't help tinkering.
 
I think it jams as the round starts to get under the extractor. The last time I shot my gun I wasn't really looking for the problem. I need to get out to the range again to see what I can figure out. In a lot of posts that I've read I shouldn't "need" to break-in the gun in theory, but it sounds like that's what some of these Springers need. So I'll probably run 500-1000 more rounds thru it before I do anything crazy.

Regards,
Benjamin
 
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