Trouble with my Springfield Armory Loaded 1911 9mm

[joemoviebuff]

Hey guys,

Question for you. I bought my Loaded at a gun shop used about a year ago and it's been working great up until this point. I took it to the range this last time and it kept jamming on me. It's properly oiled and cleaned after every outing, and the brand of ammunition I used has been shot through it before with no problems.

I suspect it has something to do with a weak recoil spring. The only odd thing I noticed when I got the gun was that, unlike any other pistol I'd fired before, I could feel the slide sliding back when I fired a round, like it was (relatively) slow to cycle the next round. I never paid any real attention to it because it always did cycle the next round; I just thought it was a quirk of the gun.

Is my spring bad? Are there other things I'm missing? Thanks for your help.

P.S. For what it's worth the spring is a 16 pound spring.

 

[VinnAY]

Being it's used and I assume has an unknown history, i.e., # of rounds fired, I'd change the spring anyway for a new 16# and see how that works for you.

On second thought I don't know if the 16# spring applies to the 9mm, 16# is what you find in a 5" 1911 in .45ACP...maybe, maybe not, I'd just be careful the right spring for your 9mm

 

[Jim Watson]

A 16 lb recoil spring is standard for .45 and heavy for a 9mm.
Colt uses a 14 lb spring but Springfield's are lighter because of the resistance of the strong ILS mainspring, I think about 10 lbs.

 

[bkhosken]

It's quite possible the ammo manufacturer changed specs and now they are a little light to cycle your gun. BUT, how is it jamming? Stovepipe, not picking up a round, or misfeed?

 

[joemoviebuff]

It fails to completely feed the next round into the chamber, and I have to nudge the slide forward a little bit with my thumb. This last time at the range, it was happening about every third round. Also, every time my pistol has ever jammed (very rarely, up until this point), it has been this kind of jam.

 

[joemoviebuff]

Okay, so I ordered two new Wolff 14 pound springs - the conventional and the variable - and tried them both, 75 rounds each. Both produced ridiculous amounts of stovepiping and failed each time to lock the slide open after firing the last round. My research has indicated this is a result of a still too-heavy spring.

At this point I believe the next step I will take is Mr. Watson's suggestion above and try a lighter spring, perhaps the 10 or 12 pound. Before I do this, I just wonder if there is any sort of 'breaking-in' period for a new recoil spring? Dumb question, but new springs should work properly the first time used, correct?

*Oh and by the way, the spring it had when I bought it was not a 16 pound as I originally thought (which many of you suspected anyway).*

 

[olyeller]

it can be weak mag springs and a recoils spring issue too. The 14# are too strong. a 10 or 12# spring will be fine for plinking ammo.
Clean the mags also if they feel gritty.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

FWIW my SA has a 13# recoil and a 20# mainspring.

Mine does not have the ILS.

 

[Chuck Warner]

A spring not oriented properly will cause similer problems.

open end toward the muzzle.

 

[RebelRooster]

Check your magazine

Are you using more than one mag? If only one mag, you might want to check follower and spring. Try another mag. Many feeding problems are magazine related. Just a thought.

 

[tack]

It sounds like you are doing the right thing.

I had problems like that with a buffer. The buffer and a light spring reduced the time the ejection port was open. Got rid of the shock buffer.

I had problems with the slide failing to return to battery because of using grease on the slide and a light spring. Went back to light gun oil and the standard spring.

I had some problems feeding a round because the case rim hung on the extractor as it slid under the pawl. Clean and polish the extractor.

Oh, and someone had to tell me to clean the chamber as well as the bore.

This is how I chose my recoil spring on the Springfield 9mm. With factory target ammo, I use the heaviest spring that locks open after the last round. I test each magazine with two rounds.

How accurate are you and your 9mm? ;-)

 

[Cfish]

I would definitly check out the extractor. It can cause some of the issues you are describing.

 

[joemoviebuff]

Alright, tried both the 12 and 10 pound spring, and while ejection was better, it still failed to lock the slide open after the last round, with one exception for the 10 pounder. Called Springfield and the very helpful customer service lady said that the 9mm ILS uses a 9 lb. spring. Chalk one up on the Dumbass Board for me for not calling them sooner. Oh well, lesson learned. Ordered the 9 lb. Will try later this week.

@Tack, the gun shoots great. I'm not a bad shot, but the gun shoots better than I do.

Also, I don't think the magazines are the problem. The issues I'm having occur with both of the ones I have, and one is pretty close to new. They are, admittedly, the "crappy" factory mags that come with the gun, though.

Thanks for all your help, guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[Jolly Rogers]

Quoted by joemoviebuff

They are, admittedly, the "crappy" factory mags that come with the gun, though.

I found them (factory 9MM mags) to be more than adequate. I had one that failed to lock the slide after the last round and tweaked the follower to fix that one. Used the Loaded Coupon to buy 4 more factory mags. Several thousand rounds now trouble free.
Joe