Used RIA w/botched ramp

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

I recently bought a nice RIA 1911 off a friend for roughly 200 dollars (well, 100 plus a days work putting up a fence). He claims to be a good gunsmith (1st hand knowledge he is not) and the RIA has one of his "ramp jobs". The gun sets back any FMJ that I put into it. The chamber is roughly parallel to the ramp top (I will attempt pics soon) but not too close to the ramp top. It tends to get a stem jam here and there, but not with shooting it. Should I just take the hit (it has great parts on it already, more than the cost of the gun itself) and get a new frame and barrel (Essex?)? What can be done to repair this? Can this be fixed?

 

[Canuck-IL]

I'm not clear on what you mean by "parallel to the ramp top..." yet "...not too close." Does the barrel ramp have the necessary .03 or so setback from the frame ramp when the slide is retracted?

What do you mean by it "sets back any FMJ" - is the bullet jamming with the nose hard into the barrel's ramp or does it chamber and fire OK but the bulelt is getting setback into the case?

What 'ramp' did he work on - the barrel's or the frame's or both? Pics would be useful - and Tuner will be along shortly for definitive commentary. One option that salvages the frame and ramp would be to have EGW cut and weld in a new frame ramp - depending upon what shape the barrel is in.
/Bryan

 

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

I think he "worked" on them both. I will set up a pic tonight. The round tends to jam into the bottom of the chamber/barrel ramp area, which then sets the round back. I need to revise the above: It will fire with ball and SOME hollow points (when its in a good mood?). But, it will set rounds back. When I put a fresh magazine in and put the slide home (overhand or slide release), it tends to feel like there is a "bump" or "thump" as the slide goes forward (the slide forcing the round into the ramp, then the round giving up and moseying into the chamber).

 

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

Well, the site wont allow me to post pic, so I sent the pics to EGW. I was going to send the gun to EGW anyway to get the slide tightened (unless someone knows of a gunsmith in Indianapolis IN?).

 

[1911Tuner]

I think I've got an idea what he did. Send the pictures to me and I'll put'em up.

EGW can repair it with an insert...but on an Essex frame, you'll probably have enough in the work along with the shipping and insurance to buy a new frame.

If it hasn't been taken too far, it may be repairable. I've been able to adjust a few of Bubba's Ramp'n'Throat jobs that looked like they were goners.

Check your PMs

 

[BEARMAN]

If the frame and barrel is messed up, you will need a new barrel. You might be able to salvage the frame by having it machined to accept a " ramped barrel". Ask a gunsmith who does competition 1911's , he will probably be set up to machine the frame. If he isn't , try another gunsmith. The messed up barrel can go in your parts box, it MIGHT work on another frame that has different tolerances.

 

[1911Tuner]

Bearman...If the guy did what I think he did...you're probably spot on.

These Dremel jockies see the gap between the feed and barrel ramps and decide that what it needs is a smooth, bump-free transition from one to the other...so they blend the frame ramp into what they assume is also a feed ramp in the barrel...and it's not. It's a clearance cut. The bullet shouldn't hit it, and actually shouldn't even contact it except at the very top corner as the side of the bullet ogive skids across it. That works to keep the barrel in bed by placing a downward force on it as the round breaks over to horizontal.

When they blend the feed ramp, it causes the bullet nose to feed straight into the barrel ramp...pushing the barrel forward as the slide progresses. As the barrel moves forward...it moves up, and tries to mesh the upper lugs into the slide lugs before the lugs and slots are lined up. The front corners of the barrel lugs catch the rear corners of the slide's lugs...and you have a hard 3-Point Jam.

Our genius figures out what's wrong, and attacks the barrel ramp...grinding it further and further down in the attempt to get the bullet nose to clear...and case head support is gone. Bulged and even burst cases result. Feeds great, though.

When it becomes apparent that something is bad wrong...he trades the gun without notifying the dealer...or sells it to some poor stiff who doesn't understand that his spiffy Double-Throwdown ramp and throat job could cost him his fingers or his eyes.

Standin' by for the pictures...

 

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

My camera is kaputt. I hate being a stiff . I talked to the guy who gave it to me and got my 100 dollars back (he has had several people come to him and give him what for, apparently he's given other guns to people with a variety of "gunsmithing" issues). I got to keep the pistol though. He's appreantly not allowed into my favorite funstore b/c he attempted to trade in one of his "specials". He got a bunch of guns, looked at stuff online and thought he could do it with a Dremel (upon further talking, you explained his processes exactly). The plus side to it is I have a semi-functional (does not bulge any cases) .45, to add to my three others. I have a cienar conversion kit that has a date with the botched frame model as a dedicated .22 pistol (Ive been wanting a dedicated one, not just a conversion for about foreever!). Man, you all are on the spot with the information! Speaking of losing fingers and eyes, one of the poor folks that bought one of his "newly timed" Smiths had to have a sliver of lead removed from his eye (youch!). The guy is a nice enough guy, but does not understand that he is not a gunsmith. When he messes up a gun, he sells it off at a really low amount. Thankfully, the gunshop wont let him buy anything, so there should be little chance of him getting any more "projects".