New Mil-Spec 1911 Feeding problems

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - New Mil-Spec 1911 Feeding problems

Posted: 3/19/2006 5:41:29 PM EDT

I picked up a NIB SA Mil-Spec 1911 yesterday and got to shoot it today. Decent gun, but I had feed problems with WWB FMJ .45 for the first 30 or so rounds, and then it smoothed out and started feeding. However, I took it home, and I can NOT get Speer Gold Dots to feed in the damn thing unless I download each of my mags to like 3 rounds or less. All 3 of my magazines were working fine at the range with FMJ, but these HPs are NOT feeding.

Did I get a lemon or what? I put 200 through it today and I thought I had this feed issue crap hammered out.

Any suggestions/advice?

Posted: 3/19/2006 5:46:06 PM EDT

[#1]

Is the gun clean or dirty? What brand of mags?

Posted: 3/19/2006 5:50:52 PM EDT

[#2]

One factory SA mag, came in the box with the gun. 2 "GI" mags I got from the gun show as well, came in tan paper packaging with an "ASSY" and "MFR" label on them. All 3 were working fine with FMJ for the last ~150 of the gun's first 200 today.

Gun is cleaned and lubricated liberally. As in my hands are all greasy now.

I am being told by a friend that the problem is that it's a 1911 and it's only made to feed hardball. Which, I guess, is an okay answer, but that makes this a target-only gun and I don't want to have it be that way if I can avoid it.

Posted: 3/19/2006 7:53:40 PM EDT

[#3]

Just got back from Wally World with WWB JHP. Nogo either. Also got some FMJ, and they're feeding fine.

It looks like it's a FMJ-only beast

Posted: 3/19/2006 7:58:13 PM EDT

[#4]

Try some Novak, Wilson, or Mecgar or Chip Powermags and an 18lb recoil spring.

Posted: 3/19/2006 8:20:39 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Try some Novak, Wilson, or Mecgar or Chip Powermags and an 18lb recoil spring.

If God had wanted the 1911 to use an 18 pound spring he would have designed it that way.

Show me a good smith that uses them. But I digress.

Get 6 real mags and try again.

Posted: 3/19/2006 8:48:25 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Try some Novak, Wilson, or Mecgar or Chip Powermags and an 18lb recoil spring.

If God had wanted the 1911 to use an 18 pound spring he would have designed it that way.

Show me a good smith that uses them. But I digress.

Get 6 real mags and try again.

What are "real mags"?

I would've figured that SA would have put a decent mag in the box. The other 2 I got for shits and giggles, realizing that they may very well be suspect.

Is that the list? Novak, Wilson, Mecgar, Chip Powermags?

Also, I noticed the feed ramp in the frame is NOT a mirror polish.. More like "brushed steel" for lack of a better description.

Posted: 3/19/2006 9:05:57 PM EDT

[#7]

I have experience with Shooting Star, McCormick, Novak and Wilson, and they all work.

Stock mags for most guns are not worth the trouble.

The feed ramp should not NEED to be a mirror polish, there are many other things that effect it more.

Try the mags and get back to us.

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:29:56 AM EDT

[#8]

Are the Hp's getting caught on the gap between the frame and barrel? Or on the frame feed ramp? Need more info..

Posted: 3/20/2006 7:03:40 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Are the Hp's getting caught on the gap between the frame and barrel? Or on the frame feed ramp? Need more info..

Frame ramp. I have 7 ruined Gold Dots with massive bullet setback. It just goes right into the ramp and stops, hard.

Posted: 3/20/2006 9:04:02 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Are the Hp's getting caught on the gap between the frame and barrel? Or on the frame feed ramp? Need more info..

Frame ramp. I have 7 ruined Gold Dots with massive bullet setback. It just goes right into the ramp and stops, hard.

How smooth is the ramp? Is there any roughness.. The bullets is stopping before it hits the transition from the ramp to the chamaber mouth, right..

Most of the time the 1911 design needs to be tuned to feed HP bullets, the ramp angle is always just a touch off. Can you get me a digital shot of the ramp..

Posted: 3/20/2006 9:42:59 AM EDT

[#11]

Obviously you have failed to sacrifice a goat to the feed ramp gods. RTFM, it's on page 47.

Posted: 3/20/2006 9:43:53 AM EDT

[#12]

"The 1911 is the worlds FINEST close quarter weapon ever made, and the king of feedway stoppages."

But seriously get some novak or wilson combat mags, and then work from there. Once you know you have quality mags, you can then start working on other parts and tuning.

Posted: 3/20/2006 9:52:28 AM EDT

[#13]

Boltcatch also meant to write this: "hey, my 1911 never has failed to feed anything. of course, my 1911 is black, has lots of plastic, shoots 9mm, and says Glock on the side"

Posted: 3/20/2006 10:08:21 AM EDT

[#14]

Springfield will do a ramp job and polish for no charge if you tell them you are having feed jams with factory hollow points. Call them.

GI mags suck.

I doubt that this is a magazine problem.

Posted: 3/20/2006 10:15:27 AM EDT

[#15]

None of my 1911s have ever been thrilled with Speer ammo. (specifically LAWMAN)
I don't know what it is. Speer is a top quality manuf but it has always been a bitch in my 1911s.

My springfield Mil spec 1911-A1 required the most work of any of my 1911s to get it to an acceptable level of performance.

I'd have a 1911 Guru give you a reliability package quote.

Posted: 3/20/2006 10:16:48 AM EDT

[#16]

Try a different hollowpoint, gold dots arn't known as flying ashtrys for nothing.

Posted: 3/20/2006 11:34:16 AM EDT

[#17]

The 1911 was DESIGNED for HARDBALL suprise!!!!!!

and so are the original style Magazines.

Wilson and TRIPP research's Cobra mags have feed lips that allow the HP rounds to set higher with a better angle for more reliable feeding. These are the only two mags that I'll carry defensively.

A throat and polish job by a reputable smith or the Factory will increase performance with HP's as well.

PS........... hollowpoints were designed for smaller calibers to get up to .45

after expansion, I would not hesitate to carry .45 ball over 9mm or .40 JHP.

Posted: 3/20/2006 11:46:10 AM EDT

[#18]

Get your self one of these..

link

1911 AUTO MAGAZINE LIP FORMING TOOLS. It works really well on stock mags..

Posted: 3/20/2006 12:04:14 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
The 1911 was DESIGNED for HARDBALL suprise!!!!!! and so are the original style Magazines.

Wilson and TRIPP research's Cobra mags have feed lips that allow the HP rounds to set higher with a better angle for more reliable feeding. These are the only two mags that I'll carry defensively.

A throat and polish job by a reputable smith or the Factory will increase performance with HP's as well.

PS........... hollowpoints were designed for smaller calibers to get up to .45 after expansion, I would not hesitate to carry .45 ball over 9mm or .40 JHP.

Wilsons would not fit in my Milspec Springfield. They did not match the notch in the base of the grip and did not go far enough into the gun to make the mag catch work. Several mags would not fit. Somehow, I doubt newer Wilsons will fit, either. McCormicks and Novaks WILL fit.

If your gun won't feed Hydra-shoks, you should just send it in for repair. All I had to do was ask the tech support if the gun should feed factory loads. He said yes. I sent it in. Worked really nice after that.

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:55:22 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Are the Hp's getting caught on the gap between the frame and barrel? Or on the frame feed ramp? Need more info..

Frame ramp. I have 7 ruined Gold Dots with massive bullet setback. It just goes right into the ramp and stops, hard.

How smooth is the ramp? Is there any roughness.. The bullets is stopping before it hits the transition from the ramp to the chamaber mouth, right..

Most of the time the 1911 design needs to be tuned to feed HP bullets, the ramp angle is always just a touch off. Can you get me a digital shot of the ramp..

I tried but all I've got is blurry crap. I don't have a camera that's capable of taking clear "macro" shots.

The ramp itself is smooth but I would not call it "polished" by any stretch of the imagination.

ETA: Yes. The bullet stops as soon as it makes contact with the ramp. it's not following up the ramp at all.

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:57:29 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Try a different hollowpoint, gold dots arn't known as flying ashtrys for nothing.

I've tried Gold Dots and Winchester White Box JHPs. I can't keep buying .45 hollowpoints just to keep finding out they won't work in my gun.

It's almost enough to make me want to get a Glock .45 to eat the ammo the 1911 won't. Almost.

Posted: 3/21/2006 4:48:15 AM EDT

[#22]

Maybe I am retarded, but the first thing I do when I get a new 1911 is polish the feed ramp. I have done five so far with the last one being a Mil-Spec. I use the same stuff the military uses to polish jet canopies. I test the weapon with federal hollow points, the ones that look like a shot glass.

Posted: 3/22/2006 11:17:29 PM EDT

[#23]

Lets not get irrational now and mention the "G" word in this forum its just in blasphemy

Your milspec is a great weapon and will feed holowpoints

First try the Mags...its the cheapest thing to do and if you carry gives you a little more peace of mind
Try to get ones with harder springs..it hurts the thumb after a while but they feed better

Second try to polish the ramp with some teflon based product or tw25b with a soft rag

Lastly Call Springfield they will make it right. I have had some of the best customer support with them. Good luck. I would like to hear how this turns out.

If you just can't stand it I will trade you for my XD 40

Jim

Posted: 3/23/2006 12:24:23 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Try some Novak, Wilson, or Mecgar or Chip Powermags and an 18lb recoil spring.

If God had wanted the 1911 to use an 18 pound spring he would have designed it that way.

Show me a good smith that uses them. But I digress.

Get 6 real mags and try again.

It worked for mine but to each his own. I know I should have sent it to some guy who is famous and paid a $1000 to have him work on it and it still would not be any more reliable than mine is at this point which is 100%.

Posted: 3/23/2006 5:54:17 PM EDT

[#25]

Resolution. It now feeds empty cases, and hollowpoints too.

Took it to the gunsmith. I got another magazine and still had trouble, so I got fed up and just took it to the smith. He did a throat and ramp, and it's fixed. Cost me a little $$ but as long as I don't have more problems I'll be happy.

The biggest thing I take away from this is when Springfield advertises the Mil-Spec as having "traditional features" I guess they mean "well, it works with ball and 7 round magazines, what more do you want?"

It'll probably be a while before I'm 100% confident of its ability to feed HP but I'm MUCH more confident with its ability to feed ball now.