Posted: 10/20/2009 10:22:52 AM EDT
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This seems to be the appropriate forum and will be cross posted in BOTS.
Let me preface this: I am a detective for a medium sized rural agency in the Southeast. I am the resident "gun expert" and this one has me stumped. A colleague is working a shooting (probably accidental) in which the shooter claims that his 1911 (a Rock Island) went off because the hammer followed the slide home. He claims that this is a common problem with Rock Island pistols and that he intends to sue. A google search has revealed nothing on this. Does anyone have any information on this, or is this guy (as I suspect) full of BS and he had his finger on the damn trigger when he shouldn't have? Thanks, mdb212 |
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Quoted:
This seems to be the appropriate forum and will be cross posted in BOTS. Let me preface this: I am a detective for a medium sized rural agency in the Southeast. I am the resident "gun expert" and this one has me stumped. A colleague is working a shooting (probably accidental) in which the shooter claims that his 1911 (a Rock Island) went off because the hammer followed the slide home. He claims that this is a common problem with Rock Island pistols and that he intends to sue. A google search has revealed nothing on this. Does anyone have any information on this, or is this guy (as I suspect) full of BS and he had his finger on the damn trigger when he shouldn't have? Thanks, mdb212 If his pistol is malfunctioning, then the malfunction should be repeatable. I have had hammers on 1911s follow the slide home, but there is not enough inertia left in the hammer to propel the firing pin forward with sufficient velocity to discharge a round. It is possible for the trigger to be so "light" that letting the slide slam home is enough to release the trigger, but only if the trigger is already pulled. There again, if it is a malfunction, then the malfunction can be repeated. |
Rock Island generally gets good reviews from those who buy them and I have not heard of hammer follow being a problem with them.  Odds are you are correct and he is full of BS.You can check for hammer follow easily enough by dropping the slide on an empty chamber. |
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Quoted:
Rock Island generally gets good reviews from those who buy them and I have not heard of hammer follow being a problem with them. Odds are you are correct and he is full of BS.
You can check for hammer follow easily enough by dropping the slide on an empty chamber. 15 function checks over the last month or so and my RIA Tactical is still 100% with no malfs. |
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Quoted:
This seems to be the appropriate forum and will be cross posted in BOTS. Let me preface this: I am a detective for a medium sized rural agency in the Southeast. I am the resident "gun expert" and this one has me stumped. A colleague is working a shooting (probably accidental) in which the shooter claims that his 1911 (a Rock Island) went off because the hammer followed the slide home. He claims that this is a common problem with Rock Island pistols and that he intends to sue. A google search has revealed nothing on this. Does anyone have any information on this, or is this guy (as I suspect) full of BS and he had his finger on the damn trigger when he shouldn't have? Thanks, mdb212 On most 1911's including RIA 45's the half cock notch will catch the falling hammer in the event the sear does not catch the hammer and hold the pistol cocked. I got some reloads from my buddy which were a little out of spec and cause the pistol not to fire and catch on the half cock notch. After being a cop for 33 years it sounds like the guy is trying to cover his A**. If it can't be replicated the malfunction I'd say you know the answer to this story. 
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| i recently had hammer follow on my kimber warrior. didnt double fire but i didnt push my luck. i quit firing after the first instance. problem was i backed out my over travel screw to far. screwed it back in to where the hammer wouldnt fall with the trigger and backed it back out half a turn and i am good to go. im no 1911 expert but a google search gave insight into the problem. my hammer wouldnt follow if the gun was straight up and down but if you turn it too the side or upside down it would follow consistently. try working the action upright and then over on its side. check to see how much overtravel there is in the trigger also |
| I've experienced hammer follow a couple of times with modified 1911's, but I've never had one discharge when it happened. This link will take you to the 1911 forums RIA discussion pages. The factory reps hang out there, and if this really is a problem (and I don't think it is), they or someone on the forum will know. http://forum.m1911.org/forumdisplay.php?f=17 |
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Quoted: I've experienced hammer follow a couple of times with modified 1911's, but I've never had one discharge when it happened. This link will take you to the 1911 forums RIA discussion pages. The factory reps hang out there, and if this really is a problem (and I don't think it is), they or someone on the forum will know. http://forum.m1911.org/forumdisplay.php?f=17 This is what I recommend also. My Rock has been solid with no issues. |
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My RIA has had no issues. However, I do know that when "home gunsmiths" start messing with trigger jobs, or swapping out parts, they often get hammer follow. This is why when dropping the slide, gunsmiths will teach you to hold the trigger back to disengage the sear as if the weapon had been fired, instead of dropping the slide forward on a chamber.
Once again, as already stated, you should be able to repeat the experience by testing the pistol. |
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I had a bum trigger job done on one of my Springfield's (just cleaning up the stock parts) and it went full auto (3 round burst actually) after 2 magazines. so if he fiddled with the trigger parts, it's possible.
I tell you what, I never disassembled a gun and destroyed the old parts so fast in my life. 
check the sear and hammer fit, it could be a factory problem, or it could be a bad trigger job done on the cheap. yes a 1911 will fire if the hammer follows the slide home, that's what happened on my gun. |
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yes a 1911 will fire if the hammer follows the slide home, that's what happened on my gun. Respectfully, that isn't what happened. The hammer did not follow the slide into battery. The slide slamming into battery caused the improperly fit sear to disengage allowing the hammer to fall. It would certainly appear that the hammer followed the slide, but it didn't. |
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I had an early Kimber that fired on me when I released the slide to chamber a round. The officer that came out, I called them, got the same results although on an empty chamber. As soon as the slide came to stop in battery the hammer immediately fell. Autopsy showed the tip of the sear had vaporized somewhere that it barely held the hammer hooks. If I had to guess the MIM sear wasnt heat treated and to this day gives me a phobia about MIM sears and hammers. |
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Here is the man that has the answers. Ivan J. Walcott Sales Manager Armscor Precision/Advanced Tactical Rock Island Armory USA 150 N Smart Way Pahrump, NV 89060 Phone 775-537-1444 Fax 775-537-1446 Cell 702-875-1201 [email protected] |
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UPDATE AND THANKS TO THOSE WHO SENT IM'S
The shooting was in fact accidental. The circumstances of the case indicated that it was an accidental shooting even in the absence of mechanical defect. The claim of mechanical defect was made by the shooter in reference to a civil case he may file, which although we as an office won't be involved in, I was interested as to validity. Thanks again for the replies and assistance. Mike |