Combat Commander STILL jamming (grrr!)

[brickboy240]

Greeting all,

I posted a month ago, saying that my newly bought Colt Combat Commander (a 1973 model) had problems with premature slidelock. Well, you all were right that a weak spring in the plunger tube was the culprit - I have not had this problem crop up in about 250rds of firing...I think its gone for good.

However, another more annoying problem has cropped up. I am getting horrendous jams...about one every other magazine. Using Winchester White Box ammo and Remington UMC hardball and 230gr hollowpoints, the fired case is getting stuck lengthwise in the ejection port. The case mouth is bent as mouth of the fired case sits against the front of the ejection port and the back of the case is slightly lower. There is usually a few more rounds left in the magazine. This happened with a stock Colt magazine and two Wilson 47Ds. None of these magazines did this at all in my other 2 1911s.

Anyone know what causes this kind of jamming? I have done no other alterations to this Commander than replace that plunger spring. Do I need some extractor work?

The pistol is VERY accurate and I'd like to keep it, but the unreliability is making me question keeping this pony. Any help would be appreciated.

(Sad that I have to put more work into expensive Colts than I do 400 dollar Springfields and beat up Sistemas, but this has been my experience)

Thanks!

- Brickboy240

[Tom]

My guess is the extractor. Check the tension and the angles. We've got some excellent guides on how to do each from links on our home page.

[greatgoogamooga]

Sounds like a stovepipe. Is this something that started after you replaced the plunger spring, as in immediately afterwards? Or did you have good function, then the stovepipes?

Check your extractor and make sure it isn't gooked up.

Goog

[John]

Also, what recoil spring are you using in this pistol?

[1911Tuner]

When does the stoppage occur...at what point in the magazine? Last round?
First round? Random?

[brickboy240]

They're not really stove pipe jams, because the case is not that vertical. The case mouth is jammed up against the barrel hood and thefront of the ejection port. It bends that case mouth every time. Everytime it jams like this - it looks the same. it always does it with a few rounds left in the magazine.

I am doubting the magazine as the culprit, because on the same day, I ran several mags of the same ammo through my Springer GI Model and the Sistema and never had a jam like this at all.

I am beginning to suspect the extractor - it is the original extractor and it does not look very good and can be easily moved with my fingertip.

Funny, though, most extractor problems I have had in the past left an empty case in the ejection port after slidelock upon firing the last round. This happened with my Sistema and a replacement Wilson Bulletproof extractor just dropped right in and the problem went away entirely.

Could a replacement of the extractor be a possible fix?

Also, are these "shorter" 1911s usually more problems than the standard 5 inchers? Every real 1911 jamming problem I have ever had that would not go away was in the smaller 1911s - the 5 inchers have been more reliable on the whole for me.

thanks,

- Brickboy240

[Tom]

Funny, though, most extractor problems I have had in the past left an empty case in the ejection port after slidelock upon firing the last round.
Probably because the other times there was a round coming up from the magazine that helped get the empty casing clear. But on the final round, without any more rounds coming up, it just lays there in the breech.

Also, are these "shorter" 1911s usually more problems than the standard 5 inchers? Every real 1911 jamming problem I have ever had that would not go away was in the smaller 1911s - the 5 inchers have been more reliable on the whole for me.

It's a timing thing. Shorter slides = shorter cycling. 5" slides have more "play" when it comes to the cycling, so even minor problems could go unnoticed. But on the shorter barrelled models, tolerances are tighter, and they have to run more like a Swiss watch than a Timex.

[1911Tuner]

Extractor needs more tension. Take it out, reverse it in the channel, and put just a LITTLE more bend in it. Too much and you get failures to go to battery, so it's better to have to add a bit more at a time than to overdo and have to straighten it back out.

[brickboy240]

Thanks 1911 Tuner...you were right about the plunger spring...you're probably right about the extractor. I'll try that. Hopefully, this is all it needs. Its has been my expereince that a good magazine and extractor seem to be the most vital parts to 1911 reliability...is this true?

If this doesn't work, I swear I am sellign this thing to a buddy that wants to trade a Sig 220. I have borrowed that Sig sveral times and it is a nice shooter.

Yes, its doing this jam while there are 1-3 more rounds in the mag...never on the last round or the first fired. I am guessing its the extractor. I can move it easliy with my pinky and I cannot do this with the ones in my other 2 1911s.

- Brickboy240

[1911Tuner]

Magazine...Extractor...Ammo. The tripod of reliability.

Oh...and don't overspring the slide. ;)

It's the extractor...Not a doubt. Whether or not a simple adjustment will cure the problem is unknown. It depends on what kinda shape it's in. Worn out or out of spec...maybe not...but it should show enough improvement to tell ya that it's the extractor.