Firing pin stop

[Dr. Dickie]

Okay,
I got my 1991A1 back from Colt after it had mushroomed the firing pin into the stop. Work order said: new pin, new plunger, new lever (I assume the one for the Series 80 safety system).
I went to the range and had several FRB (usually, it was last round in mag) using magazines that work like a charm both in my Series 70 (repro) and my 1918 M1911. Still, just cause a mag works in one gun does not mean it will work in another. So, I need to do a bit more checking. All mags were USGI for Colt from the 70's, 7 round with dimple.
My problem is, when I got the pistol home to clean it, I cannot get the new (it is new) firing pin stop out to remove the firing pin and extractor. I am used to the stop just about falling out when the pin is depressed. On this, I depress and hold pin in with Series 80 system (release the plunger when pin depressed) and can push very hard on the top of stop with brass drift, and it does not budge!
I know (from reading Tuner's every word) that there are slightly larger (thicker, oversized) stops, and I assume they put one of these in my gun as the previous stop would fall out once the pin was depressed.
My question (finally, I know my wife gives me grief about too much info) is, is it allowable to take a brass drift and tap the top of the stop to remove it?
I have no fear of doing it, just want to make sure I am not going to damage something.
Thanks in advance.

[1911Tuner]

Go ahead and tap on it. Won't hurt a thing as long as the firing pin is out of the way.

Failures to return to battery aren't usually the fault of the magazine. The magazine can be part of the problem, but rarely the only problem. Since the gun was reliable before it went back to Colt, I'd say that the extractor was tweaked as part of the service...and the armorer got a bit too much tension on it.

[Dr. Dickie]

Go ahead and tap on it. Won't hurt a thing as long as the firing pin is out of the way.

Failures to return to battery aren't usually the fault of the magazine. The magazine can be part of the problem, but rarely the only problem. Since the gun was reliable before it went back to Colt, I'd say that the extractor was tweaked as part of the service...and the armorer got a bit too much tension on it.

Thanks Tuner (what are doing up so early?).
Yeah, seems to me you said something like that before. I cannot figure how the extractor could cause the next cartrige to not get in, so I didn't want to look foolish suggesting such.
I am certain you are 100% correct (as usual). The work order said, "adjust to factory specs," and since I had mentioned a gaul on the extractor, I suspected they tweaked it.
Thanks again. I think the group needs to take up a collection and send you some bucks (or at least those of us that are clueless ;)
I guess I will put a few more hundred rounds through it and see if it works itself out (that may even loose the stop a bit). After that (next Friday) I will tap the stop out and play with the extractor.
Would it like need to be GENTLY nudged for more tension, or less?

[1911Tuner]

ALways up early....Usually by 0400, but lately I've been lazy and sleepin' in 'til about 5.

While you've got the extractor out, load one round in the mag and hand-cycle it to see if it doesn't feed and go to battery a litte smoother. If it does,
take a little tension off the extractor...just a light tweak. You may need to touch hit the bevel with a square needle file to give it a little help camming open for the rim...and maybe dress the bottom corner of the hook if it's square and/or sharp. Easy does it.

[Dr. Dickie]

ALways up early....Usually by 0400, but lately I've been lazy and sleepin' in 'til about 5.

While you've got the extractor out, load one round in the mag and hand-cycle it to see if it doesn't feed and go to battery a litte smoother. If it does,
take a little tension off the extractor...just a light tweak. You may need to touch hit the bevel with a square needle file to give it a little help camming open for the rim...and maybe dress the bottom corner of the hook if it's square and/or sharp. Easy does it.

Wow, I thought I was the only idiot that gets up at 0400 every morning :D
Tuner, even though I have no right to impose on you like this, here it goes:
Correct me if my logic here is wrong. Of course, I failed to tell you everything.
The new (I assume thicker) stop also holds the extractor in (the right side of the stop being the extractor retainer).
Since the extractor "depth" is set by the stop, wouldn't the new "thicker" stop pull the extractor back a few mm's.
I did notice (and did not say) that that back of extractor (on the slide next to the firing pin hole) is sitting a few mm's out from the slide, whereas before it was flush.
Also, isn't a three point failure a FRB. As I could not just push the back of the slide to get the hung-up cartrige to go in and return to battery. I even tried it once, and it seated the bullet way down in the case (I did not try to shoot that one again, but retired it).
Again, thanks for all the help. People with your patience and understanding (let alone knowledge) amaze an impatient, pain in the butt like me :p

[stans]

Yes, a fitted stop will position the extractor slightly aft, but it shouldn't be enough to interfere with functioning as long as the extractor is of the correct length.

[1911Tuner]

What stans said. If you've got a .095-.100 inch gap between the backside of the hook and the breechface, you should be okay.

I used to have a diagram showing a relief angle on the bottom of the hook (and other places) that make for much smoother feeding in guns with less than that minimum. Unfortunately, I lost it when the virus ate my hard drive.
if I can relocate it somewhere, I'll post it. Somebody may know which one I mean. It was a drawing with shadowed areas showing where to file.
That relief angle..along with a couple others...is part of my standard extractor tweak. The areas on the drawing are exaggerated for illustration, incase somebody finds it before I do.

[1911Tuner]

Here's the drawing. Courtesy of John Marshall via The Sight.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e243/1911Tuner/extractor.gif

[Dr. Dickie]

Thanks Stans, Tuner.
I will maybe give it a look before returning to the range.
Again, thanks.