First time ever--wire embedded in chamber?

[quadra]

This is the continuing saga of my new Ed Brown Special Forces. First the primer strike is too far off-center(EB says it's a non-issue/gun runs fine). Today after 200 more rounds, during cleaning I look in the chamber and it looks there is a small gouge with a piece of wire embedded in it. I touched what looks like the piece of wire with the end of a paper clip and it sure feels like a piece of wire. I hope the pic is OK for forum members to respond. Any thoughts?

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid220/pd4e6f8f78381d23dd45a254785fe12fa/ebd98473.jpg

[Ericthenorse]

no picture... :sd:

[quadra]

Sorry. Itdidn't upload from Imagestation. I'm working on it.

[quadra]

Until I get it right, the image may open by copy/paste to get to Imagestation.

[Joni Lynn]

That's very odd looking. I have no clue what it is or what to do about it other than contacting Ed Brown.

[quadra]

Thanks, Joni. I'm in the process of doing that. They are not always easy to deal with.

[Lubaloy]

That is absolutely BIZZARE!!!!!
I'd love to see a decent photo.

[Joni Lynn]

Not easy to deal with is why I don't own one.
When I hear of companies that don't exhibit really excellent customer service I sort of stay clear of them.
Good luck with your gun and my best wishes that you experience a good response from them.

[1911Tuner]

The url won't take me to a picture on a cut/paste. Describe it in detail. I've got a bad feelin' that what you're seein' ain't a wire.

[Joni Lynn]

When I hear wire in chamber I start to wonder where it could come from..........
If it looks like a wire could it be a piece of steel coming out of the chamber wall or a left over from the reamer?

[quadra]

Tuner, thanks for responding. The gouge is just inside the chamber on the right side. At first I thought the extractor had something to do with this; but how can the extractor get inside the chamber? The gouge is about 1/16 inch in diameter not deep but noticeable. The gouge seems to have a sliver(looks like a piece of wire) running through it. I have touched the sliver. It seems to be tightly embedded in the gouge. I hope I can get an image up soon.

[Lubaloy]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid220/pd4e6f8f78381d23dd45a254785fe12fa/ebd98473.jpg

[quadra]

Lubaloy, sorry. I've been trying all night to retrieve my password from photobucket. When I copy/paste the Imagestation url into the address bar the picture opens. I'd love to correct this so that others can see something I haven't seen in 25 years of shooting.

[quadra]

Lubaloy, thanks much. You do powerful magic!

[Kruzr]

Hard to see but it ain't right in any event. Give Brown a call. I never had any trouble dealing with Brown on a pistol that needed fixing. The only downside was that FedEx doesn't normally make an overnight run to Perry, Mo. It was an extra cost for overnight to them.

The turnaround was less than 10 days.

[1911Tuner]

Dang...That IS strange. I thought it might be a U-shaped mark in the chamber floor. Dunno what to make of that.

[Kruzr]

I can't think of a way a shard could get embedded like that. Did the ejected brass show a mark?

[Lazarus]

I wish the photo was in focus. I think you are looking at a metal tear-out that happened during chamber cutting. The hunk of steel probably had a small area with high sulphur content or contamination that weakened the metal. It must have ripped out instead of cutting. The wire-looking part is just how the flaw tore out. Unless they are making steel belted chambers now.

-Lazarus

[quadra]

Thanks for your responses. The pistol is on its way back to Ed Brown. I'll post their response. It looks to me like a rare flaw in the metal.

[Iron bottom]

I've seen something like that while mig welding. Too many amps and the wire burns through the material being welded and leaves "whiskers" on the other side. Not good in pipe. I know of no reason for welding in that area, especially with a mig welder. Just a thought that came to mind and probably not what has really happened.

[quadra]

I'm not a machinist, nor gunsmith--but this has crossed my mind. Are barrels ever screwed up in the manufacturing process, patched back together(some kind of welding, and then reamed and finished and used and sold as if nothing had happened? Who would ever know, unless a barrel developed a funny looking gouge like this one(looks like some metal veneer inside chamber flaked off in a tiny spot.

[bearboy]

Did you discover this anomaly in routine cleaning or as a result of a malfunction?

[quadra]

Bearboy
I noticed it after the second time I shot the pistol. I'm pretty sure it was not there when I cleaned the pistol after the first time I shot it. During the second shoot there was one round that had a hard time chambering. I put it in a magazine by itself and it chambered and fired OK. I checked all the brass from the second time shooting. They all look alike. I don't think a slightly out of spec round nor a slightly dirty chamber would gouge the hard steel that the barrel is made from.

[Knucklehead2]

Quadra,
It was probably covered when you first cleaned the chamber, then like you said, flaked off and exposed the gouge. I once saw a ten penny nail, yes a nail, while turning a 2.5 inch piece of stainless, It fell out of a pocket in the metal that looked like it was a mold for the nail. No idea how that could have happened either. You would think it would have melted. We all figured it must have fallen in during extrusion. I don't think if it was something they threw in to make up the lead content it would not have melted.

[quadra]

NH2
I think what you said makes sense in terms of this EB Special Forces sample. It's at Brown's now. I'm anxious to see their respose--hope they fix it properly. If not, no more EB's for me.

[radavis321]

I'm with knucklehead on that one,I also have turned steel rollings,so forth,& cut into wire pieces, files,and even ball bearings,that were inbedded in the steel itself,most originated from korean founderies. :scared:

[quadra]

thanks to NH2 and radavis.

This is exactly what I was looking for. When EB examines the barrel, I hope he understands that these things happen and makes good on it. Also, if I do get a new barrel I hope whoever fits it at EB makes it so that the primer strike is not so much off-center as it was when I bought the pistol.

[radavis321]

In my opinion on EB,some of my friends have dealings with them,EB is very reputable,& i bet your 1911 comes back flawless. good luck & happy shooting.

[Lazarus]

I can't imagine how this flaw could be repaired; you will probably have a new barrel instead. I noted that Brown has informed their customers that they will no longer be selling barrels because they can't meet the demand. Or, maybe they can't get enough high grade steel to work on, who knows? It is not easy to turn out "production line" barrels of high quality. It is a specialty in itself. Guess that can be said for a lot of things. In any case, your hunk of metal had some foreign object imbedded, and that is not due to a lack of skill by EB or some customer error. Now, let's hear a detailed range report after you get the gun back.

-Lazarus

[sixshooter_45]

Not easy to deal with is why I don't own one.
When I hear of companies that don't exhibit really excellent customer service I sort of stay clear of them.
Good luck with your gun and my best wishes that you experience a good response from them.

+1, I do wish you all the luck in getting this resolved in an expedient manner.

:geek:

[quadra]

Lazarus and sixshooter

I agree. I want Ed brown to make this pistol live up to his reputation. From my 2 range sessions, the pistol runs great--with excellent accuracy. At 10 yards off a rest--6 rounds in a 1" dot, using Frontier 200gr. copper plated flat point, N310/4.5gr, Win. Large Pistol primers, OAL/1.240, crimp .469.

[quadra]

Just got the Special Forces back from EB. Pistol runs fine. They replaced the barrel--but it still has off-center primer strikes. Eb says primer strikes are within spec. I guess only time will tell.

[wichaka]

Did Brown ever say what it was?

[quadra]

No, they did not. They just said "repaired." But I can tell it is not the same barrel.

[sixshooter_45]

Just got the Special Forces back from EB. Pistol runs fine. They replaced the barrel--but it still has off-center primer strikes. Eb says primer strikes are within spec. I guess only time will tell.



I found this on 1911 Forum (http://www.gunsmith.fuselier.com/1911.html):

"A CENTERED STRIKE ON THE PRIMER IS MOST DESIRABLE

Another contributor to inconsistent and erratic ignition is off-center firing pin strikes. Unless you can fire the gun yourself or the seller has fired cases to show this is not easy to determine. If the gun has had a lot of work on the rails the strike may be considerably off center. "

I'm not inferring that this is the problem but just thought I'd pass this information along to you.

:geek:

[quadra]

sixshooter, thanks. The pistol groups well--much better than I can. Today from a rolled carpet rest at 50' it grouped about 1"-1.25". But i still like pistols as good as they can be.