New Member! Feeding problems.

[Ton]

Hi i'm Ton and i just recently purchased a Springfield 1911. A trip to the range uncovered feeding problems. I was shooting ball ammo at the range. Now I'm not sure if its the mags that came with the gun(oem) or the ramp is too steep. The pictures will explain itself.

slammed into ramp.
http://thumb13.webshots.net/t/59/159/2/72/56/2444272560043564013aLRWMP_th.jpg (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2444272560043564013aLRWMP)

same. different angle. blurry.
http://thumb13.webshots.net/t/59/559/5/33/4/2965533040043564013KyARtI_th.jpg (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2965533040043564013KyARtI)

stock 7 rounder full. very little pressure and the nose dives.
http://thumb13.webshots.net/t/57/657/6/95/10/2920695100043564013SsIkzs_th.jpg (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2920695100043564013SsIkzs)

no finger.
http://thumb13.webshots.net/t/59/659/9/91/38/2948991380043564013UOefhg_th.jpg (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2948991380043564013UOefhg)

dimpled metal follower.
http://thumb13.webshots.net/t/57/457/3/34/12/2464334120043564013goLqhh_th.jpg (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2464334120043564013goLqhh)


Advice on what to do? This is my first 1911 and my 2nd gun. The other one is my trusty ole glock 22.

[Lubaloy]

Show us a couple of nice pics of the frame feed ramp.
Try to illustrate its depth.
:)

[1911Tuner]

Could be the ramp...but let's take a look at the usual first suspect in a failure to feed.

Remove 3 rounds from the magazine and try again. If it feeds, hand-cycle it until it's empty, and take note if it gets a lot smoother as the mag empties.
If it does, it's most likely a magazine issue. If it doesn't, or changes very little...it's probably the ramp. Be sure not to ride the slide forward, but let it snap to battery at full speed.

The usual disclaimer:

If you do the test with live ammo, be sure not to point it at your foot or your dog or your stereo, etc. (I know...but I gotta say it.)

[Tom]

Ton (wow, how very similar our two names are), I have one question for you: what brand of ammo are you using? In looking at the pics, I noticed two things:

One, it looked like the shape of the bullet was a bit flat at the front. Could just be the angle of the pic, but the shape doesn't look as "round" as the shape of, say, Winchester's FMJ rounds.

Second it almost looks like you have "set backs". Again, it is why I asked what ammo you were using. It may be the picture, but it lookos as though the bullet is "compressed" into the casing a bit (Pic #2). Looks like there's a sharp transition between the casing and the bullet itself.

When I bought my first 1911, I bought several hundred rounds of "factory" reloaded ammo, and over the course of shooting it had several "set backs" that would jam the pistol. Solution: get better ammo.

Follow Tuner's advise above for sure. He's forgotten more about guns and the 1911 than I will ever know. But I am curious to know about the type of ammo you were using.

[1911Tuner]

Not sayin' that there's not a ramp angle problem at all, understand. I just tend to look for the simple things in order of probability before assumin' the specs are out...and try to avoid the standby "Cure-All" solution that's so prevalent: "Grab a Dremel and polish up the feed ramp, there Bunky...and all yer problems will solved."

Just in case you have a Dremel and you're thinkin' about usin' it on your pistol...Here are my standard instructions:

Take it out in the street and hit it with a large hammer. 5 or 6 times should do the trick...

[Ton]

the ammo in the pictures are speer gold dots jhp.
i used blazer brass fmj on the first outing where i found issues with feeding.
the bullet is compressed because it took a few nose dives into the ramp. is it safe to use at the range?

no i won't take a dremel to my gun just yet.

i will try feeding it with 4 rounds in the mag later today and post the results. i'll take the slide off and take more pictures of the ramp and the barrel also.

i'm loving this place!

[wichaka]

I'm betting on a mag problem.

Tuner you look at the gap from the frame to the barrel. Maybe be a camera angle or somethin'.......but seems a bit long to me. Whatcha think?

[John]

I know this sounds crazy, but it happened with my Springer, so I'll repeat it here.

When I first got my 9mm Springer, the magazine lips were kind of rough. That slowed the round down enough, to cause it to nose dive. I passed the lips with some emery cloth (fine, something in the order of 600 or 800) until they felt smooth on my thumb. And the problem vanished.

But of course, listen to Tuner, I am a Grasshoper compared to him.

[Ton]

http://thumb13.webshots.net/t/58/58/6/60/35/2340660350043564013OejxgC_th.jpg (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2340660350043564013OejxgC)

http://thumb13.webshots.net/t/20/21/4/98/80/2204498800043564013axCvkW_th.jpg (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2204498800043564013axCvkW)

i tried racking it with 3 rounds in the mag and it went in. not smooth but it chambered.

i'm going to pick up some new mag in a week or so. any suggestions?

[1911Tuner]

I'm betting on a mag problem.

Tuner you look at the gap from the frame to the barrel. Maybe be a camera angle or somethin'.......but seems a bit long to me. Whatcha think?

Mayhaps...but too much gap is okay...within reason, of course. It just can't be too short. Sometimes, undercutting the barrel a bit...also within reason... and recontouring the barrel ramp to lengthen the gap and move the barrel further forward cures the ka-chunk without havin' to mess with the feed ramp.

[Hersh]

Is it possible the back leg of the follower is out of spec, ie, too short and allowing the round to nose dive?

[1911Tuner]

Is it possible the back leg of the follower is out of spec, ie, too short and allowing the round to nose dive?


Possible...but not probable. The standard follower dimensions are pretty much the same as they were in 1912...which is why a flat, dimpled Metalform follower will usually drop in an old WW1-era magazine with only the rare need to file a little off the width, or the very tip of the front.

More likely is the spring being out of spec...Too soft, or not sized right...or the top loop not being correctly kinked to provide lift...which is another problem that I've seen even with Colt's factory 7-round springs on occasion.
The springs are sometimes a little too short, and a little too soft...and the top loop is too flat.

The last point is that the spring and follower have to be matched up to function correctly. When the magazine is empty, use a good light to look under the follower at the rear leg to see if there are three full spring coils bearing against it...One in the bend...One about in the center...and one at the bottom.

[Hersh]

Possible...but not probable.

Didn't think so ... I actually did have a split/devel follower take such a hard nose dive it locked up in the mag, but that's another story :butthead: And "yes" those followers are all in the land fill now!

[1911Tuner]

And "yes" those followers are all in the land fill now!


Yeh. I've got a boxful of'em (And W-R followers) that came out of other guys' magazines. The come with a Jammin' Jennie...get a new follower and spring...and leave happy, completely baffled that John Browning still holds the trump card almost a hundred years later.

[wichaka]

That better pic of the barrel-feed ramp makes it appear that the gap between the two is good.