Update nick in XSE feed ramp

[JustinTime]

As some of you know after I took the my xse to the range it suffered a nick in the feed ramp from the steel follower in the magazine. I sent the pistol to colt for repair and when I came home from my business trip I went and picked it up from my local ffl. Colt blended out the nick. Here is a picture of they're work. Can't even tell it was nicked in the first place.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j176/96vortechSS/M1911016.jpg

[Hunter]

Colt, they do good work don't they.

[JustinTime]

Yes they do. By hand too. Thats what I like about them.

[TattooPaul]

FWIW here's what the factory and McCormick followers did to my STEEL framed XSE. It doesn't need repair but I did swap the springs and followers to prevent it from getting any worse.
They did a real nice job on your ramp, Justin. After reading the tour article I can picture a true craftsman doing it.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/TattooPaulie/ramp2.jpg

[auto45]

The CMC follower won't harm your steel frame. I have tens of thousands of rounds throught them with my Colt frames...no problems. A tiny mark!!

[larry starling]

I'm glad Colt continues to stand behind there products and fix any issues that arise. A lot of companies don't do that in today's marketplace.... ;)

[nra-life-member]

As some of you know after I took the my xse to the range it suffered a nick in the feed ramp from the steel follower in the magazine. I sent the pistol to colt for repair and when I came home from my business trip I went and picked it up from my local ffl. Colt blended out the nick. Here is a picture of they're work. Can't even tell it was nicked in the first place.



Why would the factory magazine with the factory follower NICK your feed ramp? Is the magazine not up to spec?

I was not aware that this could happen - How is this avoided (Other then switching magazines)?

I would think with a Colt factory magazine - then this should never happen.

Hope I am not :dead_hors

[Hawkmoon]

Why would the factory magazine with the factory follower NICK your feed ramp? Is the magazine not up to spec?

I was not aware that this could happen - How is this avoided (Other then switching magazines)?

I would think with a Colt factory magazine - then this should never happen.
The issue is that the XSE is a pistol Colt designed to be more competitive with other makes that have some "bells & whistles." One of the B&W is an extra-capacity (8-round, compared to a standard 7-round) magazine. They get the extra round by shortening the back leg of the follower, allowing it to drop farther down in the tube. The downside to this is that the short back leg also allows the follower to tip forward when the last round feeds, which can bring the metal tip of the follower into contact with the feed ramp.

This is why I refuse to use 8-round magazines (or 7-round Officers magazines). I cannot imagine a scenario in which that one extra round might be worth either damaging the pistol, or causing a malfunction.

[TattooPaul]

The downside to this is that the short back leg also allows the follower to tip forward when the last round feeds, which can bring the metal tip of the follower into contact with the feed ramp.

This is why I refuse to use 8-round magazines (or 7-round Officers magazines). I cannot imagine a scenario in which that one extra round might be worth either damaging the pistol, or causing a malfunction.

Amen Hawkmoon. I currently have Wilson followers and springs in all my 8 rounders to keep the capacity and prevent further frame marking but when the slide lock ledge gets worn I'm losing the extra round and going with 7 rd. followers in all of 'em. Though stouter springs can help with the feeding of 8 rounders the extra duty expected out of a more compressed spring also can lead to very undesireable problems along with follower damage.

[wichaka]

The follower on the right is the culprit. It's the type that McCormick uses......and sometimes the follower will pitch forward and the lower lip will slip over the forward lip of the magazine and poke the feed ramp.

I never thought it was a good design........


http://w3.gorge.net/scshields/follower.jpg

[JustinTime]

Why would the factory magazine with the factory follower NICK your feed ramp? Is the magazine not up to spec?

I was not aware that this could happen - How is this avoided (Other then switching magazines)?

I would think with a Colt factory magazine - then this should never happen.

Hope I am not :dead_hors


Yep it happens with factory mags. From what I've always read it didn't really matter if the magazine was a 6,7 or 8 round magazine. I've always thought it was simply an allow frame problem in addition to the various vendors whom make magazines. This is now a Colt specific problem either as I'm sure most of you know. Thats why I swithed to Wilson mags for my kimber uc. Hawk might be right though. I don't have enough experience with different capacity magazines to say for certain.

On a different note I took the XSE to the range today along with my Taurus PT1911 and my Kimber UC. I don't know exactly how many rounds I put through the colt because I only purchased 100 rounds and it was split up between the three. I forgot the my wilson mag at the house so I used the Taurus's plastic follower 8rnd mag in the colt and the colt mags in the Taurus. I experienced no issues with any pistol but most importantly all came home undamaged.

[TattooPaul]

I was not aware that this could happen - How is this avoided (Other then switching magazines)?

You can get kits to swap just the springs and followers. No need to swap the entire mags.
I am surprised that when shortening the back leg to get the additional round that manufacturers didn't specify the addition of a lip to the front.

[JustinTime]

You can get kits to swap just the springs and followers. No need to swap the entire mags.
I am surprised that when shortening the back leg to get the additional round that manufacturers didn't specify the addition of a lip to the front.

Thanks Paul, I have two wilson 7 round kits in which you speak of. I just need to order the 7 round magazines now. Good question too btw. Seems like it would be easy enought to fix before the problem arose. Here is another good question: since the problem has arisen why have the maufactuers not specified some sort of fix to the vendors for all future magazines. Unless they're under a current contract and cannot at this time.

[jeff1124]

Yep it happens with factory mags. From what I've always read it didn't really matter if the magazine was a 6,7 or 8 round magazine. I've always thought it was simply an allow frame problem in addition to the various vendors whom make magazines. This is now a Colt specific problem either as I'm sure most of you know. Thats why I swithed to Wilson mags for my kimber uc. Hawk might be right though. I don't have enough experience with different capacity magazines to say for certain.



Glockinload, a couple of misspellings in your post, kind of change the meaning. 1st of all I believe you meant it was an Alloy frame problem, not "allow", right? And when you said, "this is now a Colt specific problem" I believe you meant to say; "This is not a Colt specific problem", correct? I wanted to clarify that this problem does happen to alloy frame guns of various makes and that the culprit is the "devel" style follower that wichaka pictured, that is most often used to try to increase the capacity of a standard length magazine. I have gotten the Wilson Combat mag kits to replace the followers on my 'devel' style mags and, so far, have had no problems with them. Tripp Research makes some mag kits too, that look to be an improved Wilson type but, of course, they're more expensive.

[TattooPaul]

Tripp Research makes some mag kits too, that look to be an improved Wilson type but, of course, they're more expensive.

Those Tripp's are great in that the slide stop ledge is steel and the springs are gorilla strong. They knock you back to 7 rounds, however, whereas the all nylon Wilson's let you keep 8 - just watch that ledge for wear.

[JustinTime]

Glockinload, a couple of misspellings in your post, kind of change the meaning. 1st of all I believe you meant it was an Alloy frame problem, not "allow", right? And when you said, "this is now a Colt specific problem" I believe you meant to say; "This is not a Colt specific problem", correct? I wanted to clarify that this problem does happen to alloy frame guns of various makes and that the culprit is the "devel" style follower that wichaka pictured, that is most often used to try to increase the capacity of a standard length magazine. I have gotten the Wilson Combat mag kits to replace the followers on my 'devel' style mags and, so far, have had no problems with them. Tripp Research makes some mag kits too, that look to be an improved Wilson type but, of course, they're more expensive.

Oops, sorry Jeff. Yes, correct. Alloy not allow. Correct again on your second assessment. This is not a colt specific problem. Sorry about the typos. I believe you to be on the right track as well.

[feathers73]

Can you expect the same issues with a 38 super XSE Commander?

[jeff1124]

It 'could' happen, feathers, look at the type of follower. A good follower has a skirt in front to keep it from tipping forward into the feed ramp. The thin "devel" follower was designed to allow for 1 more round to fit into the magazine. I don't know if that's an issue with 38 super, they can already hold more rounds. I'd be nervous using a follower like that on any alloy frame. But others here know more about the 38 super than me.

[TattooPaul]

If there isn't a lip on the front or a skirt it can still be avoided by the presence of a longer back leg, ala WW1 Repro and many traditional 7 rd. mags... Just press it down slightly (less than the thickness of one round) and try to get it to lean forward. Even just a longer back leg is enough to stop this.

[nra-life-member]

If I am not mistaken, the Novak 8 rounders would not have the same type of problem - as the I recall the follower does not leave the magazine tube when pushed forward. Please correct me if I am wrong here..

[DuckRyder]

Can you expect the same issues with a 38 super XSE Commander?

Mine has over 1000 rounds with OEM magazines and no problems.

If you examine the magazines, you will see that (if yours are like mine) the follower will not rock forward into the feed ramp. Even watch it while duplicating feeding.

I will keep an eye on it, but I believe that the super will not exhibit this feed ramp nick.


FWIW

[automan]

I had a 230 JHP stratch the ramp on my new LWC when it didn't feed on the first magazine of JHPs used in it, but after a few more rounds through it, its gone.