Hit in the Head

[tnicolos]

I have a series 90 Colt Defender. I am right handed but am cursed with a left master eye. I bought the Defender to use as my carry gun but I cannot fire more than three rounds without getting hit in the forehead with shell casings. I have had a match trigger and barrel installed at an Anchorage gun shop and asked them if they could address the problem.

I was informed they could not find any thing wrong and that with the short action it is hard to correct this sort of problem. I have two Gold Cups, an Officers model, an Ed Brown Kobra Carry and a Kimber CDP Pro Carry and none of them hit me in the forehead. Sure, one out every 200 rounds might glance off my forehead with any of the others, but my Defender is pretty regular at nailing me.

Is it true there is nothing that can be done to correct this problem?

I sure like the size and weight of my Defender but I am not crazy about using it as a carry gun if I cannot get this problem resolved. And suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[GCT00427]

I believe that it is the extractor or ejector that needs a slight adjustment (can't remember which). Mine will do that once in a great while. One of my friends who had one sent it back to Colt's for adjustment. I really think that from what I have read on 1911forum.com that there is an easy fix. You might go to the Colt's section there and do a search for an easy answer.

Chuck

[TriumphGT6]

Search these fora, this bang-the-head issue has been discussed at least twice before in recent weeks. But honestly, is this really a problem?

<soapbox>
It seems to me that for a carry piece, reliability is the paramount issue. If it chambers, extracts and ejects 100%, you're in clover. If you ever do find yourself in a "defense" situation, and the empties slap you in the forehead, I bet you won't even notice. :p
</soapbox>

[stans]

Could easily be the extractor is not holding the case tight enough and/or is rotating slightly within its tunnel. Also, if you have a shock buffer on the recoil spring guide rod, remove it as it shortens the slide's cycling distance and will induce problems.

[tnicolos]

Thanks everyone, I agree that for a carry piece, reliability is the paramount however, when you are continually getting hit in the head I spend more time worrying about getting hit than where the shot is being placed.

I do not have a shock buffer installed but it does raise another question, is there any way to go to a single recoil spring rather than the original spring within a spring?

[Quicksilver GT]

Tnicolos, I too have left-eye dominance while being right-handed. But it's actually a good thing. Such people usually have better reflexes and better hand-eye coordination than those who are same-side dominant.

As far as getting hit in the head with brass goes, my experience is that most 1911s fling brass every which way. (Although my new Lightweight Commander is pretty consistent about tossing it forward, which I appreciate.) Anyway, as Triumph said above, you probably would never notice it if you actually to fire the gun in extremis.

[oneshot47]

change the extractor you can bend the extractor a bit but get a new one they do get old