major jamming going on with pistol

[crazy birddog]

I have a problem, bought a daly 1911 , any mag i use, or any load i use, either will load first time, fire then jam, or will not slip round into barrel even it is the first round, being cycled by pulling slide to rear and releasing. have no idea why, except it is a feeding problem. the gun is used as in second owner but shot as far as i could tell very little, gun seems tiught, been stripped and cleaned. i love all of my daly products, own several shotguns and rifles also. what is daly's policy on repair work when concerning some thing like this. any help would be gratefully accepted. pistol is 45acp, commander size, with all the bells and whistles

[pa_guns]

Hi

I believe their standard policy is that the warranty only covers the first owner.

Sorry about that.

Bob

[Hawkmoon]

The president of Charles Daly posts here, under screen name "Charles Daly." Why not send him an e-mail or a PM and ask him directly? It's unlikely that many other members here know the company's policy regarding warranty work on second-hand firearms.

[pa_guns]

Hi

Sounds like a plan.

Bob

[BigO]

If Daly wont help you out you will be asked for pictures of the weapon in the position/positions it is stopping in so the guys can help you figure it out .

Good luck

[crazy birddog]

MOST OF THE TIME, the round is jammed into the ramp of the gun, either straight in or slight down angle, been a couple of half loads where the round jams half way into barrel

[thebluesbox]

Just the other day I was reading the warranty policy for Charles Daly. When you buy a new gun you have to register for it to have a lifetime warranty. If you dont its covered for a year.

I would think sense you didnt buy it new or register it that its not covered. But like the others have said talk to CD who knows he might want to give you some royal treatment.

[crazy birddog]

tried a pm to the pres. of daly, no responce yet, but i know he's busy so it may take some time for him to get back to me. i like the daly firearms, i own several of the shotguns, and the rifles always had good luck, and the company has always been good to me, so will see what happens

[Joshua M. Smith]

MOST OF THE TIME, the round is jammed into the ramp of the gun, either straight in or slight down angle, been a couple of half loads where the round jams half way into barrel

1) Switch magazines. Use a Wilson 47 - this will eliminate mag issues.

2) Try it.

3) If the problem is not solved, polish that area lightly with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I prefer the black oxide stuff.

4) Polish the breech face with the same #400 sandpaper attached to a flat guide such as a popsicle stick. Again, lightly. If you need a guide on how lightly to polish, draw a line with a washable marker down the area to be polished. Polish until the marker is off, and that's it. Light, smooth strokes, changing no angles.

Josh <><

[pa_guns]

Hi

Be *very* careful polishing any part of the feed ramp or chamber. It's very easy to ruin the firearm.

Bob

[Joshua M. Smith]

What PA_Guns said.

Use the washable marker.

I had to do this, along with some other stuff that I will not go into here, to make mine 100% reliable with any ammo.

Josh <><

[crazy birddog]

the ramp is so bright and smooth already, do not believe it would help, as for mags, i tried a wilson combat, chip mccormick, govt. issued, ed brown, and a couple of springfield also. i think the barrel and the feed ramp are just not mated up or to steep of a angle

[mnhornet]

OK, you just bought this compact "used" right? First, step back take a deep breath and relax. Search the forum for compact feed problems, I'd guess you'll be bombarded with results. If you are only using the 2 mags that came with the pistol, you may want to try one from a different manufacturer. I'm betting you have a very near new pistol that the previous owner gave up on, your patience should pay off here. Like I said search the forum for compact feed issues, something in your research will probably help you diagnose you problem, let us know what you find out.

[mnhornet]

OK so it isn't a mag issue. LOL

[Joshua M. Smith]

I had the same problem with mine.

It took a somewhat radical fix that I won't outline here. It did feed ball and empty cases stock though.

Pull the barrel out. See how sharp the bottom of the barrel is. It may be hanging up due to the barrel digging into the bullet.

Try some GI mags with ball ammo. The reason I say this is that modern magazines bypass a step in the controlled feed process.

Here's how the process is supposed to go, with ball ammo:

1) The slide hits the top of the rim, making the round nosedive into the frame ramp.

2) As the slide continues along, the pressure makes the round nose cartridge come up at a steep angle.

3) As the slide continues pushing, the bullet enters the chamber.

4) The mag gives up control to the extractor.

5) Round continues into the chamber and the rim finishes sliding under the extractor.

Modern mags bypass the step that make the round nosedive because hp ammo just won't function that way, and so you're missing the steep angle feed.

Let's see if we can't at least get it to feed ball, and if you wish to carry it for defensive purposes, you can at least then carry Pow'R'Ball or EFMJ.

Try a GI mag. A Triple K should work in place of a GI mag; just don't expect it to last a long time.

Josh <><

[crazy birddog]

tryed gi mags, plus used ball ammo, still same problem

[MAC79912]

+1 on being careful polishing your feed ramp.My buddy used a dremel and ruined the feed ramp.Cost about 150 to replace the barrel.I had a similar issue with the slide not going into full battery when releasing the slide.I changed out the mags and have no issues with the pistol now.

[Joshua M. Smith]

Never use a Dremel to polish, only to reshape, and that's only if you have a lot of experience in the area you're reshaping.

Use a Dowel rod and 400 to 600 grit sandpaper to polish.

Josh <><

[Joshua M. Smith]

tryed gi mags, plus used ball ammo, still same problem

I take it that it does this when it's being cycled at full speed, not just hand cycling?

Where exactly is it hanging up?

I'm guessing it's off the ramp, and on its way into the barrel - it maybe looks like it should go into the barrel, but it doesn't quite make it?

:wl:

So...

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/WabashShootist/Guns/1911/FeedJam.jpg
I'm taking it this is how yours malfunctions? Right on that spot???

Do you have the ability to post pictures?

Josh <><

[pa_guns]

Hi

Pictures of the jam would be helpful.

Bob

[BigO]

Crazy don't play with the angle of that ramp , it is suppose to be pretty steep , it is on my EMS and it feeds 100% .

Check to see if the barrel overhangs the frame ramp if it does there's your problem and it is gunsmith time .

If it doesn't I would do all of the following if it were mine and if these things didn't fix it I would send it to a smith .

1) check the extractor tension it sounds like you may have a bit too much tension on it

2) take some 600 then 800 wet/dry and spend 4-5 minutes NO MORE polishing the chamber , wrap it around your little finger and work it in and out of the barrel DO NOT SPIN IT AROUND or use a dremel

3) replace the recoil spring , get a 22# and a 20# government model spring . Field strip your gun and use the spring that came with it as a guide . Cut the first spring back so that it is say 3 coils longer than what came with the gun . Assemble the gun if you can and hand cycle it several times if it doesn't cut the spring back 1 half of a coil and repeat the process till it is right .

When you get to the point that it hand cycles fine try putting a loaded mag in with the slide locked back and hit the slide release . If it chambers 100% of the way repeat several times then take her out and shoot it to see if the problem is fixed .

Start with the 22# spring and if you get the gun working with it cut the 20# to an identical length and try shooting it with both springs and see which is best for the bullet/load combination you shoot the most .

O the easiest way to cut a spring back is with a dremel and a cutting attachment .

Good luck

[pa_guns]

Hi

Spring length does not always map directly to spring strength. That's *very* true with recoil springs.

Bob

[Pappy]

Sounds like the pistol is over sprung and/or wrong magazine.

Try 16# action spring and CheckMate 7 round hybrid mag.

Bet it runs with this combo. Oh, and extractor tension.

[stevehenry]

i have a daley with similar problems--i put in a wilson combat extractor and boy, did it make a difference! it is now more reliable than my springfield!

[1911Tuner]

replace the recoil spring , get a 22# and a 20# government model spring .

Forsooth! Why all the hate for that gun?

government model spring . Field strip your gun and use the spring that came with it as a guide . Cut the first spring back so that it is say 3 coils longer than what came with the gun .

A standard Wolff GM-length spring is 32 coils. Cut to the correct length for a Commander-length pistol...4.25 inches...25 coils is about the limit. The gun may appear to hand-cycle just fine with coil bind...until you shoot it. If the spring stacks solid and stops the slide before it hits the impact abutment...things break. If you're lucky, it'll be the bushing. If you're not...your slide is a paperweight.

Use a 16-pound GM spring and cut it to 25 turns. Check for coil bind. If it's there, trim a half-coil and try again.

If the pistol has a reverse plug recoil system, the stadard GM spring won't work. Completely different spring. You'll have to order from the manufacturer.

[pa_guns]

Hi

Unless the proper spring is simply un-obtainable - get the right spring in the first place. They are cheap no matter where you get them.

Bob

[1911Tuner]

get the right spring in the first place. They are cheap no matter where you get them.

Ooh! Ooh! I beg to differ!

When comparing recoil springs from a Colt Commander and the Government Model with standard recoil systems...there is no difference other than the number of turns. They're cut from the same wire.

Next...A former neighbor ordered a Wilson Spring that was packaged and marked specifically for his Commander...installed it...and went to the range. When he came back, the slide had broken in the bushing lug's raceway because the spring had one too many coils, and stacked into a solid bind. The bushing was also ruined. The plug was MIA because it was launched downrange when the front of the slide let go.

Finally...standard Wolff GM springs are a little cheaper than those marked for Commanders.
If you go through 3-4 springs per year per gun...that can add up.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

[pa_guns]

Hi

You can indeed get the wrong part, even when you order the right part ....

It's always worth checking things before you let any pistol go "boom".

Bob

[Adjutant]

Try the Cobra Mag. The cartridge sits significantly higher than other mag and it is made slightly longer to hold the eight rounds rather than jury rigging a seven round magazine. If the Cobra Mag doesn't work then you KNOW it is some other problem.


All the best getting it squared away.

Bill

http://www.trippresearch.com/

[crazy birddog]

daly fixed the gun for me, turned out it was the slide release lever , they put a new one in, and it works great

[pa_guns]

Hi

Glad to hear it's fixed.

Bob