Commander 'jamming' on barrel ramp

[clare44man]

Tuner, after reading 'troubleshooting time' I have a question. I just sold a Combat Commander because it would only feed hardball for me. When anything else was used, the nose of the bullet would hit on the lower edge of the barrel, cam the barrel forward and at that point, everything jamed up. Now I wish I had the gun to look at closer. The nose of the round would be jamed against the lower edge of the barrel, the barrel would be camed up against the slide, with the rear of the round still in the mag and jammed against the breechface. Seem's I remember having lock the slide back, then strip the magazine out of the pistol, which also striped the offending round out of the mag. I know the barrel had been replaced with another 'take off' Colt barrel. At the time, I just thought the barrel was 'too loose' and swinging up too soon and jamming against the slide. Now I'm wondering if the barrel was not fitting properly. Or was this a feed ramp/magazine problem or should the barrel have been 'throated more'. It seemed to have an adequit ramp into the chamber. This was with swc lead reloads and any factory H.P. (even the old remingtons). This ammo has given me no problems in my other 1911's and these Wilson mags. ????

[1911Tuner]

Howdy 44man,

Field-strip the pistol and lay the barrel in the frame bed. Insert the slidestop pin through the frame and link. Push the barrel down and back as far as it will go. Look at the junction where the frame ramp and the barrel ramp come together. The lower edge of the barrel ramp should sit slightly forward of the
corner formed by the frame ramp. About .030 inch should do. It can be more, but not less.

Also, the top of the frame ramp shouldn't be rounded...or "rolled". Many people who don't know what they're doing will round that corner off in an attempt to get smoother feeding...and run into trouble. The corner deflects the round upward and into the mid-point of the barrel ramp. If it's rounded off, it sends it straight into the lower edge of the barrel ramp, creating the jam that you describe.

The first problem is an easy fix. The second may be repairable if the corner hasn't been taken too far down.

[clare44man]

Sorry, my attention was needed at work before I gave you all the info. The barrel did not overhang the feed ramp. Everything in that area seemed to fit properly and the barrel locked up into the slide well. The gun was accurate and 100% reliable with hardball, but nothing else. I couldn't get over two rounds at a time of any other ammo to feed. Interesting isn't it. Of course with someone of your knowledge and experience, this is probably childs play. Thanks in advance. (not that it matters now as the gun is gone, but for next time I run into this) 44 Man

[clare44man]

Yes! The forward edge of the feed ramp on the frame was 'rolled' slightly.

[1911Tuner]

Yes! The forward edge of the feed ramp on the frame was 'rolled' slightly.

Bingo! Another hack with a Dremel doin' what he ought not do. I see it a lot.
Some are salvageable and some have to be welded up and recut. The heartbreakers are the alloy-framed Commanders. Saw one that was done like that with what looked like a rat-tail rasp and a piece of 80-grit sandpaper. Production date...1950. I nearly cried.