Good morning, all,
I have a steel 5" Colt Series 80 1991 model that I got in 2011. It has run like clockwork since I figured out the right extractor tension (more than it came with) and I've got about 6000 trouble-free rounds through it.
Recently, I saw what I thought was a vertical scratch on the left/port side of the frame, just forward of where the frame rails end. Upon closer inspection, it looks like it's a crack in the frame at the junction of the slide rails and the back of the dust cover. I've been searching around this forum, and apparently these cracks aren't all that uncommon. I asked my local gunsmith, who tunes 1911s, and he says he mostly sees this in pistols with weak recoil springs. Reading an old post on here, it sounds like rubbing/binding between the top of the dustcover and the bottom of the slide can also cause this.
I've taken good care of this pistol and changed the recoil spring every 2,000 rounds. I've always used the standard, factory-weight springs on this (16lbs, I think). I've given it factory 230g FMJs almost exclusively. The only real modification I've done is a short radius firing pin stop plate.
Here are my questions:
- Is this normal for a steel 1911 with a relatively small round count?
- If you've had this problem with a Colt before, what was their resolution? I'm waiting for a call back from them.
- This is well above what I would feel comfortable trying to fix, so are you aware of any good 1911 pistol smiths who fix this? I searched a few and didn't see it specifically offered as a service.
- Even if I can get it fixed, should I plan to retire this pistol?
Thanks all for the help!
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