1911 occasional feed failure

[kazman]

Hi,
On my sw1911 with about 1200 rounds through it I get occasional (2 every 300 rounds) feed failures. Happens mostly with Blazer Brass I think. I'm wondering if it's the ammo, or should I just put in a new high quality recoil spring or change the spring in the mag? I think it mostly happens with the Wilson Combat Elite Tactical 8 rd and not so much with the factory mags but I'm not sure. When it jams, the round looks like it tilts at too steep an angle and the slide can't close, so the round is visible lodged between the barrel and back of slide. I keep it well cleaned and lubed. Any advice?

[J-cat]

Get some Metalform or Tripp mags. They control feed the round into the chamber. Wilsons don't.

[hkdad]

check your feedramp... try polishing it... it helps a lot!

[PutTogether]

check your feedramp... try polishing it... it helps a lot!

Please don't do this without either:
1) trying a lot of other things first
2) having a bona fide professional do it.

The reason i say this isn't because polishing a feed ramp is bad advice - it is just that it is a very, VERY easy thing to screw up.

Your problem is tough to answer without knowing for sure if it happens on only a particular magazine, or if it happens equally often with several different mags. When it fails to feed, does a tap or bump in the forward direction on the rear of the slide seat the round, or do you need to rack the slide completely back to eject that round and feed another?

Have you altered or modified anything on the gun from its completely stock configuration?

Does it do this with more than one kind/type/brand of ammo?

Usually when I have a feed issue on a 1911 I examine and experiment with things in this order:

Magazines - ie, is it one particular magazine that is giving me the problem? Keeping labeled piece of tape on them helps differentiate them so you can notice if a problem always happens on the same mag.

Ammunition - is this an ammo choice that I haven't shot hundreds of rounds through this gun/mag combo already? Is it hollow point or ball? Does it look ok? etc.

If neither of those fixes the problem, THEN I start to look at the gun.

[sholling]

Please don't do this without either:
1) trying a lot of other things first
2) having a bona fide professional do it.

The reason i say this isn't because polishing a feed ramp is bad advice - it is just that it is a very, VERY easy thing to screw up.

Your problem is tough to answer without knowing for sure if it happens on only a particular magazine, or if it happens equally often with several different mags. When it fails to feed, does a tap or bump in the forward direction on the rear of the slide seat the round, or do you need to rack the slide completely back to eject that round and feed another?

Have you altered or modified anything on the gun from its completely stock configuration?

Does it do this with more than one kind/type/brand of ammo?

Usually when I have a feed issue on a 1911 I examine and experiment with things in this order:

Magazines - ie, is it one particular magazine that is giving me the problem? Keeping labeled piece of tape on them helps differentiate them so you can notice if a problem always happens on the same mag.

Ammunition - is this an ammo choice that I haven't shot hundreds of rounds through this gun/mag combo already? Is it hollow point or ball? Does it look ok? etc.

If neither of those fixes the problem, THEN I start to look at the gun.

Listen to this advice!

The number one cause of FTFs is the magazine. Label them and and see if you can isolate the problem to one magazine. If it's happening with more then one magazine then let the factory deal with it.

[damndave]

Blazer Brass has problems feeding in my Kimber. all other ammo works fine

[Timberland]

1911 have malfunctions. Dont trust the "my gun never jams" they do. 1911 are mag picky. Im not shure how a feedramp can be messed up with a light polish. Mine would choke up alot. I polished the feedramp I can see my reflection in it. Then changed the spring, night and day.

[PutTogether]

1911 have malfunctions. Dont trust the "my gun never jams" they do. 1911 are mag picky. Im not shure how a feedramp can be messed up with a light polish. Mine would choke up alot. I polished the feedramp I can see my reflection in it. Then changed the spring, night and day.

One problem is that everyone has a different definition of "polish." To some it may mean run a silicon cloth back and forth over it, and for some it means grab the dremel with the grinding wheel. The issue is that it is an area of the gun where geometry is very important and going nuts removing too much metal can cause problems. We've all had that "oh crap, I should have stopped filing 15 minutes ago moment."

[Timberland]

. We've all had that "oh crap, I should have stopped filing 15 minutes ago moment."

I guess. but how much abrasion is created by jewelry polish and a cotton polishing wheel or cone on a dremill. I guess some people can mess anything up.

[yasushi]

I agree that most issues on 1911's are with the mags. I have gone through several mags and they do make a difference. My old Colt is not fussy and runs with any magazine but my Kimbers do not like some after market or sloppy mags. Unless you can see or feel a nick in the ramp, I would not mess with working on the ramp. Leave it to the pros to work on the ramp.

[kazman]

Thanks. I suspect it's the Wilson Combat mags or Blazer brass, but since I have a large stock of Blazer from Walmart a while back I'll check the mags. I cleaned the Wilsons today and they were pretty dirty. I noticed that the follower is a flimsy almost cheap feeling plastic material (mags were $40+!) and until I cleaned it it would not freely move up and down with the spring removed (would get stuck in the middle). May also look for a new spring. This is compared to the factory S&W mags which have a metal follower which moves up and down cleanly.

[tophatjones]

First of all, don't do any polishing or any kind of gunsmithing unless you know exactly what the problem is. If your feed ramp doesn't have serious machining marks that can catch on the cartridge (just run your nail on the ramp), it doesn't need polishing. A common misconception is that polishing will help feeding problems. The fact is, the angle of the ramp itself is far more important. When one begins polishing without fully knowing what they're doing, the angle or the shape of the ramp can be changed accidentally. Worst case of over zealous polishing, you may need a new ramp welded in place ($$$).

Can you describe the nature of the FTF? If you tap the slide, will it complete the forward motion and chamber the round? Or is the jam one that requires you to pull the slide back? Does it happen only on the top rounds of a fully loaded mag?

Also, are you using ball ammo?

Let's get to the bottom of this.

P.S. @J-cat. Sorry to nitpick here, but the only magazines that function under the controlled feed principle have the tapered late release feed lips or hybrid tapered lips. I have all three of these: Wilsons, Tripp, and metalforms (although I think I only have one of many variations of metalforms) are all abrupt release feed lips, a "modern" method of 1911 mags.

[PutTogether]

Thanks. I suspect it's the Wilson Combat mags or Blazer brass, but since I have a large stock of Blazer from Walmart a while back I'll check the mags. I cleaned the Wilsons today and they were pretty dirty. I noticed that the follower is a flimsy almost cheap feeling plastic material (mags were $40+!) and until I cleaned it it would not freely move up and down with the spring removed (would get stuck in the middle). May also look for a new spring. This is compared to the factory S&W mags which have a metal follower which moves up and down cleanly.

I wouldn't be too quick to discount a Wilson mag. That plastic follower will surprise you. Now if they are so dirty they are sticking, it doesn't matter how good the mag is.

I'm still curious exactly where the round is hanging up. Is it's point jammed at the bottom of the barrel throat or the top? Will tapping the slide at the rear move it into battery?

[aplinker]

I'll just say... 99% of issues I see with 1911's are from magazines and extractors with too little tension.

[andrewj]

Try checking the extractor tension.