SA 1911 - Feedramp issues/Send it back??

[BryanB]

Nate,

I'd try seeing if it does the same thing with factory loads first. My reason being I have had more issues with guns going down due to reloads. The last batch of reloads I bought from a store did not crimp them properly and the bullet would recess into the casing when loaded. I agree with the other posters though, if it still has issues send it to Springfield they will make it right.

[high_lander]

I had this same issue with my RIA. After I got a few rounds off, everything started to click as it should. After about 2 or 3 mags worth of shooting it started to strip the first round no problem. Sounds like a rough feed ramp. It should polish up a bit with more rounds.

I was using WWB 230 gr ball ammo.

[Nate74]

Nate,

I'd try seeing if it does the same thing with factory loads first. My reason being I have had more issues with guns going down due to reloads. The last batch of reloads I bought from a store did not crimp them properly and the bullet would recess into the casing when loaded. I agree with the other posters though, if it still has issues send it to Springfield they will make it right.

Holy crap... I just cycled a couple dozen PMC round through it with zero problems. Tried three or four magazines worth of Magtech rounds too with the same result. Every single one fed beautifully. I tried using the slide release button, I tried racking the slide, hell, I even held it pointing straight into the air and hit the slide release and every single time it chambered the round.

Is it possible the range reloads had bullets that were further into the casing?

Or even worse, they weren't actually 230gr and were 185? Would that matter?

[robert101]

It could be the bullet taper, crimp dimension, bullet seat depth. I'm glad to hear that factory rounds do feed. Good news. If you start to reload your own bullets you will have to deal with all of those issues in getting that right round to feed reliably in your gun. A little polishing of the feed ramp could very well be in order. I got some great advice just today on how to make my SA Loaded feed hollow points very reliably.

[BryanB]

What you were experiencing Nate was bad QA on whoever made the reloads. Since you were saying that it looked like the round was hitting below the feed ramp I will assume this was due to the individual improperly seating the bullet. I don't believe this would have made a difference if it were a 185 Gr. round.

If I was you I would make sure you inform the range politely and immediately that their rounds are causing malfunctions.

[tiko]

230, 200 or 185 ball should have the same Over All Lenght, varies between 2.30" to 2.75". My SA like 2.5" for 200 gr LSWC.

[tzahoy]

I'm pretty sure 230 gr ball doesn't vary in OAL length by almost 1/2". 2.75"-2.30"=.45" Be careful what you read on the intarweb, it's not always true... :-)

230, 200 or 185 ball should have the same Over All Lenght, varies between 2.30" to 2.75". My SA like 2.5" for 200 gr LSWC.

[Hatchet]

Dude, just call SA and send it back. They have great customer service and will take care of you. If you're new to 1911's, I would advise against doing anything yourself...

[Nate74]

Dude, just call SA and send it back. They have great customer service and will take care of you. If you're new to 1911's, I would advise against doing anything yourself...

Since there's a lot of evidence now that the range reloads were the problem, I'm not inclined to put SA through their paces on this. I'm going to get a chance to shoot again next weekend and I'll use some of my PMC and see how it does. If there's any issues at all, then SA will hear from me.

[Ninja45]

There is nothing with your pistol. It is your reloaded ammo. I never trust ammo reloaded by another. I do my own reloads or shoot factory.
I agree with you, I will not send a perfectly working pistol back for repairs when the problem lies elsewhere either!

[Nate74]

There is nothing with your pistol. It is your reloaded ammo. I never trust ammo reloaded by another. I do my own reloads or shoot factory.
I agree with you, I will not send a perfectly working pistol back for repairs when the problem lies elsewhere either!

I also think the problem was compounded by the fact that I'm not that familiar with the 45ACP round. I'm wondering if somebody who has shot that round for years would have instantly known they were short.

The good news is I really like my 1911, despite the issues. Felt very Sands of Iwa Jima...

[NavDoc]

230, 200 or 185 ball should have the same Over All Lenght, varies between 2.30" to 2.75". My SA like 2.5" for 200 gr LSWC.

Dude, get a ruler and look at just how long 2.3-2.75 INCHES really is. Are you referring to .45 LC? I think you mean 1.3-1.75 inches. And that is still pretty long. My ball ammo is 1.2-1.25" COL.

[Hatchet]

Oops...I must have missed the part about reload ammo, or else I wouldn't have advised returning it for service...

[Nate74]

One more bit of info. I tried cycling some Hornady defensive rounds through it today. With 6 or fewer rounds in the magazine, it handled them fine. With 7 rounds in the mag (full) I got the same malfunction.

I used calipers and sure enough, these Hornady rounds are short (in overall length) than the PMC and Magtech ammo.

Was the 1911 just not designed for non ball ammo?

[Hatchet]

Well, no, they were designed for ball. However, most will feed HP ammo reliably if they've been throated (my Brown eats everything). I believe, could be wrong here, that the milspec is supposed to be throated for HP use. My best advice would be, honestly, that if it doesn't work right contact SA and have them correct it. In my experience (with other manufacturers...), if you have to return a weapon for warranty, they don't just fix the problem, but go over the rest of the weapon as well, so I wouldn't hesitate to do that....