Springfield 1911 GI FTF first round

[AmoAgave]

Didn't want to hijack the other 1911 jamming threads so here's my own personal one.

Very recently purchased a brand new SA GI. From the very first mag it has failed to feed the first round. Subsequent rounds will feed 85% of the time. I started hand feeding the first round just to shoot the thing.

I've tried three different mags. 1>new factory mag 2> used factory mag 3> Wilson 8rd mag (hoping this would do it, nice magazine, totally worth the money). Didn't seem to make any difference. Either does the ammo (three brands now). Also tried loading 2 or 3 rounds into the Wilson mag, still no love on the first round.

What does help is a hot dirty gun. If I hand rack the slide (not just releasing it) on a hot gun (after say 20-rounds) it will feed. I can't release the slide and have it feed though. I also have less FTF's in general when it's hot. I field stripped it, loaded a mag and pushed a round forward just out of curiosity. Same thing happens. Right into the feed ramp. It's like the angles are completely wrong. I don't know enough to really say this is the case though, just appears that way to me.

Shoudl I send it back? I'm assuming Springfield will pay shipping both ways for a 2 month old pistol? I suppose I have to unless someone knows an obvious fix for this issue.

[negolien]

When you say " I started hand feeding the first round just to shoot the thing." Please tell me you didn't put a round in the weapon while the slide was back and thru the ejection port? Doing this risks damage to your extractor if i remember reading right.

As for the original problem. I use Chip McCormick star mags for my Kimber and don't have any issues. What kind of ammo were you using full jackets or hollow points? I' am not sure what the issue is but sounds like something simple to be honest. When you rack the slide for that 1st round are you pulling fully rearward and releasing at the high point letting the slide slam home under it's own power? I had issues at first with my kimber when breaking it in cause I was trying to ease the slide forward on first round.

[chim-chim7]

Let me guess, semi-wad cutters?

[Q619]

When you rack the slide, are you pulling it all the way back and letting go? If you're riding it forward that could be your problem.

[five.five-six]

I love SA's lifetime warranty, though I have never used it

[supertrooper]

1911s arnt glocks, they need a break in period of a few hundred rounds. they are also picky about what mags they like. mine will only feed with wilson mags. polishing the feed ramp helps with the feeding to. try some other mags and dont single feed through the ejection port.

[cindynles]

Call Springfield. They will fix it for you. Lifetime warrenty.

[AmoAgave]

When you say " I started hand feeding the first round just to shoot the thing." Please tell me you didn't put a round in the weapon while the slide was back and thru the ejection port? Doing this risks damage to your extractor if i remember reading right.

As for the original problem. I use Chip McCormick star mags for my Kimber and don't have any issues. What kind of ammo were you using full jackets or hollow points? I' am not sure what the issue is but sounds like something simple to be honest. When you rack the slide for that 1st round are you pulling fully rearward and releasing at the high point letting the slide slam home under it's own power? I had issues at first with my kimber when breaking it in cause I was trying to ease the slide forward on first round.

Doh! Yea I was hand feeding the first round. Didn't think it would be an issue. I was hoping to get enough rounds threw it to 'break it in'.

I tried multiple times releasing the slide from lock...no go. Pulling it straight back and releasing it when hot worked 90% of the time, when cold nothing would feed the first round.

[AmoAgave]

Let me guess, semi-wad cutters?

FMJ

When you rack the slide, are you pulling it all the way back and letting go? If you're riding it forward that could be your problem.

Letting it loose from all the way back. It's the only way it will chamber when hot. When cold this doesn't work at all either. The whole thing just seems odd to me.

1911s arnt glocks, they need a break in period of a few hundred rounds. they are also picky about what mags they like. mine will only feed with wilson mags. polishing the feed ramp helps with the feeding to. try some other mags and dont single feed through the ejection port.

I'm at about 200 now. Problem isn't any better. I bought the Wilson mag already, not sure I want to keep spending money on different mags that probably won't make a difference. Would rather spend it on more Wilson 8rd mags. I love the one I bought!

But since it never loaded a first round when cold and clean, there would be no way to fire it unless I dropped it in, but apparently that was a f&#k up on my part. Guess that tells me what I need to do!

Call Springfield. They will fix it for you. Lifetime warrenty.

Yup. And this is what I need to do. Was hoping for an easy fix, but yea think it's heading back to the company.

Thanks for the help and ideas everyone. It's appreciated.

[luckystrike]

give Springfield a call forsure, theyl even send you a shipping label.
awesome customer service at SA.

[JOEKILLA]

I was feeding mine with Blazer Brass and using the 7 rd magazines from SA. Had a couple of FTF for a little bit until she got broken in. No problems since then.

[SAR_boats]

couple things:

Break it in to get everything working.

8-rnd mags and non-ramped barrels have a tendancy to nosedive the first round. Wolff springs + Novaks or ACT mags fixed this for me. Wilson 47D mags have shorter lips on the mags which helps the problem without running new springs. Try loading 7 rounds into an 8 round mag and see if you still get the FTF.

Might want to check your extractor for damage (or have it checked).

[Q619]

Give SA a holler, they'll make it right:
megan@springfield-armory.com or tracy@springfield-armory.com, 800-680-6866, ext. 8986 or 8945

SA customer service/warranty is top notch.

[subrosa]

Broke my Colt in on a solid diet of FMJ and Colt/Wilson mags. A couple of rounds had issues, but now after 1000ish it is solid and would trust my life to it.

I have always heard it is bad juju to hand load a round into a automatic pistol, but I have no first hand evidence it would break anything.

[Q619]

Broke my Colt in on a solid diet of FMJ and Colt/Wilson mags. A couple of rounds had issues, but now after 1000ish it is solid and would trust my life to it.

I have always heard it is bad juju to hand load a round into a automatic pistol, but I have no first hand evidence it would break anything.

It's bad for your extractor to load a single round by hand. This is because the extractor was designed to have the round sort of slip up into the hook from the bottom from a magazine rather than flex around the rim. You can do a basic tension test on your extractor by taking the slide off the gun and slipping a round into the extractor from the bottom just like if the gun were loaded. When you turn the slide over and the extractor tension holds onto the case: it's good. Doesn't mean it's finely tuned but it should be functioning.

It probably won't break from doing it a couple times but if you repeatedly load single rounds into the chamber from the breech and slam the slide home you'll either break your extractor, weaken it, prematurely wear your hook or perhaps throw the tension off (though that's just a guess). Any way you look at it, you're unnecessarily jeopardizing the reliability of your pistol. If you don't want to take anyone's word for it: keep doing it, it's your gun. Please post pics of the damage or story of your extractor failure. If you use your gun as it was designed to be used, that extractor should have a nice long life and be good for many thousands of rounds. I wouldn't recommend messing with the one part that is the first to usually need replacement/tuning from wear.