Kimber 1911 commander - failure to go fully into battery

[rplaw]

This is my carry pistol.

It's worn (Estimated 30k rounds) but usually it's totally reliable. Until recently that is.

Occasionally it now fails to go fully into battery. Sometimes it hangs and then goes on its own, but most often I have to push to fully close the slide.

It has a NEW commander length recoil spring in it.

Full strip and clean in an ultrasonic has not solved the problem.

Using different factory ammo (Federal, UMC, Remington, Winchester) has not solved the problem.

The feed ramp is polished and in good shape (no dish).

Barrel/chamber are clean and shiny.



I have no idea what's causing the problem. All I can think of is that there's a tiny piece of grit somewhere that won't come out and it's causing something to stick every once in awhile.

Anyone have any ideas?

['ol shooter]

Check the link pin for play between the link and pin or pin walking out of barrel lug. Inspect locking lugs on barrel and slide for damage. Check dis-connector plunger to assure it operates smoothly. With all surfaces properly lubed and with recoil spring out of the pistol, work the slide fully in both directions and feel for any binding/dragging when it starts to go into lockup. It should cycle smoothly by hand. I have seen hang ups when the extractor is not correctly adjusted but you say all you did was strip and clean. If you still can't figure it out, professional intervention is in your future.

[ojisan]

Check the front of the chamber for lead or brass debris build up.
Check the locking lugs in the slide for smashed in debris.
Be sure the barrel link moves freely and the lug feet are not beaten in or peened over.

[rplaw]

Wouldn't dirty/damaged locking lugs cause this problem all the time instead of intermittently? Ditto for chamber debris?

I keep thinking it's something to do with the firing pin block having just enough drag somehow to slow the slide every once in awhile. On the other hand, a worn link pin could cause this depending on how it's worn. I'll have to triple check.

[divingin]

Wouldn't dirty/damaged locking lugs cause this problem all the time instead of intermittently? Ditto for chamber debris?

Nope; when things like this start happening, it often happens occasionally, and, if not addressed, progresses to continually.

If it were mine, I'd put the old spring back in and test. Problems that occur after a parts swap should be the first to come under suspicion.

[ojisan]

Damaged lugs...full time problem.
Debris floating around in lugs...intermittent to full time problem.
Chamber debris...depends on case length and bullet type / shape.
Bad ammo could be the problem too.
Just suggesting a few things to look for that I have run across over the years.
Good luck figuring it out.

[rplaw]

Nope; when things like this start happening, it often happens occasionally, and, if not addressed, progresses to continually.

If it were mine, I'd put the old spring back in and test. Problems that occur after a parts swap should be the first to come under suspicion.

I changed the spring because the problem was beginning to crop up and that's usually the sign of a tired recoil spring. Or, at that's been my experience.

[rplaw]

Damaged lugs...full time problem.
Debris floating around in lugs...intermittent to full time problem.
Chamber debris...depends on case length and bullet type / shape.
Bad ammo could be the problem too.
Just suggesting a few things to look for that I have run across over the years.
Good luck figuring it out.

Thanks.

I'm going to strip it down again and use my microscope to examine everything. If that doesn't show anything as being the problem, then it's either going to get retired or sent off to one of the performance gunsmiths. The likelyhood is retirement because it's a Kimber and can be replaced fairly easily and probably cheaper than getting it back to reliable.

[Dr. Dimento]

Check the ears on your mags for cracks and spreading out at the top, they might be allowing your cartridges to sit to high or change angle and hang up your slide.

[MosinVirus]

To me the "Sometimes it hangs and then goes on its own" almost sounds like a slide stop pin / bottom lug / barrel link issue.

How out of battery is it when it is out of battery?

[rplaw]

To me the "Sometimes it hangs and then goes on its own" almost sounds like a slide stop pin / bottom lug / barrel link issue.

How out of battery is it when it is out of battery?

Maybe 1/8th inch. A light touch is all it needs to go forward after it hangs.


I'm going to disassemble it today and clean/examine everything again.

[MosinVirus]

Maybe 1/8th inch. A light touch is all it needs to go forward after it hangs.


I'm going to disassemble it today and clean/examine everything again.

Good luck. I hope you find the culprit. When you do, let us know, please.

[therealnickb]

Maybe 1/8th inch. A light touch is all it needs to go forward after it hangs.


I'm going to disassemble it today and clean/examine everything again.

Check the extractor tension. Too much tension will cause that issue.

[AAShooter]

Check the extractor tension. Too much tension will cause that issue.

Yes

[rplaw]

Well, I found "something." I don't know if it's the problem or not.


My ejector is a tad loose. The roll pin is tight in the frame but I can put a .015" feeler gauge under the rear of it and it's wobbly on both posts. I wedged it with a toothpick splinter and put the slide on the bare frame. It drags. I'm assuming grit gets under it and lifts it up enough to slow the slide while shooting. The wobble doesn't help either.


The ejector is an aftermarket replacement SS part (Ed Brown I think) because the original factory MIM part broke at less than 200 rounds. The factory sent me a replacement, but it's MIM too. I went aftermarket for the reliability factor.

So, now the question is what caused it to loosen. Recoil force over time? Crappy gunsmithing (me) during the replacement install? I swear it was down tight when I put it on. I made sure that the relief notch for the roll pin was high enough that the pin pulls the ejector leg down into the frame.

Maybe it's that it's SS rather than hard steel. SS is softer but I don't know if that's the reason.

I need to order a new ejector. Hopefully that fixes the problem. If not, I'll be screaming for help again.