1911 Gurus?

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Thor67

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I'm having a feeding issue in a 1911 (just had the barrel and spring replaced) where the 1st round that strips off of a variety of magazines gets held up on the barrel hood IF I use the slide release when chambering the round. If I use the pull and release method, no issues. I give it just that little extra bit of oompf and it's good to go.

This is on a Para SSP 1911, I replaced the recoil spring with a Wilson 16lb spring that is an inch or so longer than the one that came with the Para. I'm guessing that this will give it the extra tension needed. I haven't shot it yet though since it's raining out here.

What do you 1911 gurus think? Am I on the right track? I have an 18lb Wilson spring too - just in case.
 
Thor67 said:
I'm having a feeding issue in a 1911 (just had the barrel and spring replaced) where the 1st round that strips off of a variety of magazines gets held up on the barrel hood IF I use the slide release when chambering the round. If I use the pull and release method, no issues. I give it just that little extra bit of oompf and it's good to go.

This is on a Para SSP 1911, I replaced the recoil spring with a Wilson 16lb spring that is an inch or so longer than the one that came with the Para. I'm guessing that this will give it the extra tension needed. I haven't shot it yet though since it's raining out here.

What do you 1911 gurus think? Am I on the right track? I have an 18lb Wilson spring too - just in case.
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16lbs spring is good, don't move away from that. Extra oomph is not the solution, it should feed without slingshotting the slide. If the feeding issue occurs with multiple brands of magazine then the problem is likely barrel fit and the geometry of the feed ramp in relationship to the barrel. 1911 is controlled feed, the round is never just sliding around, there should be more then enough energy from a 16lbs spring released from the slide stop to make it through the feeding process. That there isn't means there is something not going in smoothly.

You say it jams up against the barrel hood, can you provide a photo? When it is jammed up, is the exractor over the case rim when the round is inside the chamber jammed up against the hood? The hood that most people refer to is the top of the barrel that you see through the ejection port, is that what your are talking about?
 
The round is approx. 1/2 way into the barrel - it almost seems like it's getting caught on the top of the actual chamber.

The extractor is over the case rim.
 
Thor67 said:
The round is approx. 1/2 way into the barrel - it almost seems like it's getting caught on the top of the actual chamber.

The extractor is over the case rim.
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Sounds like the round is entering the chamber at the wrong angle... that is as far as I can help you :-P My knowledge ends there. Try posting at:
http://forum.m1911.org/forumdisplay.php?f=58

When it jams, can you push the slide forward to get the round in the rest of the way in? A photo would really help. The round once under the extractor hook and part way into the chamber should not be pointing high enough to jam up against the hood. This would make me question the angle at which the feed ramp and magazine are introducing the round into the chamber and the angle at which the barrel meets the feed ramp. If the round is catching where the barrel and ramp meet you might see this problem, photo would be worth a thousand words. In all likelyhood it is a combination of the round getting stuck and slowing down enough that the angle it is being fed into the chamber allows it to jam up against the hood.

What magazines are you using?
 
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M1911 said:
Could it be an extractor tension issue?
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The only possible issue here is that the extractor is having to jump the case rim, if so he needs to look at the magazines he is using. He says the extractor is over the rim so I don't think that is the problem. Since the issue appeared after a barrel change I wouldn't look at the extractor too closely.

You can send it back and forth to Para all year long, they probably won't fix it. They assemble the guns the same way burger king employees assemble burgers, they don't know enough to spot the problem. Take it to a local smith, pony up the cash, and get it done right while you watch.
 
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It happens on 7 round Para mags, 7 round unbranded Colt mag that came w/the gun, AND Wilson Combat 8 rounders.

Using all factory loads. It's happened on Remington UMC, S&B, and Independence. 230grain ball. Haven't tried Win USA yet, but will today.

The issue was actually happening before with the last round, it switched to the first round of a mag, and now it's back to the last round. I sent the gun back to Para for repair. They replaced the recoil spring and the barrel.

I also replaced the new spring from Para with a 16# Wilson spring, and have switched it back to the Para - same issue.

I should add that, right now, I'm just testing this by manually racking the slide and feeding a round.

I'll take pics later today.
 
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I am not a 1911 expert but my first inclination would be try a different magazine. I have a Para and it feeds every thing I've put in it
next question are you using handloads or factory ammo? if you are using handloads case may not be crimped enough,bullets maybe seated too far out or too short.
 
I had a para ssp and it would feed or lock back with the cheap paramags. So i when to cmc power mags work fine. then i bought tripp upgrade kits and feed and lock back ever time. A 16 pound spring is a factory strenth spring.
i always change them to 18 1/2 pound wolf springs . only my sw1911 target
has a 16 pound spring . i use a buffer and a tunston full rod. I not an expert gunsmith or play one on tv . but i am a 1911 junky and i always have 5 or 6 kicking around in my safe.
howie
 
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I'm guessing it's a new pistol. I would change the lube to a grease on the rails and oil on the barrel and hood. It sounds like a real tight pistol that hasn't broken in yet.

I had one that did the same thing and I use to lube it like that every 50 shots. After 500 rounds it worked great.
 
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