Took my new SW1911PD (5" w/tac rail, TLR-2 attached) to the range for it's first time through the paces and it fired the first two mags without a hitch. Ammo was Federal 230gr FMJ 45ACP with brass casings. Third mag went in, two shots went off without a hitch. Third shot went off, it racked the slide and chambered a new round but it did not lock the hammer back (the hammer rode the slide back forward). I manually cocked it and it fired but did the same thing again. I clicked the safety up and down to make sure it wasn't the cause (because the safety on the gun doesnt have very good feel as far as when it's on, off or somewhere in between), then manually cocked it again. This time it fired twice before doing it again. This went on for the remainder of the 50 rounds I went through before hanging it up and going back to the other guns I was testing for work. I'm already sending it back to S&W because it's only a week and a half old, but any thoughts from the experts on what it might be? When I rack the side and run snap caps through, it's not doing it, it's only doing it when I was firing live rounds. Thanks!
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New 1911 problem
- Thread starter FiXXXer024
- Start date
Did you thoroughly clean it before you shot it?
I don't think that would be the issue. If the hammer is following the slide down and/or doubling, then the 1911 is unsafe.
It wasn't double firing, and of course it was new so cleaning it first goes without saying
This. Probably a sear or disconnector problem. Don't shoot the gun until this is fixed; an uncontrollable 1911 is very bad thing. I didn't think the SW had a trigger-accuated safety, or else I'd say the only reason it wasn't double-firing is probably due to a firing pin-block.
Some metal chips (from manufacturing) in the wrong place can make all sorts of crazy stuff happen (like a piece of crud stuck under the leaf spring).
Ah, sorry, I misread. But the hammer following the slide down is unsafe and it can sometimes lead to doubling. This isn't something that comes from the gun being a bit dirty.
Fair enough. Wouldn't that take a detail strip to clean out? Your typical field strip wouldn't solve it.
Yup. He'd have to detail strip it. A quick detail strip would probably allow him to quickly identify the problem too.
How hard is it to put back together a S&W 1911? I've detail stripped my Series 70s a number of times. I've never attempted my Series 80s -- the extra safeties make putting the sear and disconnector back in more of a pain.
The S&W is like a series 70. It's a piece of cake.
Yeah it does have a fair amount of metal coming off it. After field stripping it and cleaning it out (very thoroughly, I'm no slouch with cleaning), I racked the slide 5-10 times and the new, clear oil was already seeping out the back of the slide rails greyish from the metal mixed in with it. Maybe a thorough clean out is what it needs, but I'll let S&W handle that being that it's brand new and I know f***-all about 1911's beyond field stripping. Thanks!
It's really not that hard. The only tool you'll need is a punch small enough to push out that pin on the bottom-back of the grip that holds in the mainspring housing. I'm at work so I can't link them, but look on youtube for videos. There are a bunch of pretty good ones (that goes for field/detail stripping all kinds of firearms, not just 1911s).
I had never done it before, and tried it one night. It's so easy that I detail strip my 1911s about every 5th cleaning.
Yeah I've seen those, good info, thanks. I'll play with it after it comes back from S&W though, so they don't accuse me of tampering with it or whatnot.
If the oil was grey, that was probably not metal. More likely just powder residue that hadn't been completely cleaned. It is almost impossible to get all the powder out of the slide rails (and not really important to do so).
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somebody hit the nail on the head above, CHECK THE SEAR SPRING. What is probably happening is as the slide is banging back and forth, the lack of tension in the sear spring is not forcing the head of the sear into the hammer forks, thus it drops to half cock when the slide falls into battery. Detail strip the thing, you will have to do this to get at the sear spring, look for shavings or dirt - which I bet you wont find, then put more bend int he middle spring of the sear spring. Common enough issue with 1911s.
Thanks . lol. I think that's the most common reason for hammer follow . The only other one I can think of would be hammer hooks being to short ,but being a new gun I wouldn't think it would be that. Either the on tabon the spring isn't seated right or it has some metal shavings in the way.
Yep. I got a piece of tumbler media wedged in there once (I have no idea how it got in there, but I do clean the guns in my reloading area) and it caused the same thing.
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Agreed, on a new commercial gun (that ostensibly no at home 'smith has screwed with) I doubt the hammer forks have been cut below .020 and I am sure the sear head is thick and square - I still doubt its got shavings or the like in it. If OP is saying he ran through a couple mags, got it all warmed up - my money is on the sear spring softened enough so that *poof* - hammer follow. Of my commercial 1911s my S&W is my favorite, not the tightest thing in the world (what mass produced gun could be?), but very reliable and made from good parts.
Duly noted Eddie, new to me. Thanks.
Duly noted Eddie, new to me. Thanks.
Remsport Mfg
NES Member
Many of these S&W 1911 do this it has to do with assemblers building the guns not gunsmiths or fitters. Send this gun back to S&W for warranty repair it is unsafe. It will then be fitted by a gunsmith.
Honestly if that is the quality coming out of the box I'd send it back and leave it there. At around $1000 for a good 1911, it should work right. IMHO that is!
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non taken, you're interpretation of my poor technical word usage is spot on. thanks.
I'll second that....never cared for S&W. My first gun was a 642 that misfired about 30 out of 500 rounds (tried different, good quality ammo) and the S&W Sigma my buddy has is a POS. North Shore Firearms has a beautiful polished SS Colt used right now for about $1000. I wanted it badly, but couldn't spend the extra money after buying a Beretta shotgun at the same time. I'd say call and see if they still have it.
45collector
NES Member
I had a SW1911 and had zero problems with it. I only sold it to fund an AR project. I'm a die-hard Colt fan but that Smith was a very nice example of a 1911.
Sounds like sear bounce to me. Very odd that this condition would happen to a brand new gun after only a few mags. Let us know what the problem was when you get it back from the factory?
Sounds like sear bounce to me. Very odd that this condition would happen to a brand new gun after only a few mags. Let us know what the problem was when you get it back from the factory?
I just scanned these posts and a little concerned, about the continued firing after problem was discovered. I was next table over at public range in CT, just last fall, and a shooter (loose useage) had his (just got back from custom shop 1911) race gun and he shot it twice and the recoil spring was in backwards. Locked the slide up. Point being that this guy tried to cycle the gun by pulling hammer back and jerking on the slide with a hot round in battery. SCARED THE HELL out of me and my son. The muzzel of the gun swept the whole line at least twice before the RO got to him and took the piece away. Maybe if the guy had stopped, muzzle down range, no more firing, clear the piece and seek gunsmith, would have been safer for all in all these circumstances. Don't mean to run on or cause any insult, but I feel this course should be considered for safety.
Thanks
Tank
Thanks
Tank
