feed problems with my 1911

[Johnnyshotgun]

So i purchased a rock island 1911 style 45. acp from a private owner at a gun show. this gun caught my eye due to the beautiful metal work that the man had done to it and the chrome plating that was it's finish. I took it to my local range to shoot it for the first time. i was very excited because it is my first 1911 and i've always wanted one. the first time i put in the clip and pulled back the slide the bullet jammed halfway in the barrel. i realized it was my mistake because i diddnt let the slide slam on its own. so i tried again and it loaded fine. i took two shots and the same thing happened on its own. i was upset but figured it must be because of a bad load. a couple more rounds it happened again. i purchased a new guide spring for it with a 18 1/2 lbs tension that hasn't arrived yet. I'm hoping that will fix the problem but i'm still worried. is there anything else that i should be looking for?

[riggins_83]

First, what cartridge are you using? FMJ? JHP?

Was the gun torn apart, cleaned and lubed before the first range session?

Finally I'd try a different magazine. What usually works best for me is a Wilson Combat 47D magazine.

[Johnnyshotgun]

I was using fmj Remington, rounds and i did completely dissemble, clean, and oil the slide and receiver. i have used 6 different magazines and i have had problems with them all so i figure it has something to do with the inner workings of the gun... i also looked at the relationship between the ramp on the receiver and the barrel of the gun and they seem to be in harmony with each other.

[rbernie]

Using different magazines doesn't help if they all suck. Use a known good magazine from a known brand, and see what that does. Also- posting pictures of the feed ramp area would help.

[riggins_83]

The standard spring weight on this should be 16lbs, I'd start with that not the 18.5lb spring. I have seen people say the gun felt better with the 18.5 lb but for the purposes of fixing the root of the problem I'd stick with 16 lb initially.

When the gun jammed was the extractor still hooked around the rim of the cartridge? I believe this gun has an internal extractor, you may want to have the extractor checked too by a good smith.


What make/model magazines were you using?

[Tom-C]

Jonnyshotgun

I just finished fixing a Rock River, 1911 for one of our Junior Bullseye shooters. The pistol ran fine for about 600 to 1,000 rounds and then started having feed problems.

I replaced the extractor (first thing I check with a feed problem). When I checked the recoil spring it was down to 13 lb, so a new Wolfe 16 lb went in. Polished the breach face, took off the sharp corners and that solved the feed problem. He is shooting wadcutter loads, with ball I probably would have used the 18.

Next problem was failure to fire. Main spring was down to about 19 lb, so a new 23 fixed that. At this point I just replaced all the rest of the springs

This is not a criticism of Rock River. They are trying to hit an amazingly low price point for their pistols and do, just don't expect a pistol with the durability of a Les Baer at $2,000.

[RickB]

If it's factory ammo, and the same problem with all mags, then I'd suspect a problem with the gun. When you say "halfway in the barrel", do you mean that literally half the cartridge is in the barrel? The round is not tilted or angled, but just not completely chambered? If so, I'd suspect exessive extractor tension. The recoil spring is mostly a feed spring, and a well-made 1911 should feed properly with a 10#-12# spring, so going heavier will, at best, mask the problem without fixing it.

[Johnnyshotgun]

@riggins 83. thank you for your advice. i diddnt think to look at the extractor during the jams but i will next time i shoot it. and i believe that the mags i have are all army surplus so i'll go ahead and buy a quality mag and see if that helps.

@ RickB. sometimes the bullet is not angled during the jam and some times it is angled in the same direction that the clip is. i looked at the extractor and the part of the hook that faces down toward ground is slightly chipped. i may also have to buy a new extractor now too.

[riggins_83]

The Wilson Bulletproof extractors are awesome, I've had nothing but good luck with them. Trick is getting a smith who gets the tension right when installing it. Let us know what happens!

[Harry Bonar]

Sir;
Rock Isl;ands are good guns but most of them need a "reliability" package done on them. Find a good smith and have him do one.
Harry B.

[RickB]

i believe that the mags i have are all army surplus so i'll go ahead and buy a quality mag and see if that helps.

Most of the "surplus" mags that I've seen over the last fifteen years are fakes; cheap junk. WWII-era mags are of excellent quality, but you don't see them much anymore, as collectors have snapped them up. The only company still making Mil-Spec mags, of which I'm aware, is Check-Mate Industries, and all of their stuff is top notch.
http://www.checkmatemagazines.com/cart/pc/home.asp

[rbernie]

Most of the "surplus" mags that I've seen over the last fifteen years are fakes; cheap junk.

Absulotely - most all are packed in what look like USGI paper wrappers but are clearly counterfeit when you examine them and see stepped/wadcutter feed lips instead of the USGI-spec tapered feed lips.

The only company still making Mil-Spec mags, of which I'm aware, is Check-Mate Industries, and all of their stuff is top notch.
http://www.checkmatemagazines.com/cart/pc/home.asp

Concur most completely. I have been buying the Colt-branded Checkmates for years because CM wouldn't sell directly, but now that CM is set up for individual web orders it's just as easy to get them directly. I can occasionally find the Colt's for less, but not often.