COLT CCO feeding problem. Help please

Dogger · March 23, 2000, 03:15 PM

I have a Colt CCO that has about 600 rounds through it. I had a few stoppages in the first 400 rounds, as I recall with some Hornady ammo. I have never had a stoppage with any 230 grain ball, HydraShok, or Golden Saber, or Winchester Silvertips.

Recently, I replaced the factory recoil spring with a Wolff 20 pounder. I also replaced the magazine springs with Wolff extra power springs. I also installed the Hogue wrap around grips with finger grooves.

The Hogue grips are wonderful and allow me to empty the magazine with no loss of grip -- the gun recoils briskly but comes back on target fast.

At the NRA range yesterday I took 100 rounds of Georgia Arms 185 grain hollowpoints and 50 rounds of 230 grain Magtech ball.

I started shooting by sending 7 rounds of carry ammo downrange. No problems. Then I started shooting the Georgia Arms ammo. I had a failure to feed with Georgia Arms 185 grain hollowpoints at round 38, then again at 67, and then a few more in rapid succession. I figured the gun was getting too dirty. I field stripped the gun and cleaned it a bit, lubed the slide rails, then started shooting again. Again a failure to feed. Then a couple more. So I switched to 230 grain hardball and sent all 50 rounds down range with no problems. I went back to the Georgia Arms ammo and had another failure in 25 rounds.

All the problems were the same: the round stopped slightly nose up and entering the breech, with the rear of the cartridge just beginning to slide under the extractor, and the slide partially closed.

I guess the moral of the story is to go back to the standard recoil spring and see how it does, or stick with 230 grain ammo. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Daniel Watters · March 23, 2000, 04:26 PM

A couple of things could be going on. First, what brand of magazines are you using? Have you tried different magazines?

Also, do you see any copper or brass streaking on the slide stop (inside the frame, near the feed ramp)?

Art Eatman · March 23, 2000, 06:07 PM

It sounds more like the lips of the magazine need a wee bit of tweaking. The very forward end, toward the chamber, might be a hair wide. Bend them inward, just a hair.

I carry a pair of smooth-jawed needle-nose pliers to the range for just this purpose.

Note please, the precise measurements: wee-bit, hair; add in "just a skosh", etc. (I'll leave "RCH" to male chauvinist pigs.)

If you wind up with the 185s feeding nicely, but develop a problem with the 230s, you gotta decide on what's more important to you.

Good luck, Art

George Stringer · March 23, 2000, 10:01 PM

Dogger, while I agree with Art's diagnosis I disagree with the remedy. The problem is you are shooting a shorter cartridge with the 185s and the release point on the feed lips needs to be moved back a little. If you compare a stock Colt mag to say a Wilson you can easily see what I'm talking about. You can do this with needlenose pliers but you'd probably be better off taking it to smith and having him reform the feed lips. I do it for $5 per mag and I can't imagine anyone charging more than that for it.

Dogger · March 24, 2000, 09:56 AM

Thanks for the replies. I am using the two factory magazines that came with the gun. When I cleaned it last night I did notice some brass streaking on the inner edge (closest to gun's bore axis) of the slide stop. Is this unusual? Thanks?

Daniel Watters · March 24, 2000, 01:12 PM

The cartridges are rubbing across the slide stop on the way out of the magazine into the chamber. This could be part of your problem. I'd lightly dress down the area where you see the streaking.

Other than tweaking the feed lips of the factory Colt magazines, I'd also consider trying a different brand of magazine, such as a Shooting Star or a Wilson.

March 23, 2000, 03:15 PM	#1
Dogger Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 1999 Location: Virginia Posts: 481	I have a Colt CCO that has about 600 rounds through it. I had a few stoppages in the first 400 rounds, as I recall with some Hornady ammo. I have never had a stoppage with any 230 grain ball, HydraShok, or Golden Saber, or Winchester Silvertips. Recently, I replaced the factory recoil spring with a Wolff 20 pounder. I also replaced the magazine springs with Wolff extra power springs. I also installed the Hogue wrap around grips with finger grooves. The Hogue grips are wonderful and allow me to empty the magazine with no loss of grip -- the gun recoils briskly but comes back on target fast. At the NRA range yesterday I took 100 rounds of Georgia Arms 185 grain hollowpoints and 50 rounds of 230 grain Magtech ball. I started shooting by sending 7 rounds of carry ammo downrange. No problems. Then I started shooting the Georgia Arms ammo. I had a failure to feed with Georgia Arms 185 grain hollowpoints at round 38, then again at 67, and then a few more in rapid succession. I figured the gun was getting too dirty. I field stripped the gun and cleaned it a bit, lubed the slide rails, then started shooting again. Again a failure to feed. Then a couple more. So I switched to 230 grain hardball and sent all 50 rounds down range with no problems. I went back to the Georgia Arms ammo and had another failure in 25 rounds. All the problems were the same: the round stopped slightly nose up and entering the breech, with the rear of the cartridge just beginning to slide under the extractor, and the slide partially closed. I guess the moral of the story is to go back to the standard recoil spring and see how it does, or stick with 230 grain ammo. Any thoughts? Thanks!

March 23, 2000, 04:26 PM	#2
Daniel Watters Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 1999 Location: USA Posts: 644	A couple of things could be going on. First, what brand of magazines are you using? Have you tried different magazines? Also, do you see any copper or brass streaking on the slide stop (inside the frame, near the feed ramp)?

March 23, 2000, 06:07 PM	#3
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	It sounds more like the lips of the magazine need a wee bit of tweaking. The very forward end, toward the chamber, might be a hair wide. Bend them inward, just a hair. I carry a pair of smooth-jawed needle-nose pliers to the range for just this purpose. Note please, the precise measurements: wee-bit, hair; add in "just a skosh", etc. (I'll leave "RCH" to male chauvinist pigs.) If you wind up with the 185s feeding nicely, but develop a problem with the 230s, you gotta decide on what's more important to you. Good luck, Art

March 23, 2000, 10:01 PM	#4
George Stringer Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 12, 1998 Location: Earlington KY Posts: 2,299	Dogger, while I agree with Art's diagnosis I disagree with the remedy. The problem is you are shooting a shorter cartridge with the 185s and the release point on the feed lips needs to be moved back a little. If you compare a stock Colt mag to say a Wilson you can easily see what I'm talking about. You can do this with needlenose pliers but you'd probably be better off taking it to smith and having him reform the feed lips. I do it for $5 per mag and I can't imagine anyone charging more than that for it.

March 24, 2000, 09:56 AM	#5
Dogger Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 1999 Location: Virginia Posts: 481	Thanks for the replies. I am using the two factory magazines that came with the gun. When I cleaned it last night I did notice some brass streaking on the inner edge (closest to gun's bore axis) of the slide stop. Is this unusual? Thanks?

March 24, 2000, 01:12 PM	#6
Daniel Watters Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 1999 Location: USA Posts: 644	The cartridges are rubbing across the slide stop on the way out of the magazine into the chamber. This could be part of your problem. I'd lightly dress down the area where you see the streaking. Other than tweaking the feed lips of the factory Colt magazines, I'd also consider trying a different brand of magazine, such as a Shooting Star or a Wilson.