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Old August 24, 2012, 06:38 PM   #1
Baylorattorney
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1911 colt delta elite (new model) fired "full-auto"

Can anyone explain this occurrence or shed some light on it: I was home from work out in the pasture and decided to fire off a full magazine +1 on top of my fairly new colt delta elite and half way through the mag the 5th and 6th round had to have come out full auto then regular semi again. Firing blazer 10mm 200 grain ammo, wolf springs 24lb, everything else stock. Why or what caused the burst there? Anyone?
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Old August 24, 2012, 06:45 PM   #2
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Field stripped and the only thing that stood out was excessive lube/oil was evident
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Old August 24, 2012, 08:08 PM   #3
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Did you look at the firing pin? All I can think of is maybe it got stuck sticking out and fired the next round when the slide came back into position.
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Old August 24, 2012, 09:36 PM   #4
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Quote:
half way through the mag the 5th and 6th round had to have come out full auto then regular semi again
"Doubling" can be caused by a faulty disconnector, inadequate sear spring tension... a severely worn hammer and sear (not likely you) or those parts improperly modified to achieve a lighter trigger.

Did you have a trigger job done?
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my fairly new colt delta elite
If the gun is as it came from them... call Colt.

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C
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Old August 24, 2012, 10:09 PM   #5
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Are you sure you didn't bump-fire it? No disrespect intended, I've done it myself.
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Old August 25, 2012, 12:39 AM   #6
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It wasn't a bump fire, there is no doubt. It was fast and it felt good and was on target both rounds, nothing close to a double tap or bump as far as speed was concerned it was def. automatic.
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Old August 25, 2012, 12:40 AM   #7
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Thanks creeper. Thank all of you for your input and time.
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Old August 25, 2012, 12:41 AM   #8
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The trigger is stock.
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Old August 25, 2012, 12:41 AM   #9
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Do not shoot the gun again. Send it to Colt for repair. Shooting it while knowing of the possibility it could go "full auto" could possibly lead to criminal liability.
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Old August 25, 2012, 08:29 AM   #10
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A light trigger job can lead to occasional doubling. If the disconnector is too short, the Hammer will follow the slide back down. If the trigger does feel light, a trip back to Colts is probably in order.
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Old August 25, 2012, 10:40 AM   #11
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Did you install the extra power firing pin return spring that Wolff includes with all of their recoil springs? The reason that the FP return spring is included is because the extra force with which the slide slams shut with an XP recoil spring could concievably cause the firing pin to travel forward under its own inertia and detonate the primer. This would be of particular concern in a gun without a FP block safety (I don't know if the new Delta Elites are Series 70 or Series 80 guns). If you haven't already, I would recommend installing the Wolff firing pin spring if you plan to continue using the XP recoil spring.
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Old August 25, 2012, 05:39 PM   #12
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ha ha Lol

'Do not shoot the gun again. Send it to Colt for repair. Shooting it while knowing of the possibility it could go "full auto" could possibly lead to criminal liability."

Really? Lol

" 4. A bigger hole is a better hole."

I beg to differ.
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Old August 25, 2012, 07:00 PM   #13
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@marano, look up the David Olofson case. A key point in that case was the strict application of the legal definition of machine gun, regardless of what caused it.
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Old August 25, 2012, 11:19 PM   #14
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^^^^^^^
This!
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Old August 26, 2012, 05:52 AM   #15
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Burst

Quote:
If the disconnector is too short, the Hammer will follow the slide back down.
A full followdown from disconnect malfunction won't fire the gun the 2nd time. The slide lowers the hammer to slowly to drive the firing pin forward with enough force to light a primer. Assemble a pistol without the wear and disconnect and watch the hammer while you cycle the slide slowly. The slide releases the hammer too gradually.

Burst-fire requires that the hammer hold full cock until the slide is in battery, and then jar off for full hammer release. More likely that the sear isn't completely resetting and grabbing the hammer hooks right at the tips.

It's also a possibility that the corner of the disconnect is poking through the back of the frame and hitting the back of the magazine, and the disconnect is staging the sear. A quick test can be done.

Lock the slide back, and slam a magazine in with one round in it...release it...and fire the round. If the trigger pull is abnormally light...that's probably your bug.
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Old August 26, 2012, 06:35 AM   #16
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I had a USPc that did that. HK serviced it and said it was the firing pin.
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Old August 27, 2012, 10:55 AM   #17
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My vote is for short reset bumpfire...

Quote:
thedudeabids said...I had a USPc that did that. HK serviced it and said it was the firing pin.
When I got my USPc in .40 it would do it on a very few rare occasions. Took it to a smith who found nothing wrong. He took it to the range with me and a few others. Managed to duplicate it...once. Told me I was getting a bump fire because I was letting the trigger get only a milimeter past it's reset and when the recoil finished it was just enough to trigger a 2nd shot. After he pointed this out I have managed to get 3 or 4 different auto's to do it. What's funny is I can get SA, SA/DA, and DAO's to all do it...just have these little girly hands like I do..hahah.

He did say he could work the triger and move the reset and actuation slightly farther apat...but once I knew it was me and not the gun I just practiced more.

Jay
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Old August 27, 2012, 07:22 PM   #18
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im having a SA loaded govt from the 1980s doin something similar. when the slide is racked with the hammer in the cocked position it follows the slide to the half cocked position. its def the sear/sear spring/disconnector/hammer. so i would start there. and look at a book on how to troubleshoot the problem.
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Old August 27, 2012, 11:07 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Webleymkv View Post
Did you install the extra power firing pin return spring that Wolff includes with all of their recoil springs? The reason that the FP return spring is included is because the extra force with which the slide slams shut with an XP recoil spring could concievably cause the firing pin to travel forward under its own inertia and detonate the primer. This would be of particular concern in a gun without a FP block safety (I don't know if the new Delta Elites are Series 70 or Series 80 guns). If you haven't already, I would recommend installing the Wolff firing pin spring if you plan to continue using the XP recoil spring.
Yes, that is the short spring with tight coils, yes i did install that one too.
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Old August 27, 2012, 11:09 PM   #20
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What I've done is reverted back to the original dual springs system the gun was born with and the fp spring as well.
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Old August 28, 2012, 08:41 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KyJim
Do not shoot the gun again. Send it to Colt for repair. Shooting it while knowing of the possibility it could go "full auto" could possibly lead to criminal liability.
I'm with KyJim on this one.
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Old September 7, 2012, 02:03 PM   #22
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A move back to original springs has remedied the issue.
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Old September 8, 2012, 01:27 AM   #23
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Quote:
A move back to original springs has remedied the issue.
Gee, how about that.

Did you determine that you had a battering problem when you change the recoil and firing pin spring or did you do it base on what you had heard or read on the internet. The Blazer 200 grain ammo is an emasculated version of the original 10mm loading and there should not have been a reason to change springs other than that R&R being the modification du jour with 1911's these days-especially with 10mm shooters.



Bruce
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Old September 8, 2012, 06:16 PM   #24
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Strike that. It did it again. Next move, replace hammer, disconnect and sear.
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Old September 8, 2012, 06:21 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BruceM View Post
Gee, how about that.

Did you determine that you had a battering problem when you change the recoil and firing pin spring or did you do it base on what you had heard or read on the internet. The Blazer 200 grain ammo is an emasculated version of the original 10mm loading and there should not have been a reason to change springs other than that R&R being the modification du jour with 1911's these days-especially with 10mm shooters.



Bruce
I bought the gun barely used and that is how the seller had modified it. I had all the original parts and few sets of wolf 24lb springs. The wolfs were already installed. I suspect he did it BC he read about it. He was Exxon man working in Alaska.

Blazer is my mainstay ammo.
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