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jb683
February 1, 2011, 10:33 AM
I have a Colt Mark IV Series 70 Goverment Model 45ACP. Just once or twice in a 100 round shooting session it will eject a casing and hit me on the forehead. What would be causing this? I remove the extractor during each cleaning and it seems to look OK. When I bought this pistol, there had been some machine work done to the ejection port along with the feed ramp. Very dependable, has never mis-feed or stove piped. I love the gun but one day I will end up with a hot shell down my collar.

madmag
February 1, 2011, 10:46 AM
First, you might not completely solve this problem. Most all 1911's vary a little in ejection over a period of shooting. If you shoot enough you will probably end up with a hot casing down the neck......just part of shooting semi's.

One easy change is to go to a progressive type recoil spring, or just change the regular recoil spring with another weight spring. If you are having short ejection distance then consider a weaker spring, or the opposite if the distance is long, say over 10 ft.

Of course the extractor will also have an effect. But changing the extractor tension can cause other issues, so be careful.

Ejection port will also have an effect.

Having said all that, if it's working great then consider wearing a hat that will protect your head.:)

Hunter Customs
February 1, 2011, 11:13 AM
A tuned extended ejector along with a polished and properly tuned extractor may solve your problem.
Also keep in mind that the 1911 torques to the left, so if your grip gets a little loose it may be allowing the ejection port to line up more with your head.
Also the last round in the mag when fired has no help with ejection from rounds feeding into the gun like the previous rounds had.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

madmag
February 1, 2011, 11:26 AM
One more check.

The extractor can be clocking or turning during extraction. This is normally due to a very loose fitting firing pin stop. There should be a free slip fit to the extractor groove, but not a large clearance. Firing pin stops are low cost and easy to replace.

NoSecondBest
February 1, 2011, 12:22 PM
Try a couple of different springs. If you have a standard load you like, use the spring that tosses the brass the shortest distance. My guns will just about drop them in a hat about 3-4 feet from where I'm standing and they NEVER malfunction. Too light a spring and they go all over, too heavy and they don't always come out and jam. That's why they make so many different springs. I've got a box full and keep several with me at all times. After a while (quite a while) they get weaker and you'll need to change them.

jb683
February 1, 2011, 03:41 PM
Had not thought about the springs .... most of the ejected shells go to the right and slightly rearward about 5 to 6 feet away. I am shooting handloads, 230 gr Hornaday with 7gr of 800X. Like I say the pistol performs well with that one shell now and again. The firing pin stop seems to fit tight as it will not go in unless it is just right. How much wear on the end of the extractor would be too much?

madmag
February 1, 2011, 06:49 PM
If you have any intentions that your pistol will be used for SD then I would stop adjusting. You said it's very reliable, and that's really the key factor.

BTW, no matter what you do you are going to have some variations in ejection pattern. Different ammo, weights, loads, etc. will eject slightly different.......welcome to the world of 1911's.:)

wildphilhickup
February 2, 2011, 12:25 AM
Replace the ejector with an OEM extended ejector from Brownells.

Pull the extractor and radius it with a small file and highly polish it.

No more cases in the face.

Eagle0711
February 2, 2011, 11:56 AM
Of the three that I have all will occasionaly do this. I don't worry about it.

My solution is to wear a cap and glasses while shooting.

priler
February 2, 2011, 01:51 PM
internal extractors also happen to be a bit more sensitive to consistent rim(ammo case) thickness than external ones with a spring. they also happen to be more sensitive to composition and production methods of the extractor itself.

like Eagle0711 said,if it's happening only occasionally,i woundn't worry about it.<---this!

after the extractor is properly tuned,you can clean around it thoroughly with a toothbrush and solvent.i would only take it out to replace it or retune.

next,i'd look at the recoil spring and ejector.

i'm sure you can find a site on how to properly tune the extractor.(find one that teaches how to camm/bevel the bottom,proper type of tension,polishing,ect.)

WESHOOT2
February 3, 2011, 06:18 AM
...using a hard Arkansas stone, ever-so-gently 'adjust' the very tip of the ejector.

Kuhnhausen manual for pictures.....

10mm4ever
February 3, 2011, 03:51 PM
There's a term known as "clocking" that is perfectly normal for mass produced 1911's. This is what happens when your extractor is allowed to rotate slightly in its channel and/or move back and forth several mm's. The relationship between the firing pin retainer and corresponding slot in the extractor will have a certan amount of "slop" between them and this variance in tolerances will determine just how much movement is allowed. Remove your slide from the frame and take the barrel out to test the movement. You can do this by pushing your thumb against the rear of the extractor and rotating it both clockwise and counter clockwise. As you're doing this, watch the extractor hook at the breechface to see if there's any rotation. Next, take an empty case or snap cap and push the rim under the extractor hook. Once positioned under the extractor hook, gently push and pull it while watching the rear of the extractor at the rear of the slide. During either of these tests if there's enough movement for you to see or feel it...there's to much. These two parts are very critical to reliable function and I always replace these and fit them myself with EGW components.