DW Kodiak - Failure to feed

[Benchmark12]

Bought new, jammed every magazine until I reached the 500. Sent it back, still experienced failure to feed jams. Sent it back again, still failure to feed jams. However, on second return it did fire two magazines back to back with no hang ups (factory ammo). I then tried some reloads....and failure to feed again.

So, could this be the grain weight is to light? Is that a common culprit for a failure to feed issues?

[Nathan]

I can’t speak for your reloads, but my 2 DW’s are 100% with all factory ammo. DW owes this to you and they know it. I would call and ask to speak to a gunsmith.

These are truly best quality 1911’s. Now philosophically, I changes to checkmate hybrid 8rd extended mags, but they assured me it would feed with the Metalforms and it did.

[Shadow9mm]

So to make sure I am understanding,
1. New gun, at least 1 jam every magazine. factory or reloads?
2. sent it in, still having failures to feed and jams. you did not mention the failures to feed previously.
3. sent it back again, fired 2 mags of factory ammo fine, started jamming on reloads.

First off, stop shooting reloads, just to remove that variable. Shoot a box or 2 of factory ammo, see how it runs.

With failure to feed I have 2 thoughts, weak magazine spring, or limp wristing

handloads. once you have ruled out factory ammo, the springs, and your grip, then try your handloads again. What bullet weight, powder, and charge weight are you working with?

in 1911s i have found bullet shape to be important in feeding. perhaps its not a weight but a shape issue. I would try a different bullet style, same weight. after you have ruled out the other things.

[dahermit]

It may help to diagnose the problem if you would have pictures of the stoppages. You may have a magazine problem rather than a gun problem.

It may help if you post over at the 1911 Forum...some pretty sharp 1911 specialists over there.

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by dahermit

It may help to diagnose the problem if you would have pictures of the stoppages. You may have a magazine problem rather than a gun problem.

It may help if you post over at the 1911 Forum...some pretty sharp 1911 specialists over there.

+1

[TunnelRat]

Had you discussed the specifics of your reloads when you sent the pistol back?


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[RickB]

While not a DW, my 10mm has been one of my most reliable autos, and I've fired twenty rounds of factory ammo through it, out of a total of maybe two thousand rounds.

I've loaded bullets of every weight and shape at 1.26" OAL, with a taper crimp resulting in a case mouth diameter of .420"-.421".
Do you do a "plunk test" with your handloads, to confirm they freely chamber?

How many mags? Are they all of the same brand; some guns "like" a specific mag. I've used Colt, McCormick, Check-Mate, and Mec-Gar, but don't know who makes DW's "factory" mags?

Another possible culprit is excessive extractor tension; if the jammed rounds are getting mostly into the chamber, see if the gun will reliably hand-feed rounds with the extractor removed. Generally a 20+ pound recoil spring will overcome a lot of extractor tension, but it's worth checking.

[dgludwig]

First off, stop shooting reloads, just to remove that variable. Shoot a box or 2 of factory ammo, see how it runs.

This.

[10-96]

While whittling out variables, have you had someone with recent 1911 experience fire the weapon? Also, tell us how you chamber the first round. Do you ride the slide forward, use the slingshot method, or use the slide release lever? What other 1911's have you had?

It takes time and the experience of several folks usually to diagnose an issue- lots of questions need to be asked.

[Kreyzhorse]

So factory is now fine?


Reloads are not fine?

[Benchmark12]

UPDATE: I picked up 200 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 180 ammo. Shot all of it with only 5 failures at returning to battery. Only 1 out of the 5 jams happened with the factory magazines, the other using Cobra ones. Using the factory mag it happened on the last bullet to be fired. For the Cobra mags one jammed on the first bullet to be fired, it did appear to show markings on the bullet after inspection. The others happened on the last and second to last in mag to be fired without any signs of knicks or scratches. The factory OAL was 1.25. Yes, it appears to be my reloads, I suppose, but still there was 5 mishaps. Granted it has only successfully now had 250 rounds repeatedly shot with factory, other 100 or so with reloads. All that being said my reloads measure 1.265, but the thing that erks me is that depending on bullet/grain weight the Western Powders data OAL ranges from 1.245 to 1.26.

[RickB]

Five failures in 200 rounds is better, but still terrible; five in 2000 is not good.
Do all of the jams look the same; angle, amount of round in, or not in, the chamber, etc.?
To clear, can you push the slide into battery?
Hard "tap" on the base of the mag?
Can it be racked out (rim under the extractor hook)?

[TunnelRat]

That’s still a pretty bad failure rate imo.


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[dahermit]

...5 failures at returning to battery...

That type of stoppage suggests to me a too weak of a recoil spring.

[Steve in Allentown,]

Originally Posted by Benchmark12

Sent it back, still experienced failure to feed jams.

A brand new 1911 with some sort of failure-to-feed issues. At this point you need to provide some detailed information to isolate the potential source of the problem. Some perfectly clear, close up pictures of the pistol when the malfunctions occur would go a long way to helping the folks here see what's going on and provide more focused suggestions.

If you can't provide these pictures, you need to answer the questions of those here who are trying to help you.

There are a bunch of possible reasons for failure-to-feed (FTF) malfunctions. Describing the position of the cartridge when the malfunction occurs will weed out some possibilities and point the way toward the actual root cause.

Here are some basic questions. When the malfunction occurs:

Where is the case rim in relation to the extractor hook?

• Is it behind the hook?
• Is it in front of the hook?
• Is it still in the magazine?

Where is the nose of the bullet in relation to the feed ramp?

• Is it low on the ramp?
• Is it high on the ramp?
• Is it inside the chamber?

Questions about the pistol:

• Does it have a full ramped barrel? If you're not sure, here's a picture of the three major barrel types. Which one looks like yours?

[HighValleyRanch]

First thing I would do would be plunk test the ammo before shooting.
If they all pass then that would elimate the possiblity of too tight a chamber for the ammo or that the ammo is defective.

[TunnelRat]

Did the people at Dan Wesson tell you what ammunition they used?


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[Benchmark12]

I just wanted to follow up to provide additional feedback on the pistol since you wanted to leave the ad up for others. CZ did not handle this appropriately.

Here is what took place on the first two RMA attempts to resolve the issue of failure to feed/return to battery. The real weird thing is on the 3rd return (see below).

1st RMA - Adjusted feeding edges
2nd RMA - Adjusted and polished the extractor and deburred the slide stop
3rd RMA? - I have sent it in on 1/4/21 and today 1/30 received a check in the mail for the original purchase price that I paid for it from a vendor online. There was no note or reference to the gun model or nothing, just the dollar value. Nothing explaining anything or even referencing the RMA.

I want the gun or an explanation on ███ happened. Crazy.

[4V50 Gary]

If it's a 1911 type gun, the first thing I'd do is:

Use USGI or Colt magazines.

Test them with factory RN, factory HP and then reloads.

[Benchmark12]

Someone on another forum asked about the transfer? How is something like this to be handled, legal? I have not been contacted regarding this, only thing was a check. No transfer documents done that I was involved in!

[Nathan]

Weird they didn’t offer an exchange...cheaper for them...