Springfield Loaded Difficulties

ulmer · April 4, 2006, 11:20 AM

Anyone have this problem with the recoil spring guide that takes a screwdriver? It tends to loosen when firing. Yesterday it was especially bad, I had no screwdriver with me and twice the breech failed to completely close. Came within about an eighth of an inch. Is there a connection? I am contacting SA to see if the guide they sell will replace what I have. My Colt Commander, needing no tools, in fact being like all Colt 1911s I know about, is really what the Springer wants to be. The Springfield Loaded full-size .45 is a pistol having less than 300 rounds fired in it and hasn't had feeding problems before. Thanks for any input.

Monkey · April 4, 2006, 03:43 PM

I've had my full size "loaded" for just about as long as SA offered them. I've had the two piece guide rod come loose a couple of times early on.

I found that by keeping the threads on both pieces free of grease & oil, totally dry, and really cranking on the screwdriver, they stay together.

You can, at your option, use some Loctite. I've never had to resort to that, but I've read several other posts where some guys do that.

Don't know about the slide not closing all the way. I've had that happen, but never in combination with the rod coming loose.

Hope this helps.

**Unclenick** · April 4, 2006, 04:26 PM

I used to have one of those guides, and it did the same thing. I think finer thread pitch might help. However, when I attended Gunsite they said they had done a lot of testing of recoil spring guides in full-size 1911's and concluded they were a solution looking for a problem. No increase in reliability, cycling speed or accuracy could be demonstrated if the rest of the gun was set up right. The extended guide's main value was to bull's eye shooters in providing a little bit of extra muzzle weight that some prefer. For speed of presentation, extra weight isn't a help. So I would take the long guide out and borrow a conventional 1911 recoil spring guide and recoil spring plug to try out. This will address two issues: Not only will it end the nuisance of the self-disassembly, but you will get a chance to watch to see whether the lock-up problem is independent of it? It may or may not be. It is concievable, though unlikely, that the threaded joint gets loose enough to cock upward and its joint edge catches a little on the expanding spring coils.

More likely is the bushing and link lock-up are tight enough to need to wear in before a standard strength recoil spring will always close them. This is easy to test. With the gun on "EMPTY", pull the slide back and let it gradually go forward until the barrel is just about to engage the locking lugs. In a new gun that is tight, the spring is often unable to close it without the inertia of forward motion. But holding the gun single-handed and snapping your wrist forward and down should provide enough inertia to finish closing it.

If it closes without help or closes very easily with the wrist snap, you may have a magazine that hangs on to rounds a little too hard. See if the problem only occurs when a particular magazine is in the gun?

If it doesn't close, or the wrist snap has to be really hard or repeated several times to work, then you need to look for a mis-timed barrel or an over-tight bushing or over-tight link lug fit over the slide stop pin. If the gun is so new, I would just send it to SA for correction. What you don't want to find is that you are having locking lug interference that is causing peening or some other potentially damaging wear.

Nick

Harry Bonar · April 4, 2006, 07:47 PM

Dear Shooter:
Yes, as I believe Nick is saying, and if not, I will - Get rid of the guide rod idea - go back to a standard set up.
Harry B.

ulmer · April 5, 2006, 06:30 AM

I will follow through on your advice as much as possible. SA has asked for and been sent the serial number. Additional info: The threaded plug has come loose before without the failure to completely close problem. Cleaning threads did not help and I would not use loctite as the mechanism must be loosened each time for take-down. Another thing that hasn't previously caused a problem is that I have never been able to get the bushing off when cleaning. Brownell's plastic wrench wonlt get if off and I have to get an aluminum one.

**Unclenick** · April 8, 2006, 03:19 PM

Sounds like the bushing-to-slide fit is a little snug. Put a bit of JB Bore Compound on it and turn it back-and-forth until it gets into position, then keep working it in and out until it becomes possilbe to turn with reasonable tool force. An over-tight bushing may expand during rapid firing, making it impossible to disassemble and fix a problem unitil it cools. As long as you don't loosen it to the point it turns completely freely, it will still be match tight.

Nick

April 4, 2006, 11:20 AM	#1
ulmer Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2004 Posts: 124	Springfield Loaded Difficulties Anyone have this problem with the recoil spring guide that takes a screwdriver? It tends to loosen when firing. Yesterday it was especially bad, I had no screwdriver with me and twice the breech failed to completely close. Came within about an eighth of an inch. Is there a connection? I am contacting SA to see if the guide they sell will replace what I have. My Colt Commander, needing no tools, in fact being like all Colt 1911s I know about, is really what the Springer wants to be. The Springfield Loaded full-size .45 is a pistol having less than 300 rounds fired in it and hasn't had feeding problems before. Thanks for any input.

April 4, 2006, 03:43 PM	#2
Monkey Member Join Date: January 12, 2000 Location: Waterford, Michigan Posts: 58	I've had my full size "loaded" for just about as long as SA offered them. I've had the two piece guide rod come loose a couple of times early on. I found that by keeping the threads on both pieces free of grease & oil, totally dry, and really cranking on the screwdriver, they stay together. You can, at your option, use some Loctite. I've never had to resort to that, but I've read several other posts where some guys do that. Don't know about the slide not closing all the way. I've had that happen, but never in combination with the rod coming loose. Hope this helps. __________________ Monkey

April 4, 2006, 04:26 PM	#3
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	I used to have one of those guides, and it did the same thing. I think finer thread pitch might help. However, when I attended Gunsite they said they had done a lot of testing of recoil spring guides in full-size 1911's and concluded they were a solution looking for a problem. No increase in reliability, cycling speed or accuracy could be demonstrated if the rest of the gun was set up right. The extended guide's main value was to bull's eye shooters in providing a little bit of extra muzzle weight that some prefer. For speed of presentation, extra weight isn't a help. So I would take the long guide out and borrow a conventional 1911 recoil spring guide and recoil spring plug to try out. This will address two issues: Not only will it end the nuisance of the self-disassembly, but you will get a chance to watch to see whether the lock-up problem is independent of it? It may or may not be. It is concievable, though unlikely, that the threaded joint gets loose enough to cock upward and its joint edge catches a little on the expanding spring coils. More likely is the bushing and link lock-up are tight enough to need to wear in before a standard strength recoil spring will always close them. This is easy to test. With the gun on "EMPTY", pull the slide back and let it gradually go forward until the barrel is just about to engage the locking lugs. In a new gun that is tight, the spring is often unable to close it without the inertia of forward motion. But holding the gun single-handed and snapping your wrist forward and down should provide enough inertia to finish closing it. If it closes without help or closes very easily with the wrist snap, you may have a magazine that hangs on to rounds a little too hard. See if the problem only occurs when a particular magazine is in the gun? If it doesn't close, or the wrist snap has to be really hard or repeated several times to work, then you need to look for a mis-timed barrel or an over-tight bushing or over-tight link lug fit over the slide stop pin. If the gun is so new, I would just send it to SA for correction. What you don't want to find is that you are having locking lug interference that is causing peening or some other potentially damaging wear. Nick __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

April 4, 2006, 07:47 PM	#4
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	guide rod Dear Shooter: Yes, as I believe Nick is saying, and if not, I will - Get rid of the guide rod idea - go back to a standard set up. Harry B.

April 8, 2006, 03:19 PM	#6
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Sounds like the bushing-to-slide fit is a little snug. Put a bit of JB Bore Compound on it and turn it back-and-forth until it gets into position, then keep working it in and out until it becomes possilbe to turn with reasonable tool force. An over-tight bushing may expand during rapid firing, making it impossible to disassemble and fix a problem unitil it cools. As long as you don't loosen it to the point it turns completely freely, it will still be match tight. Nick __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

April 5, 2006, 06:30 AM	#5
ulmer Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2004 Posts: 124	I will follow through on your advice as much as possible. SA has asked for and been sent the serial number. Additional info: The threaded plug has come loose before without the failure to completely close problem. Cleaning threads did not help and I would not use loctite as the mechanism must be loosened each time for take-down. Another thing that hasn't previously caused a problem is that I have never been able to get the bushing off when cleaning. Brownell's plastic wrench wonlt get if off and I have to get an aluminum one.