1911 troubleshooting

Millie said:
The lock is engaging I guess, because I have to rack the slide to get it to fire the next round.
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Let's claify this so we really understand the problem. Otherwise, the answers are just shots in the dark.

When it fails:
1. Is the slide held back or is it closed?
2. If it's held back, is it held back by the slide lock mechanism being engaged or is the slide held back by a round that didn't feed properly?
3. If the slide is closed when it fails, is there a round in the chamber or is the chamber empty? When you rack the slide again does a case or live round pop out?
 
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georgel said:
Let's claify this so we really understand the problem. Otherwise, the answers are just shots in the dark.

When it fails:
1. Is the slide held back or is it closed?
2. If it's held back, is it held back by the slide lock mechanism being engaged or is the slide held back by a round that didn't feed properly?
3. If the slide is closed when it fails, is there a round in the chamber or is the chamber empty? When you rack the slide again does a case or live round pop out?
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1. It locks back after each of the first 3-4 rounds. I rack the slide and continue. (This is usually after a few boxes have been shot. I haven't been too annoyed because it gives me an opportunity to get the sights back on the target and continue, but I need this to work perfectly if I'm to continue carrying it!

2. I've assumed it's being held by the slide lock. I rack the slide and shoot. The remainder of the magazine goes ok. Toward the end of the last box I did have to let a couple of rounds fall out. See 3.

3. When the slide is closed, the gun fires. When the slide locks open, I rack it and fire. If I can't rack it, I look in there and see. If there's a round in there and the slide won't work, I tilt the gun to the right and let a round fall out. A couple of times a round has come out, and had its front pushed in. It did this twice Friday, and once Wednesday during my training with Tony. When I got out to the car Friday, I put the filled magazine back in and tried to rack the slide, but it wouldn't go, so I pulled the magazine out and noticed the round had a gash in it.
Does any of this help with diagnosis? I really have thought hard about details, but this is all I got! Lol.
 
Next time it happens, look at the slide lock to see if it is actually engaged and sticking up into the notch in the slide.
 
Charlie said:
Next time it happens, look at the slide lock to see if it is actually engaged and sticking up into the notch in the slide.
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I'm hoping/praying I'm going to be done with that with new magazines, but if it does it again I will be sure to look at the slide lock, I promise. Lol.
 
Millie said:
And how fast do parts on a new gun wear out, anyhow? Serious question. I've shot many, many, many rounds in the used Sig and it's just going about its business all these months later. (I got that one in early October, I think.)
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Gun parts usually last a long time - often lifetimes. If parts break or wear quickly in a new gun, it is because the part itself was messed up from the beginning or something damaged the part. And it is often relatively easy to spot a broken part or abnormal wear on a new gun.
 
A little file work on the slidelock's interference angle where it meets the detent or the same to properly clearance the lifter pad could be the trick it needs. If so, best to send it back to guys in the factory shop.
 
Dale Flinchum said:
A little file work on the slidelock's interference angle where it meets the detent or the same to properly clearance the lifter pad could be the trick it needs. If so, best to send it back to guys in the factory shop.
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All those new terms to google!!
And yes, if the issues continue, I'll have to send it back. Or take it to Billy!!
 
From the damaged and unchambered rounds, it doesn't sound like a slide lock issue. So, likely short stroking or magazine. More likely the magazine at this point. Hopefully the new magazines will solve the problem.
Gun is also still in the break in period.

BTW, a polished feed ramp is fine if done correctly. I do all of mine. I even throat the chamber. :eek:
 
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georgel said:
From the damaged and unchambered rounds, it doesn't sound like a slide lock issue. So, likely short stroking or magazine. More likely the magazine at this point. Hopefully bthr new magazines will solve the problem.

BTW, a polished feed ramp is fine if done correctly. I do all of mine. I even throat the chamber. :eek:
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Oh, me....you guys and your terms that I then have to google!
Throat the chamber? Really? Sounds kinda kinky to me....but then most things do.....you can imagine where my mind went when I saw a thread titled "Unorthodox Positions"....LOL. And short stroking? Come on, dude. The cat had to leave the room on this one, as I was laughing so loudly!
Polishing the feed ramp was done, I have no idea how it was done, since I didn't see. I should have watched, just for educational purposes, actually....missed an opportunity there. Dang!
 
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Millie said:
All those new terms to google!!
And yes, if the issues continue, I'll have to send it back. Or take it to Billy!!
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If Billy is the one that polished the ramp I'd send it back to the factory first, good luck.
 
Dale Flinchum said:
If Billy is the one that polished the ramp I'd send it back to the factory first, good luck.
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No, it's Battery Oaks Billy!
Pete at Jim's did the polishing. He's the resident gunsmith or armorer or whatever you call them.
 
You don't need to know all that technical feed ramp stuff, Mille... only if you are a depraved gun geek like me. But to some extent it helps, so that you can tell if the folks helping you know what they are talking about.

A 9mm 1911 has all kinds of proprietary engineering tweaks that make it work, so it's not a John Moses Browning 1911 at all.
RIA is who can help you, so you are on the right track.
 
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Have you taken the mag apart and cleaned it?
You said you only had the one and you've put a lot of ammo down range using it.
Gunk in the mag may be the issue.
 
MacEntyre said:
A 9mm 1911 has all kinds of proprietary engineering tweaks that make it work, so it's not a John Moses Browning 1911 at all.
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Quit that. If the Army had not insisted on a 45 caliber pistol, JMB's development of the 1911 would have retained the .38 ACP that he had invented for the M1900.
 
ronn47 said:
Have you taken the mag apart and cleaned it?
You said you only had the one and you've put a lot of ammo down range using it.
Gunk in the mag may be the issue.
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This is very true. I had an issue with another gun and cleaning the magazines fixed it.

However, after all the trouble, I decided to let it alone for now, and got 2 new ones. I'll try them out in the morning. If the new ones do ok, I probably will clean the original one and give it a go, but it's had stuff done to it already, and I'm not sure about trying it in the gun.
The gun guy at the range thought the little divot at the top was from the rounds pushing on it and he tried to straighten it out. Now this might have been good, or not, depending on whether the divot was supposed to be there. I need to find pics of others just like it and see what they look like. Ideally, I'd like to actually look at mine next to someone else's magazine and see what's what. Lol.
I'll see what they have at the range, maybe they have a gun just like mine for sale and I can get a peek at the magazine on that one, or however many there might be.
I was going to need to buy more magazines anyway, so I went ahead and got 2.
 
A gun that works for a thousand rounds and then stops, runs for a few hundred more and then stops, doesn't indicate anything related to filing on the slide lock or polishing the feedramp.
 
MacEntyre said:
No, just white hair. The World's Most Commercially Successful Military Pistol predates hippies by 30 years.

I don't know what firearm could be called a hippie gun... peace and freedom, man, what's yer sign?
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I think any gun will work on hippies. I’d think your hipower would be fine. Just use hollow points and dump the whole mag into them. Then, reload and dump another just to be sure.
 
BlackGun said:
Take a picture of the gun upside down with the slide lock side visible and post it.
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I'll do that after I get home from the range tomorrow....
What will this pic tell you? My phone doesn't take really great pics, as y'all must have seen all these months...lol.
 
gc70 said:
Quit that. If the Army had not insisted on a 45 caliber pistol, JMB's development of the 1911 would have retained the .38 ACP that he had invented for the M1900.
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Whus yer point? ??? The whole design provided what the Army wanted, and they wanted it more powerful than 38 from the beginning.

My point is that he designed the 1911 for the 45, not for 9mm. The feed system has been adapted, not redesigned for 9mm.

Mille, ignore this stuff. You're still on the right track, and you'll get that pistol humming one day soon.
 
I had a great 1911 guy work on mine at his kitchen table. I had some issues with it, and it ran like a sewing machine, post visit. And I used it where my life depended on it. He quickly told me if the mags were adjusted correctly, the bullet nose would never touch the feed ramp. There are a very few exceptions, but not many. It was amazing what i learned about a 1911 in the two hour visit.
 
MacEntyre said:
Whus yer point? ??? The whole design provided what the Army wanted, and they wanted it more powerful than 38 from the beginning.

My point is that he designed the 1911 for the 45, not for 9mm. The feed system has been adapted, not redesigned for 9mm.

Mille, ignore this stuff. You're still on the right track, and you'll get that pistol humming one day soon.
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I'm sure I will, or someone will, at some point!
 
Sneakymedic said:
I had a great 1911 guy work on mine at his kitchen table. I had some issues with it, and it ran like a sewing machine, post visit. And I used it where my life depended on it. He quickly told me if the mags were adjusted correctly, the bullet nose would never touch the feed ramp. There are a very few exceptions, but not many. It was amazing what i learned about a 1911 in the two hour visit.
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I need to find myself a 1911 guru, I guess....lol.
And do share with me what you learned, you know how much I love information!
 
1911 9mm are just funny as most are .45 designs unlike the sig 938. It is a different animal as it was a new design for 9mm.
I have a Taurus that had a horrible trigger when I first got it. After a good cleaning, lots of rounds and working the springs a little bit it runs great. It was quite annoying at first. It also had an issue where the rear sight would move. Finally had a gunsmith with a sight puller remove the rear sight and he found a broken sight screw under the other which prevented it from tightening properly. New sight on and all is great with the gun again. It is my favorite range gun.
Keep working on it.
 
xRHINOx said:
1911 9mm are just funny as most are .45 designs unlike the sig 938. It is a different animal as it was a new design for 9mm.
I have a Taurus that had a horrible trigger when I first got it. After a good cleaning, lots of rounds and working the springs a little bit it runs great. It was quite annoying at first. It also had an issue where the rear sight would move. Finally had a gunsmith with a sight puller remove the rear sight and he found a broken sight screw under the other which prevented it from tightening properly. New sight on and all is great with the gun again. It is my favorite range gun.
Keep working on it.
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I'll work on it until someone tells me it's a lost cause, I love that gun a lot! I'm not going to quit till I have no choice. I was born in April, and we get stubborn.....lol. That's not always a good thing, but for this it might be.
 
1st make sure you are not "limp wristing" · Limp wristing is basically not holding the gun tightly enough, which can cause the weapon to malfunction. If you don't have a tight grip the the recoil pushes the gun back in your loose hand instead of pushing the slide back on the gun. if the slide does not come all the way back it will jam on the next round If you can have a experienced 1911 shooter try the gun 1911s are very prone to this
 
vaskeet said:
1st make sure you are not "limp wristing" · Limp wristing is basically not holding the gun tightly enough, which can cause the weapon to malfunction. If you don't have a tight grip the the recoil pushes the gun back in your loose hand instead of pushing the slide back on the gun. if the slide does not come all the way back it will jam on the next round If you can have a experienced 1911 shooter try the gun 1911s are very prone to this
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My instructor and I have been all over my grip and he thinks it's fine. He does think there might be something going on with my support hand that is sending my shots to the left, but he seems to think I'm holding it tight enough. And he has shot all my guns.
This is the most comfortable to hold of my guns, and my grip seems not to be the problem. Next lesson, I'll ask him to check it out yet again, though... I don't want to miss any detail that this could be about. Lol.
 
fieldgrade said:
Sorry for the thread drift @Millie. 1911's are a wonderful creation, but in 9mm they can have some personality quirks that need attention. I run one in 9mm every Saturday (((WHEN IT ISN'T RAINING!!!))) and once you get the bugs out of 'em they are glorious.
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I was talked out of 9mm 1911s by a guy who shoots some IDPA matches. This thread affirms that decision and I'll stick to 45. No reason to switch for me. My loaded has never failed me. Not ever.
 
Mightyox04 said:
I was talked out of 9mm 1911s by a guy who shoots some IDPA matches. This thread affirms that decision and I'll stick to 45. No reason to switch for me. My loaded has never failed me. Not ever.
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Well, I'm new, so it's probably me....but I hope it's just the magazine. Lol.
Speaking of matches...I want to go see one!
 
Mightyox04 said:
I was talked out of 9mm 1911s by a guy who shoots some IDPA matches. This thread affirms that decision and I'll stick to 45. No reason to switch for me. My loaded has never failed me. Not ever.
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I bitch and moan about 1911's in 9mm on here a lot, but I shoot one every Saturday morning. If you get one to run right it is a wonderful thing to operate.
 
fieldgrade said:
I bitch and moan about 1911's in 9mm on here a lot, but I shoot one every Saturday morning. If you get one to run right it is a wonderful thing to operate.
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I really hope I can get that feeling back from the first 2 weeks....it was sooooo nice to shoot! lol.
 
which model RIA is it is it a full size , commander size or a compact. tactical, ultra, tac II or a GI
 
vaskeet said:
which model RIA is it is it a full size , commander size or a compact. tactical, ultra, tac II or a GI
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Full size, I'm told....5" barrel. All the other choices you mentioned are probably not it, it's just a basic 9mm. Lol.
 
Millie said:
Well, I'm new, so it's probably me....but I hope it's just the magazine. Lol.
Speaking of matches...I want to go see one!
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Millie I love the 1911 more than any other pistol. To me it's the perfect pistol for any situation. My Springfield I bought used, it came with several mags. Some were cheap and caused problems. I bought shooting star mags and Wilson mags. Never had another issue.
 
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Mightyox04 said:
Millie I love the 1911 more than any other pistol. To me it's the perfect pistol for any situation. My Springfield I bought used it came with several mags. Some were cheap and caused problems. I bought shooting star mags and Wilson mags. Never had another issue.
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Well, if the Chris whoever Custom ones don't help, I'll have to try others maybe, or send it to RIA....
We'll see tomorrow.
 
Millie said:
1. It locks back after each of the first 3-4 rounds. I rack the slide and continue. (This is usually after a few boxes have been shot. I haven't been too annoyed because it gives me an opportunity to get the sights back on the target and continue, but I need this to work perfectly if I'm to continue carrying it!

2. I've assumed it's being held by the slide lock. I rack the slide and shoot. The remainder of the magazine goes ok. Toward the end of the last box I did have to let a couple of rounds fall out. See 3.

3. When the slide is closed, the gun fires. When the slide locks open, I rack it and fire. If I can't rack it, I look in there and see. If there's a round in there and the slide won't work, I tilt the gun to the right and let a round fall out. A couple of times a round has come out, and had its front pushed in. It did this twice Friday, and once Wednesday during my training with Tony. When I got out to the car Friday, I put the filled magazine back in and tried to rack the slide, but it wouldn't go, so I pulled the magazine out and noticed the round had a gash in it.
Does any of this help with diagnosis? I really have thought hard about details, but this is all I got! Lol.
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Further point of clarification please. When you rack the slide, you mean pull the slide back and release it, not press the slide release, correct?

If it happens again, see if you can get the next round chambered by pressing the slide release.

I maintain that it sounds like a gunk issue.
 
Ferrisfan said:
Further point of clarification please. When you rack the slide, you mean pull the slide back and release it, not press the slide release, correct?

If it happens again, see if you can get the next round chambered by pressing the slide release.

I maintain that it sounds like a gunk issue.
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Yes, I pull it back and let it go.
And I'll try to remember to do this. I have lots of instructions on things to look for/do/try!
Thanks for the suggestion.
 
Wilson Combat and Tripp Research make excellent 1911 mags. I have about 10 of the Tripp 9mm mags and they have been flawless in several 9mm 1911s. All Springfield Loadeds. The only 1911 that had a problem had a tight chamber that didn’t like reloads (in spec reloads). I rented a chamber finish reamer and cleaned just a hair out, and it has been fine. Was a factory problem - probably their reamer was on its last few barrels. And that wasn’t a 9mm problem.

I strongly suspect that more 9mm comes out of 1911s than 45 does every day.


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