Hey guys. A while back my 1911(Dan Wesson .45) double tapped on me on the last few rounds. I took the firing pin out thinking it might be dirty but no looked just fine. I put it away and kinda forgot about it until I fired it yesterday. Every time it fired off two rounds-except one time it didn't strike the primer hard enough. Once again I disassembled and the firing pin and spring were perfectly clean. I added a few drops of oil and reassembled. I only shot one mag and so far worked fine. Is this a common occurrence if the firing pin/spring gets too dry?
1911 double tapping?
- Thread starter Joe-ker
- Start date
By "double tap", you mean the gun is firing twice with a single pull of the trigger?
That's often evidence of an adjustable trigger overtravel screw having unadjusted itself.
It can also be due to insufficient pressure being applied to trigger or sear by the sear spring.
It can also be due to a problem with the hammer/sear engagement.
Very unlikely that the firing pin or its spring is playing any part in your problem.
That's often evidence of an adjustable trigger overtravel screw having unadjusted itself.
It can also be due to insufficient pressure being applied to trigger or sear by the sear spring.
It can also be due to a problem with the hammer/sear engagement.
Very unlikely that the firing pin or its spring is playing any part in your problem.
g.willikers
New member
Yeah, it would seem that if the firing pin was at fault, the gun would go full auto until it ran out of ammo.
If the firing pin spring ...were overly dry ...which is hard to imagine...then the gun would probably not fire or you would have a bunch of light strikes or fail to fires because something was binding.
But the spring is there ...to return the firing pin to its neutral position - after the gun is fired.
A gun "doubling" or firing twice ...is not the same as a "double tap".../ a "double tap" refers to an intentional firing of 2 shots by the shooter ( pulling the trigger twice ) and putting 2 rounds on target..not a malfunction.
Your gun needs to be looked at by a competent gunsmith in my view / as mentioned above, it could be a number of things causing the gun to double. A gun doubling can also be a shooter error...firing the 2nd round unintentionally as the gun recoils and not realizing it..
But the spring is there ...to return the firing pin to its neutral position - after the gun is fired.
A gun "doubling" or firing twice ...is not the same as a "double tap".../ a "double tap" refers to an intentional firing of 2 shots by the shooter ( pulling the trigger twice ) and putting 2 rounds on target..not a malfunction.
Your gun needs to be looked at by a competent gunsmith in my view / as mentioned above, it could be a number of things causing the gun to double. A gun doubling can also be a shooter error...firing the 2nd round unintentionally as the gun recoils and not realizing it..
Doubling would be the correct term as I fired two for one pull of the trigger. And I am certain I only pulled once. The gun has easily had less than 500 rds through it. I had it apart last night and the sear as well as the hammer looked fine. I will have to do some more investigating. Thanks
Call Dan Wesson today; they should send you a label to have it shipped back to them. From what I hear on the 1911forum they have pretty good customer service.
Don't mess around with this and try to trouble shoot it yourself if it's an unmodified pistol; get it back to them ASAP.
Don't mess around with this and try to trouble shoot it yourself if it's an unmodified pistol; get it back to them ASAP.
I'm definitely not as knowledgable as all of you, so bear with me as I'm just hoping to learn, but I have to ask, if say the pin were to stick- not return to neutral- wouldn't it cause this? And the second shot causes it to un stick and return to normal? I realize the number of times mine has done this makes it unlikely but I'm all about hypotheticals
If the pin is stuck forward, the gun won't feed
As the slide moves forward and starts to pick up the round from the mag, the case rim slides up the breechface and behind the extractor hook; if the firing pin is protruding from the breechface, the rim will hit it and stop the proceeding, right there.
If the gun were push-feeding, or inertia feeding, the round getting out ahead of the extractor, then it could happen, but I'd put that possibility - slam fire - way, way down the list of likely problems.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Do you know enough about the inner workings of a 1911 to check if the disconnector is free to move up and down in its bore?
Do you have a trigger pull scale? If so, what's the trigger pull?
Do you have a trigger pull scale? If so, what's the trigger pull?
Not the op's issue and not trying to be contrary but back in the 70's we would shoot mil surplus 45acp (Thompson mg ammo) in our 1911's and I has several slam fire\full mag sessions with it. Stronger springs didn't help, the ammo was just too powerful for my Commander.
The firing pin was jammed forward due to the recoil displacing the firing pin retainer and fed a mag full of ammo without any cases jamming on the pin.
Added a set screw to the firing pin retainer to keep it from jamming the pin forward and it solved the issue until we used up our bulk supply.
Continuing to use the surplus ammo probably wasn't the smartest thing to do but a full auto 45 is a hoot and the Commander still functions flawlessly to this day.
I now return you to the op thread.
The firing pin was jammed forward due to the recoil displacing the firing pin retainer and fed a mag full of ammo without any cases jamming on the pin.
Added a set screw to the firing pin retainer to keep it from jamming the pin forward and it solved the issue until we used up our bulk supply.
Continuing to use the surplus ammo probably wasn't the smartest thing to do but a full auto 45 is a hoot and the Commander still functions flawlessly to this day.
I now return you to the op thread.
I am going to offer the possibility of a worn trigger sear or hammer sear. I have been disappointed in the lifetime of MIM 1911 trigger parts and have had three Kimber hammers wear out and a sear. I had the sear replaced with a forged sear, should have replaced the hammer with a forged hammer. The hammer will follow the slide, it could also trip causing a "double"
In my opinion, your pistol is out of mechanical tolerance, it is dangerous and needs to be fixed before you shoot your eye out.
In my opinion, your pistol is out of mechanical tolerance, it is dangerous and needs to be fixed before you shoot your eye out.
"...fired two for one pull of the trigger..." Is caused by the operator failing to follow through on the shot. As in releasing the trigger too soon and inadvertently pulling the trigger again(just like with an M1A). Or the sear is worn or broken. Far more likely to be the former since you did not mention finding any broken parts.
"...full auto until it ran out of ammo..." Broken firing pin or sear will do that. However, the ammo can cause a semi-auto go FA too. Knew a guy who had a semi'd Uzi that would go FA with light cast bullet loads.
"...special sub-gun ammo..." No such thing. Another of many myths that actually predate the internet.
"...full auto until it ran out of ammo..." Broken firing pin or sear will do that. However, the ammo can cause a semi-auto go FA too. Knew a guy who had a semi'd Uzi that would go FA with light cast bullet loads.
"...special sub-gun ammo..." No such thing. Another of many myths that actually predate the internet.
I'd have a gunsmith look at it. Unless you're very well versed in the internals of a 1911 there is no way you will be able to just look at the sear or hammer and tell if the angle is off or worn past it's useful life.
On a side note how could too strong of ammo cause a gun to go full auto? The recoil spring is going to have the same amount of energy to return the gun into battery whether you use regular or heavy ammo. On a 1911 once the slide moves half an inch the hammer is completely removed from possibly touching the firing pin and the firing pin spring will return the firing pin to it's normal resting point and it will remain there until the hammer hits it again.
On a side note how could too strong of ammo cause a gun to go full auto? The recoil spring is going to have the same amount of energy to return the gun into battery whether you use regular or heavy ammo. On a 1911 once the slide moves half an inch the hammer is completely removed from possibly touching the firing pin and the firing pin spring will return the firing pin to it's normal resting point and it will remain there until the hammer hits it again.