Diagnos this!

[VaughnT]

I just got my SA 1911 back from the factory where the thumb safety was reworked and the whole thing tightened.

Took it to the range and fund that there is yet another problem that I believe is the result of whatever the smiths as SA did.

Simply put, I noticed a deep ding on the case rim where I asume the extractor is hitting hard. This wasn't apparent on the original weapon so I am guessing that this was tightened at the shop.

Secondly, the brass is coming out so hard that it hits the ejection port and seriously dents the case mouth. This doesn't happen on all of the brass, but it's enough to make a significant portion unusable for reloads.

Interestingly, when I first got the gun in the mail, I tried to do a field strip. I locked back the slide and took out the guide rod. I let the slide forward and removed the bushing, plug and recoil spring.

Then it got weird. When I moved the slide back and removed the lock lever, I found that I couldn't move the slide forward to clear it of the receiver. I moved it back further to clear whatever obstruction, but that only worsened the jam. It was to the point that I literally couldn't pound the slide forward (I banged it on the floor!!!)

In frustration, I handed it to my brother, who knows next to nothing about 1911's and he saw that the barrel link was apparently jammed between the barrel and the receiver. By moving the link parrallel to the barrel, we were able to free the barrel and pull it out.

Does the hanging link have anything to do with the brass damage? Is the extractor too tight or the ejector set wrong? Wassup?

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When Reason Fails.....

 

[George Stringer]

Vaughn, since the pistol is designed to allow the case rim to slip up under the extractor during feeding I don't think the ding on the rear is coming from that. It's probably from the ejector. Usually this is a sign of too light a recoil spring for the load you are using. You might try a pound or two heavier spring. Denting the brass on ejection is inherent to the 1911. The only correction for this is to lower the ejection port. You can sometimes angle the ejector to cause the brass to miss but it's a trial & error process and usually more expensive than just having the port lowered. If you like you can e-mail me. I'd be happy to do either. Lowering and flaring the port runs $40 in my shop. You have to lower the link forward down to the barrel to get the barrel out of the slide but unless the barrel was halfway out and somehow got jammed at an angle I don't see how it's possible for even the longest link to jam like that. The dust cover should have plenty of clearance if you just draw it straight out. George

 

[VaughnT]

Thanks for the info, George, but I think I'm missing something.

This is a "loaded" SA which they claim has the ejection port already lowered and such, so are you saying that when they tightened the frame/slide fit, they altered the geometry to cause this brass damage? How much lower can the port get?

Also, when I disassemble the weapon, I hold it slide up, not inverted, which would cause the link to lay down on the barrel. This is how I was told to do it, but, like you say, it goes easier if you turn the weapon over. There is definitely something in there holding the pistol up. When my brother looked at it, he saw that the link was jammed at an angle. He moved the link with a pin and the field strip was completed.

If it wasn't the link camming against some part of the receiver, what was it? The slide lock lever was removed and the slide was fully to the rear. It was lodged so tight that neither myself nor my father could budge it even though we pounded the rear face hard against the floor. We are both fairly familiar with the weapon (he was army) and couldn't think of anything in there that could hold the slide in place, with no movement whatsoever, especially after being whacked on the floor a dozen times or more.

Again, if it wasn't the link, what was it? Could it be that the female half of the FLGR jammed against the dustcover? And how does that explain the only recent occurance of brass damage?

Maybe I'm dense, but you lost me.

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When Reason Fails.....