1911 .45 mag issue

[siderman 1,138]

Am new to the 1911 platform and .45 cal also. I dont think this is normal but just want some opinions. When i rack the slide after initial mag loading it sometimes doesnt close and I can see its because the rnd is nosediving. I'm pretty sure its the mag because holding a full mag I can push down the bullet of the top rnd , thus making it dive, as there is a substantial gap between the top rnd and the one under it. the lower one is more level than the top rnd which seems to be angled up appropriatly. The gap is such that a stick from a Q-tip easily fits in with room to spare. And thats just at the brass case, not the bullet. playing around loading/unloading the mag I see that the gap doesnt kick in till about the 5-6 rnnds, getting larger till #8. I can see how the rnd can dive as its being pushed into battery and the space allows the bullet to want to dive and thus jamb. Am using FMJ ball 230 factory ammo not HP and the ramp is nicely polished, the bullet actually isnt even reaching the ramp...Also going to try 5 rnds in a mag but havnt yet. None of my other semi mags display the prob and the rnds are all packed tight so like I said thinking its the Act mags. Is this spacing common or should I just go ahead and get some better mags( Wilson, Chip Mc...)?

[blksheep 466]

If you are using it just for the range I think you are fine. If it is a HD/Carry gun spend the extra dough and get some Chip or Wilson, top notch guns need top notch mags.

[siderman 1,138]

I believe every gun is ultimately a HD gun and failure is not an option !!!

[TJM 4]

I believe every gun is ultimately a HD gun and failure is not an option !!!

 

+1

 

Also, you spent hundreds or more on a gun...is another 30 bucks or so too much to resolve the issue?

[Murphy4570 15]

I use the cheapest $5 mags for my 1911, don't have any problems with them. You could have defective magazines.

[NickySantoro 211]

OP,

Seems like you have a bad mag. You could try cleaning and lightly lubricating the follower. Most likely you'd be best served by trashing it and getting something better such as Wilson or Mec-Gar. There are other good brands but after having 100% reliability with these, there was never a reason for me to look further.

[blksheep 466]

I have used the cheap $6.00 mags from cheaperthandirt with good results. I also have 2 chips just for good measure.

[JimmyAGR 54]

I was using old factory mags in my Springfield and had many failure to feeds, both with FMJ and hollow points. I switched mags to Chip McCormick's and the problem went away on the FMJ, It still sometimes happens on the 1st round of a JHP where I need to push it into battery but the subsequent JHPs feed no problem. This is a standard GI model 1911 that is 28 year's old with the original springs. If I change the spring I think the issue would go away entirely. Let me know if you would like to try some of the mags.

[4redz 2]

OP, I have ftf nose dive problems on a Kimber, even with Wilson 47D mags. I noticed the same gap as the mag gets full. Around rd5 or 6 so I don't think that in itself is a problem. Unlike you, my ftf happens with only 2 or 3 rds left in the mag, not the first one. mine is heading back. You should borow mags to see if is the mag or 1911. Hth

[Daedalus 19]

There is perhaps someone from the forum nearby you could borrow a magazine or two from to try it out. That's probably it.

[HINCHMAN 4]

Most likely issue is some dirt in the mag.just take the mag apart and clean the inside with a brush, and then put a little I MEAN A LITTLE BIT of oil on the spring and put it back together.

After the next range trip take it apart and clean that oil out. Should be clean.

If its the spring, you should throw the mag out and get a new mag.

The 1911 must be well oiled in general, so if you are thinking 1911 for HD, you should put a few hundred rounds through it before you pull it out in the dark..

[tony357 386]

you can purchase new springs for the mag, you can also upgrade to tripp followers and springs.

http://www.trippresearch.com/store/store_1911.html

[siderman 1,138]

Thanx for ideas guys.The mags are new, came w the gun but I took apart(and gun) and cleaned before I put the first rnds in and again as part of the putzing around process. Already have about 250 shots fired so the mags/gun have been used and "breaking in". I'll get a couple of big name quality mags and give it some time with those but so far not enamored w the 1911 for dependability. Right now its a range gun and it better start feeding more reliably, certainly not to be trusted yet for home defense.No prob there, my GP100 is the go-to for.that.Its not as bad as I make it sound but any probs need to be addressed. I also noticed that dif brands of bullits have faint difs in their shape so gonna try to break it down to brands,

[hd2000fxdl 422]

OP,

Seems like you have a bad mag. You could try cleaning and lightly lubricating the follower. Most likely you'd be best served by trashing it and getting something better such as Wilson or Mec-Gar. There are other good brands but after having 100% reliability with these, there was never a reason for me to look further.

 

Not a fan of any lube in a mag. Lube just turns into a dirt magnet..

[blksheep 466]

I marker my mags with a sharpie that way I know which ones I have a problem with and diagnose or trash and move on.

[Ian S 22]

I just checked a factory Colt Magazine and a brand new Kimber mag. Both 8 round capacity. Fully loaded these both have a significant angle forced on the top round and a good amount of space as between the front of the first and seconds round. The angle decreases as the rounds are removed and there is correspondingly less pressure from the spring. Both these magazines functioned without any failure during shooting this weekend.

 

I was experiencing a nosediving failure to feed up until this weekend. My failure started when I bought a new recoil spring from Wolff. Standard power is 16 pounds. But I noticed that 16 was heavier than the original spring. The factory original was probably close to 14 pounds. I thought more power would be alright, but like I said, I started to get a ftf once per magazine. Not on releasing the slide, somewhere around round 5 or 6. Since the recoil spring controls the forward speed of the slide returning to battery, I figure the slide was beating the round forward, getting on top and forcing the round down.

 

I switched to the original lighter recoil spring and problem solved.

 

Can you think of any changes you made or that might have been made to your gun or is everything as it came from the factory?

[siderman 1,138]

I just checked a factory Colt Magazine and a brand new Kimber mag. Both 8 round capacity. Fully loaded these both have a significant angle forced on the top round and a good amount of space as between the front of the first and seconds round. The angle decreases as the rounds are removed and there is correspondingly less pressure from the spring. Both these magazines functioned without any failure during shooting this weekend.

 

I was experiencing a nosediving failure to feed up until this weekend. My failure started when I bought a new recoil spring from Wolff. Standard power is 16 pounds. But I noticed that 16 was heavier than the original spring. The factory original was probably close to 14 pounds. I thought more power would be alright, but like I said, I started to get a ftf once per magazine. Not on releasing the slide, somewhere around round 5 or 6. Since the recoil spring controls the forward speed of the slide returning to battery, I figure the slide was beating the round forward, getting on top and forcing the round down.

 

I switched to the original lighter recoil spring and problem solved.

 

Can you think of any changes you made or that might have been made to your gun or is everything as it came from the factory?

 

All factory stock ,just a buff of the ramp which was really already nicely factory polished. So far all I've really done is to shoot about 250 rnds to get the feel and do the "break in" whille using dif ammo. My best group (ever) was a 1 1/2" full mag hole in the bull at about 30' so I'm definatley gonna put in some time and of course more$$ figuring out what it takes to get better reliability. From what I can see 98% of FTF probs in 1911's is the mag and these ACT mags dont have the best rep out there. Gonna stsrt to keep a concious ehhort of logging in the guns use as far as excact moments of probs, using 7 rnd mags, making sure its clean/wet, etc.. Time is on my side so for now its a range gun and just gonna have fun. BTW its Citadel (Armscor/RIA) which is the RIA Tactical twin with txtrd grips but Citadel labeling

[HKHockey 5]

I marker my mags with a sharpie that way I know which ones I have a problem with and diagnose or trash and move on.

 

Just wanted to reinforce this. When you have 5+ mags to keep track of this is the easiest way to figure out which one you can keep/toss or use only for range/HD.