I was cleaning my Kimber and started using a pick to scrape away a bunch of crude.  Stuff was coming out in chunks.  

Got me thinking: Hmm... this is probably pretty filthy on the inside...  So I pop the extractor out.  First time I've EVER

done it since I've purchased the gun (maybe 5000 + rounds).  What followed was pretty gross:

 

 

 

 

Anyways I was pretty impressed the gun functioned just fine without any issues being this nasty.  See 1911s can run dirty!

 

 

Holy Crap!

Barnacles!

that's a lot of unburnt powder.  time for a new load

wow that thing looks like its been on the ocean floor for awhile! howd it clean up?

that's a lot of unburnt powder.  time for a new load

 

I just needed more powder.  It was under powered for sure.  I use Clays now and seems to be much cleaner.  This was Accurate #2.

 

wow that thing looks like its been on the ocean floor for awhile! howd it clean up?

 

Cleaned up easy.  One swipe of a cloth and good as new.  I gotta clean the inside of the slide though.  Didn't have time it was right before a match.

That's The Hiv.

What is the yellowish color ?  Walnut media ?

What is the yellowish color ?  Walnut media ?

 

I think it's just cause I used the flash and it messed with the color.  Was pretty much black looking.

What is the yellowish color ?  Walnut media ?

 

Unburnt powder. 

The Hiv.

Wow..Yep, much of the wives tales about 1911 reliability dirty or not is just that wives tales. With a caveat or two: Get the best mags you can find, wilson, MCM, Tripp, etc.; and keep on top of the recoil and mag springs changes. Then they are as reliable as any Semi-plastic.