1911 10mm Jamming on Extraction

[Brian Pfleuger]

Brand new gun, I shall withhold the name thereof until the maker has a chance to rectify the situation, if need be....

The gun jams on ejection on nearly every round, factory and handloads. When I say jams, I mean JAMS. The slide LOCKS in place with the spent shell still in the extractor and it WILL NOT move. The magazine drops free and the case can be maneuvered out of the extractor but the slide stays locked in place. It is not the slide stop as it is still a pretty good distance from that point. Also, on the last round in every magazine, the final case does not eject AT ALL, the slide moves enough to cock the hammer but re-chambers the spent shell completely, or nearly so, every time.

When the slide is "stuck", it can eventually be wiggled free and then appears to work perfectly except for what feels like a slight "catch" at the location where it sticks. It almost feels like a two stage spring right as the extra poundage is encountered.

When the final round does not eject, the slide will operate normally except for the normal resistance of the fired case still being chambered.

Multiple magazines, multiple ammo, multiple shooters, gun disassembled cleaned, lubed, no change.

The gun does have a 20lb spring and the rounds are all rather anemic for a 10mm, running upper 1100s with 180gr bullets. Could it be just a spring issue?

Any ideas?

 

[troy_mclure]

let me guess?

a dw razorback or pointman, made in 09?

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Negative.

 

[RickB]

Will the gun properly cycle live rounds when racked by hand? That is, you can cycle through a mag of live rounds manually without issue? 180 @ 1100 is plenty powerful to cycle a 20# spring

 

[Auto426]

I'm no expert but it sort of sounds like your extractor has too much tension. It's holding the spent case so tight that it won't allow it to eject. Tensioning an extractor is pretty easy. You should be able to find plenty of how-to guides at 1911Forum.com.

 

[RickB]

I'd think it wouldn't feed if the extractor were so over-tensioned that it caused ejection failures. I suppose a 20# spring could mask it, though.

 

[AZAK]

Stock Colt Delta Elite is a 23 lbs dual spring set up.

Did this gun come with the 20 lbs spring? Have you asked the manufacturer's opinion on this?

And when you say, multiple ammo, does that include different bullet weights?

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Did this gun come with the 20 lbs spring? Have you asked the manufacturer's opinion on this?

And when you say, multiple ammo, does that include different bullet weights?

The gun came with a 20, 22 and 24 pound spring. The manufacturer has been asked but adequate time has not been allowed for a response, hence why I am withholding the name.

I believe that all ammo was 180gr.




The gun seems to feed fine manually if the hammer is cocked and stays that way. If the hammer is lowered on the round, as it would be in the ejection cycle, the slide seems to bind slightly in the same spot where it jams during ejection.

The spot where it jams is just slightly past the point where the hammer is cocked.

Has anyone ever heard of the problem where the slide jams in place with nothing (apparently) holding it?

 

[Brian48]

Extractor tension is too much or the extractor itself is damaged. Most likely the former. If the extractor was too loose, then the symtoms would be failure to extract and eject, not feed.

You might also want to check your mags as well. The rim of the cartridge should slip under the extractor claw when it's free of the mag during normal operations. Hand cycling the slide does not always expose this issue because the normal cycling process is much more violant. If the lips of the mag is allowing the cartridge to "pop out" too quickly, then the rim can wind up in front of the extractor (instead of behind it). The claw would then have to ride over the rim once the round slams home. Besides causing unnecessary wear and tear on the extractor, this can also cause the types of feeding problems described.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

As a multiple 1911 10mm owner I am quite interested.

My suggestion is take the spring out and use an empty case in the chamber and then just slowly play with the gun till you figure out what is happening.

I would start with the extractor and ejector and make sure both are tight. I would check the hammer and make sure it moves freely.

After that, just play with it with a SAFE gun. Just keep the live ammo off the bench and study it.

There sounds like some mechanical part is not where it should be.

 

[bdb benzino]

Do you have a FLGR in that 1911?

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Extractor tension is too much or the extractor itself is damaged. Most likely the former. If the extractor was too loose, then the symtoms would be failure to extract and eject, not feed.

It IS a failure to eject. The spent case either gets reinserted into the chamber or gets jammed against the barrel.

My first idea on the ejection problem was underpowered ammo, but I don't understand why the slide would be jammed in half open position after the case and magazine are removed.

The gun has been returned to the company for examination/repair/tweaking. I'm confident that they'll make it right.

 

[alloy]

Don't know about the failure to eject part but I had a Colt that would lock back on the first closed end windings of the spring which was very slightly mushroomed. Coils were nearly overlapping, but definately stacking widthwise, hence it was jamming in the channel where the recoil plug is positioned around the FLGR.
Bang, locked
Bang, locked
Guess if it locked up one winding further forward the round would not have hit the ejector.