Remington R1 1911 Magazine Follower Question

[ScottRiqui]

I'm having trouble getting my new R1 to reliably feed semi-wadcutter bullets. I started reading up on the different 1911 magazine designs out there, and the follower on the R1's magazine doesn't look like any of the ones I've seen before. Here's a picture of seven different followers from one site I found:

And here's the follower in the R1 mag:

Unlike the others, in which only a section of the follower is bent down at a 90-degree angle, the R1 follower has its entire front edge bent downward. Is this follower designed for a particular type of ammo? More importantly, are there particular bullet profiles that I *shouldn't* expect to work well with this type of follower?

The Remington manual simply says that the R1 is designed for 230 gr FMJ round-nose ammo fired at 835 fps - it doesn't go into any more detail than that regarding ammo selection.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[railroader]

The follower on your mag looks like mec-gar followers I have in some of my mags. Those mags feed 200swc ammo just fine. You don't say if these are your reloads. I load mine to 1.250" overall. Here's a pic with mec-gars on the right.
http://www.fototime.com/CC6A397B0CD1FCF/standard.jpg

 

[ScottRiqui]

Thank's for the reply - now that I think about it, the Mec-Gars in my Springfield EMP look the same - maybe that's why I didn't think anything about it when I saw the followers in my Springfield mags.

The reloads I'm having problems with are 185 gr SWC:

I initially loaded them at 1.19" and they wouldn't even cycle through by hand. I shortened them to 1.16" and then to 1.125". Feeding improved, but even at the end I was having 2-3 FTF per 50. At 1.125", there was only a smidgen of the full-diameter portion of the bullet outside the case mouth, so I didn't want to go any shorter.

I'm just curious as to the functional difference between having only a portion of the follower bent down versus having the entire leading edge of the follower bent down. The article I linked to in my first post talked a lot about how the different magazines handled the round on its way from the magazine to the chamber (controlled feed versus inertial feed, etcetera).

 

[darkroommike]

Perhaps you can borrow a couple of different magazines to try your load in. My Springfield GI is very unpicky when it comes to ball ammo (all I've shot so far in it), any mag, any brand of ammo, it just goes like green grass through a goose.

If you try a half dozen mags and none will reliably feed your rounds, then try another pistol. If the borrowed pistol works it's time to send your pistol back to Remington. My GI had a tight chamber when I got it but Springfield made it right in a very short time.

 

[Powderman]

Set your seating die on a loaded round of factory 230 grain ball ammunition. That is what the pistol is designed to feed. Check your crimp diameter, and try to cycle the rounds through again.

 

[railroader]

If you are using that profile bullet that is probably your problem. I have seen 1911s choke at matches using that same style bullet. If you want to go with 185s they make bullets that are the same profile as the 200swc. That should solve your problem. Here's an example I just googled. http://pir-tactical.gostorego.com/45-185-gr-swc.html

 

[TriumphGuy]

I've never loaded any 185gr SWC's but I do use 200's pretty regularly. They are pretty sensitive to OAL and crimp. I noticed a big improvement when I run them through a Lee factory crimp die instead of crimping and seating at the same time.

 

[ScottRiqui]

I did notice a sensitivity to OAL with the 185s. AT 1.19", they wouldn't even cycle by hand, but at 1.16", they'll cycle perfectly by hand (but not flawlessly when actually fired).

I'll revisit the issue with the 185s when I either have a different magazine to try, or after the gun has had a few hundred more rounds through it.