[Thorsen]

Maybe someone here can help me troubleshoot this problem I am having.

As I stated in a recent thread, I had a slide stop on my Colt .45 break on me and I ordered a new one from Brownell. I thought the stop was too tight, but after taking it to two different gunsmiths I have gotten the exact same statement ... nothing wrong with the slide stop, working correctly.

Ok today I take it to the range and run about 200 rounds through it. With three different magazines I was getting the same two problems (2 mags are wilson combat and 1 is pachmayr). The two problems I was consistently getting are either the slide would not seat completely causing the internal safety to engage or the round would completely misfeed with the slide crimping the brass and the bullet itself pointing upwards.

I was not limp-wristing the firearm. The firearm was more than adequately lubricated. The amunition being used was two different manufacturer ball round loads, not reloads. No problems such as this have ever been experienced with this firearm (I have owned it for around 15 years).

Any ideas? I am at a loss to figure it out and this is the firearm I have already ordered 2000 rounds for for the class this coming weekend.

 

[ber950]

Check the slide stop and make sure the cases are not hitting it in the magazine.

Try another slide stop if possible.

Slide stops don't usually break. Try a new recoil spring. IIRC factory weight on a Commander is 18 lbs. I had better luck with 20 lbs springs.

Check the extractor tension.

Check out this websight.
http://www.m1911.org/full_technic.htm

 

[Thorsen]

ber950, thanks a ton for the link. It has been a ton of help. I found the following and think that is my problem:

A portion of the slide stop projects into the mag well for the purpose of engaging the magazine's follower and locking open the action when the gun is empty. Unfortunately, this also puts the slide stop almost in the path of a cartridge coming out of the magazine. Since the slide stop is only lightly spring-loaded into the down position, if a round of ammo nudges this part during the feeding cycle, it can pop up into the slide stop notch, locking the slide back with rounds still in the gun. This can get you killed. This malfunction usually occurs, if it occurs at all, when firing the gun with hardball and less commonly with shorter hollow-point rounds. If this hasn't happened to your gun, you probably have nothing to worry about; it's only a problem on certain guns. If you do have this problem, a good pistolsmith can dimple the slide stop where it touches the spring-loaded plunger. If the work is done to perfection, the slide stop will never pop up on you, but will still operate perfectly to lock open the empty gun.

I believe this is my problem and plan on taking it to the gunsmith tommorrow to see if he thinks so as well. Since I was not having any problems before the old slide stop broke, and am now having feeding problems with the new one installed, it seems to reason that I need some smithing work done on the stop itself.

Thanks again. The life you saved just might be my own

 

[kaizer]

I had the same problem when my slide stop wore out and stopped locking back the slide after the last round. I ordered one of the internet and it did not function properly in my pistol. I called the OEM and had them send me one, worked great right out of the box. Just a thought, but you might want to try that route instead of having a smith grinding on your gun.

 

[Thorsen]

I took my firearm to Big Woods and had their smith, Chad, work on the weapon for me. He actually replaced the expensive slide stop I had ordered from Brownells with a factory series 80 stop and performed other tuning work to the weapon for me as well.

My Colt works like a charm once again and I couldn't be happier.

 

[tace]

I took my firearm to Big Woods and had their smith, Chad, work on the weapon for me. He actually replaced the expensive slide stop I had ordered from Brownells with a factory series 80 stop and performed other tuning work to the weapon for me as well.

My Colt works like a charm once again and I couldn't be happier.

You still sure about that? :twisted:

Sorry, just couldn't help it.