1911 Kimber ultra carry problems NEED HELP!!!!!

[Spooln-Rex]

Hey everyone,

Well a guy i work with asked me what to do about his Kimber ultra carry 3in. .45acp. Apparently he cant get more than one mag through it without having a failure to feed. He said it just jams up randomly and wants to get it fixed.

I asked if he tried different ammunition and he said just about every kind he can get his hands on so thats a non issue. Also said his mags are brand new basically since he hasn't shot it much (factory Kimber mags that come with the pistol). He did mention that he heard the recoil springs were a little soft i guess from the factory and was told by some others to replace the spring with a stiffer one of some sort.

So now heres my question he wants to know if i can swap it out for him..... Being that i know nothing about 1911's haven't owned or even shot one, But then again dont have any problems figuring stuff out just like knowing what im getting into and whats needed to do the job. I have taken apart the M&P's and Glocks before with no issues but how hard of a thing is this to replace. I saw a couple videos on youtube on fieldstripping it but nothing on getting that bushing off to take the spring out or getting it back on. Even still looks like a pain so needing some input on this. Soooooo let the 1911 gurus come out and have at it!!!!

 

[gillman7]

First thing I would suggest is getting different mags. I have heard differing opinions on Kimber mags. Get a Wilson mag and try it before you start changing internals. I would lean more to a feed ramp needing work than a spring. If it was a spring, it would be more consistent, I would think.

 

[repete34]

Changing the spring is rather easy.

Disassembly of a 1911 is not very complicated. It was issued to GI's and they did it, and they can screw up an anvil.

 

[Traxxis]

I agree, with both of the above. Try some quality mags (Kimpros are hit and miss), Wilson D's, McCormic (sp?) ACT.... etc...

Is it a new gun?

 

[gillman7]

Another thing, is he an experienced shooter? Is this his only 45? Short barrelled 1911's are more prone to limp wristing than a full size in my experience. I had a Officer's model RIA that I sold to someone, and they called me and told me they ran twenty rounds through it, and it FTF on 18 of them? I never had an issue with it, didn't argue, picked it up, ran another 100 rounds through it with no issue. Then I remembered that he had told me that he wanted to step up to a 1911 from his 9mm. I figured it must be that he was not used to the recoil and that was the problem. Could be your buddy's issue too.

 

[Spooln-Rex]

basically new i think he has around 200 or less rounds through it but bought it a year or so ago. Thinking maybe it needs a trip to olyeller to get lined out im thinking its more of a feed ramp issue myself since he said the mags are ok.

but then again to gillman's comment maybe i oughta try shooting it and see for myself because he may be limp wristing it or something. As i have been reading the shorter 1911's require a very stern grip to operate. i know he was in the military but is very very new to guns and hasnt shot this gun very much outside of his concealed carry class. i'll have to talk to him tomorow and see what the deal is and maybe get some range time with him to try to narrow down the problem before changing stuff around.

 

[nich018]

Agree w/ try different mags and limp-wristing...

 

[andrsnsm]

Assuming he is not limp wristing then....

..... I am assuming he bought it new? There was a time that Kimber used an external extractor which turned out to be unreliable. If it has an internal extractor then it is very possible that the extractor needs to be adjusted. Here is a link to a 1911 forum posting the talks about it.

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=73565

if he bought it new then I would doubt that it is a magazine problem although it could be. I might buy one Wilson or McCormick to try since they are not that expensive and you can never have too many. But I would put my money on the extractor tensioning. You mentioned his recoil spring being soft, that would not be the case after 200 rds.

 

[zoomaster1]

When I got my Pro Crimson Carry II, I bought an extra mag. While shooting, one of the mags failed to chamber the last round every time. Strangely, it was the one I bought, not the factory one. Sighting down the side of the mag, I noticed a very slight curve. Medlocks exchanged mag for Kimber KimTac mag and have had no problems since.

 

[POSITIVE DISCONTENT]

Here are some good guides to disassemble and reassemble

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v323/sv1cec/videos/?action=view&current=DisasseblyAnimationHR.flv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6SmlOEzNBs&NR=1