Thanks for all the help. I've put 100 rounds through it now and the problem seems to be getting better. The trigger is great and it's dead on at 7 yds. All the surfaces mentioned look good, the only machine marks I can see are on the rail running down the long axis of the slide that the disconnector rides on. I disassembled again to clean and inspect, and noticed something just barely protruding out of the extractor. It's dead center and looks like a pin either not fully seated or trying to back out of the extractor. Any thoughts? Thanks again.
Is it a tactical model???????? The tactical models are notorious for having a tight extractor, when factory new.
Remove the slide place a loaded round in the slide and under the extractor in the position at which it would be in when firing. Once this is done shake the slide mildly. If the round falls out the extractor tension is fine and you have another problem. If it stays in place. Shake it vigourously. If it stays in place extractor is too tight, or falls out slowly. If the rounds falls out without shaking then the extractor is too loose.
Remove the slide place a loaded round in the slide and under the extractor in the position at which it would be in when firing. Once this is done shake the slide mildly. If the round falls out the extractor tension is fine and you have another problem. If it stays in place. Shake it vigourously. If it stays in place extractor is too tight, or falls out slowly. If the rounds falls out without shaking then the extractor is too loose.
Thanks for the tip about the extractor. I'm leaning that direction since the problem only occurs when chambering a round. Could this fix itself as i shoot more? It's the plain compact model, btw. I think the bump on the extractor is just from casting and not an issue. Right now i just have to find some ammo. Last week every WM had it, but not now. Have to build up a supply and keep restocking it.
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It can smooth out with continued shooting. If it doesn't in the next 100-150 rounds it will be time to make some tweaking.
Ran another 100 rds through this afternoon. Towards the end it started running more smoothly but I noticed today that it throws brass anywhere from over my head to almost straight in front of me. Checked the extractor and it is a little tight. The good news is that its accurate with no FTF or FTE or other issues.
Sounds like it's loosing up a little. In my experience, when it starts pitching brass over your head it's time to check it and see what the tension looks like. As for it throughing them everywhere else, I think that just inherent to the 1911. Never have had one that throws it in a tighty little pile.
Pokem807:
First, I am glad your pistol is smoothing out. However, I think a better way to have handled it, if you were not going to return it to customer service, would be to take it to a "1911 'smith" and have him do reliability tuning for about $150. USSA in Tulsa has some quality people there. By trying to "shoot it in" you are going to spend $200 to $400 on ammo and all the issues in your gun that might need to be addressed will not be. For example, the shells going all over the place can be taken care of by tuning the ejector and/or replacing it with an extended ejector and tuning it. Sometimes you have to lower the ejection port as well. An experienced 1911'smith can save you a "bunch" of aggravation. And, because the 1911 is so easy for the inexperienced 1911 user to "hot rod" the initial wisdom on the internet is to run 900 to 1000 rounds through the gun before carrying it and that is supposed to take care of everything. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially if you are not familiar with the specifications, nuances, and adjustments of the 1911 in the regular and shorter variations. So, "in my humble opinion," after you get through spending "who knows how much on ammo" I would take it to a specialist in your area and have them go through your pistol so it does what you want it to do in a safe manner.
Respectfully yours,
Dr. Barry J. Greyson
First, I am glad your pistol is smoothing out. However, I think a better way to have handled it, if you were not going to return it to customer service, would be to take it to a "1911 'smith" and have him do reliability tuning for about $150. USSA in Tulsa has some quality people there. By trying to "shoot it in" you are going to spend $200 to $400 on ammo and all the issues in your gun that might need to be addressed will not be. For example, the shells going all over the place can be taken care of by tuning the ejector and/or replacing it with an extended ejector and tuning it. Sometimes you have to lower the ejection port as well. An experienced 1911'smith can save you a "bunch" of aggravation. And, because the 1911 is so easy for the inexperienced 1911 user to "hot rod" the initial wisdom on the internet is to run 900 to 1000 rounds through the gun before carrying it and that is supposed to take care of everything. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially if you are not familiar with the specifications, nuances, and adjustments of the 1911 in the regular and shorter variations. So, "in my humble opinion," after you get through spending "who knows how much on ammo" I would take it to a specialist in your area and have them go through your pistol so it does what you want it to do in a safe manner.
Respectfully yours,
Dr. Barry J. Greyson
Ran 100 more rounds through today. Starting to see some real improvent. Instead of happening every other shot, it only happened 7 or 8 times. I guess there's something to that whole 500 round break in. Who knew?
I think you would be well advised to take the Doc's advice....
you shouldn't need to shoot it 500 times to "break in". It's not a match-fit gun.
500 rounds in an Officer model is time for a new recoil spring.
