More work on the entry of Taurus PT1911

[swampratt]

I went to another state over the 4th and took 3 45's and a .22 pistol.
First round shot was from the Taurus PT1911 45ACP with some of my 200gr lead swc bullets NO crimp as that smushes my lead and hurts accuracy in my other 2 45's.

Well like almost always the dumb Taurus failed to get round 2 into the chamber.
The edge of the case caught on an upper side of the chamber.

I did not shoot it any more and took that round and stuck it into one of my my other 45's and shot it just fine.
No issues except with the 1911.
I am going to chamfer and roll that edge a bit and see if I can make a reliable weapon out of it.

I have done some feed ramp work and that helped but I must crimp and use round nose plated or jacketed bullets.

 

[okierider]

Hmm I run 230 grain round nose coated lead with a slight crimp that lets me reliably feed. 1911 is designed to run round nose and that is what is most reliable in mine. I have came up with a load for expanding jacketed bullets that is also reliable. My problem with the expanding bullets is once I run out I am going to have to look around and figure out what bullets I have, got these in a bucket of reloading crap at a garage sale and these were in a plastic bag with zero info other that 45acp 230 grain LOL.

 

[Boehlertaught]

I've had to tune a few 1911s so they would feed most ammo. In some 1911s SWC ammo can be a pain. a number of times I've had to slightly modify the magazine feed lips. It wasn't the gun at all. I have had good luck using Wilson and CMC magazines when shooting SWC ammo without modifying the feed lips. Seldom is the feed ramp needing attention in recently made 1911s.

 

[Seadog]

I've had to tune a few 1911s so they would feed most ammo. In some 1911s SWC ammo can be a pain. a number of times I've had to slightly modify the magazine feed lips. It wasn't the gun at all. I have had good luck using Wilson and CMC magazines when shooting SWC ammo without modifying the feed lips. Seldom is the feed ramp needing attention in recently made 1911s.

I was going to mention something along those lines. From what I understand there are three types of feed lips or magazines for 1911s. One for the traditional 230 grain FMJ, GI style. One that is a hybrid. And one that is specifically designed for hollow points or wadcutters. It could be the magazine

 

[retrieverman]

I’m not knocking your Taurus, but I have a couple guns that have never had a hiccup after MANY THOUSAND rounds and a bunch of different types of ammo and would like to try some of that ammo in them. I can say definitively that if these two guns won’t feed it it’s an ammo problem and not a gun problem.

I use old Colt mags, Metalform, Wilsons, Tripps, and a few with no name brand.

 

[swampratt]

I only have the factory Taurus Magazine that came with the gun.
I have not tried any other magazines.

If another magazine would move the cartridge up just a bit so the entry was not at such a steep angle it would feed better.

If any of you would not mind doing something for me.
Take your 45acp with a handloaded round that does not have much if any crimp and measure the OAL.
Now stick it into the magazine and insert it into a 1911 and pull the slide back and let it go.
Now do not fire this round rack the slide and remove the round and measure OAL again.

My Taurus will take the bullet and hit the top of the chamber with it and then try and straighten it out upon entry.
This seats the bullet deeper and deeper into the case.

Puts a dink on the nose of the bullet also.

I probably do need a different magazine. One that will cut down on some of that entry angle.

 

[HiredHand]

@swampratt here’s some good reading for you. Look around page 158 for information on magazine feed lips.

https://archive.org/details/TheColt.45AutomaticAShopManualVol.1ByKuhnhausen

 

[retrieverman]

I only have the factory Taurus Magazine that came with the gun.
I have not tried any other magazines.

If another magazine would move the cartridge up just a bit so the entry was not at such a steep angle it would feed better.

If any of you would not mind doing something for me.
Take your 45acp with a handloaded round that does not have much if any crimp and measure the OAL.
Now stick it into the magazine and insert it into a 1911 and pull the slide back and let it go.
Now do not fire this round rack the slide and remove the round and measure OAL again.

My Taurus will take the bullet and hit the top of the chamber with it and then try and straighten it out upon entry.
This seats the bullet deeper and deeper into the case.

Puts a dink on the nose of the bullet also.

I probably do need a different magazine. One that will cut down on some of that entry angle.

I tried it with two of my non crimped handloads, and yes, the OAL did change slightly. The first one had a OAL of 1.258 before loading and 1.253 after. The second was 1.251 before and 1.245 after.

 

[swampratt]

On page 72 of that manual @HiredHand posted.
There is a picture of the barrel hood and on page 71 another couple pictures.
It mentions the chamfer or bevel on the hood.

My barrel hood has Zero chamfer from the factory.

That is what I was talking about doing so I did just that.
Not as much as in the picture though.

I went to the garage with a fresh wood stump in hand and let 6 rounds poke some holes into it.
First round went perfect as I had just chambered it and I looked at the slide and it was ready for me to pull the trigger again and I let 5 more fly as quick as I could pull the trigger.

Felt good to have it finally cycle.
Same ammo I had been shooting 200gr Alox lubed Lead SWC no crimp.

I appreciate the help guys.
If it continues running like this I will be happy.

I did look at the magazine tweaks also just in case.

It was always just hanging on the pointy sharp edge of the barrel hood.

 

[cdschoonie]

@swampratt Have you (or anyone for that matter, please chime in) had issues with the cast bullet roll crimp vs accuracy you mention, with a Springfield 45 acp?

I have an XD sub-compact 3”, and a few hundred cast RNs and HPs I’m eventually going to load and try. I haven’t tried cast bullets yet, but all the jackets and the coated Berry’s (maybe they were Xtreme) that you gave me once, I’ve had no issues.