Polishing Feed ramp on my handguns

[dennishoddy]

Number your mags with a sharpie or something.
Shoot them with a full load to see if you have any issues. If you have issues, you have a method to determine if its a mag by the numbering.
I've shot thousands of rounds in matches without ever cleaning a mag. Pisses me off when I see folks cleaning their mags after every stage. Just a dammed excuse to not tape targets and reset steel.
If you have mag issues, its likely needing the mag lips tuned a bit to put the round in correct alignment to the feed ramps.
The only time I've had mag issues was with a .22 mag Auto Mag. The lips had the round too high when the slide came forward to feed causing the bullet to be above the feed ramp, contacting the top of the chamber vs feeding into it.
Took some measurements, tweeked the lips with needle nose pliars, and the problem was fixed. Took measurements in case it went south and they could be re tuned to the original specs.

 

[beastep]

There are a lot of valid points here. As I believe someone has said several times so far check the mags. They are one of the weaker points of a 1911. It wouldnt hurt to buy one really nice Chip McCormick or something just to make sure.
Anyway. I had a very nice Springfield Micro Compact that would only feed Hydrashocks reliably as far as hollow points go. Took it to my local smith and he polished the ramp with a huge dremmel and charged me $10 and it didnt help. Nothing I did ever changed what it would run. So I got rid of it.
Since then I have polished the ramp on about all of my handguns. The last was a G42 which are known for having a break in period. It did help.

 

[druryj]

Not to be a know-it-all, but in addition to weak springs, bent or mis-aligned mag lips, or a crappy mag/mag spring, sometimes failures to fully chamber a round are caused by a dirty chamber, often up at the top of the chamber in particular. The top of the round has to have a clean surface to slide up on too as it is being fed from the mag into the chamber of the gun. Look up in there real good with a light; see any gunk? I'm talking about right up there close, not down in the barrel...but in the chamber itself, particularly at the top of the chamber.

 

[HiredHand]

1911 barrels can require throating

 

[Boehlertaught]

Here's my take on this deal. Crates is the best...but don't start with polishing. Its a last resort. I agree with others that most issues with any mag fed firearm will have mag issues. Secondly, its been mentioned that some 1911s don't like some ammo. True statement so get some 230gr ball ammo and test your Roscoe with it. Also, get ahold of Wolff springs and buy new mag springs for every mag you have. Regardless of the mags age or how much it has been used. Also buy a new recoil spring for your 1911. A 17# spring is standard on most 5" barreled 1911s. But buy a set of recoil springs in various spring rates, e.g. 12#-20#. They are cheap and you may find a spring weight you like better. Particularly if you use bullets lighter than 230gr. You're right to give your 1911 a good cleaning. Make sure you clean the hook tip of the extractor. The 1911 is a controlled feed pistol and junk in the extractors hook will affect how the pistol feeds. So, clean it, put new springs in everything, lube it and run some 230gr ball ammo through it and be a happy dude. But don't polish anything.

 

[steelfingers]

There are a lot of valid points here. As I believe someone has said several times so far check the mags. They are one of the weaker points of a 1911. It wouldnt hurt to buy one really nice Chip McCormick or something just to make sure.
Anyway. I had a very nice Springfield Micro Compact that would only feed Hydrashocks reliably as far as hollow points go. Took it to my local smith and he polished the ramp with a huge dremmel and charged me $10 and it didnt help. Nothing I did ever changed what it would run. So I got rid of it.
Since then I have polished the ramp on about all of my handguns. The last was a G42 which are known for having a break in period. It did help.

On my 1911, I have two wilson combat elite 10 rds (love them), two Chip McCormicks and a couple of factory sa's that came with the gun.
Thanks everyone for the responses.

 

[beastep]

Good mags.