[Firedude]

I'm building a 1911 for my son for his graduation from the US Naval Academy in May. I have it pretty much done except for sight installation, engraving and cerakote finish. A couple of issues that I am having:

(1) It has a Wilson Combat Bulletproof slide release. The slide release won't release on an empty magazine. With no mag in, it works fine. I swapped the slide release from my Kimber Warrior and it works fine. I assume it's just a matter of sanding/filing away a bit of material and it'll work as intended? I can't really tell from where.

(2) I test fired it yesterday. Had about 5 failure to feeds (out of 4 magazines) and a couple of times it didn't go into full battery. All the parts on the pistol are Wilson Combat using a Caspian Recon Receiver and a unmarked Remington slide. I used Wilson Combat Elite Tactical mags and Kimber KimPro Tac-Mags. I'm using the Wilson Combat Full-size Shok-Buff Recoil System (Full length guide rod etc...). No idea why it's failing to feed or at times no going into full battery. I assume the slide stop could possibly be a cause of some of this.

This is my first 1911 build. Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pistolwretch]

Failures to feed:
Caspians often have very shallow feed ramps.

Not going into full battery:
Barrel chamber may need reaming.
Extractor tension may be too high.

 

[Integrity Arms]

i would suggest lose the shok buff. I have never seen any good come from those personally. I have seen those retard return at the most inopportune times. And as Chuck said if you didn't ream the chamber, then that is a good start as well. Not familiar with Caspian frames but, I am sure Chuck has done hundreds. Assume this is a FS Gov. 45acp..

 

[Firedude]

I didn't have the Shok Buff in place, just the full size guide rod. It is a full size 1911, 45 ACP.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

The slide release won't release on an empty magazine. With no mag in, it works fine.

The magazine spring is exerting more upward force on the slide stop than you're able to exert downward force. Unlike Glocks this is the way 1911s are supposed to work.

Also, you do not want to drop a 1911 slide unless you're loading a round from the magazine. Dropping a 1911 slide on an empty chamber can eventually damage the delicate sear / hammer interface. Plus it's bad 1911 etiquette.

 

[DHwreckage]

The magazine spring is exerting more upward force on the slide stop than you're able to exert downward force. Unlike Glocks this is the way 1911s are supposed to work.

Also, you do not want to drop a 1911 slide unless you're loading a round from the magazine. Dropping a 1911 slide on an empty chamber can eventually damage the delicate sear / hammer interface. Plus it's bad 1911 etiquette.

Steve, just curious here since I'm new to 1911's and wanted to function test my gun after installing a new trigger today, but isn't dropping the slide on an empty chamber part of checking sear engagement during function testing of a 1911? I was just following through the m1911 sites function testing page and saw this and other comments about not dropping the slide on an empty chamber.

Cheers!

 

[azpoolguy]

Yes. Dropping the slide on an empty chamber to check proper function, hammer and sear engagement and to make sure you don’t have hammer fallow a few times is a good idea.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

Like azpoolguy said dropping the slide on an empty chamber is normally done to check that your trigger job was done correctly.

Just a few times but no more as it accelerates wear on the pistol especially the delicate surfaces of the sear that bear against the hammer.

I actually perform this test during the process of running the Hilton Yam extractor test. Killing two birds with one stone.