[yattwood]

I took my first 1911, a 9mm Springfield Garrison, to the range today; I field stripped, cleaned/oiled it the day before

I really enjoyed shooting it; the recoil is similar to my Beretta 92FS, much better than the PX4 Compact I've found so frustrating to shoot and difficult to rack - the Garrison is very easy

I used the Springfield magazine that came with the gun and a Wilson Combat magazine I'd purchased. Ammo was 115gr FMJ, Fiocchi

I need to work on my shooting fundamentals; I have a hard time seeing the front sight; I'm nearsighted and left-eye dominant and wear progressive lenses. I did get on paper, which I haven't been able to with the PX4 Compact, as I just don't handle the recoil very well

I did about 20 shots before the slide stuck and would not advance (I'm still a 1911 newbie, so please forgive me if I'm not using the correct terminology). I dumped the magazine, and attempted to rack the gun, but it would not rack. I pointed it in a safe direction, and got a Range Safety Officer - he could not rack my gun, either. Someone from the onsite gun shop came and with difficulty, got the slide to rack and the rounds to eject. He told me I needed to apply more oil (I had applied a light coating) and to use a firm grip.

I'm going to bring it to my gunshop/FFL/gunsmith and have him check it out for any mechanical issues. I figure it's part of "new gun issues"; I defintely want to keep shooting it!

 

[Wildbob]

Those progressive lenses are rough. A girl I know wears them and got her optometrist to issue a regular prescription for safety glasses that aren't progressive. Big difference in her targets.

 

[Donns]

I keep my 1911’s pretty juicy, they seem to like it. They all (4) perform just fine.

 

[HD1911]

First time out and two (i assume) experienced shooters had a hard time racking it too? Stovepipe is not that uncommon during break in, but a slide that difficult to rack sound like frame to slide fitment issues.
sit at home with an empty gun, oil the rails generously and rack it a few hundred times. Feel any burrs or resistance?

 

[IraG2362]

Next time you visit Brownells , order a tube of Slide glide. It is a grease for the rails. Smooths things up nicely.

 

[PBag]

+1 on slide glide, I prefer the lite.

 

[YVK]

What was the distance to that target? What hand are you holding your gun with and what eye are you using to aim?

 

[yattwood]

What was the distance to that target? What hand are you holding your gun with and what eye are you using to aim?

Distance was 7 yards; I’m right handed

When I look at the target with the sights, I can’t really see anything until I close my left eye - my eyes seem to cross if I keep them open

My understanding with red/green dots is the dot is out on the target and then you shoot

 

[yattwood]

Next time you visit Brownells , order a tube of Slide glide. It is a grease for the rails. Smooths things up nicely.

Alas, Slide Glide is listed as being out of stock at Brownells, but is available on Amazon…

 

[YVK]

Distance was 7 yards; I’m right handed

When I look at the target with the sights, I can’t really see anything until I close my left eye - my eyes seem to cross if I keep them open

My understanding with red/green dots is the dot is out on the target and then you shoot

Don't worry about Slide Glide, it is no different from any other lube of its consistency.


So, to recap, you're sure you are left eye dominant, you hold your gun in your right hand, you close your dominant eye when you shoot?

 

[yattwood]

Don't worry about Slide Glide, it is no different from any other lube of its consistency.


So, to recap, you're sure you are left eye dominant, you hold your gun in your right hand, you close your dominant eye when you shoot?

I was at an Armed Women of America class - I was told to make a triangle, close one eye, then the other and say when the object shifted. I did that and was told I was left eye dominant. For some reason, I can’t close my right eye very easily, but I can close my left eye - I think I’m just confused, arrrgh

 

[Wildbob]

I was left eye dominate. I shoot right handed. Right eye. Always did. Now I do that triangle test and there is no difference.

 

[YVK]

I was at an Armed Women of America class - I was told to make a triangle, close one eye, then the other and say when the object shifted. I did that and was told I was left eye dominant. For some reason, I can’t close my right eye very easily, but I can close my left eye - I think I’m just confused, arrrgh

Do you care for an unsolicited advice? I'm not the most tactful person around here and I have been trying hard not to get into other people's threads. There is a bunch of stuff to unpack in yours. I am happy to stay out and let others say something, or let you figure it out yourself.

 

[mkk41]

Not bad. Personally I think it's kinda silly to put more than 2-3 rounds in the same spot. If ya shoot someone in the same place more than a few times and he keeps coming at you, shoot 'em somewhere else. Doubt all those holes will get patched or plugged before he leaks out.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

. . . a slide that difficult to rack sound like frame to slide fitment issues.

Or the chamber is tight and the barrel needs to be finish reamed.

 

[FDM1]

Sounds like you may have an astigmatism. That can be corrected. If you are experiencing cross eye dominance there are many sources of info on it. I have seen some shooters with various issues over the years become very good shooters.

What Is Cross Eyed-Dominance & How To Solve It

This article explains cross-eyed dominance and how to get around it

www.bushnell.com

 

[Doubs43]

WRT the slide being difficult to rack, if I'm reading your post correctly there was a round in the chamber or partly in the chamber. What cartridges were you using? It sounds like an out of spec cartridge was stuck in the chamber. If you did 20 rounds before it happened, it doesn't sound like a tight chamber... but I could be wrong. If you oiled the rails, it's unlikely that a lack of lube was your problem. I use high temperature wheel bearing grease on my 1911 rails and they all function fine.

WRT your eyesight and the front sight. I ordered a set of protective glasses from SSP Eyewear that have the corrective bifocal lens inset at the top of the lenses. That allows the shooter to keep their head in a normal position and not tilt up to use the bifocal lens. They have them in different diopter values. Mine are +1.25 and the set includes clear, smoke and amber lens that interchange on the frame. They offer different values, of course. They were in my mailbox within three days after ordering. sportsman

 

[yattwood]

I came back from the range, cleaned and oiled it well - and assembled it all by myself (well, I watched a 1911 cleaning and lubing video on YouTube)- I got the slide lock lever in with the help of the tool from the Vortex Venom red dot I have on the PX4 (it’s a small flat head screwdriver - used it to push in the detent while pushing the slide lock lever up and in, yay!!!!)

I’ve been racking it repeatedly and it’s smooth like silk; I hope to get out to the range with it again this up coming week

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions!

 

[Txdweeb]

Run a couple hundred rds of 124 nato that’ll help break it in nicely.
I keep my 1911s really wet to the point of having to wipe them down with a dry rag at least once a week if I carry one it seeps out everywhere.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

. . . attempted to rack the gun, but it would not rack.

A simple test to determine whether or not the barrel or ammo are at fault for this condition is known as the plunk test.

1. Remove the barrel
   
   
2. Hold it vertically with the chamber up and muzzle down
   
   
3. Drop a live round into the chamber. You should hear a distinctive sound when the brass case mouth strikes the steel chamber ledge.
   
   
4. Then while pushing the chambered round forward hard against the chamber ledge, rotate it.
   
   It should turn easily and it should easily drop out of the barrel when you upend it. If it does not, either the cartridge is too big for the chamber, the chamber is too small for the cartridge, the barrel leade is too short, the case has inadequate crimp, or a couple of other less common possibilities.

You should run as many rounds through this test as you have time for because there may only be one round in the box that is the culprit.