I just bought a new Kimber Classic Stainless and it's my first 1911. I've put about 350 rounds through it and I'm having the slide lock back with rounds still in the mag. I have 4 mags, the original Kimber, 2 McCormick 8 rounders, and 1 Wilson 8 rounder. The problem only happens with the Wilson mag. I'm absolutely positive that I'm not lifiting the slide lever up with my finger. Any ideas on what the problem is? Thanks.
Slide locking back early
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As much as I hate to say it, it sounds like it may be the Wilson Mag!
Take the mag apart, and check for any burrs both on the spring, and inside the mag tube. Make sure there are no ususual kinks in the spring. Make sure the contact surfaces of the follower are smooth and free of burrs.
Try another Wilson spring/follower if you have one.
Also, check that the mag feed lips are not deformed or bent.
Check and see if the loaded rounds (specifically the bullet) in the mag are touching the inner lug of the slide stop when they are being stripped out of the mag. The Wilson mag might be slightly bent or twisted, allowing the bullet to touch this lug during feeding.
Take the mag apart, and check for any burrs both on the spring, and inside the mag tube. Make sure there are no ususual kinks in the spring. Make sure the contact surfaces of the follower are smooth and free of burrs.
Try another Wilson spring/follower if you have one.
Also, check that the mag feed lips are not deformed or bent.
Check and see if the loaded rounds (specifically the bullet) in the mag are touching the inner lug of the slide stop when they are being stripped out of the mag. The Wilson mag might be slightly bent or twisted, allowing the bullet to touch this lug during feeding.
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Oh yeah - welcome to the forum Wayward!
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I went to the range today and fired 150 Winchester winclean rounds. These winclean rounds have flat points unlike the regular Win white box round nose I used before. With the winclean flat points I didn't have the early slide lock problems. However, I started to have rounds being hung up against the breach face. I took the gun to a highly recommended local smith who found that the chamber is quite rough and there was also some burr around the firing pin hole. He's going to polish the chamber, chamfer the firing pin hole and lighten and smooth the trigger. The trigger pull weight measured five and a half pounds with a bit of inconsistant creep. The work will be finished next week.
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I use McCormick 8 round power mags and have never had a problem with them while other have failed. I use them over Wilson because I found they cost $4.00 less with no noticable difference. By the way for self defense only use magazines you trust.
I'm with Shane...almost sounds like a piece of something inside the frame or maybe just a burr...Sometimes just different ammo can cause weirdness. It really shouldn't be that sensitive though. Maybe your new smith can find the prob...Will you let us know?
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Wayward,
I have the same gun and mag. I too am haveing the some problem that you are having.I had it happen today using round nose ammo then switched to WinClean and the problem stoped. I think I may have it issolated to one Wilson mag.
Are you haveing problems with the primers having strange marks?
WDG
I have the same gun and mag. I too am haveing the some problem that you are having.I had it happen today using round nose ammo then switched to WinClean and the problem stoped. I think I may have it issolated to one Wilson mag.
Are you haveing problems with the primers having strange marks?
WDG
WDG,
My primer marks all look good. My smith suggested that the bullets may be nudging the slide stop up. He said I could gently file away a little of the slide stop to correct it.
I took my second Kimber, another Classic Stainless, to the range today. I fired 200 of my reloads through it without a hitch. I used two Kimber mags, one Wilson, and one McCormick. This is the first time I've loaded 45 and I'm pretty proud of myself since I didn't have any rounds that wouldn't chamber or go boom
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I used 230 grain lead round nose bullets over 5.2 grains of 231 and WLP primers.
My primer marks all look good. My smith suggested that the bullets may be nudging the slide stop up. He said I could gently file away a little of the slide stop to correct it.
I took my second Kimber, another Classic Stainless, to the range today. I fired 200 of my reloads through it without a hitch. I used two Kimber mags, one Wilson, and one McCormick. This is the first time I've loaded 45 and I'm pretty proud of myself since I didn't have any rounds that wouldn't chamber or go boom
Got my Kimber Classic Stainless back from my smith today. Trigger is unbelievable! Very crisp 4lb pull and what supprised me the most is that the trigger has almost no take up at all! Went to the range and I'm having a very strange failure to extract with the one Wilson mag. On the last round it will have what appears to be a stove pipe. Upon closer inspection what really happens is the case is pulled back into the mag lips. I had to pry the case up to were it was pointing straight up then pull the mag out and finally pull the case out of the mag.
Wayward,
Please let us know how your problem turns out. I am going to go out to the range again soon with hardball ammo and see if I can duplicate the slide locking back with more then one clip. I do think now that the nose of the bullet is pushing up my slide lock. I am afraid to file it myself.
I do like the new winclean not a problem one but it's a little costly.
Please let us know how your problem turns out. I am going to go out to the range again soon with hardball ammo and see if I can duplicate the slide locking back with more then one clip. I do think now that the nose of the bullet is pushing up my slide lock. I am afraid to file it myself.
I do like the new winclean not a problem one but it's a little costly.
You should be very afraid to file that slide stop! I was coerced into breaking my cardinal rule (no filing of my gun) to do this exact same thing by members of this board and Pistolsmith. (You know who you are!
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) The only reason I did it was that a Wilson Combat rep said he'd send me a new $50 Bullet Proof slide stop if I mussed it up.
Well, I did it. And I didn't have anymore premature slide locks. But, then again, the slide only locked back on an empty mag about 60% of the time.
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I eventually had to send it back to Wilson's when the new slide stop (which I paid $7 to parkerize) didn't work either. They fit the slide stop for me for free. Though it's no longer all parkerized. And I spend a month of the summer and missed probably the only IDPA match my schedule would allow me to attend this summer. (Maybe I can make the September classifier?)
Don't do it. Drop the file and slowly step away from the 1911. Take a few deep breaths. Tell yourself that it's better to spend a few bucks getting a professional to do the job right the first time than it is to pay the same professional an extra $50 for a new slide stop.
Good luck. And remember, the first rule is "Never even LOOK at your 1911 when you have a file or dremel too in your hands!" Some on this board are good enough home gunsmiths (or they've maybe just wrecked their fair share of 1911's in the past) to break this rule on occassion. But it was Dirty Harry Callahan who said "A man's got to know his limitations." And now I know what mine are when it comes to files and guns.
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EDIT: If you do decide to try and file yourself, DO NOT FILE ANY PORTION OF THE BOTTOM FLAT THAT IS ENGAGED BY THE MAGAZINE FOLLOWER. Do not even touch or round the edge to that flat. When I looked at the work that Wilson did, all of the filing was done above that bottom flat and its edge.
Here are the links with photos of the before and after, as well as the work that Wilson Combat did: http://www.1911forum.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000299.html http://www.pistolsmith.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1202&forum=5&57 (This is the only thread that shows the work that WC did. I never updated the 1911Forum post as the thread didn't have as much activity.)
[This message has been edited by JacRyan (edited 08-09-2001).]
EDITED to fix form.
[This message has been edited by JacRyan (edited 08-09-2001).]
Well, I did it. And I didn't have anymore premature slide locks. But, then again, the slide only locked back on an empty mag about 60% of the time.
I eventually had to send it back to Wilson's when the new slide stop (which I paid $7 to parkerize) didn't work either. They fit the slide stop for me for free. Though it's no longer all parkerized. And I spend a month of the summer and missed probably the only IDPA match my schedule would allow me to attend this summer. (Maybe I can make the September classifier?)
Don't do it. Drop the file and slowly step away from the 1911. Take a few deep breaths. Tell yourself that it's better to spend a few bucks getting a professional to do the job right the first time than it is to pay the same professional an extra $50 for a new slide stop.
Good luck. And remember, the first rule is "Never even LOOK at your 1911 when you have a file or dremel too in your hands!" Some on this board are good enough home gunsmiths (or they've maybe just wrecked their fair share of 1911's in the past) to break this rule on occassion. But it was Dirty Harry Callahan who said "A man's got to know his limitations." And now I know what mine are when it comes to files and guns.
EDIT: If you do decide to try and file yourself, DO NOT FILE ANY PORTION OF THE BOTTOM FLAT THAT IS ENGAGED BY THE MAGAZINE FOLLOWER. Do not even touch or round the edge to that flat. When I looked at the work that Wilson did, all of the filing was done above that bottom flat and its edge.
Here are the links with photos of the before and after, as well as the work that Wilson Combat did: http://www.1911forum.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000299.html http://www.pistolsmith.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1202&forum=5&57 (This is the only thread that shows the work that WC did. I never updated the 1911Forum post as the thread didn't have as much activity.)
[This message has been edited by JacRyan (edited 08-09-2001).]
EDITED to fix form.
[This message has been edited by JacRyan (edited 08-09-2001).]
I took apart that one Wilson mag that was giving me trouble. I dipped a patch in Hoppes, swabbed out the mag tube, and two patches came out totaly black with crud. Then I flushed out the mag with brake cleaner. Mag functioned perfectly at the range today.
[This message has been edited by Wayward (edited 08-10-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Wayward (edited 08-10-2001).]
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