A little something I wrote up this AM.
We are considering adding this to every 9mm handgun. Thoughts? Corrections?
9mm Pistol Break-In Instructions
A light recoiling and accurate 9mm 1911 is one of the most enjoyable custom handguns to shoot but because of their low recoil energy you must take special care during break in or you may be faced with reliability issues.
1) Use plenty of lubrication during break in and thereafter. We recommend our Ultima Lube Lite Oil or another very light, low viscosity oil like FP-10.
2) Make sure you tailor your recoil spring to the ammunition loads at hand. Our full size 9mm handguns come standard with a 10# recoil spring. For light loads during break in you may need an 8# spring to run reliably. A 9mm 1911 will not require a shok buff.
3) Make sure your magazines are clean and the springs have taken a set. Our 10 round ETM 9mm magazines are the most reliable 1911 9mm magazines on the market but when new the springs are very strong to ensure proper round position and last round lockback. Load and unload your magazines a few times prior to first use and keep them loaded for a few days. Use a non marring tool like a plastic bushing wrench to cycle the spring and follower as far as it will travel for a few dozen cycles. This will ensure your springs are “set”.
4) If you experience a failure to lock back on empty you likely need a lighter recoil spring or should use a heavier load. Make sure there is no shok buff installed on the guide rod.
5) If you experience a failure to feed or chamber your handgun is probably under-lubricated, lubricated with too thick of oil or fouled. We find that a 9mm 1911 must be kept cleaner than a similar .45 ACP handgun for best reliability.
6) If you experience light strikes with military ammunition you may need to replace your firing pin spring with a #26 XP firing pin spring. We use a XX Power spring to improve drop safety but some hard, military style primers may fail to ignite. Also check your firing pin tunnel for debris and primer shavings which are more common in high pressure rounds like 9mm.
7) Clean your 9mm 1911 every 500 rounds for best results. Excessive fouling from cheap powder in most inexpensive 9mm ammunition will cause your pistol to quickly become sluggish and will lose the energy required to strip,feed and chamber a round from its magazine.
8) A 9mm 1911 will shoot any from a tame standard velocity load to +P+ major caliber factory ammunition and reloads. Be advised if you are shooting +P or +P+ ammunition to be observant of any signs of excessive pressure like swollen case heads, pierced or flattened primers or primer material flowing into the firing pin hole.
We are considering adding this to every 9mm handgun. Thoughts? Corrections?
9mm Pistol Break-In Instructions
A light recoiling and accurate 9mm 1911 is one of the most enjoyable custom handguns to shoot but because of their low recoil energy you must take special care during break in or you may be faced with reliability issues.
1) Use plenty of lubrication during break in and thereafter. We recommend our Ultima Lube Lite Oil or another very light, low viscosity oil like FP-10.
2) Make sure you tailor your recoil spring to the ammunition loads at hand. Our full size 9mm handguns come standard with a 10# recoil spring. For light loads during break in you may need an 8# spring to run reliably. A 9mm 1911 will not require a shok buff.
3) Make sure your magazines are clean and the springs have taken a set. Our 10 round ETM 9mm magazines are the most reliable 1911 9mm magazines on the market but when new the springs are very strong to ensure proper round position and last round lockback. Load and unload your magazines a few times prior to first use and keep them loaded for a few days. Use a non marring tool like a plastic bushing wrench to cycle the spring and follower as far as it will travel for a few dozen cycles. This will ensure your springs are “set”.
4) If you experience a failure to lock back on empty you likely need a lighter recoil spring or should use a heavier load. Make sure there is no shok buff installed on the guide rod.
5) If you experience a failure to feed or chamber your handgun is probably under-lubricated, lubricated with too thick of oil or fouled. We find that a 9mm 1911 must be kept cleaner than a similar .45 ACP handgun for best reliability.
6) If you experience light strikes with military ammunition you may need to replace your firing pin spring with a #26 XP firing pin spring. We use a XX Power spring to improve drop safety but some hard, military style primers may fail to ignite. Also check your firing pin tunnel for debris and primer shavings which are more common in high pressure rounds like 9mm.
7) Clean your 9mm 1911 every 500 rounds for best results. Excessive fouling from cheap powder in most inexpensive 9mm ammunition will cause your pistol to quickly become sluggish and will lose the energy required to strip,feed and chamber a round from its magazine.
8) A 9mm 1911 will shoot any from a tame standard velocity load to +P+ major caliber factory ammunition and reloads. Be advised if you are shooting +P or +P+ ammunition to be observant of any signs of excessive pressure like swollen case heads, pierced or flattened primers or primer material flowing into the firing pin hole.
