Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska SR 1911 issues - need gunsmith

Yeah me too.

It’ll be about 5 days till I get back to the range so I have that much time to toss ideas around

Recoil buffer may help protect the frame.

DF

I would also check the bolt face, make sure it is square to the bolt.

Bolt face square with the bolt?

1911?

DF

I have never seen a primer ripped like that before. Are those factory rounds or reloads ?? I'm thinking the spring to the firing pin is weak and not pulling the pin out of the way as it's ejecting.

kwg

The most effective way to control unlocking on a 1911 will be to increase the mainspring (Hammer spring) weight and use a Flat firing pin stop. This increases the mechanical advantage the hammer will have over the slide, keeping it in a locked position for a few additional milliseconds, allowing pressure to drop to a safe level. This will reduce slide velocity and frame battering. A heavy recoil spring will just slam the slide shut harder, maybe causing lug battering. Muzzle dip can also occur from a too-robust closing slide, then accuracy will also suffer. Recoil springs in a 1911 have minimal impact on unlocking.

The primer swipe you're seeing is caused by the very light firing pin allowing the primer cup to be extruded into the firing pin hole by pressure before the slide has unlocked, then the link begins swinging the barrel down, shearing the extruded portion. A steel firing pin resists this by virtue of weight and the increased resistance to inertia from the primer cup being pushed back by pressure. The extra strength Firing pin spring will decrease the possibility of a "slam-fire" if the pistol is dropped on its muzzle.

Your firing pin is not retracting fast enough. First, take a 1/8" punch and press the the firing pin in from the rear with the slide locked back. It should move freely with no drag. Maybe a bent pin, broken spring, or safety is dragging, maybe just some crud in there. If it's al free, put a heaver FP spring in it.

Bingo!

And, *I* would replace the titanium pin, but that's just me, some people like them.

I had the flat pin stop in and just replaced with the rounded one after I started this thread. I'll keep it handy at the range and swap again if needed. I also have some buffers I can put in.

I'm ordering the wilson bullet proof pin and spring to match, worst case scenario I have spare parts

EDIT - Wilson wants $30 to ship one pin and one spring up to Alaska, I'll need to call them in the morning and see if they can adjust that for me...

Hope it works out.

Something I just thought of, have you changed primers, possibly to one of softer material?

Vic in VA has it figured out, I think. Pay close attention to him, he's schmart!

I would also check the diameter of the firing pin, as oversized firing pin holes exist, and an oversized firing pin is the only way to mitigate that. They DO make them. I have changed out ALL my titanium firing pins for steel, too, I don't like them. Everyone went to titanium to avoid having to go "Series '80", so they can pass drop tests.
That's all a load of crap, steel is the way to go.

Here's some to choose from, I've no doubt other peddlers have their own versions.
https://egwguns.com/1911-parts/slide-parts/

I use a variety of name brand primers, all of them were purchased in the 90's

Brain fart, fueled by a few to many rum and cokes. I was thinking of a problem I had with one of my rifles years ago.

Is a rum-fueled BF a bad thing?

Not in my world, but at my age they're liable to turn into brain diareaha!

You did that just to make some of us old farts feel better about ourselves.

Ha! And thanks.

DF

I went to the range today and shot about 80 rounds with the lighter slide spring. The lip was less pronounced which is a good thing but problem not solved yet. My replacement heavier pin and spring is in the mail since saturday and should be here whenever usps feels like getting it to me....

I did mark the cases prior to shooting and the lip is at the 12:00 position, does that mean anything?

Figured it’d be at 12:00, on top which is about the only place it could be as the barrel unlocks and drops down before firing pen can retract.

Google firing pin stop plate and how different ones can affect slide opening and timing.

DF

I had the rounded stop plate in there this trip. Previously I had the flat one

I just remembered I have buffers but forgot to put them in, I dont know if it would have made a difference in a commander though

Could you tell any difference, round vs flat stop plates?

DF