Colt m1991a1 Commander Help

[sheperd80]

Im helping a friend troubleshoot his 1991 and had some questions for u 1911 experts. His gun is stovepiping multiple times per mag, nearly every other shot. He will probably take it to a smith but i thought i would try a few drop-in easy fixes before he shells out the cash for a smith.

What we know...

The gun feeds and fires fine but stovepipes on ejection.

He's an experienced shooter and is not limpwristing.

The gun is about 12 yrs old and is running all original parts springs etc.

He is mainly using cheap 230 gr ball ammo, but the gun has malfunctioned regularly with various ammo.

The problem persists with both factory and aftermarket magazines.

My questions...

-Can i drop-in a standard 1911 extractor and or recoil spring on this model?

-Are there other cheap fixes i can try?

-Am i wasting my time and should just send it to a smith?

Thanks for any help folks!

[John Ralston]

Have you checked the extractor tension? Sounds like it might need a tweak (not necessarily a replacement).

[Kevin B.]

Based on what you told us, the extractor would be the first place I would look as well.

[Odin Bravo One]

From there, look for a loose/worn ejector.

[WDW]

Replace recoil spring, check ejector tension, check extractor tension, have professional gunsmith retune if needed. If its got the same recoil spring from 12 years ago & a decent round count (5,000+)....that's not good.

[David Armstrong]

Recoil springs are different both in weight and length for the 1911 versus the Commander.

[R.M.T.]

Extractor tension needs to be checked.

Check ejector if its looses have it replaced.

Get new springs, 1911 are sensitive to improper or worn springs. This includes hammer spring and recoil spring, just remove another variable. Commander spring specs are 18 pound recoil and 23 pound hammer spring.

Lube, these guns don't like to run dry and dirty.

Frequency of the problem, how long has it been going on.

Has any work been done to the gun? If so what what was done, keep in mind this could be as little as polishing the feed ramp and changing the geometry.

Picture make it much easier for us to diagnose the problem, pics of the ejector, breachface, extractor.

If none of this works, take it to a smith and have him look are the extractor pad which sits behind the claw, as well as checking the extractor geometry. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

[sheperd80]

Thanks for all the help.

No work has been done to it. Cant provide pics atm. Im gonna try extractor tension test and/or adjustment and maybe just swap the springs for good measure since its a bit old.

[1986s4]

I had a 9mm 1911 with the same issue. Took it to my smith who insisted he could fix it with a tweak of the extractor tension. I told him as much as I liked my visits with him why don't we just put in a new one? On my third visit he put in a new one, problem solved.

[John Ralston]

I had a 9mm 1911 with the same issue. Took it to my smith who insisted he could fix it with a tweak of the extractor tension. I told him as much as I liked my visits with him why don't we just put in a new one? On my third visit he put in a new one, problem solved.

I would agree that if the extractor tension is the culprit and the problem shows up soon again after the fix, that a new extractor with better metallurgy might just be the answer.

[SecondsCount]

I would replace the extractor. Colt was using MIM extractors for a while and your friend's Commander may have one in it, or may have been poorly heat treated.

The Wilson Bulletproof extractor comes highly recommended. Make sure the one you get is setup for a firing pin safety (Series 80).

[sheperd80]

I ended up checking the extractor tension and it was pretty loose. So i bent it in a little and the gun fired 250 rds flawlessly. If it loosens back up and starts stovepiping again itll get replaced.

Thanks everyone. Saved some money for sure.

[JAD]

"The 1911 platform requires a more sophisticated end user to properly operate and maintain than typical modern service pistols."

1267

You didn't fix that.

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