SAI 9mm Range Officer questions

[Seven_Sicks_Two]

I'm having my own share of issues with the 9mm RO. It sounds like yours are similar.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....nnector-issues

According to guys a lot more knowledgeable about the platform than me, the slide hanging on the disconnect or is a common issue with 9mm 1911s.

IMHO, the gun isn't over-sprung, it's under-sprung. I started having FTRB issues at round 191. I've since ordered a Wilson flat-wire kit and both 13 and 15 lb. ISMI Glock springs. Although he didn't seem to have the same issues, ToddG's test gun wound up using the Wilson kit IIRC. If you hunt around on P-T.com, I believe there is a post in which he outlines his spring set-up. I can't guarantee the the spring change will alleviate your issues (I haven't had the chance to shoot mine yet), but it would probably be a decent start.

As to your issues with mags sticking, you might mark/number your mags and see if it occurring with all of them. If you can isolate it to a single mag, I'd call that the culprit. Otherwise, try Wilson ETMs as others have suggested.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my RO... even though I have a statistically meaningless number of rounds through it. But, it is a mid-priced 1911 in a non-traditional caliber. I kinda suspected there would be issues... and being that I have other, more proven pistols, I'm enjoying tinkering with it.

[JAD]

I bought my 9RO as a practice analogue for my carry guns, which are largely lightweight .45s that are less fun to shoot 600 rounds through in a session. In that context, having to replace the MSH and buy a lot of good mags -- which wound up being the only thing I had to do to have a reliable pistol -- makes me think it was a pretty good investment.

If it was destined to be carried the initial light strikes and the clunky feel of the cycle would have been really unsettling.

[farscott]

[snip]

3. A few times, after inserting the magazine while the gun was at slide lock, without release the slide, the magazine would become stuck. I could press the mag release, and pull on the magazine lip, to no avail. Shooting a few rounds, made the magazine drop free again. Would could be causing this?

Questions: Should I use grease or oil on the slide rails and other parts?
What is the recommend spring weight for full size 9mm 1911 using GI recoil system? What about grip safety - I am planning to ditch the ILS one. What spring weight should I get?


The gun went through 100 rounds of Wolf and 15 rounds of brass with only the issues mentioned above.

Overall, I am pretty happy with this acquisition, although I will probably be picking up Colt's Commander when it comes out.

When the magazine becomes stuck, I suspect the top round of the magazine is partially out of the magazine and jammed against the feed ramp. So the magazine cannot drop free.

9x19 1911 magazine functionality is key to the whole system. A good check with your current magazines is to load one fully and then to remove the top round by hand. The more effort needed to remove the top round, the more likely that the round beneath it is also moved forward. The tapered 9x19 case promotes nose-diving, and magazine selection is key. Not all guns work well with a given magazine. I use Metalforms in one, Mec-Gars in another, etc.

The 1911 needs lube, and the 9x19 1911 needs more lube than the .45 ACP version. Spring weight on the 9x19 1911 is very load dependent and empirical experimentation with the gun needs to be done. I usually start with a 12# Wolff spring and work up and down from there. Some guns have 9# springs in them, some have 12#, and one has an 11# spring.

[rdtompki]

We have four SA 9mm 1911 Loaded, similar to RO but (obviously) SS. I'm running the stock (~9 lb) recoil spring and 17lb mainspring after ILS removal in all four guns albeit with mild loads. The guns cycle fine. Occasionally with 147gr FP the slide requires a second tap on the initial chamber. My gunsmith has gauged our stock SA mags and found almost all to have very narrow feed lips; my wife has experienced a few failures to chamber when the next round is partially dragged out of the magazine. I attribute this to a combination of the tight feed lips and the gun not cycling as well with my wife's grip. Oh, and I retained the stock FP, but changed out the FPS for a 1X Wolff.

[1986s4]

My admittedly short time with my Colt .38 Super Auto has brought me to some conclusions:
1) In a design intended for .45 Auto and sprung with a #23 mainspring and a #16 recoil spring using lighter ammo with lighter springs means the gun is running on a thinner margin of operability.
2) Based on the above it needs to be freely moving, lubed and at least well broken in parts or better yet polished.

My failed attempt of the 2000 round challenge has caused me to abandon Froglube as it became a sticky paste which retarded slide movement.

[okie john]

N

My failed attempt of the 2000 round challenge has caused me to abandon Froglube as it became a sticky paste which retarded slide movement.

I had the same thing happen with Froglube.


Okie John

[Seven_Sicks_Two]

Here's a fun 1911/Froglube story (although admittedly, it has little to do with FL's effectiveness as a lubricant):

A couple years back at a pistol class, the other students and I were gearing up for the first day of class. A chatty fellow next to me with a brand-new SA Pro was singing the praises of Froglube. After he finished up with the whole, "designed by Navy SEALs so you know its good" bit, he says, "It smells like wintergreen and it's non-toxic too! You can even eat it and it wont hurt you!" He proceeded to take a small dollop and put it in his mouth...

To which I replied, "That stuff smells like urinal mints."

He turned as green as the paste in the tub.

[1986s4]

"That stuff smells like urinal mints."

Can I borrow that?

[Jim Watson]

My SA Loaded conglomeration, the MixMaster, had a hard bump on the disconnector.
The sear spring looked like it had been cut out of an old oil drum with dull tin snips. A Colt sear spring and the gouges polished out of the bevel on the disconnector fixed that.

It and my Colt 9mm are somewhat subject to dragging the next round forward in the magazine. A tac load will sometimes result in a dropped loose round. Worse, a hesitant reload can dislodge a round and leave it floating in the magazine well, bringing operations to a halt.

[Seven_Sicks_Two]

"That stuff smells like urinal mints."

Can I borrow that?

Hahaha. Of course.