Rounding off that angle on the slide stop won't hurt anything, since it's nor an engagement point. You might run the risk of making the slide worse if you muck with it, so I'd leave it alone. Honestly, it's not something that's really noticeable when the gun's assembled. So, I'd leave it alone and just shoot it.
We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......
I got the Specialist back together and came across something I hope can be repaired, waiting on a text back.
Fricken scant safety. Ever so slight but it exists. I feel it's been this way since it left CZ/DW as its the factory set up which is EGW.
I texted a gunsmith that has micro welded for me in the past, hoping he can build up the lug on a stainless safety and I recut to fit. At $140 plus shipping for a replacement safety, I hope this one can be repaired.
I addressed all issues mentioned and the slide looked worse in the pics. I rolled that sharp edge on the slide stop.
Getting back to the thumb safety, the detent dimple was odd shaped, and the detent travel developed a ditch and it felt like a motocross woopty doo when engaging the thumb safety.
Upon inspection of the detent plunger (the one in the back), was not dome like and the peak was off to one side. I cleaned that up but want to get the engagement fixed before I go any further.
Waiting on my Challis bushings and looking for some used black grips with some aggressiveness to them (like a 3 to 4 out of a 5 on aggressiveness scale). I do not want to get rid of my factory DW grips (sorry)
The extractor is a blue EGW Practical Extractor that I don't believe to be a factory part. It appears the pad was fitted but it stopped there. It had no bend, nor did the extractor hook have any fitting to it as it was heavy contact with a casing.
I got it fitted but hope to hear back soon from the gunsmith as far as welding.
If you're going to be a bear….be a GRIZZLY!
I haven't read this thread in its entirety, so I apologize if this topic has already been covered.
I decided to dip my toes into the high-end 1911 world with a Wilson Combat 5" .45 ACP. I got their factory optics plate system with an ACRO P2 mounted. Ever since I got the gun though it's been finicky with 10 rd .45 mags (I've been using Wilson and CMC mags).
When I first got the gun, it would fail to fully chamber the first round from a slide lock reload probably 80% of the time. After shooting their recommended 500ish rounds to break the gun in, it was still doing it about 25% of the time. I loosened the extractor tension a bit and tried a heavier 20lb flat wire recoil spring which got it to where it was 98% reliable on feeding the first round from slide lock. I've also noticed an issue that only happens with my Federal HST 230 gr hollow points, where if I load it fully to 10+1 capacity, the second round will sometimes nosedive into the feed ramp after firing the first round.
The gun is perfectly reliable with 8 rd mags regardless of ammo, so that's what I've been using on the rare occasions when I decide to carry this gun.
My current working theory is that the increased slide mass caused by the optic is slowing the slide down when chambering a round, requiring a heavier spring to bring that slide forward with enough energy to feed the top round off a full 10 rd mag. When I weighed the slide with an ACRO and compared it to my other 1911's slide without an optic, the slide with the optic is about 2.5oz heavier. Is this a valid theory, or is it more likely an issue with the feed ramp angle or something else?
I understand that 10 rd mags are more susceptible to feeding problems due to the angle of the rounds stacking, but these mags run in my other 1911 just fine. When I called Wilson they kept insisting that the problem is with the magazines. However I have half a dozen 10 rounders and have never been able to isolate the issue to a particular magazine, so I'm doubtful I got 6 bad mags from 2 manufacturers.
Thoughts?
If a five-inch 1911 does not chamber the round from slide lock, my first thought is slide travel and the second is magazine. Since it is a Wilson, it should have shipped with a "Shok Buff" on the recoil spring guide. If it did, remove it and try.Originally Posted by js475
The other clue is the gun is reliable with eight-round magazines and not with ten-round magazines. A couple of possibilities. One is the ten-round magazine is striking the ejector. The other is the fully loaded stack of rounds is putting too much pressure on the disconnect rail, slowing the slide. The former is easily checked with the upper removed from the lower. Look for magazine/ejector contact. The latter is even easier to check. Load nine-rounds in the ten-round magazine and see if the issue is gone.
I also believe a 20# recoil spring is too much for a five-inch .45 ACP 1911. The standard is 16.5# and works well. The issues with the 20# spring are possibly reduced slide travel under recoil and muzzle dip when then the slide returns to battery.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I'm not using the shock buff. I tried it when I first got the gun and didn't notice much of a difference so I took it out.
I haven't noticed the 10 rd mag hitting the ejector, but I haven't paid close attention to that either. I'm traveling for work right now so I'll have to take a look when I get back.
You may be onto something with the pressure on the disconnect rail. The gun sometimes has issues with 10+1 but never 9+1. The mags are pretty well broken in though. However this still doesn't explain the RTB issue from slide lock. I think Wilson ships the guns with an 18.5lb recoil spring so I may try a 16.5lb next and see if that changes anything.
I saw a video from Hilton Yam of one of his 1911/2011 feeding tests where he'll take a fully loaded mag and ease the slide foward until the breech face touches the round then allow the slide to go home under spring pressure. All of my 8 rounders pass this test, but none of my 10 rounders do in either of my 1911s. The first round always nosedives into the feed ramp. Has anyone had a 10 rd mag be able to pass this test?
Speaking of Shok-Buffs… what does the hive mind think of their value on lightweight frames?
Ken
BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”
Leave it off.
We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......
Protect the frame by using a sufficiently strong recoil spring which is changed when it gets 3 coils shorter than a new spring. Leave the shock buff off.
I use to chamber a round, then drop the magazine and top it off for a full magazine. Although I haven't had a problem with drag on the disconnect rail causing an issue, I now load a full magazine, send the slide home to chamber a round and leave the magazine downloaded by one round. Really don't know why or when my thinking changed.
I've never had one in the Range Officer, ever.
I've got a Wilson in my Beretta Centurion, honestly, I really don't think it does anything beyond make Bill Wilson money.
I don't think I'll ever have that high of a round count, nor shoot anything that hot, for extended periods of time.
"... And miles to go before I sleep".
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