The Art and Science of Keeping Your 1911 Running

[TC215]

[Seinfeld]What's the deal with Lightweight Commanders in .45?[/Seinfeld]

I think I've read they have/can have issues with frame gouging? Would a ramped barrel help? Is it more theoretical than real? Not looking at any but nothing came up when I searched this thread for "lightweight".

If you shoot a bunch, it could be an issue. It’s not an issue with a ramped barrel.

[Evil_Ed]

[Seinfeld]What's the deal with Lightweight Commanders in .45?[/Seinfeld]

I think I've read they have/can have issues with frame gouging? Would a ramped barrel help? Is it more theoretical than real? Not looking at any but nothing came up when I searched this thread for "lightweight".

The issues with frame gouging on alloy Commander frames comes from using Devel-style or similar steel followers in the magazine. They can knock forward when feeding and bump into/gouge the feed ramp where they contact.

Use standard GI type followers, fully skirted followers, or plastic ones a-la Wilson Combat and your frame should be fine. There's pretty much zero way a brass bullet is going to deform an anodized aluminum frame ramp, short of some serious effort and/or velocity. The brass/bullets are softer (or, well, should be softer anyway) than the anodized aluminum.

Edited to add, if you want to be double sure, don't even use GI followers...or more specifically shortened GI-type followers, like you would find in most 8 round mags that use the same 7 round tube as a 7 rounder. The long rear leg mostly prevents the GI follower from leaping out, but the shorter rear leg on followers modified to feed +1 extra round, can pop forward. If you want to be super sure, just use skirted followers like you can find on a bunch of Checkmate mags, or use Wilson plastic followers.

[awp_101]

All good to know stuff, thanks! Any LW I get will be a 9/.38 Super but still nice to have rattling in the back of my head.

[Evil_Ed]

Oh, yeah, if you get a 38 Super and get it with a ramped barrel, it's %100 a non-issue. Your only issue at that point would be making sure your ramped barrel can deal with hollowpoints..the two 38 Supers I had with a ramped barrel (one Springfield Armory full size, whatever that once-in-a-blue-moon milspec-type run was, and a Les Baer Super Stinger) did really not like working with anything other than ball, no matter what the magazine was. The Colts I've had with standard barrels all ran/currently run just fine with any 38 Super bullet profile I can fit into a case and mag...

Hollowpoints and other defensive ammo liked catching on the bottom of the feed ramp where it meets the frame, and just sticking right there, somehow finding an edge that stopped it from climbing up and into the chamber. It was one of the reasons I moved them on. I'd like to give a feedramped 38 Super another try some day...it's possible the Springfield gun had some other issues, and a Super Stinger is just so far outside of the normal operating envelope anyway that who knows if it was a mag issue, gun issue, bullet issue, or what. For the money spent on it, I wasn't inclined to mess with it, so I just moved it on.

[TC215]

Hollowpoints and other defensive ammo liked catching on the bottom of the feed ramp where it meets the frame, and just sticking right there, somehow finding an edge that stopped it from climbing up and into the chamber. It was one of the reasons I moved them on. I'd like to give a feedramped 38 Super another try some day...it's possible the Springfield gun had some other issues, and a Super Stinger is just so far outside of the normal operating envelope anyway that who knows if it was a mag issue, gun issue, bullet issue, or what. For the money spent on it, I wasn't inclined to mess with it, so I just moved it on.

I gotta says I’ve got tens of thousands of rounds through 15 1911’s (.45, 9mm, and .38 Super) with Clark/Para ramped barrels, and have yet to have that issue. Maybe I’m just lucky.

I wouldn’t use a Les Baer as a benchmark for comparison against anything else.

[mmc45414]

I gotta says I’ve got tens of thousands of rounds through 15 1911’s (.45, 9mm, and .38 Super) with Clark/Para ramped barrels, and have yet to have that issue.

45s seem to be a bit less prevalent, which ones have you had?

The entire concept of a ramped barrel just makes total sense, IMO.



Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[TC215]

45s seem to be a bit less prevalent, which ones have you had?

The entire concept of a ramped barrel just makes total sense, IMO.



Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

All of my aluminum .45’s have had ramped barrels, except for a Wilson Commander I had for a while. Most of mine have been DW.

[Caballoflaco]

Does anybody here have experience with running a .40 s&w single stack who can speak on it’s merits/problems?

I happened upon a 10mm 1911 recently and bought it in part because ammo is still on the shelves and not really anymore more expensive than anything else at the moment. However, when that hopefully changes I thought having a .40 s&w barrel and maybe ejector fitted might make it a cool choice for uspsa singlestack division too.

[Bucky]

Does anybody here have experience with running a .40 s&w single stack who can speak on it’s merits/problems?

I happened upon a 10mm 1911 recently and bought it in part because ammo is still on the shelves and not really anymore more expensive than anything else at the moment. However, when that hopefully changes I thought having a .40 s&w barrel and maybe ejector fitted might make it a cool choice for uspsa singlestack division too.

I have a single stack .40 I built (with help from a local smith) from left over parts. (Yes, I had every part in my parts bin except a frame and plunger tube. )

I have more faith in it than any of my 9mm 1911s, especially when slide lock reloads are required. Also, I can go to a Uspsa match, look at it and decide if it’d be more advantageous to shoot major or minor (with 2 extra round). All I need is two different batches of ammo.

[Caballoflaco]

I have a single stack .40 I built (with help from a local smith) from left over parts. (Yes, I had every part in my parts bin except a frame and plunger tube. )

I have more faith in it than any of my 9mm 1911s, especially when slide lock reloads are required. Also, I can go to a Uspsa match, look at it and decide if it’d be more advantageous to shoot major or minor (with 2 extra round). All I need is two different batches of ammo.

What mags do you use for .40?