1911 - a few questions from a new owner

[Andy T]

I recently acquired a lightly used SAI Range Office Elite Operator in 9mm.
There are a few issues I noticed and wonder if they should be of concern:
1. When manually racking the slide of an empty pistol and riding it forward for dry firing, the breech face is catching on the disconnector. I usually need to pull the slide slightly back to give it a bit of oomph to get over it. There are no issues when loading the pistol with slide stop or during firing. Only when "riding" the slide for dryfire.
2. When inserting the magazine, about 3/4 of the way in, there is much more resistance, I can easily push through, but I noticed a shiny area being created on my magazine. Is this normal?

[5pins]

Yes perfectly normal. Making sure the disconnector is lubed will help and so will uses. The magazine is because you are hitting the mag catch when inserting.

[farscott]

I recently acquired a lightly used SAI Range Office Elite Operator in 9mm.
There are a few issues I noticed and wonder if they should be of concern:
1. When manually racking the slide of an empty pistol and riding it forward for dry firing, the breech face is catching on the disconnector. I usually need to pull the slide slightly back to give it a bit of oomph to get over it. There are no issues when loading the pistol with slide stop or during firing. Only when "riding" the slide for dryfire.
2. When inserting the magazine, about 3/4 of the way in, there is much more resistance, I can easily push through, but I noticed a shiny area being created on my magazine. Is this normal?

Both of those are expected when dealing with a 1911-pattern pistol at that price point. Neither is a concern as long as there are no stoppages during live fire and the magazines drop free when the release is pressed.

Do not be tempted to shorten or polish the disconnector. The disconnector has to be pushed down as the slide's disconnect rail rides over it. The recoil spring provides enough energy to cycle the disconnector and still return the slide to battery.

The magazine catch is contacting the magazine or one of the upper grip screws is contacting the magazine. Based on the location of the "shiny area", you will know which one it is. On some 1911 magazine catches, the button has to be depressed until the magazine has dropped from the mag well. In those cases, the catch can be relieved. If it is a screw, #60 O-rings between the grip screw head and the grips do the trick and help stop screws from loosening with rigid grips like V10.

[L-2]

https://www.springfield-armory.com/1...-10mm-handgun/

I'd not kept up with Springfield Inc., aka/dba Springfield Armory's product line(s) and had to look it up. Plus, I wasn't sure, at first, it was even a Springfield Armory product as I'd not heard of the company referred to "SAI". I thought, perhaps, there was yet another gun company making 1911 pistols I'd not heard of.

After doing my research, I didn't want to waste the efforts and posted here, just in case there was someone else besides me who also didn't know what the subject gun was.

[JTQ]

The magazine is because you are hitting the mag catch when inserting.

An experience not realized by many folks these days as most start their shooting lives with double column mags that are thinner at the top and easily push a mag catch out of the way. Single column mags don't have that advantage and folks first experience with that seems odd. Admittedly, many companies put more bevel on their mag catch which make it easier to insert the mags.

CheckMate mags and the Wilson ETM line-up put a dimple on their mag tubes at the top right of the mag that helps clear the mag catch and generally make inserting the mag smoother.

[Jim Watson]

1. When manually racking the slide of an empty pistol and riding it forward for dry firing, the breech face is catching on the disconnector. I usually need to pull the slide slightly back to give it a bit of oomph to get over it. There are no issues when loading the pistol with slide stop or during firing. Only when "riding" the slide for dryfire.
2. When inserting the magazine, about 3/4 of the way in, there is much more resistance, I can easily push through, but I noticed a shiny area being created on my magazine. Is this normal?

1. Mine was bad enough that I showed it to my Friendly Local Gunsmith. He saw that the tip of the center leaf of the sear spring was so sharp and rough that it was digging into the disconnector. A Colt sear spring and the gouges polished out of the disconnector fixed it. Few are that bad, but it is not unknown.

2. As long as you can push the magazine in with a normal reload movement, you are OK. If you had to push the catch to let the magazine in, work would be needed.

[gtmtnbiker98]

All of my Dan Wesson's have a stiff disconnector and it is normal.

[gato naranja]

1. Mine was bad enough that I showed it to my Friendly Local Gunsmith. He saw that the tip of the center leaf of the sear spring was so sharp and rough that it was digging into the disconnector. A Colt sear spring and the gouges polished out of the disconnector fixed it. Few are that bad, but it is not unknown.

My 9mm RO Operator also needed to have that flat on the disconnector(where the tip of the spring presses) smoothed and polished where it had been gouged. A Colt spring is the usual cure to keep things right, but slightly relieving the sharp edge and polishing it can make the stock SA spring work too.

Once the disconnector and spring were able to "slide" across one another, the improvement was remarkable.

[JAD]

All the above is good. Also, I thumb cock for dry fire.

[Coyote41]

All the above is good. Also, I thumb cock for dry fire.

This is discouraged due because if your thumb slips you will stress the half cock notch. It isn’t strong to begin with.


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