ruger sr 1911 issues

[bobtmn]

i have had my 1911 ruger for a year or so and i may have maybe a 1000 rounds thru it always cleaned after a trip to the range last couple if trips i have had the slide fail to close all the way after 7-8 mags thru it  i usually use pmc or win white box ammo   tried many different mags does it on first or second round  if i pull back on the slide a 1/4 -1/2 inch and push forward the round will chamber and usually i can run the rest of the mag n/p  also i am not the best shot in the world but i am not the worst either  .....i am better than most and i have a few 1911's springer mil spec  1980's colt  rem r1  and a kimber p/c II.......but i have noticed the accuracy being off up close its ok after 15 yards it gets iffy and if i switch to the colt or the springer im on the bullseye    any  help would be appreciated    

 

[gregintenn]

Recoil spring need replacing?

[Raoul]

Recoil spring need replacing?

 

That's a good suggestion. I can't recall exactly, but doesn't that gun come with a short guide rod? I always run the full length guide rod in my 1911's. They seem to run better.

[Joe357]

After 7 or 8 mags that you shoot, what I would do first before looking at other problems is, field strip the gun, clean the gun and grease the slide and continue shooting. Sounds like a dirty gun especially since you are using pretty dirty types of ammo. Give this a try. Recoil springs should last about 3000 or so rounds before needing replacement. Also, are you limp wristing the gun after shooting the 8 mags, just something else to consider. Edited January 3, 2014 by joe45

[graycrait]

If you have a good bit of time behind other 1911s and they shoot good for you, yet the SR1911 doesn't, then you have choices:  1) leave it as is, use some wet lube in cold weather than doesn't congeal, and shoot about 2K more rounds through it to see if it starts to run the way you want; 2) Tell Ruger what you said here and see what they say; 3) maybe take a stone and some 1,000 grit sandpaper wrapped around a tongue depressor and hit all friction points between slide and frame, maybe polishing the ramp, throat and chamber (carefully) with one of those bullet shaped felt dremel polishers and putting in a new recoil spring, maybe put in a new barrel bushing; 4) Move it down the road unless you like the challenge of making it run.  I've only had about a dozen 1911s and worked on some others for friends, but claim no trained expertise.  The only one I ever saw that was hopeless was a Springfield Micro that a friend had that he had sent to SA 3 times I think.  That thing never went reliably into battery no matter who was shooting it with a wide variety of ammo. As a last resort I did a fluff and buff on it and it still wasn't reliable.   This guy had several dozen 1911s and this gun confounded him.  I believe he traded it to a gunsmith for a polymer framed something or other. 

[timcalhoun]

Not really sure of the actual jam. If you take a pic of the jam and post it, that would be very helpful. Where is the round when it stops? Has it started in the barrel? Has the rim of the case made contact with the extractor? Without knowing more, it's really hard to narrow things down.

 

As long as you have sufficient lube on the gun, a gun that is broken in should go hundreds and hundreds of rounds without needing more lube or cleaning.

[graycrait]

PS, if you do nothing else then let someone else shoot mags 9 & 10 to see how it is running.  And/Or in mags 9&10 use some good self defense ammo and see how it does.  With the PMC and WWB you might want to step your recoil spring down a pound or two and see what that does.   I've had some pistols that to shoot relatively anemic ammo I had to change recoil springs.  One of my fun things is to see how cheap of ammo I could get some pistols to reliably eat.  WWB is about the worst but I did have some remanufactured and Paki machine gun ammo that I simply quit using.  However, you could step your recoil spring down and even use a buffer as a "safety" measure to see what you need to get that seemingly tight SR1911 to run inexpensive factory loads.   

[Lumber_Jack]

Sounds to me like the recoil spring is too week, but that should last more like 2000 rounds than 1000.  I had the same issue with a 4" Kimber.  turns out the recoil spring was just worn too much to return the slide to battery.  I replaced it with a Wolf spring and it ran like a top. 

[Jonnin]

While it could be the spring, people shoot very light ammo with very light springs in 1911s and the friction etc is the same for a low powder charge bullet...  the slide should slam shut even if the spring, which is rated for full power ammo, is worn some.   The light springs & ammo work in any decent 1911, its not some super awesome polish job and fitting either.  

 

I suspect it is either dirty or some other issue.  I just don't see how a 10 or 11 or whatever pound standard spring can become weaker than the 6-8 pound springs some people use which feed fine?!

[Guest kingarmory]

Probably have a sharp corner on the bottom of the extractor claw.  It will cause the claw to bind on the round and not let it slide all the way up, causing the gun to not go all the way into battery.  Take the extractor out and polish the sharp edge off the bottom corner and your feeding will improve