New Trojan Problem

[MikeFoley]

Now that you have settled that, I tried a 14# recoil spring in my gun, but the last half inch of close was so sluggish, I went back to the heavier unknown weight until I get a few more rounds on the hardchrome. I may try a 16# next. I do not know what weight the mainspring is, but it too is heavy.

I shot my Trojan 100 rounds today using all of my mags except the Wilson's, which I will not use with this gun anymore. All of my problems have been with the Wilson's (most of the LAMR nose dives in the tests, and the jam at steel challenge).

I put 8+1 in the gun every time with the other 4 mags, 1 Mecgar, 1 Metalform .40, 1 Metalform 10mm, and 1 McCormick Shooting Star. I had zero nosedives at either the LAMR or while shooting. Each mag was used three times successfully with 9 total in the gun.

I am leary of changing the gun as long as it continues to run. I will need more mags, and will use Metalform .40 mags unless I try an STI specific Tripp mag and it works reliably.

I feel like mag selection and testing will be the solution.

[MikeFoley]

I bought another Metalform today from the local gunshop, and it feeds great by hand as well. If this is the solution, they are really inexpensive.

[XRe]

Got my pistol back from STI today. Chris is really great to deal with. They reworked the feed ramp on the barrel - it now looks more like a straight ramp, than a "half ramp" that's almost 90 degrees to the bore on the bottom. They looked at replacing the trigger, but my frame has more slop than their "match" trigger shoe can account for, too. Chris suggested I check Brownells for a trigger that has a front trigger bow pad integral to the bow, and that that will be the best way to remove the vertical slop.

Should be function testing it tonight or this weekend It feeds the previous problem rounds from a full mag, now, even when operated slowly by hand... To the range with it!!

Also, he showed me a Tripp mag today while I was there (perhaps one of yours, Gear Head?) - nice looking magazine.... I hadn't played with one, yet. Chris had nothing but good things to say about them.

edited for update on slow feeding by hand now working !!!

[XRe]

Put 100 rounds through the gun yesterday. It works like a champ!! I put WWB 165gr, UMC 180, and AmEagle 180gr through it, and it digested it all w/ no problems out of my sole MecGar 8rd mag.

One note - when I had a chance to pull the pistol apart, there was a small burr left on the left side of the ramp where it meets the chamber. I used a small, fine cut file to remove the burr (it was snagging the rag I was using), and I cleaned up some small machining marks left on the ramp w/ a couple of cratex bits, and then re-polished using a felt wheel and dremel polishing compound - it shines like a mirror, now. I also polished the underside of the extractor at the same time.

Shooting wise, the gun shoots better for me w/o the buff in it. It's not clear if they adjusted the recoil spring in my gun, or not. Chris said no, but the spring feels lighter - what do I know I'm finding it hard to get a good grip on the gun w/ the stock grips and the STIppling. So, some standard size grips, and EricW's TruGrip will follow shortly, too.

GunGear - hopefully, this will set your gun straight, too. Graceful fix, at no cost STI customer service is great!

[Rising Sight]

I got mine back today from STI. I loaded up 50 rounds and headed outside for a test. The gun is feeding alot better than it was. I did unfortunatly have a few failures to feed. The problem now is that the round is stopping just short of being chambered at the top of the feed ramp. A very light tap and the round chambers. I am thinking about looking into a slightly heavier spring.I think a spring that is maybe every 2lbs heavier than the one I have would take care of the problem.

I think my new Trojan is very close to where it needs to be. I know I am going to be very happy with this gun.

Xre, those mags could very well have been mine. I like them alot,they seem to be very well built and are very easy to take apart and clean.

[MikeFoley]

GearHead, when I dropped spring weight, mine did the same thing, but going back to a heavy spring did the trick. I know 14# was too light, but maybe 16 or 18 will do it. Good luck, and let us know. Mine is running, but a friend just got one that is worse than mine ever was.

[Run n Gun]

The problem now is that the round is stopping just short of being chambered at the top of the feed ramp. A very light tap and the round chambers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

FWIW Make SURE your extractor isn't too tight! My Single Stack 1911 was doing the same thing only to find out that I had put too much tension on a new extractor. When I adjusted it CORRECTLY my problems went away!

Good Luck,

Ed

[Rising Sight]

A friend of mine has an extractor tuning tool. I'll get in touch with him and see if that helps.

I load my rounds a little log also, about 1.204. I was thinking that maybe loading them a little shorter might help.

I'll post my results after this weekend.

[XRe]

Try some factory ammo, too - they use Federal American Eagle at STI for test firing. Yours might be a little long....

Also, if your extractor is like mine was, it will probably benefit from a little radiusing and polishing on the lower side where the case rim is supposed to slip under. Mine still had a noticable sharp angle and was a little "sticky". A couple of gently strokes w/ a fine cut "hobbyist" file, and a little bit of time w/ a felt polishing wheel on the Dremel solved that

And... check your feed ramp for tool marks or rough spots. Mine had a small burr on one side and a couple of tool marks on the ramp. You may benefit from some additional polishing on the ramp, as well. I used Brian's "600 grit around a .40 case" method, and then used a fine grit Cratex bit, followed by felt polishing wheel & Dremel polishing compound on mine. It's a mirror, now.... extremely slick...

Just some more ideas on how to tweak the last bit out of it.

Are you running a Shok-buf?? Might pull that, too, and see if it helps....

EDIT - sorry, I just said most of that above.... natch... oh well

[Rising Sight]

I don't have any shok bufs in it. I'm not really sure that I even want to take the chance at this point. There have ben a couple of people at matches that I seen having problems with them.

I'll pick up a box of factory ammo and see if that feed better. That would be really nice if that is all thats wrong.

[bountyhunter]

I did unfortunatly have a few failures to feed. The problem now is that the round is stopping just short of being chambered at the top of the feed ramp. A very light tap and the round chambers. I am thinking about looking into a slightly heavier spring.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

GearHead, when I dropped spring weight, mine did the same thing, but going back to a heavy spring did the trick.  I know 14# was too light, but maybe 16 or 18 will do it.  Good luck, and let us know.  Mine is running, but a friend just got one that is worse than mine ever was.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmmm....... not quite enough forward momentum to chamber the round, so go to a heavier spring which will store more energy.

Now there's an idea.

My point was that in a gun which is having problems getting the round to chamber, I am thinking I want more slide velocity comeing forward (more spring) rather than less.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Rising Sight]

I think I may have spoke too soon. This is still nose diving on me. I put about 400 rounds through it today and had it jam on just about every mag. I'm going to send it back to STI on Monday.

[XRe]

That included factory length stuff, I guess?? Hmmm. Sorry to hear that I'll be ordering mags soon for mine.... fingers crossed on slightly better luck...

[MikeFoley]

I ran another 100 round test on my 5 mags at the plate rack, and it was 100%. I still wouldn't trust my life to it, but it is gonna be my steel challenge gun until further notice.

[Rising Sight]

XRe, I loaded a couple of hundred long(about 1.200) thinking that the longer length would feed better. Then I loaded about 100 at 1.150 and they were still doing the same thing,just not as frequent. Then I went with 1.116(1.12 was the max length listed in my reloading books). They seem to feed alot better at that length,enough that I can probably fix the problem with a slightly stronger spring.

The problem now is when I try and load my first round, it is almost always nose diving.

I ordered a 16lb ISMI spring from Shooters Connection.I am hoping that eliminates the feeding problems while I am firing the gun.

[XRe]

Just another point of data - I just went down to Sprinco (they're local here in Austin) and picked up 12lb and 14lb recoil springs. The 12lb loads the top round off the mag in my Trojan (still just the factory MecGar mag), even in slow/hand cycling. That's still w/ factory length ammo (in this case, Remington UMC 180gr - 1.130" OAL.

Note - the spring that came in my gun appears to be a 15 or 16lb recoil spring, not the factory 14. The brand new 14lb is slightly weaker feeling than the spring the gun came with.

I've had great luck w/ Sprinco in the past - thus my choice of them over ISMI (who has great customer service, and also a good product...).

[Rising Sight]

My Trojan is on its way to Tripp Research. I'll be sure to post the results when it's finished.

[Rising Sight]

I got my Trojan back from Tripp Research today. I put 300 rounds through it this evening with no problems at all. I should have just sent it too Tripp Research in the first place. They also hard chromed it and opened up the magwell for me while it was there. Anybody having trouble with their Trojan should just save their time and money and give Virgil Tripp a call. $121.00 is alot cheaper than sending it back and forth too STI a few times. That $121.00 includes the shipping.

[XRe]

I got my Trojan back from Tripp Research today.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Besides cosmetics, what else did he have to do to it?? Just the feed ramp??

[Rising Sight]

It looks like he blended the feedramp with the frame. He told me that he tig welds the feedramp to add more material too it then he reshapes it and blends it too the frame. It looks like he also smoothed the corners on the part of the barrel that connects to the barrel link. I'm not sure what else he did,if anything. I am very happy with the results though.

[XRe]

It occured to me this morning that STI has several smiths - the success that we have with these things under warranty might depend on which smith did the work..... hmmmm... disconcerting a little bit... There's only one Virgil out there, so... You'll have to try to get a pic of the feedramp/frame mateup (probably easiest w/o a recoil spring in the gun, or w/o the frame). I'll do the same...

Man, the gun looks nice in chrome I'm planning on having Virgil two-tone mine, and do some cosmetic work at the same time - racing stripes, flutes (or tri-top), border cuts, checker the front strap (Virgil says it can be done!), etc.

[MikeFoley]

Mine ran another 148 rounds today at steel challenge without one malfunction, so I feel fortunate to say the least. I used the following mags:

2 Metalform .40 (these are my favorite)

1 MecGar .40 (this is the one I would not trust)

1 McCormick 10mm

1 Metalform 10mm

[Rising Sight]

I'm sure STI has good smiths working there. They should have a talk with Virgil and discuss the process that he goes through to fix these .40 Trojans. Maybe STI doesn't go through all the steps that Virgil does to be sure that everything is working 100%.All they did at STI to try and fix the problem with my gun is polishing the feedramp. I don't want to knock STI,I will buy their guns but my gunsmithing work will go elsewhere.

I am really happy with how that chrome looks. I was going to do the magwell myself but decided that since it was already there being worked on that I would just have everything done at once and save on shipping.Cutting through that hard chrome was something that I wasn't looking forward to trying.

Xre, you'll have to post some pics when Viril gets done with your Trojan.

fomeister,these guns are sweet when they run right.

[XRe]

All they did at STI to try and fix the problem with my gun is polishing the feedramp.

Hmmm. They definitely recut my ramp. I should've taken a "before" pic, but ran out of time. At least Virgil's out there

I was going to do the magwell myself but decided that since it was already there being worked on that I would just have everything done at once and save on shipping.Cutting through that hard chrome was something that I wasn't looking forward to trying.

Best to do everything *before* you lay on that chrome Wise choice. Removing the old chrome in order to rechrome it later is apparently pretty hairy...

Xre, you'll have to post some pics when Viril gets done with your Trojan.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I definitely will It's going to be several months before I make it that far. Other things have got to come along first. I'm going to get *real* tired of keeping the bluing oiled so it doens't rust, though I've already worn most of it off the front and straps and grip safety.....

[XRe]

And, apparently, STI's ramp re-cut leaves something to be desired. If I put more than 8 rounds in the 10-rd Tripp mags I've got, I get intermittent nosedive death jams. It's not clear whether long-loaded ammo would help the situation - I'm having my doubts based on the other experiences out here

One way or the other, I'll end up having Tripp recut the ramp, it seems - just a matter of sooner vs. later.