Smallbore Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I have a Colt 1911 with a comped barrel. It is new to me and has started not cycling. I thought it was due to not having enough power in the loads. I loaded some hotter and tried them today and am getting the same results. It has a reduced power recoil spring and the previous owner used 4.2 gr of Titegroup and I had it all the way up to 5 gr. It seems to me like it is the cocking of the hammer that is holding it up. I have to manually cycle the slide for every round and it chambers and closes just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wav3rhythm Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Can you post a picture of the comp? What bullets are you loading? How heavy are the bullets? A picture or video would help a lot. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Are you using a rubber shock gasket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Barrel link OK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 How tightly are you gripping the gun? You need a firm grip on a comp'd gun to be sure it cycles. You might also check the disconnector to see if there is crud in the channel that is binding it up. Really, the first thing I would do is completely disassemble the gun and clean everything thoroughly, especially all of the channels. Then lube and reassemble, making sure everything moves freely. That should tell you if you have a parts problem, or the gun was just dirty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgj3 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 If the comp has been "messed with" it could be interfering with the unlocking process. Could build-up between slide and comp cause this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallbore Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 Here are some pictures of the slide and comp. There is a buffer and it looks clean between the comp and slide. I have tried different grips and it doesn't seem to change. It was working fine but started 2 outings ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallbore Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 Bear with me. The pictures are on my phone and the files are too large. I'll get this figured out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRick Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I'm guessing that the recoil spring still too heavy. What's the weight of the spring in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I'd remove the buffer and see if the problem goes away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPatton Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Exactly what do you mean by "not cycling"? Not cycling covers a lot of ground. Exactly what does it do or not do? and do you still have any of the ammo that WAS working? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallbore Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 Here are the pictures. I don't know that the shock buff would be the problem. The guy I bought it from ran it that way and I ran a couple hundred rounds through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallbore Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 Exactly what do you mean by "not cycling"? Not cycling covers a lot of ground. Exactly what does it do or not do? and do you still have any of the ammo that WAS working? RPatton, the slide cocks the hammer and stops there. It won't blow back far enough to even stove pipe the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallbore Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 I'm guessing that the recoil spring still too heavy. What's the weight of the spring in it? I'm not sure what the spring weight is. I know it is a lighter than the factory spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troupe Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Take the barrel and comp out of the slide and check it for travel on the frame. If it is moving freely then it is in the barrel and comp. After installing the barrel and comp back into the gun and re assembling the gun, can you rack it smoothly , or does it bind ? It can bind as it heats up. Does it shoot a some rounds fine then binds up ? If it is smooth, then you may be over sprung or under powered on your ammo. Is the gun series 80 internals ? 10 lb spring should be the heaviest that you run. Make sure the link is not broken also and that your ejector is tight. A 17lb hammer spring may help also. Many variables to check. Welcome to open !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallbore Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 Take the barrel and comp out of the slide and check it for travel on the frame. If it is moving freely then it is in the barrel and comp. After installing the barrel and comp back into the gun and re assembling the gun, can you rack it smoothly , or does it bind ? It can bind as it heats up. Does it shoot a some rounds fine then binds up ? If it is smooth, then you may be over sprung or under powered on your ammo. Is the gun series 80 internals ? 10 lb spring should be the heaviest that you run. Make sure the link is not broken also and that your ejector is tight. A 17lb hammer spring may help also. Many variables to check. Welcome to open !!! It does it from the first round now. When it started it would do it every few rounds. Now it is every round from the first of the day. The slide seems to move freely. I will ask the previous owner what the spring weight is. It is a series 70 gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob DuBois Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Remove shock buff, they get pounded and spread slowing the slide. Head on the guide rod looks beat up also. Either clean it up or replace. 1911's like oil, is this one dry? I like Mobil one 5w20 but use liberal amounts on the inside of the slide and rails. Look at the disconnector and the track it rides against the inside of the slide, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallbore Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 Remove shock buff, they get pounded and spread slowing the slide. Head on the guide rod looks beat up also. Either clean it up or replace. 1911's like oil, is this one dry? I like Mobil one 5w20 but use liberal amounts on the inside of the slide and rails. Look at the disconnector and the track it rides against the inside of the slide, Bob, Should I replace the shock buff or are you saying get rid of it? It doesn't have much oil on it. There was a fair bit on it when I bought it but I cleaned it good but I didn't put as much back on it. Does it take a special guide rod with the comp setup? I know it has to have the hole to slide the pin in for takedown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPatton Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 +1 on removing the buffer and lubrication. Since it got progressively worse the buffer could be rubbing the slide and that would get worse with each shot. Completely disassemble, clean, inspect all wear surfaces, lubricate and reassemble. Then like we used to say in the nuclear business, "Try it now." . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Remove the buffer and see if that solves the problem. Something is binding things up. The end of the guide rod in the first picture looks weird. Can you post a picture of it that is in focus ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I think the back end of the guide rod looks weird also. The pic is fuzzy, but it looks like it is turned 90 degrees from where it is supposed to be. Was it in the gun that way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPatton Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 You say this gun is "new to you". Does that mean that 1911s are new to you or just this one? I have to ask, but did it run without failure before you took it apart for cleaning? I'm just looking for a clue because I can't tell much from the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troupe Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 You cant run a 1911 to wet with lube. What caliber is the gun ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallbore Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 You say this gun is "new to you". Does that mean that 1911s are new to you or just this one? I have to ask, but did it run without failure before you took it apart for cleaning? I'm just looking for a clue because I can't tell much from the pics. This is my second 1911. It ran fine before I took it apart and after it worked for a while. There was a few bad rounds before (very sporadic) but we thought it was due to the load not being dialed in just right or a loose grip. You cant run a 1911 to wet with lube. What caliber is the gun ? It is a .38 super. And I probably had it under lubed. I didn't want it to have so much lube that it would attract too much dirt inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biloxi23 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 That appears to be a very "old school" single Colt open gun. There is no telling how many "gazillion" rounds have been fire through it. Other members have already mentioned most of the things to check for. Or to be sure, bring it to a "real" 1911 'smith. It'll cost you some money, but you should be able to trust your gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now