Kimber Cust Tac Ii Ftf Issues

[DrKyle1]

Ok, my background is with Glocks and I know little about the 1911 (just bought Kuhnhausen books to learn) I am shooting a Cust Tac II with chip McCormic mags and Wilson guts/followers in the mags. I have done nothing to the gun except polish the ramp area and chamber a bit. I am shooting 230gr RN plated Berry's pushed by 4.4 gr titegroup COL: 1.264 15lb recoil spring. I am getting some ftf - won't go fully into battery and I have to tap it in. I use dillon dies and crimp but not over crimp. It happens as soon as the gun gets dirty and gets progressively worse. I feel that I should be able to complete a match (6 stages 12-30 rounds each) w/o tearing it down between stages don't you? Is it the bullet profile and I need to go to SWC or something else or possibly the recoil spring is too light? The gun has less than 2000 rounds through. Prior to polishing the ramp & chamber bullets would hang on the ramp/barrel juncture or seem to hit the top of the chamber and get stuck. Any suggestions... other than go back to my glocks? Thanks in advance to all!

[Dan Sierpina]

What do you mean "crimp, but not over crimp" ? The dimension of the taper crimped case mouth should be .468 -.469. A .45 ACP should go at least 1000 rounds without cleaning, just lubing.

[Jim Watson]

Do you gauge or chamber check your reloads?

Do you have a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die to iron out the lumps in mixed brass loaded with cheap bullets?

Does the gun run on factory loads?

[DrKyle1]

I will measure the crimp tonight after work, I have a chamber check on order and will add a lee factory crimp die to the order... I have it for my 9mm but not my 45 great ideas guys. As for factory loads... I will run some this week to double check and use multiple brands and bullet weights.

[ipscbob]

Check extractor tension as well. If you take off the slide and insert a round under the extractor and against the breachface, the round should stay put by itself but be able to be shaken out without a lot of effort. Not an exact method but has worked for me for many years of 1911s.

[Dave Sample]

I don't like Dillon .45 ACP dies. I have a set in the box where they belong. I do like Titegroup and am doing some experimental loads as we speak with it. I still have some 452AA but when it is gone, it is gone forever.

You have a combination of things but not enough information posted. I do not understand polishing the "Chamber" and what did you polish it with? I have hones for that and special oil that I use with a hand drill. If you mean barrel "Throat" then I wonder if you took the sharp edge off of the top of it.

Here is what I think if it's a 5 inch 1911.

1. Recoil spring should be at least 16 1/2 pounds.

2. Breech face should be smooth as glass.

3 . Extractor tension and hook should be adjusted.

4. You need four Lee dies that include a factory crimp die.

5. I would step up the powder charge a little. I use 5 grains of that with a 230 grain bullet.

I use Lee dies with Dillon one inch thin lock nuts in my 550B. I also use Lee Powder Chargers and have at least five of them so I can have one on each turret. I use them with the return spring and without it on some calibers using the pull down or return rod.

I do not understand the magazine tweaks at all. I have used Chip's magazines since he started selling them and have not had one single problem with any of them. I am using CMC Power Mags now in my carry Commander and a Novak in my 5" LW GI carry gun. Good luck on that deal.

The 1911 is a difficult gun to master. It is worthwhile to do so.

[epj]

Ok, my background is with Glocks and I know little about the 1911 (just bought Kuhnhausen books to learn) I am shooting a Cust Tac II with chip McCormic mags and Wilson guts/followers in the mags. I have done nothing to the gun except polish the ramp area and chamber a bit. I am shooting 230gr RN plated Berry's pushed by 4.4 gr titegroup COL: 1.264 15lb recoil spring. I am getting some ftf - won't go fully into battery and I have to tap it in. I use dillon dies and crimp but not over crimp. It happens as soon as the gun gets dirty and gets progressively worse. I feel that I should be able to complete a match (6 stages 12-30 rounds each) w/o tearing it down between stages don't you? Is it the bullet profile and I need to go to SWC or something else or possibly the recoil spring is too light? The gun has less than 2000 rounds through. Prior to polishing the ramp & chamber bullets would hang on the ramp/barrel juncture or seem to hit the top of the chamber and get stuck. Any suggestions... other than go back to my glocks? Thanks in advance to all!

For what it's worth:

Most factory 230 gr round nose I have measured come in at about 1.125. Agree with the Lee factory crimp die suggestion.

[Flexmoney]

Ed, you mean 1.250, correct?

[Ken Mays]

I also suspect your light recoil spring may be contributing to your problem. I run a Tactical Custom II (with external extractor) with the stock spring and it has always run flawlessly.

I believe the reason DrKyle1 gutted his CMC mags is because the gun has an alloy frame and the stock CMC follower will gouge the frame. This is why I use Wilson 47Ds in mine; the follower is quite inoffensive.

[Dave Sample]

1.260 is what I have found to be the bullet length that I have used. I have a CMC Magazine in my 1954 Colt Commander that I have carried for many years. No sign of trouble yet, but I would not put a lot of rounds through it. either. Why not just use Wilson Magaziines? Cus tac II means nothing to me so I did not know it had a LW lower end. If this is true, it is self defeating. "Carry alot: Shoot a little" is the key thought for these.

Sorry to be so ignorant about the current trends. I carry a LW GI 5" with a ramped SL barrel and NM bushing installed. I can shoot this one all I want to and I just ran a box through it Sunday for my own amazement. It is a very nice carry gun! I carried it for two months before I test fired it. Kimber bullds 180+ models of 1911's and I don't know anything about them as I have no interest in factory 1911's. I did have the lower end painted with Duracote as an experiment so I would not be a fuddy duddy, and I like it so far. I can touch it up with a black marker so it still looks good.

[Ken Mays]

Sorry to be so ignorant about the current trends <snip> Kimber bullds 180+ models of 1911's and I don't know anything about them as I have no interest in factory 1911's.

I'm right there with you! This is my one and only Kimber, and I bought it just to see if I would experience all the fabled MIM breakages and external extractor failures. So far, it has not, and it has revised my opinion of the brand upwards a notch or two. But it will probably be the last factory 1911 I buy. Customs (and even semi-customs) are just too much fun to shoot and own.

[Dave Sample]

We have a good track record with CMC parts if five years with 0 problems is good. One of our Online GSP EX Class guns just came back from a hard use test at Gunsite that lasted 6 months. About 10,000 rounds with 0 problems. I believe what I experience, not Internet Rumors.