PaulW Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 Anybody have any experience with tunning a .40 cal single stack? I just bought an STI.......... The bullets like to nose dive in the mags. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 .40 single stacks are a bit of a loser to make feed reliably. I don't have much experience there, but I know a couple guys that do. I'll see if I can get them in here. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonedaddy Posted June 15, 2001 Share Posted June 15, 2001 Paul, I'm not one of the guys Brian refered to. (If I do know, he doesn't know that I know, ect. ) But, I would check to see if the extractor tension is too tight. Common problem with new guns. You can do this by removing the barrel from the slide and inserting a dummy round (no primer) between the extractor and breechface. There should be just enough pressure to hold the weight of a loaded round against the breechface. If you have to force it in there, it's too tight. If it is too tight, the back of the round can't pop up and they like to nose dive. (Too loose and you fail to extract or eject.) If you are going to try to adjust the tension yourself, it would be good to have a spare extractor on hand before setting to it. What the heck, it's a good idea to have one anyway. One of Bill Wilsons books (Building the Combat Auto?) has a good discription of how to tweak the extractor. I have also had some success with magazine problems by bending up slightly on the front 13 of the magazine spring that rides under the front of the follower. Helps keep the nose up. Good luck buddy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 15, 2001 Share Posted June 15, 2001 Paul, Arnt Myhre ("The Greatest" to those who know him) replied with an email - this is cut and pasted. Brian: you post this from me if you like, or mention that you have heard.... 1911 Single Stack in .40 S&W! One of my all time favorites!! My Springfield Customs Shop 1911 in .40 has served me well for several years now. I also recently acquired a Kimber which also works fine. BUT there are a lot of "alligators in this river": On the gun itself: - Barrel feed ramp - extractor - breech face - ejector - Magazines Have someone who knows what they are doing check this out! If you plan on using commercial, factory loaded .40S&W ammo or any factory length ammo! You need to really have the gun and magazines checked out by someone who knows what they are doing! The easy way out to get the gun to work 100% is to use 10mm magazines and load your own ammo out to 1.200" - 1.250" OAL. I do not know if the STI barrel will allow the bullets to be seated out that far, but most .40 barrels do. Arnt Myhre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravisT Posted June 15, 2001 Share Posted June 15, 2001 Arnt is awesome with a single stack. Quick Splits, I don’t know anything about STI products, but this is how I managed to get a Kimber single stack in .40, to go bang every time: *Shooting Star mags *Mag lips tuned to 0.37" at front *Very thin or no shock buff (these babies require maximum stroke!) *OAL = 1.180" If I was feeling spunky, I’d spray the inside of the mag tube with some Wurth "Dry Teflon Lube". TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tawn Posted June 15, 2001 Share Posted June 15, 2001 Paul W, i have some experience with a single stack in .40 s&w. i would agree with the great Arnt. I only use 10 mm mags and have the best luck if i load my ammo to a length of 1.200. i also bend the magazine springs to add more pressure at the front of the follower. i bend the second coil of the spring from the top to create this pressure. if your gun has a fully supported ramped barrel you must make sure that the ramp does not stick out into the magazine chute area. good luck! tawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 15, 2001 Share Posted June 15, 2001 Great posts guys, thanks. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulW Posted June 15, 2001 Share Posted June 15, 2001 Yes thank you very much Gents. I did find that reliability went up expodentially when I loaded some ammo out to 1.190. The barrel took these fine and I was going to try longer, just haven't yet. I am using Chip McCormicks mags, I'll check the lips to make sure they are in spec. The only real beef I have with my STI SS .40 is that the trigger channel is so BIG that even a brand new new, gunsmith fit trigger has a lot of up and down play. Why in the world would they make the channel so big is beyond me. Thanks again guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRW Posted February 18, 2003 Author Share Posted February 18, 2003 I just purchased a SA Trophy Match in .40 S&W and although the 8 round mags supplied with the pistol work ok, I just can't seem to get my CMC or Wilson .45 mags to feed 100%. At the range today I notice that the rounds (C.O.L. 1.145") are hanging up about half-way in the barrel, but the case rim was not sliding under the extractor. After a minor adjustment on the extractor, decreasing the tension, feeding seems to improve. I am planning to try some longer rounds (C.O.L. 1.8 - 1.2”), any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 I think you'll find that 40 S&W in the 1911 platform fuction more reliably with longer loaded ammo, with most running between 1.180 and 1.200". My SV doublestack 40 is that way. With your mags that are not functioning 100%, check to make sure that the feed lip dimensions are the same as the ones that do, or as close as they can be without damaging them. Since you mention that your CMC and Wilson mags are for 45 ACP, the feed lips are likely a bit too wide (maybe by 0.05", just a stab in the dark) Both of these changes worked for me in my 1911. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2alpha Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 If you're gonna use factory length ammo use the 40 mags with the block in the back. They only hold 8 rounds but work. The extractor will have to be tuned just right and the barrel throat needs to be opened up. Also make sure the mag catch holds the mag high enough. Stay away from extra power mag springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistral404 Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 JP has an interesting take on the .45 in a single stack. Here is the link. http://www.jprifles.com/mag.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRW Posted February 20, 2003 Author Share Posted February 20, 2003 Thanks to all who replied. Looks like I've got the problem under control. By polishing the feed ramp, adjusting the extractor and magazines, seems to be feeding alright for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Rat Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 I would still load no shorter than 1.160........... TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRW Posted February 26, 2003 Author Share Posted February 26, 2003 I was trying to use the same ammo between my Glock and 1911, but it looks like that is not going to be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Rat Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Yeah....understood. I load to 1.126 for the HK's and 1.160 - 1.180 for the Kimber. I would suspect 80% of my initial relaibility problems were due to short OAL's, and the other 20% was due to an extreamley tight extractor that I was never really able to adjust properly. I eventually swapped that out with an AFTEC. Also using Wilson 47D 8 round magazines with zero tuning, and Wilson 10 round magazines with the slightest feed lip tightening. Using Star FMJ-FP bullets 155, 165, 180, 200. I cannot remeber the last time I had any failures in 5000 rounds after incorporating all the above. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 Attn: Mistral404 JP has an interesting take on the .45 in a single stack. Here is the link. ttp://www.jprifles.com/mag.htm I'd be interested in reading the article, but I get a page not found. Did you mistype it perhaps, or maybe it was removed. TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 The link didn't work for me as well. Here's a link to the homepage, however. http://www.jprifles.com/ And for everyone's benefit, if you type the "return" character before AND AFTER you type or paste in the link, the link becomes "hot." BigDave, "Since you mention that your CMC and Wilson mags are for 45 ACP, the feed lips are likely a bit too wide" Actually, the feed lips are the perfect dimension for a 40 on the 8 rd Wilson 45 mags. The 10 rounders, however, are too wide and need to be "blacksmithed" a tad. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Kline Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 Hey Brian, Wasn't there a post you and others spoke about dealing with the single stacks in .40 and what it takes to make them reliable. I know it was quite a while ago, 6 months to a year (or little more than a year). I know it was this forum I read it on. I was doing a search and not having much luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 I think I remember several in that vane. But god knows where they are. The next time I talk to The Great One I'll ask him to nutshell it for me. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Kline Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Thanks B, Appreciate it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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