1911onr Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Check your shell plate. I ran into a bunch of mis-fires last year. Believing it to be gun related, I replaced my main spring with increasingly stronger springs and still had mis-fires. Then one night while I was reloading, I noticed that on the down stroke that seats the primer, the shell plate lifted up slightly, causing a high primer. The primer wasn't over the cartridge base, but high enough to not ignight every time. Tightened up the plate bolt and problem disappeared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Guys, a long firing pin will not help. Think about it....even a GI spec firing pin can extend way past the point where it could ever reach with a cartridge chambered. Caveat emptor. You better not tell my Springfield SS .45! Later, Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM262 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 I used Extreme Engineering internals and a 17 mainspring in a S&A magwell without any issues in my old Kimber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSEMARTIN Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 (edited) Has the Extreme Engineering hammer been severely skeletonized? Does it cock smoothly and easily with the oversized sear pin? Duane, sorry it took 9 months to answer your question. I am not sure what you mean by severely skeletonized. I haven't done any additional skeletonizing. It is the same hammer they sell everyone else. It does cock smoothly. Edited January 18, 2008 by CSEMARTIN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfs Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 The first thing that my gunsmith does when light primer strikes happen on a 1911, is to clean the firing pin chamber, the firing pin and spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intel6 Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I took my stock STI Spartan and put in a 17lb ISMI mainspring and it has set off Win/CCI/Mag Tech primers without any failures. Neal in AZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I am not sure what you mean by severely skeletonized. I haven't done any additional skeletonizing. It is the same hammer they sell everyone else. I'm not familiar with the Extreme Engineering hammer. I just meant, is it one of those designs that's had a lot of metal removed, versus a traditional "solid" design, with the goal of lightening the overall mass of the hammer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bompa Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Thread drift a bit.. Asked a question on another forum and stated that I needed A 19lb main spring instead of the 17lb that Is normal in my guns..Was told that the 1911 was to use a 23lb main spring..Nothing else was right..A 16lb recoil spring was the only thing to use also..I let it go,didn't want to argue..Guess there are a lot of people that have guns set up wrong.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I think it all comes down to what works for you. Everyone has an opinion - ideally based on their own experiences, not hand-me-down dogma, natch. My STI Trojan 9mm came from the factory with a 15-pound mainspring. Some folks would say that's "wrong". Strangely enough, that doesn't stop the gun from working flawlessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pskys2 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 16# RS & 23# MS are Gov't Specs. First thing to look at is Headspace, not just dropping one in the chamber. If the cartridge is flush, or slightly below flush, with the hood (as it should be) and the hood has much gap (as it shouldn't be in a Match Grade gun) then you have excessive headspace for a Match Grade Gun. The more headspace the stronger the MS must be. I have an old beat up Match Grade 1911 that doesn't like any MS lighter than 19#, but the top lugs have enough wear that it has quite a bit of headspace. If I was to break down and replace the barrel I could probably go lighter. But the trigger is real crisp at 2 1/2 lbs. with no follow and I like it. And it's still as accurate as needed. 15# seems the point where everything must be right or you can have misfires. 19# seems the standard weight where most everything works, even in a factory spec 1911. Revo guys have found that a quick slap sets off primers better than a sledgehammer. The titanium stuff in a 1911 should mimick that, decrease lock time (effectively only in our heads though) and more important for us older hands with early .38super experience the titanium FP help reduce primer shear on really high pressure loads. Oh, unless you're a Revo guy, never use Federal Primers.... Leave 'em for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSEMARTIN Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I just meant, is it one of those designs that's had a lot of metal removed, versus a traditional "solid" design, with the goal of lightening the overall mass of the hammer? Yes, it has been lightened. Duane, what are you thinking? Am I missing something?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 I was just thinking that a skeletonized hammer might have less mass to set off primers. Though honestly I'd look at the ammo before the gun. Just a few days ago I had a bunch of misfires at the range, in two different guns, with Winchester white box 9mm. This ammo was a gift from another shooter, and I would otherwise never have shot it, since I've seen enough problems with WWB that I generally refuse to put it through my guns. Bruce Gray, not long ago, said to me, "Hey, has anyone else noticed that Winchester primers don't work anymore?" In my experience, he has a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Hello: I have the same Extreme hammer in my 9mm STI as you--I think. I had some light primer strikes so I installed a 19 lb mainspring to see if that would help. It did for some. I did not like the heavy slide action. I installed a 17lb spring and tried it again. I had some light strikes again but took note of the brass more closely. It was the same type of brass all the time. I use Winchester primers. I noticed with the bad brass that the primers were not seating the same. I think the primer pockets must not all be of the same depth. I would try loading some up then try it again. Hope this helps. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 What press do you reload with? 1050s usually set the primers the best.550s and 650s do it on a different stroke. They may need to be flattened a touch to be more sensitive. I've used 17# mainsprings for years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Hello: I shot our local IDPA match today and the 17lb mainspring was a no go. I had a bunch of light primer strikes. I will be going back to the 19lb mainspring and will report back on that. The brass was all Winchester and the primers were set perfectly with no high primers. I am going to weight the hammer to see how light it is. I can compare it to a Koenig hammer. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Hello: I weighed the Extreme hammer and a Koenig hammer. The Koenig is lighter by 1.8 grams. The Extreme hammer is 12.6 grams with strut and pin installed. I really want to make the 17 lb mainspring work. I have been playing with the sear spring and some other things. I am running out of ideas. I may have to call on the STI pimp daddy--- Benny H ;-) Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Lombardo Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 No reason to use less than a 19# if you EVER shoot factory loads in .45 ACP. You can get away with a lot of goofy stuff in subcalibers, but with .45 and 10mm you need the hammer spring weight to retard the slide velocity. The recoil spring does almost nothing in that respect. With +P .45 ammo, 19#or less hammer spring, 16# or less recoil spring and 8rd mag you can induce all kinds of timing related malfunctions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I have a little over 34 K through my Wilson 1911 fitted with 17-pound recoil spring and I've never had a misfire. Of course I've also never used Winchester primers; it's Federal LPP for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Lombardo Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I have a little over 34 K through my Wilson 1911 fitted with 17-pound recoil spring and I've never had a misfire. Of course I've also never used Winchester primers; it's Federal LPP for me. You mean hammer spring, right? Shooting reloads at 17-PF you can get away with a lot in a 1911. No doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Hello: Well the verdict is out. Use the 19lb spring if you want the pistol to go bang everytime with the Extreme hammer. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 You mean hammer spring, right? Oops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharonAnne9x23 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Extreme Engineering and C&S hammer, sear, disconnecter sure do look similar. Nix any titanium firing pin. For years in my Para Ordnance 9x23 open gun, I have run a 15# mainspring, titanium mainspring cap, titanium strut, STEEL hammer. In my P14-45 I run a 17# mainspring, titanium mainspring cap, titanium strut, STEEL hammer. No problems with misfires. +1 for primer seating problem, NOT mainspring problem. But then, I load on a 1050. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharonAnne9x23 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 OH, and on the 9x23 I run a Koenig hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomface Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Extreme Engineering and C&S hammer, sear, disconnecter sure do look similar. Extreme has been making parts for C&S for many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpeltier Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 17 lb ms in both my game guns. My caspian has the following ti parts: ms cap, hammer strut, firing pin and a Koenig hammer. Never had a missfire with a couple thousand rounds thru it. My Single stack is identicle except it has the factory skeletonized hammer not the koenig. Over 30,000 rounds in 15 years and never a missfire. I think the ammo is suspect here, as many others have mentioned. 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