ledavatar Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I've loaded over 5k rounds of .45acp for my Kimber 1911 and I've never really had any problem w/ feeding problems, but it's been popping up recently. First, I should mention that I switched to 10 rounders (chip mccormick, wilson 47T, tripp cobra mags) from 8rd Wilson 47Ds, and that is most likely the cause of the problem since the feeding angle is different. I use mainly 230gr masterblasters RN, 200gr rainier's RN with 1.25 COAL, and they both occasionally feed a round halfway into the chamber and get stuck out of battery. Sometimes I can tap the back of the slide when it jams, and the round will feed in, and sometimes it really gets stuck on the extractor. Chip McCormick mags cause the most number of jams, followed by Wilsons, and the Tripp mags I only had it for one range session and it jammed once out of maybe 150rds. There's many different variables that be the source of jams - 1) mag feed lips, length and dimensions, 2) mag catch - yes I replaced it, and 3) ammo. I want to concentrate on ammo here. Am I simply loading too long? Is it better to load short rather than long in terms of better feeding characteristics and why? Yesterday I loaded some 200gr masterblasters Flat Heads, and due to the flat head the COAL came out to be 1.20 (I was kind of forced to load 1.20 because of the grooves). I manually cycled some rounds through my gun, and it "feels" much better than 1.25 COAL rounds (I don't feel a slight hangup on the top rounds as the slide pushes them into the chamber). I didn’t get any jams through any of my mags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trodrig Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 So, let me make sure I'm understanding correctly. Are you saying that you've run 5k through the gun loaded to this length with no problems and now you're having problems? Are the problems happening with both your new 10 round mags and the old 8 rounders that were working fine before? If that's the case, you might try changing your recoil spring. I had the same problem with 200 grain SWC's. When my recoil spring started getting worn I'd have a jam from time to time with the round 1/2 way in the chamber and the rim under the extractor. A slight tap of the slide would get it to go all the way. A new 16# spring and all was well! Hope that helps some! Trodrig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) never mind, I'm stupid Edited October 10, 2007 by North Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledavatar Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 Yea w/ 8rd Wilson mags I've never had a problem, the problem only occurs w/ 10rd mags due to the slightly lower angle of the top bullet. I don't know what # the factory spring is? Anyone know? I've never replaced recoil springs on my guns, what's the recommended replacement time, and should I change to a lighter/heavier spring? The question remains to those who can comment - is loading short better than loading long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoshidaex Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 i've had better results loading long versus short. though the limiting factor is the magazine and free bore of the barrel. I developed some loads for a wilson cqb using dummy loads loaded out to various lengths (berrys 200 grn swc). The wilson seemed to like the longer loads compared to the shorter loads. The really long ones had a tendency to drag along the inside of the magazine though it would chamber fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03k64 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) I think with 5k you are past due on a replacement spring. Don't know about Kimber but Nighthawk recommends 2k round replacement intervals. Call Kimber to find out what spring they use. I would guess somewhere between 16# and 18#. My NH uses a 17# and my SA used a 16#. Edited October 10, 2007 by 03k64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trodrig Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 My Kimber came with a 16# spring and I try to replace it every 2 to 5 thousand rounds. I have also had better luck loading longer rather than shorter in my Kimber. Trodrig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledavatar Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) Ok, this is my cockamime theory that I've been holding back regarding loading long vs. short… For long cartridges, if the feed angle somehow isn't lined up propery in the mag and the nose of the bullet is pointing down on the feed ramp, when the slide picks up the cartridge it doesn't have much room to go in gaining momentum and thus gets stuck right away at the ramp. Shorter cartridges on the other hand picks up a bit more speed and thus will climb the ramp easier when it hits it. Of course in the end every gun is slightly different and maybe mine just likes short COALs better. Hell, I haven't even tested this on the range yet so I can't jump to conclusions. Also, it sounds like I gotta get a new spring... What will a worn spring do to my gun? My certainly doesn't feel "worn out," and the silde is as heavy to rack as the day I got it. Edited October 10, 2007 by ledavatar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Try a new recoil spring. A 14 lb spring is plenty of spring for a major PF load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesC Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 We have very similar setups... I shoot a lot of 230gr Masterblasters from my Kimber 1911 and Wilson 47D mags. Now when I first got the pistol I was having FTFs about once out of every 20 rounds and it was pretty frustrating from a brand new gun. Even after 1,000 rounds (well past any break-in nonsense) I was still getting one FTF out of 75 or so. I thought certainly the recoil spring in a brand new gun should be fine, right? Well, I swapped it out for a new one, just 1lb heavier, and I haven't had a single feeding issue since... in more than 4,000 rounds. My Eclipse came with a 16lb spring and I put in a Wilson 17lb one. Now, I do load my 230gr rounds a little shorter than you at 1.230" but even factory ammo at 1.250" hasn't been a problem since I changed that spring. its a cheap enough fix and sounds like you're due anyway, so go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD45 Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 What type of extractor does your Kimber have, internal or external? If it is the older internal type, I would check a few things. Has it been replaced? And if it has, who tuned it and set the tension? Your jams smell like too much tension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledavatar Posted October 11, 2007 Author Share Posted October 11, 2007 What type of extractor does your Kimber have, internal or external?If it is the older internal type, I would check a few things. Has it been replaced? And if it has, who tuned it and set the tension? Your jams smell like too much tension. I have the external extractor. I'm also confused as to whether to get a lighter or stronger spring... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoshidaex Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 (edited) you might want to do a search here for the external extractor. i've been hearing those extractors are a hit or miss. if its any indication, most of the guns that are on kimbers website all show the internal extractor except for one and thats only a banner picture so that might tell you something. Edited October 11, 2007 by yoshidaex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03k64 Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I'm also confused as to whether to get a lighter or stronger spring... See where your brass is going. If it is landing 10+ feet away, you may need a heavier spring. Brass landing at your feet or hitting you in the head, you need a lighter spring. Get a few different springs and see what your gun and loads like. I think Wilson sells a tuning pack that comes with a few different ones. Some people like Wolff variable springs but I had problems getting them to work properly in my gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trodrig Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Also, I remember hearing that there for awhile Kimber was replacing slides containing the external extractors with ones containing the internal extractors. From what I've heard and read online, they've had nothing but trouble with the external extractors. Good luck! Trodrig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledavatar Posted October 11, 2007 Author Share Posted October 11, 2007 Yea i read about the hit/miss thing w/ external extractors. But before I shot IPSC I never had a problem w/ it since I was using 8rd mags exclusively. Brass is not hitting me nor landing too far. I don't think it's the extractor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD45 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 It might not be the extractor, but externals on 1911's seem to cause problems. If you don't want to send it to Kimber, you could try a few things. First, remove the slide and barrel. Slide a loaded round up the breechface under the extractor. See how it feels in and out. Do the same with an empty case. It shouldn't feel too tight. Next, feel the underside of the barrel hood to make sure it is smooth. The chamber should also be clean. If your OAL is 1.250", try 1.240", or maybe longer at 1.260". Sometimes it can help. And assuming that your taper crimp measures .470" at the very edge of the case, turn the taper crimp die in just a hair(less than a quarter turn). You could also try a two different batches of brass (rims do vary) to see if that helps anything. I'm a firm believer that any decent 1911 should feed whether the recoil spring is 11lbs. or 20lbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesC Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 FWIW, my Eclipse has an external extractor and I've never had any problems with it. 6,500 rounds and still running like a well sprung clock. I shoot with several other guys who have Kimbers with EEs and they all work fine. 1911s jam for many reasons whether they have EEs or not. IEs aren't foolproof after all as they require proper adjustment. Just get a couple of different recoil springs and see what happens... they're cheap and you don't have to send your gun away. If that doesn't help then contact Kimber, ask for Dennis in the Custom Shop and see what he can do for you. But if you go that route, be prepared to be without your gun for a while. BTW, for Kimber to replace your slide they would have to determine that it was an extractor issue, or at the least not be able to rule it out. They won't swap it if you just ask them to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 When I was shooting L-10 with a S&W 1911, external extractor, never had any problems with the extractor. 1.250 COL is also the length I used with 99.9% success. After 5000 rounds I would be hard pressed to make a change. Even with a slightly different feed angle the only thing I would worry about the 10 round mags is the lips spreading. I had to adjust slightly after about every 1000 rounds. My guess would be like other posters ahead of me, time for a new recoil spring! 14-15 lbs should be about right for 165-170PF ammo. I change mine every 2500 rounds, and if you don't think they wear out compare a new spring length to the old one.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pittbug Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I had similar problems and chased the problem down to the crimp die that had loosened backed up a bit on my dillon 650. It wasn't taking out all of the bell which was causing the problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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