Steve Anderson Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 My caspian is getting a litle temperamental on me, and I need some help getting to the root. Here's a chronology of events. Seven pound recoil spring, ancient mainspring, 2 shock buffs, slide glide light mixed with oil: Gun runs fine Changed mainspring to 17 lbs: Gun runs fine (about this time I started seeing dings on the scope mount from brass extraction. Gun was running fine, so I ignored it) Changed to straight slide glide light, gun runs fine. Cleaned aftec for the first time ever, reassembled with old springs. It ran fine in practice that week. One jam that weekend. I cleared it too fast to diagnose it. Installed new springs in aftec. The current issue is: With approx. 3-4 rounds left in any mag, an empty case will stay in the chamber with the mouth down on the feedramp and the primer end up. There is already a fresh round in the chamber as this happens. Now...if I JUST load 3-4 rounds in the mag, they run fine. All tests were conducted with rapid fire, and it ONLY happens with 3-4 rounds left in the mag. Possibility 1: The gun is undersprung, and the slide is running too fast to get the old one out before the slide closes. as the mag gets empty, the fresh one pushes the empty UP, not letting it go OUT like it's supposed to. This doesn't happen with the first 10-15 rounds because they are coming up slowly under the weight of a full mag. By the way, the big stick runs fine in the morning, and as it gets hotter, that's when it get worse. This supports my theory of slide speed, as the slide glide gets less viscous with the heat of the day. I think the fresh rounds are pushing the empty up into the scope mount and bouncing 'em back into the chamber. How else could they get nose down? Solution 1: slow the slide opening down with a slightly heavier recoil spring? I will try this tomorrow... possibility 2: My ejector is worn out solution 2 Replace/tune ejector Possibility 3: I am simply too fast for today's technology. Man has yet to devise a machine that match my frenetic, full auto blasting power. Solution 3: Harness my trigger finger for an alternative power source, re-animate John Moses and send him back to the drawing board. Possibility/Solution 4: This old girl is worn out and needs a full inspection/tune-up by a real gunsmith. I'm not sure about this, as she was suckin' 'em in and spittin' 'em out like a ....well you know. I don't mind sending her out, but I gotta have her back in days. Like 3 days or less. (Benny Hill?) One last thought: I may also take one shock buff out to give the slide a little more time/room. I have run 2 forever with no problems, but there are many variables here. Thanks much in advance... Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 Ahem. How old are your magazine springs? They may have less oomph later in the day because you've had them loaded for the match. The ejector may have a broken back leg, but "worn out" is not the proper descriptor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted August 11, 2003 Author Share Posted August 11, 2003 Mag springs are all fairly fresh, four months at best. The big stick is only used for matches, not practice at all. BTW, I put a different mag spring in the big stick from a mag that never gets used, essentially a brand new spring. Same result. The mags are kept loaded between stages. I have done this all year with no problems. I have taken the empty big stick, loaded it fresh and had the issue with 3-4 left. Pat, how would a weak mag spring could cause my problem? SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 Sounds like the ejector needs replaced/tuned. They shouldn't be hitting the scope mount. Try a 15 lb. MS. The 17 might be slowing unlocking just enough to really screw up the slide travel momentum and the cases aren't hitting the ejector with enough force to clear the port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 The next round lifting up influences/aids the empty in getting out. When I was building Open guns I ensured that the ejector was tight in the frame, and as high as possible in the slot. Even welded some up to make them higher if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reneet Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 Changed mainspring to 17 lb ... What weight mainspring did you previously have in the pistol? Mainspring can affect slide cycle rate so going to a lighter spring can speed up cycling rate causing a variety of problems including the one you describe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 I sold Steve that awesome blaster about a zillion rounds ago (he practices a lot). I never replaced the main spring when I had it. Steve recently changed it (his first time tearing the gun down...poor Steve, he doesn't even have a Brownell's catalog ). He cleaned out all the grit while he was in there. No way to tell what was in there before.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 Steve ejector: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 Steve's scope mount 2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 11, 2003 Share Posted August 11, 2003 mount 3: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted August 12, 2003 Author Share Posted August 12, 2003 the empties are hitting the scope mount just below the O in c-more. I just got the new aftec that Brant Chaffin sent me...should I install that now, or try some other stuff first? the hook looks a whole lot sharper on the new one...could a worn aftec with new springs cause my dillema? SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 Had a similar problem on my old open gun witha standard extractor. EGW put in a aftec and did some welding on the breech face and solved the problem of the cases hitting the mount. Try one thing at a time and see what fixes it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Scientist Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 Hey , are ther any brass marks on the port as cases some times hit the port and bounce into the scope. try firing the gu n with some one watching the cases as the come out. its hard to say what is the matter without looking at the gun and seeing the malfuction . first i would try only one shock buff.second i would check that the mags are not bouncing up into the fired casses and knocking them off the exstractor.18 pnd main is whats in my caspion. the exstractor should have around 4 pounds of tension and be nice and sqaure. the posts dont usualy wear out but may be damaged. If you have a good smith that is familiar with open blasters i would let them check it out. make changes slowly and dont over look the little things. ya might try returning the gun to origional condition and make changes one at a time untill the problem ocures as a way to find out why so you can avoid the problem in the future. Johnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfinney Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 Try one thing at a time and see what fixes it. Good advise, whether you are tuning guns or cars. Sounds like you could have a cumulative effect of many things, I'm guessing (if the Aftec didn't break a hook, and you're ejector hasn't changed) that the heavier spring/ thicker lube might be slowing things down just enough where your ejection has been altered slightly, zinging 'em up into the scope and back down behind the freshly chambered round before the slide closes. Go back to the known working configuration (lighter lube, old mainspring, etc.) and start adding things until it starts jamming again. Have somebody watching the ejection as mentioned will help...... If it still jams in the original config, some thing CHANGED - broke or wore. Time to send it to the smith, if ejector tuning and the new Aftec don't fix it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted August 12, 2003 Author Share Posted August 12, 2003 I compared the new aftec to the old...night and day. The old was totally rounded on the bottom edge, the new completely square. WOW. Flex thinks the old one may have been tuned that way, anybody ever heard of rounding the bottom edge of an aftec? Anyway, I put the new one in and cycled some live rounds. They are throwing further than they were, and maybe more to the back than side than they were. I also put in an 8 lb recoil spring and it felt like a 12 compared to the 3 month old 7 that was in there. I'm to the range tomorrow a.m., I'll report back after. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 Yep, most everybody rounds the bottom of the aftec to feed better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 I also put in an 8 lb recoil spring and it felt like a 12 compared to the 3 month old 7 that was in there. Steve, get or make a recoil spring tester. Is the 8 lb spring you just put in really an 8 or is it a 9 or 10? Was the 7 lb spring really an soft 8 or strong 6? Also did you check for coil bind on the new spring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted August 12, 2003 Author Share Posted August 12, 2003 SOLVED. The new aftec and an 8 pound recoil spring combined or separately solved the problem, at least this morning. 300 rounds with 4 mags, no issues, and the brass is thrown more to the side than up...I found all my brass today. Thanks for all the advice! SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted August 12, 2003 Share Posted August 12, 2003 Steve, Take a black marker and paint the spots the cases were hitting to make sure it is really fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted August 13, 2003 Author Share Posted August 13, 2003 Yeah, already planned on that. I also liked the bit about smoothing out the rough area on the mount. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 Update, for those of you who are having trouble sleeping while I sort this out. 300 rds mixed starline supercomp and arsmcor rimless on Tuesday: 0 malfuctions of any kind 250 rds of same Today: 0 malfunctions Straight slide glide light, new aftec, 8lb recoil spring. I'll see if I can get a picture of the old aftec. It's like a bar of soap on the bottom edge... BTW, I read on Matt Burkett's forum that he has found 7625 to cause ejection problems. I found that very interesting....anybody else hear of this? I know Travis told me you need to use an aftec with faster powders... SA I forgot to black the mount to see if empties still hit. I'll get that next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulW Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 I round the bottom corner on all my 1911 extractors. Plus I bevel the side radius. This gets ride of the "bump" you feel when the round goes under the extrator. I can hand cycle without and feeling of a hiccup at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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