Ruger 1911 Commander .45 Problem

[Excaliber]

Sucks your having so much issue, I just bought the commander and while it did need some TLC it has ran great for 200rds using Kimber tac mags. I had a few ftf's in the first 100rds. I did polish the feed ramp out, radiused and polisbed the throat a bit more, and smoothed out the frame where the barrel sits. It had some rough casting marks. Also smoothed the crown out which helped shot groups. I hope it works out for you but I would have swapped it for a Springfield by now if it was me, lol.

I would have picked the Springer in the first place but I wanted the combination of the lightweight frame and the titanium feed ramp that doesn't need polishing every now and then to remove dents from feeding hollowpoints. I might go the Springer route yet if I can't get it working exactly the way I want.

[camjr]

At what point do you get worried that you've tinkered with, resized, adjusted, and replaced so many things that you have completely lost the initial problem?

[Excaliber]

At what point do you get worried that you've tinkered with, resized, adjusted, and replaced so many things that you have completely lost the initial problem?

Losing the initial problem is the goal. Each change fixed some part of what turns out to have been a complex of individual issues. I think I'm down to just one remaining one. If I can get that resolved, I'll have a good working gun.

[Pawpaw]

Failure to completely chamber a round generally indicates a slide speed issue (not closing fast enough). I've only experienced it on 1911s during break-in. How many rounds have you put through the pistol now?

Also, have you tried using a good synthetic grease on the slide rails instead of oil? I've been using TW25B with good results.

[Excaliber]

Failure to completely chamber a round generally indicates a slide speed issue (not closing fast enough). I've only experienced it on 1911s during break-in. How many rounds have you put through the pistol now?

Also, have you tried using a good synthetic grease on the slide rails instead of oil? I've been using TW25B with good results.

Good thoughts that I had as well.

I've got about 600 rounds through it at this point. It's lubed with weaponshield gun grease on the rails, and the slide / rail movement is very slick.

I also changed out the 18.5 lb recoil spring with a 20 lb. Wolff unit to give it a bit more oomph. That all works fine - until the gun gets dirty after about 50 rounds.

I'm strongly suspecting a dimensional or geometry issue with the feed ramp, barrel throat, or chamber that's a bit out of spec but I don't have the knowledge to diagnose an issue of this type.

[Pawpaw]

So you have the same malfunction with both the 18.5 & 20 lb springs?

Is it possible that it's not the pistol being dirty that causes it, but when the pistol heats up?

One of the things I don't understand is everyone's penchant for super-tight slide to frame fitment. There is no real reason for it. It just looks pretty. For accuracy, the barrel to slide lockup needs to be tight & consistent, but the slide to frame fit is irrelevant. Maybe putting some polish (like Flitz) on the rails instead of grease & then running a box or two through it (or just working the slide a bunch) would help.

When I first got my Dan Wesson V-Bob, the barrel bushing was so tight in the slide that I couldn't move it without a bushing wrench. I took it apart and used some Flitz between the bushing & slide. I spent about 1/2 hour, while watching TV, working it back & forth with a bushing wrench. Ever since, I have been able disassemble it without tools.

[Excaliber]

So you have the same malfunction with both the 18.5 & 20 lb springs?

Is it possible that it's not the pistol being dirty that causes it, but when the pistol heats up?

One of the things I don't understand is everyone's penchant for super-tight slide to frame fitment. There is no real reason for it. It just looks pretty. For accuracy, the barrel to slide lockup needs to be tight & consistent, but the slide to frame fit is irrelevant. Maybe putting some polish (like Flitz) on the rails instead of grease & then running a box or two through it (or just working the slide a bunch) would help.

When I first got my Dan Wesson V-Bob, the barrel bushing was so tight in the slide that I couldn't move it without a bushing wrench. I took it apart and used some Flitz between the bushing & slide. I spent about 1/2 hour, while watching TV, working it back & forth with a bushing wrench. Ever since, I have been able disassemble it without tools.

That is possible and I had considered it. The fact that it still works with some magazines but not others when it's dirty led me to think otherwise, but I didn't try working the slide back and forth while it was hot to see if slide to frame friction increased under that condition. That's something I'll have to try on my next visit to the range.

[DocV]

Might you be able to post a few pictures?
If so, field strip said pistol and take:

a picture of the pistol showing a Ruger magazine inserted in the magwell.
a picture of the pistol showing a problematic magazine inserted in the magwell.
Shots that show the ramp in relationship to the magazine please? (Probably best if taken from above the frame pointing towards the ramp).

And, one picture where the slide is still removed but with the barrel resting on the frame bed and with the slide stop inserted into the pistol.

[Excaliber]

Might you be able to post a few pictures?
If so, field strip said pistol and take:

a picture of the pistol showing a Ruger magazine inserted in the magwell.
a picture of the pistol showing a problematic magazine inserted in the magwell.
Shots that show the ramp in relationship to the magazine please? (Probably best if taken from above the frame pointing towards the ramp).

And, one picture where the slide is still removed but with the barrel resting on the frame bed and with the slide stop inserted into the pistol.

Can do, but it'll have to wait until the weekend.

[WildBill]

The reminds me of an issue I had with my Sphinx AT-380.
It had been very reliable with all types of ammo.
All of the magazines are factory - there are no second source for them.

One day I went to the range with my BIL and let him try it and he had several FTF.
Previously this had never happened.
It turns out that the recoil caused the magazine catch to slip and the magazine dropped slightly.
I was very slight - probably less than 1/16", so it wasn't visually noticeable.
I didn't figure it out until after a FTF I pushed up on the bottom of the magazine and heard it click into place.
I think that this slight variation in magazines caused the issue.

[Excaliber]

I imagine the new slide-stop solved any clocking issues - so far, so good.

If the remaining issue only arises when the pistol gets dirty, it sounds like you're almost there; it is a fairly new pistol, after all :)

A few things I do:

1. I dress the front edges (only the front, not the rear) of the upper locking-lugs on the barrel so they can smoothly and easily lock up into position - this is a gentle rounding of the front edges.

2. I also round off the sharp edge you'll find on most barrels (not the frame) where the ramp breaks over into the horizontal - it shouldn't be sharp as it becomes a wedging-point; dress it down so it's gently-rounded and smooth.

3. Mirror-polish the upper inside of the chamber - I want where the bullet makes contact with the roof of the chamber (during feeding) to be slick as snot.

4. I also carve a 45-degree clearance into the lower-rear edge of the barrel-hood with a file and mirror-polish that - this is so the case mouth (or the shoulder of a SWC) won't catch and hang up there.

5. I shape the extractor, particularly the lower edge - hard to describe but you can find pics of how it should look.

Thanks, Andy - looks like I've got my work cut out for me tomorrow.

[Excaliber]

#4 is probably the least important, so you can do that last or even another time.

Understood - thanks!

[Excaliber]

The reminds me of an issue I had with my Sphinx AT-380.
It had been very reliable with all types of ammo.
All of the magazines are factory - there are no second source for them.

One day I went to the range with my BIL and let him try it and he had several FTF.
Previously this had never happened.
It turns out that the recoil caused the magazine catch to slip and the magazine dropped slightly.
I was very slight - probably less than 1/16", so it wasn't visually noticeable.
I didn't figure it out until after a FTF I pushed up on the bottom of the magazine and heard it click into place.
I think that this slight variation in magazines caused the issue.

Very interesting - I'll check for that.