1911 slide fails to lock/locks prematurely

[rock jock]

I brought my my Dan Wesson Razorback in 10mm out today to wring it out after having a relaibility job done by Teddy Jacobson in April (yes, this is the first time I have really had a chance to shoot it in 9 months). Anyhoo, I was getting two problems consistently - the slide would either fail to lock when the mag was empty or in the middle of a mag would lock prematurely. To rule out a magazine problem, I used two Colt Delta mags. I left the Mecgars in the bag. Can anybody venture a guess on as to the problem? BTW, the ammo was Georgia Arms stuff, which is generally very good.

BTW, the other problem was several FTF. Out of perhaps 70 rounds, I had at least ten FTF or slide lock problems. This does not bode well for using this gun as a CCW piece.

Oh, on the plus side, I shot my Ed Brown Kobra Carry for the first time and I am pretty pleased with it.

 

[Kruzr]

You can try changing the slide stop but since it is the first time you shot it since you got it back, it sounds like it should go back to TJ so he can finish the reliability job. Give him the mags and some of the ammo you shot so he can figure out what's wrong.

 

[rock jock]

Yeah, that is kinda what I figured. I wanted to avoid the hassle of bringing it to Teddy again, but I suppose that is my only real option. He did charge me $550 for the work, so I guess I shouldn't feel I am imposing.

 

[GaryP]

I would try a different 10mm load before sending gun back to TJ.

 

[rock jock]

I tried CCI and Winchester Silvertips also.

 

[rock jock]

BTT since this thread has been moved to the gunsmith forum.

 

[Dean Taylor]

I agree about communicating with Teddy. He answers emails and the telephone. In general it is always better to communicate with your smith first before posting anything on a public board that could be interpreted as a negative comment.

Dean
[email protected]
410-952-7848

 

[rock jock]

I can assure you that it was not intended as a negative comment. I know that Teddy will make good if I bring it to him. However, it is inconvenient to do so, and if it is a simple fix (a spring or something), I would rather just do it myself. I posted the thread more as a technical question than as any sort of complaint. I only mention that I brought it to Teddy to give a history of the gun. Maybe I should just have said "gunsmith" to leave it generic, but I didn't really think it mattered.

 

[Jim K]

If I had someone do a "reliability job" on a gun, and it was not reliable, obviously the person who did the work should fix it. I would not touch anything, simply because if you go changing parts or fitting and filing the smith can say the gun worked when he had it and you messed it up.

Call him immediately and tell him you are sending the gun back. If he is honest, that is what he will want you to do and he will work on your gun before starting another job. (You should be first in line, not last, since your gun came in the first time before those other guns.)

Jim

 

[Bill Z]

Sounds like an altered or out of spec slide stop to me. I've seen this when the slide stop is too short or has been shortened from pin to the contact surface at the plunger tube. There is a lack of pressure from the plunger causing it to lock on recoil from time to time or not hold when mag is empty. Just a WAG on my part as I don't have the pistol, but if you have a spare slidestop or one from another 1911, give it a whirl. It could also be an out of spec plunger tube where the inner hole is not machined deep enough.