How do you get 1911's to feed hollowpoints

[twinhairdryers]

I have 3 1911s. A government model series 80, a Rock Island Arms, and a Kimber pro. All 3 of these things will not reliably feed hollowpoint ammo. I've tried 4 different types of ammo and not even the Colt will chamber them. All of them also fail to feed in the same way, with the head of the hollow point jammed up at an angle into the top of the chamber, so the round is canted at about a 15degree angle upward so that the chamber does not lock closed. I have tried 16lb wolf springs, and nothing seems to work.

How do you get a 1911 to feed hollowpoint rounds??????? I'm stumped. They all feed 230grain ball without a hitch.

If the answer is, buy another model, please specify a model that you have had good luck with.

 

[TimboKhan]

Three words, my friend: Polish the feedramp.

Nine times out of ten, if it's not feeding HP bullets, the feed ramp needs to be polished.

I am a little surprised that the Kimber won't feed them, less so with the Colt and the RIA. I would point out that the military 1911 was not designed to fire HP, as HP weren't even in existence at the time, so this isn't exactly an uncommon problem.

 

[Hunter0924]

What magazines are you using? I have had no trouble with any of my Colts, my A-O, and a Kimber feeding hollow points?
The majority of feeding problems from an auto loader stem from magazines.

 

[twinhairdryers]

A mix of chip mccormic and older colt mags

A mix of chip mccormic and older colt mags. Funny thing is, I have about 22 of them and the will all misfeed JHPs in any one of the 1911s in this short list.

I guess I could roll the dice and try a Wilson combat, but it really seems unlikely given 3 guns, 2 different types of mags, and 22 mags show the same exact feeding issues.

 

[Hunter0924]

Magazine spring weakness and or follower damage could attribute to the trouble.
What you are experiencing is a 3 point jam that can be caused by the slide outrunning the magazine.
I have a 1918 Colt 1911 that feeds JHP and LSWC as flawless as my Gold Cup Trophy. The A-O is a basic 1911A1 and also feeds perfect.
1911Tuner has demonstrated many times older Colt and Remington Rand 1911A1s feeding JHP without trouble.
I would advise against polishing the feed ramp. If the angle is changed or the ledge between the barrel throat and feed ramp is lessened feeding will become a problem.
Kimber generally has a tighter chamber and has has spec issues in the past that prevented reliable feeding.
How old are your magazines? The Colt magazines you have, do they have the dimpled follower?

 

[jfdavis58]

I have a Springfield Armory Champion, SS from their loaded line. I've yet to find any ammo it dislikes.

It's almost spooky!

So far it's diet has included SWC lead from 155 grains to 225, JHPs in 185 and 230 grain offerings and 230 grain LRN and FMJ. Reloads and Factory; all reloads built to make IPSC major factor+10.

It was a little tight coming out of the box and would sometimes stutter going into battery fully when first loaded--don't ride the slide! But all that faded as more rounds were fired.

It was a random buy, local merchant; mainly because of size, but I liked both the look and feel at first sight/touch. Basically I'm saying I didn't do anything special: bought it, shot it, carry it. Oh, I've got 25 years shooting 1911 variants.

As for what you've got: pick one gun, find a competent '1911' gunsmith, pick one load and work-out the kinks. The 1911 can present a multitude of problems, forum guessing and user-smithing will most likely do more harm than good.

 

[Hunter0924]

I disagree that "forum guessing" will most likely do more harm than good.
My friend 1911Tuner has fixed many a pistol through the written word.

 

[1911 guy]

Extra Fine scotchbrite.

I take extra fine scotchbrite to all my carry guns (all of which are 5" 1911s') and hit these two spots:

Feed ramp. There are often tool marks that create drag on the round going up to the chamber. the 1911 design isn't exactly subtle about hammering a round into battery, JHP's don't help matters.

Breech face. There are also often slight burrs around the firing pin hole that interfere with the case sliding up it and under the extractor. Not overly likely with yours since it's feeding the ball alright, but it can't hurt to fluff and buff a bit.

Remember, you're not grinding or recontouring anything, just smoothing it out. Leave the dremel tool in the drawer.

 

[Old Fuff]

Guys...

How do you explain an unaltered USGI pistol that's unpolished, yet will feed anything, including hand-fed empty cases?

 

[Walkalong]

How do you explain an unaltered USGI pistol that's unpolished, yet will feed anything, including hand-fed empty cases?

Proper placement and angle of the ramp. Proper timing.

Lets face it. One built right will run with most any ammo. problem is, everyone and their brother is building them.

 

[nicholst55]

Many years ago when I had the keys to the arms room and all the free ammo I could shoot, I used to routinely shoot SWC and JHP bullets through a box-stock M1911A1 that belonged to Uncle. It fed everything and anything that I could stick into the magazine - lead SWC bullets (even ones intended for the .45 Colt), short, stubby JHPs, etc. Not from unaltered GI magazines, but still...

I sure wish they would have let me keep that gun. I would have happily paid the WWII price for it! Alas, I had to leave it there when I left the unit.

My point is that it shouldn't be that difficult to make a recently produced 1911 feed most anything. If you're not confident of your own abilities to do this, talk to a GOOD gunsmith that you trust not to rip you off. It shouldn't cost that much to get the problem resolved.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

I took it out fo the box and loaded hollowpoints into the magazine.

 

[1911 guy]

Explain a well built pistol?

You're just yanking our chains, Old Fuff!

I've got a few pistols that will feed anything and everything, including empties from the magazine. The problem, which you know and Walkalong stated, is changes from the original design. We're just chasing our tails trying to sort out manufacturer sloppiness.

 

[DogBonz]

AMEN Brother!

Lets face it. One built right will run with most any ammo. problem is, everyone and their brother is building them.

This is the truth that no one wants to face.

My WWII vintage Colt 1911a1 feeds HP's with no problems. It really likes the remi 185's (non +p). It has digested tons of HP's with out burping up.


My Para P14 would digest anything. That thing was a garbage can. Just toss ammo in and watch it disappear. It was not a pretty gun, but it was a hungry gun. Same with my Kimber Raptor. No feeding problems.

The only 1911 that gave me trouble was a Colt Gold cup that would basically only feed 200gr semi wadcutters. It was quickly renamed the "Brown Cup" because it was such a POS.

 

[Walkalong]

Oh Yea.

Quality control, for most everyone it seems, has changed from, "check it before it leaves the factory" to "fix it if they send it back".

 

[kentucky_smith]

Guys...

How do you explain an unaltered USGI pistol that's unpolished, yet will feed anything, including hand-fed empty cases?

GI mags with the bump. My Sistema would feed anything with the original mag, but not any other kinds.

 

[Old Fuff]

You guys are a bunch of party-poopers...

You should know better they to go around telling folks that polishing this or that isn't really the answer, and suggesting that current pistols aren't exactly made like they used to be. Even worse you are saying that the old stuff actually worked without having to be worked over or tweeked.

You stop this right now... !!

 

[1911 guy]

My pennance

I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
...

 

[308win]

I guess I got lucky; my Colt 1991A1 will feed commercial and hand loaded ball, 185gr hollow points, 200gr lead SWC from the factory 7rd magazine, Chip McCormick 8rd magazines, and Wilson Combat 8rd magazines (the ones I own anyway). I have never had a failure to feed from any of these magazines. It doesn't balk or hangup and I have not polished, smoothed, or otherwise assaulted the feed ramp, chamber, magazine lips, etc.

 

[mnw42]

My 70 series Gold Cup will feed damn near every thing. Really any 1911 should. A really amazing thing is to see a mid-range gun feed .38 special wad cutters!

 

[Old Fuff]

My pennance

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
I promise to stop raining on Old Fuffs' parade.
...

There! Now don't you feel better???

 

[1911Tuner]

Before you consider polishing the feed ramp...take the Dremel out onto the interstate and let a few semis run over it.

Yes. Fuff is blowin' smoke up your pantlegs. It's what he lives for...



The very first suspect, and the usual culprit in any failure to feed/return to battery problem is the magazine. What kind are you using?

Next in line is the extractor tension. Sometimes excessive tension will allow ball to feed, and choke on decent-quality hollowpoints.

Next is the ammo itself. Are your hollowpoints from a batch of gunshow reloads?

The next thing to check is for a 3-Point Jam. Top off a proper magazine...which you may or may not have at this point...and chamber the top round from slidelock by tripping the slidestop. Do you hear/feel a pronounced "Ka-Chunk" as the slide chambers the round...or is it fairly smooth?

That your magazines may be new...or stylish/expensive...or came highly recommended by the gun shop commando is no guarantee that they're good.

Details are important. A failure to feed means that no part of the cartridge gets into the chamber. If the bullet nose gets in...even just a little...that's a failure to go to/return to battery. The two are often related, but they're not the same.

What point in the magazine does the stoppage most often occur? Is it always the same place...or at random? Top round or last round? Most signifigant...is it always with the same magazine, or magazines?

FWIW...I'm glad that some of you guys stepped up and related the stories of all you old, unaltered USGI pistols that feed SWCs and hollowpoints. It helps me to lay waste to the myth that the 1911 is only reliable with hardball unless extensively reworked/tweaked/tuned/ or prayed over. I have several that date from 1912 to 1945...including some early teens and 20s commercial Colts that can't tell the difference. Hardball...SWC...Hollowpoint...All the same to the guns. They've never been ramped/polished, and they've never had any secret gunsmith JuJu performed on'em...and they do it from the old USGI "Hardball" magazines. I have several witnesses to the fact, and stand ready and willing to demonstrate to anyone who can make the trip.

 

[Old Fuff]

Yes. Fuff is blowin' smoke up your pantlegs. It's what he lives for...

Me??? You mean me? Never!!

 

[Tarvis]

My opinion

Could be a bad magazine, possibly the ammo but this has already been stated. When ever I have a problem, this is my order of operations for solving it:
1. Fix/change the magazine
2. Figure out what part of the handload is causing the problem (for factory ammo, try a different kind)
3. Figure out what I changed to cause gun to malfunction
4a. Swear and start over at #1
4b. (2nd time through) give it a day and go through 1-3 again
4c. (ditch effort) Modify Gun
5. Gunsmith

If it feeds everything else great/fine, it's probably not the gun's fault. FWIW I like Chip McCormick 8 rounders in my 1991a1 Commander; had no problems so far.

 

[jonboynumba1]

odds are it aint gonna be the same issue with all 3 but polishing up the feedramp and throat is a good start to any 1911 you buy. As is often properly camphering polishing and tuning the extractor and buying some wilson mags. Yes a good gun properly tuned should feed from any quallity 1911 mag in theory. In reallity pros test the best mags they can buy with each weapon be it a 1911 or an AR-15 and keep them for that firearm. Buy beg or borrow at LEAST ONE wilson mag just so you have a decent mag of known quallity to test and diagnose with.

Sometimes the top of the chamber area to the hood can have rough spots as well (seen it on a RIA before...polishing it solved his problem) I'm surprised on the kimber. If it's the external extractor version send it back and let them worry about it...you probably got a bad one. They'll fix it. Best thing is let somebody that knows what they are doing (not kinda knows how to work on em) have all three for a few days and for a nominal charge I'd bet all 3 come back slicked up and feeding fine...assuming you have a decent smith in your area. Shady-tree mechanic type gunsmiths ruin more 1911's than probably any other type of pistol. It's not rocket science but you need to know what you are doing.

If it's not an ammo mag or polishing issue 98% of the time it's going to be extractor related. And you need somebody decent to address that...it's just easier that way.