Rock Island 1911 45 odd feature.

[Busterbugs]

So I couldn’t seem to find anything else on this problem so I don’t know if it is specific to this one gun or if there are more like it.

ok so not my gun but a friends RIA 1911 has an odd malfunction (I call it a malfunction because it makes the gun less safe in my opinion) where if the gun is empty with safety off and hammer down, and you insert a loaded mag, pull the slide all the way to the rear and drop it to chamber a round, you cannot, next, simply fire the gun. You must carefully lower the hammer completely onto the live round, then cock it again for the gun to fire.

We tried everything you can think of, pulling the hammer back completely until it stops, flipping the safety on and off a bunch or times, nothing works except lowering then re cocking the hammer.
Now when you have fired a mag and the slide locks back you can drop slide to chamber the new mag and it will fire.

My buddy doesn’t really care about the issue he just deals with it, but it is driving me nuts because I simply cant figure out what the heck is going on with it. To clarify when I say it won’t fire, it is like the safety is on (even though it is off) and pulling the trigger does nothing, hammer does not fall, till you decock then recock it.
I have such a big problem with this because if it is designed to work like that, that’s ridiculous and dangerous, you have the safety issue of decocking onto a chambered round. Also I’m thinking of a situation where someone is using the gun for everyday carrying, it works fine at the range, then they load it up and carry it like normal not knowing the gun is useless because they didn’t decock and recock the hammer.

Let me know if you have ever heard of this I am very curious, since it is a friends gun and I don’t have it, there are many specifics I can’t answer, for instance if you put in an empty mag, locked the slide back on it manually, then put in a loaded one and dropped it to chamber would it fire? Idk.
Just looking for if anyone had ever seen this problem before and does it bother you as much as it bothers me haha.

thanks let me know.

 

[JTQ]

...a friends RIA 1911 has an odd malfunction (I call it a malfunction because it makes the gun less safe in my opinion) where if the gun is empty with safety off and hammer down, and you insert a loaded mag, pull the slide all the way to the rear and drop it to chamber a round, you cannot, next, simply fire the gun. You must carefully lower the hammer completely onto the live round, then cock it again for the gun to fire.

That is not how it is supposed to operate. There is something wrong with the gun. Contact RIA and have them fix it.

 

[mljdeckard]

I have not. I have been shooting and carrying 1911s for close to 30 years, I have three, including an RIA. This is a serious malfunction that needs to be fixed. RIA's customer service is in Pahrump, NV, and they are responsive and helpful. I would advise him to get it looked at immediately.

 

[Busterbugs]

Ok I knew it was weird, I’ll pass on the info for sure

 

[Rudolph31]

OK, if the trigger won’t work until you decock, how exactly are you dropping the hammer?

 

[jhb]

OK, if the trigger won’t work until you decock, how exactly are you dropping the hammer?

yep first thing I thought about too.

not normal and something is either broken or out of spec. have him get it sent back for repair. dont let him fool around with it. not worth the potential risk.

 

[CapnMac]

Ok, given that the hammer can be operated, so, it's not the sear (probably).
Which suggests it's the grip safety.

As a geometry issue with the grip safety would 'want' to reset after cycling the hammer down and back.

Now, the geometry of the sear axis pin (or the bore through the sear) could be off, as well. As well as a burr on the sear.

All of which more than suggest a trip back to RIA customer service.

Question: If you lock the slide back, and release it usign the slide stop, does it also lock up? Or only when "slingshotting" the slide?

 

[gunlaw]

I’m thinking grip safety issue

 

[Busterbugs]

OK, if the trigger won’t work until you decock, how exactly are you dropping the hammer?

Right, just texted him to ask, haven’t seen his gun in a long while, once I get an answer I’ll let you know. I’m obviously remembering it a bit wrong.

 

[Busterbugs]

Ok just got some clarification, you have to cock the hammer, then rack the slide, because if you only rack the slide it won’t fire.

 

[Busterbugs]

And when you go to fire it just clicks down without firing and you have to cock it again to shoot. This is where I was getting the let the hammer down then cock it again from.

 

[edwardware]

Any chance the hammer is falling off the sear and catching in the safety notch? If so, that's caused by rounded/broken hammer hooks or sear nose.

Alternately, perhaps a weak leaf spring isn't returning the disconnector up into the slide cut, thereby disconnecting the trigger.

 

[cfullgraf]

Like others, I'd say there is an issue with the grip safety and/or the disconnector. If the trigger group has ever been disassembled or under the original assembly, it can be a "rub your tummy, pat your head" situation to get everything back together in the correct order.

The gun needs to be repaired.