Colt 1911.... how many jams?

biscuit jake · 02-26-2006, 08:25 PM

Just curious, for those of you that owned (or were issued) and fired a Colt 1911 .45 auto, how many jams did you see? My Government model 1911 at home had one stovepipe with a target round. Those issued to me in the service had no malfunctions. When I was range officer, I also saw no malfunctions. I am just wondering how everyone else's luck ran?

It was interesting at one of the local shops this weekend. Returning personnel buying pistols won't touch a 9. They are going for .45's.

jmfa1957 · 02-26-2006, 09:07 PM

I experience jams every now and then in both my Gold Cup Mk IV Series 70 and also my Springfield GI .45. The cause? My handloads - - poor taper crimp is almost always the problem. I usually shoot lead bullets, either 230 grain RNL or 200 grain LSWC. If I get my dies set up correctly, both guns feed flawlessy.

I don't think that I've ever had a malfunction of any sort with factory ammo. Being a cheapskate, however, most of the .45 rounds I fire are handloads.

I don't blame our service personnel for wantinga .45. A good 1911 .45 would be my first handgun choice in a bad neighborhood.

By the way, did you ever buy that Gold Cup you were looking at earlier this month?

Briman · 02-26-2006, 09:59 PM

Out of the few thousand rounds through my springy loaded model I've had 1 failure to feed and it was on a cast lead SWC handload- I sort of expect that a few of these are going to jam sooner or later. Never had a single hiccup with factory ammo.

James B · 02-26-2006, 10:49 PM

Once they are broke in they seldom malfunction. Light loads would be the most likey to stove pipe.

statjunk · 02-27-2006, 06:26 AM

Can someone explain what a stove pipe is?

Thanks
Tom

eldeguello · 02-27-2006, 07:52 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: biscuit jake

Just curious, for those of you that owned (or were issued) and fired a Colt 1911 .45 auto, how many jams did you see? My Government model 1911 at home had one stovepipe with a target round. Those issued to me in the service had no malfunctions. When I was range officer, I also saw no malfunctions. I am just wondering how everyone else's luck ran?

It was interesting at one of the local shops this weekend. Returning personnel buying pistols won't touch a 9. They are going for .45's.

I personally never had a stoppage with an issue M1911A1, nor with my pre-series-70 Gold Cup. I have seen a few that did jam on the range, but it was usually because some new shooter "limp-wristed" the thing!

My Gold Cup fed everything I used in it, including different semiwadcutter designs and hard ball. I had to replace the rear sight crosspin because with +P ammo, the factory (roll pin) sheared. I ended up using the shank of a big Herter's stainless fishhookfor a sight pin. It has lasted forty years.

eldeguello · 02-27-2006, 07:55 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: statjunk

Can someone explain what a stove pipe is?

Thanks
Tom

Yes, Tom. A stovepipe is a fired cartridge case that was not ejected, and the slide slams it forward into the breech section of the barrel with the case mouth sticking up out the top of the slide, like a stovepipe!!

This is usually caused by weak ammo that has insufficient recoil to slam the slide back far/fast enough for the ejector to throw the case out......

statjunk · 02-27-2006, 12:15 PM

I've had that happen plenty on a Taurus that I used to own.

Tom

biscuit jake · 02-27-2006, 05:33 PM

I appreciate the comments. I was seriously tempted by the appearance of a Gold Cup Commander in the capitol city but is was on the shelf only a couple days. Someone came in and put it on layaway. Colts in my parts are on the shelf a matter of days. A custom shop Gunsite model was available for about a week. Springfield armory seems to be taking up the slack on 45's. I see many more of them for sale. Soooo, I probably need to decide how bad I want one. I am happy to see that Colt is still producing the 1911.