[AAshooter]

I need some opinions. I have a Kimber Custom Classic that runs great. I hardly ever have a problem except when loading a round into an empty gun.

When I run the slide to the rear, the gun will load a round. If I eject that round into my hand, the round is compressed (bullet pushed down into the brass). However, if I slowly ease the slide forward it feeds a round fine.

When I check rounds after the first one is fired, they are not compressed and the gun feeds fine. So it appears that it is only the rounds fed by running the slide to the rear by hand have a problem.

Any ideas as to the cause? or fix?

 

[Ken Cook]

Hi AAShooter,
It shouldn't make a difference whether the slide is cycled by firing or by hand.
Check two things,

Check your ammo, to make sure you're not shooting some weak crimped loads.

Check your magazines.
Does the problem happen with all of them or just one, or maybe two of them?

 

[AAshooter]

Hello Ken,

I agree, it should not matter on whether the slide is cycled manually or during normal operation . . . that's what is so odd. Some how it knows!?!?

I use 8 rd Wilson mags and it seems to be magazine independent -- all mags have the problem. It is reasonable factory ammo, not reloads. And the problem is fairly repeatable.

I have not tried a bunch of different ammo since this gun seems to feed pretty much anything. I may have to experiment some with this.

Thanks for the comment . . . any more ideas welcome.

 

[Ken Cook]

Try this,

Take a magazine, full minus one round, and attempt to load as normal.
Does the round compress or feed normally?

No matter how I look at this, I keep thinking "magazine problem."

If the pistol functions properly when cycled in firing, then the problem can't be within the pistol, it's got to be your mags.

Have you tried any other mags?
Wilson mags are acknowledged as the best, and they're the only ones I use, but then not all guns like the same magazines.

Try a POS GI mag, and maybe a Shooting Star if you have one, see if the problem persists.

(Anybody else with a suggestion, feel free to jump on in!)
:smile:

 

[AAshooter]

Thanks again for the response. I will have to experiment with the magazines more.

I don't believe it is related to the top round on the magazine but don't know about non-Wilson mags. I was doing malfunction clearance drills and ended up with a whole pocket full of "compressed rounds".

Prior to this problem, I had an occasional stove pipe (type 2 malfunction). After the extractor was adjusted/bent, the gun has run great.

However, I had not noticed this problem (compressed rounds) before the adjustment. I can't imagine how the two are related but thought I would mention it. I saw the adjustment made and that is all that was done to the gun at the time.

This is a strange one and I appreciate the ideas. I will plan on some more expermentation with different mags and ammo.

Thanks!

 

[Ken Cook]

Oh no, WAIT!
That's the extra information I was looking for.
I understood you to mean that it happened ONLY on the first round from the magazine, not every time you try to hand cycle the slide! (whoops?)
Your extractor is set a little TOO tight.
The rounds aren't able to feed up under it when you hand cycle, but can when it feeds during firing.
Simply bend the extractor just a HAIR to the right, and you should be good to go!
:grin:

 

[gyp_c2]

You aren't using the slide stop to drop the slide are you?

:wink:

...slingshot?

 

[AAshooter]

Thanks again for the comments. It sounds like I have gone from an extractor that is slightly too loose to one that is slightly too tight.

I should have mentioned the extractor issue up front. I didn't mean to string you along with half the information. I did not think they were related.

I am showing my ignorance but didn't think the extractor played a role in the loading that would cause that. I also don't understand why it would work when being fired and not hand cycled . . . it seems to be the same action. It is easy enough to try a couple things and see if that is it.

As far as the slide stop, I am using a slingshot method in most cases.

Thanks again for the comments. I hope to get to the range in the next couple weekends and do some tinkering. I will let you know what I find out.

 

[gyp_c2]

The last post will probably do it...It's definitely different to manually work the action...It's also different usin' the slingshot...Have you tried this pistol with just the slide stop to release the slide?

...just curious. You've probably forgotten more about that pistol, than I'll ever know...I'm just a fact monger!

Thanks in Advance!

:wink:

 

[AAshooter]

Hello Ken,

-just to report back. I did do a very slight adjustment to the extractor as you suggested. In fact, it was so minor I can't believe it mattered; however the results were great.

I just completed a two day course at Front Sight running 3 different types of ammo. I shot about 500 rounds and did not have a single problem with malfunctions or feeding.

Thanks for the suggestions . . . you were right on!

 

[Ken Cook]

Yeah, it doesn't take much to make a BIG difference in extractor performance.
Thanks for letting me know, and I'm glad I could help.

 

[Dane Burns]

I would still check the brass maker and also check the taper crimp you are using to make sure it is tight enough. Bullets going into the case for any reason is a no/no.

I'll post a thread later in the week that shows why you want to use good brass and a hard crimp.

 

[Ken Cook]

Whoops! My bust, I got so wrapped up in the feeding problem that I forgot about the bullet set-back.
So I'll ditto everything Dane said, and add that assuming you're using reloads (pretty safe assumption) the standard I've always held my ammo to, is to take a loaded round, press the point against a bathroom scale, and if you can exert 80 pounds of pressure, without having it set back in the case, the crimp is good.

Obviously you don't need to do this with every round, but when you set your dies, load a couple then check them on the scale.
If they move, crimp'em down until they don't move anymore.

I'll go out on a limb a little bit and say this.
Pertaining ONLY to the .45acp, as long as you're not deforming brass or bullet, you pretty much can't have too much crimp.
Anyone disagree?

 

[Shane1911]

Come on guys.......crimp is all well and good, but we all know that it is sizing that prevents set-back.

Make sure that your sizing die is also set to full-size your brass. Other than that, GREAT work kids !

 

[AAshooter]

Thanks for the comments. As far as my problem, I am using factory ammo.

 

[Shane1911]

On 2001-05-13 22:49, AAshooter wrote:
Thanks for the comments. As far as my problem, I am using factory ammo.

QUALITY factory ammo? Just curious. If you are getting set back with good factory ammo, it may be a timing issue with your gun slamming the bullet into the feed ramp. Wilson mags have the correct profile lips to allow the cartridge to jump up slightly sooner into the chamber, instead of slamming hard into the ramp, so this shouldn't be an issue or the cause of your problem.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shane Kropf on 2001-05-14 13:40 ]</font>