M1911 occasional ftf

The place to discuss your favorite centerfire pistols.

Moderators: Bullseye, Moderators

Post Reply
Yleefox
Advanced contributor
Advanced contributor
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 8:36 am
Location: Florida

M1911 occasional ftf

Post by Yleefox » Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:19 pm

My brother's PT1911 fails to fire on occasion. When this happens the chambered round will have a light primer strike. Typically however, the firing pin strikes primers normally. I disassembled the firearm and cleaned both the firing pin and the hole it lives in. It seemed to improve but then again, perhaps that was just my imagination.

As I said above, this only happens on occasion, say maybe once in 50 rds or so. Any ideas?

Y

User avatar
blue68f100
Master contributor
Master contributor
Posts: 1997
Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 10:31 pm
Location: Piney Woods of East Texas

Post by blue68f100 » Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:34 pm

Are you shooting reloads or factory ammo? A primmer that is not fully seated can be hit and not go off. If you run it back through it normally fires.

How may rounds through the gun?

When was the last time the spring(s) were replaced? Hammer spring weak...
David

SS MKIII 6 7/8" Fluted Hunter. Mueller Quick Shot, Bushnell 2x Scope, Hogue Rubber Grips
Custom Built 1911

User avatar
Bullseye
Site Admin/Host
Site Admin/Host
Posts: 6382
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:23 pm
Location: USA

Post by Bullseye » Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:18 pm

Another thing to check is the overtravel stop if this pistol has a target trigger. When you hold the hammer and squeeze the trigger you should not feel any resistance as you lower the hammer. If you do it may be hitting on the half-cock notch, robbing the hammer of some of its power.

R,
Bullseye
Image

Yleefox
Advanced contributor
Advanced contributor
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 8:36 am
Location: Florida

Post by Yleefox » Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:28 pm

Blue, they are reloads, my reloads, but I use the same ammo in other .45s without issue and I am careful when seating primers. So I do not think this is the problem.

Bullseye, I tried holding the hammer while I pulled the trigger and then lowered the hammer. I felt no resistance.

Any other ideas?

Y

User avatar
Bullseye
Site Admin/Host
Site Admin/Host
Posts: 6382
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:23 pm
Location: USA

Post by Bullseye » Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:01 am

When you cleaned out the firing pin hole did you also clean out the passive firing pin block plunger and plunger hole? Does the plunger move freely when depressed?

R,
Bullseye
Image

Yleefox
Advanced contributor
Advanced contributor
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 8:36 am
Location: Florida

Post by Yleefox » Tue Jun 22, 2010 8:23 pm

I did clean the hole Bullseye and the pin does move freely.

Blue, I did wonder about the hammer spring but I would think if that were the culprit that it would cause light strikes more frequently.

I'd have to guess at the round count, but I doubt that it has had more than perhap 2000 rds through the gun.

Yleefox

User avatar
Bullseye
Site Admin/Host
Site Admin/Host
Posts: 6382
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:23 pm
Location: USA

Post by Bullseye » Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:18 pm

The other thing I would look at is the mainspring plunger and the plunger hole. Check the plunger for drag or any excessive rubbing. It could be some fouling or brass shavings caught in there causing the intermittent light strikes.

R,
Bullseye
Image

User avatar
bigfatdave
Master contributor
Master contributor
Posts: 705
Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:22 am
Location: near Camp Perry

Post by bigfatdave » Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:42 am

I'm no expert, but could you have ran through a bad batch of primers?

I've seen a PT1911 go "BANG BANG click" once per mag, the owner claims that cleaning up the firing pin's channel eliminated the issues (scary thing is it was me figuring out how to get the FP out!) but I haven't had a chance to see it in person since, we haven't been able to hit the range at the same time for a while.
But that was factory ammo in a gun that has seen minimal maintenance, probably not the same issues you're having.

Does the issue persist with factory ammo?

stork
Advanced contributor
Advanced contributor
Posts: 333
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:12 am
Location: North Dakota

failure to fire

Post by stork » Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:00 am

Yleefox,
Are you taper crimping your rounds as a final step of the reloading process?

Are you taper crimping the finished round to at least .470, and preferred .468 (when measured at the mouth of the case).

This is only my opinion, but I had similar problems before I started taper crimping as the final step in the reloading steps.

What happened was the slide would fail to close that last 1/16" and keep the firing pin from fully hitting the firing pin, very faint firing pin marks were always evident. This only happened maybe once out of 100-200 rounds (of course always during a timed or rapid fire sequence), so it was very frustrating. Then a fellow Bullseye shooter asked me if I was taper crimping my rounds. I'd never heard of it before.

Try to pay attention as you're firing and the next time it happens, look at the rear of the slide. Is it fully seated or jutting out a bit. If it's protruding a bit, invest in a taper crimp die. If you already have one, give it a few thousandths more crimp. Your chamber may be a bit larger than his, hence they function great in your 45 but not in his.

As always YMMV,
FWIW
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” – George Washington

Yleefox
Advanced contributor
Advanced contributor
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 8:36 am
Location: Florida

Post by Yleefox » Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:44 pm

BFD,
I haven't tried factory ammo in it, but I would doubt that it is a primer issue simply because I have used reloads with primers made by various companies, with the same results.

Stork,
I do taper crimp my 45 acp rounds ( I measured three at random and they were all .469) and I have examined the slide's position on previous occasions and each time the gun was completely in battery.

I went to the range today and fired 50rds through it without so much as a hiccup. Go figure. Of course, it could have been an issue with the very next shot had I had more ammo with me.

Y

Yleefox
Advanced contributor
Advanced contributor
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 8:36 am
Location: Florida

Post by Yleefox » Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:52 pm

Bullseye,
I'll check the MSH as soon as I have a few spare moments.

Y

User avatar
Bullseye
Site Admin/Host
Site Admin/Host
Posts: 6382
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:23 pm
Location: USA

Post by Bullseye » Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:58 am

When you disassemble for the Mainspring housing inspect the underside of the grip safety closely for any rub marks from the hammer strut. Sometimes inadequate clearance between these two components can cause light strikes. When they rub the hammer's energy is robbed.

R,
Bullseye
Image

Post Reply