1911 firing to half cock...need some help

[baba]

I see my last update never posted. So here it is.

The bad news...
The new disconnector I bought is out of spec as well. 1.305 OAL, and the upper portion is over the spec by about .004. I have to contact Brownell about a replacement. I half wonder if I should just file it down to spec as the shipping will be nearly half the cost of the part.

I also got a new Go gauge. When testing it in the chamber with the barrel out of the gun, it sits just proud of the hood. Can't get a good measurement with my caliber but you can see and feel it. If I put the barrel in the slide with the gauge in place I cannot get a feeler between it and the breech face (and I did remember to take the extractor out). The other 1911 I have allows a .009 feeler between the gauge and breech. Finally, I assembled the gun and noticed that without the gauge I can't really get a shim between the hood and breechface. But with the gauge in place I can get a .010 shim in. If I put a .011 or .012 shim in it will sometimes trigger the half cock issue. So I believe I need to deepen the chamber by around that much to get the Go gauge to stop holding the slide back far enough to trigger the problem.

What do you guys think? I was also wondering if I need to further shorten the hood to allow the closed slide to go far enough forward to rest against the back of the upper barrel lugs. Thoughts?

Brian

 

[IndyGunworks]

I wouldnt hesitate to fit the current disconnector ... fitting parts is a part of building a 1911. I dont know if i am grasping what you are asking about the upper lugs enough, but if they are dropping into their recess's properly then i probably wouldnt change anything.

I would fix your headspace issue first, then test fire and see if that solves the problem, you may not have to file on the disconnector at all once that problem is fixed... if it still happens during firing then you can start to fit that piece.

 

[ghitch75]

return to battery is slide forward,flush with rear of frame and barrel full engaged to the locking lugs....i still think your trouble is the hood/chamber not going into battery and hanging the disco....

this is still what i think.....get the hood and the chamber right and it will be healed.....

 

[wolfman]

I would measure the chamber depth then contact Cart and see what it is supposed to be, just could be that you have an out of spec barrel.

 

[baba]

it was a gunsmith fit barrel from Kart. I'm thinking what happened is that they cut the chamber close to minimum, and then when I had to file the hood down to get it to fit this slide i ended up with a short chamber. Not defective, just a step I missed in my assembly.

_Brian

 

[drillsgt]

it was a gunsmith fit barrel from Kart. I'm thinking what happened is that they cut the chamber close to minimum, and then when I had to file the hood down to get it to fit this slide i ended up with a short chamber. Not defective, just a step I missed in my assembly.

_Brian

Do you have a reamer?

 

[baba]

I don't. I checked in the tools for borrow thread, but there was nothing there. So I was looking to get one. I have a lathe that will do the job.

Brian

 

[drillsgt]

I don't. I checked in the tools for borrow thread, but there was nothing there. So I was looking to get one. I have a lathe that will do the job.

Brian

Not worth the money for something you are going to use maybe 1.5 turns on. I have one you can borrow if you'll ship it back to me.

 

[baba]

Thanks drillsgt...I will PM you.

I have a general question on reaming in this application. Do I need the lathe, or can this be done by hand? If I use the lathe, do I need a floating reamer holder, or can I just use the tap handle/live center method. What has worked best for you? Looks Like I need to go about .010-.015 deeper on the chamber.


-Brian

 

[IndyGunworks]

I have chambered several 1911 barrels by hand w/out the floating holder. All of them turned out to be GREAT shooters.

 

[halfmileharry]

I've been watching diligently on this problem. Anything resolved yet?

 

[sloughfoot]

The problem with this gunsmithing forum is that the guys who know how to make the 1911 work should not be willing to give their knowledge up for free. Or to give it up to be mis-understood by guys looking for short cuts and youtube video knowledge.

My advice is to get it to a 1911 gunsmith to fix what the OP has done.

 

[sloughfoot]

Dupe. And I really don't know why it is a dupe.

 

[IndyGunworks]

should not be willing to give their knowledge up for free.

Your right, being neighborly is over rated.

 

[halfmileharry]

Your right, being neighborly is over rated.

This exactly.

 

[sloughfoot]

The danger for me, since I have made money on gunsmithing pistols, if I give specific advice on this particular problem, and the OP screws that up like he screwed up this basic 1911 problem, i could be liable.

You might call it unneighborly or whatever, but unless I have my hands on his pistol and am getting paid to fix it,I am not willing to walk the OP through the steps needed to resolve this problem.

I would not even do that for a friend. Although, I would let a friend sit with me on the bench while I fix his 1911.

 

[baba]

Hey Harry, I am awaiting the arrival of a reamer so I can deepen the chamber. Then I will test fire and see if that resolves the issue. I will report back once I get the chance to do that. Its been great to get all the help. Sometimes when you stare at something so long, you are just too close to it to see the picture. INGO has proven to be a great resource. Oh, and sorry for the slow response, I guess my subscription to the thread must have ran out and I wasn't getting the emails anymore.

Building this has been a great learning experience for me, and a real challenge that has help me develop some skills. Sure its been frustrating to deal with problems, but in the end that will be where most of the learning comes from.

Interestingly enough, I have never once used Youtube to help build this gun.

Brian

 

[halfmileharry]

Hey Harry, I am awaiting the arrival of a reamer so I can deepen the chamber. Then I will test fire and see if that resolves the issue. I will report back once I get the chance to do that. Its been great to get all the help. Sometimes when you stare at something so long, you are just too close to it to see the picture. INGO has proven to be a great resource. Oh, and sorry for the slow response, I guess my subscription to the thread must have ran out and I wasn't getting the emails anymore.

Building this has been a great learning experience for me, and a real challenge that has help me develop some skills. Sure its been frustrating to deal with problems, but in the end that will be where most of the learning comes from.

Interestingly enough, I have never once used Youtube to help build this gun.

Brian

Thanks Brian, I'm looking forward to the update on the next step.

 

[halfmileharry]

Ever get this figured out?

 

[baba]

I guess I've got to come clean. Thanks to the generosity of a forum member, I was able to borrow a reamer. It turns out that it cuts very well. I managed to overcut the chamber and ruined my barrel. So I've ordered a new one from Kart, but he is 6 weeks or so out. I think I have about 4 of those weeks left to wait. I feel like a total idiot.

Brian