Magazine issues with 1911, maybe need a gunsmith

[Grey Bearded One]

As I reported earlier, I was planning on giving my daughter a 1911 for her 21st birthday. Well, that day came last week and I gave her a gun out of my stash of unsold inventory from my dealer days. I gave her a choice of three 1911s and she picked one.

Good news is that after nearly a decade of not detail stripping a 1911, I could still do it and get the gun back together without restoring to a manual or YouTube.

Of course she needed magazines and I have a box of roughly a brazillian 1911 mags: GI, Mec-Gar, Argentine, and no name aftermarket. Here's where it gets strange.

Only a couple mags would fit properly, an Argentine made 10 rounder and one of the generic mags. I tried a bunch in the other 1911s from the same lot and they fit fine.

The mags go in but stick about half way up the mag well. I checked all sorts of stuff like maybe they were binding on the trigger stirrup. Nope. Not the grip screw bushings nor the mag catch. Sear spring wasn't protruding too far into the mag well either.

It appears that they are dragging on the sides of the magwell.

This is a milsurp pistol so my thought is that someplace, sometime, somehow the frame got distorted. Either during the refinishing process or during actual service.

So now I want to find a good 1911 'smith to check this out and maybe straighten it out. Any one know of a good one around Picksburgh?

All that said, the gun shoots fine. 300 rounds and not a jam or misfeed. The bullets all went into a reasonably sized hole.

[philadelphia patriot]

The mags go in but stick about half way up the mag well. I checked all sorts of stuff like maybe they were binding on the trigger stirrup. Nope. Not the grip screw bushings nor the mag catch. Sear spring wasn't protruding too far into the mag well either.

It appears that they are dragging on the sides of the magwell.

I have an American Classic Hard Chrome Commander that is picky with mags too. I love the looks of the pistol, but I want to turn it into a tack driver. I'm slowly purchasing Wilson Combat frame parts (Sear, disconnector, new springs, etc.). I also want to replace the mag release. Replacing that I can do myself. Right now it loves Mecgar magazines. It hated Chip McCormick Power Mags. I'll let you know if replacing the mag release works on mine.

[Grey Bearded One]

I'll let you know if replacing the mag release works on mine.

I took the mag release out and they still stick.

[Lycanthrope]

Paint the mag with a dry erase marker and see where they rub.


Lycaneasyassessmentthrope

[Grey Bearded One]

Paint the mag with a dry erase marker and see where they rub.

Believe it or not, I thought of doing that but I have to find a place where I can steal a dry erase marker.

[Deleted]

Believe it or not, I thought of doing that but I have to find a place where I can steal a dry erase marker.

got a grease pencil?

[Grizz2720]

Are you sure the mag well is clean. I a RIA 1911 that the mags stuck in as well it would not feed right. I ended up stripping down the gun and cleaning it real good. Inside the mag well was some stuff that was real sticking. It was clear unlike Cosmolene.

[Gun]

Curious to know if WC, CMC, Colt, or even Kimber (yes, I said Kimber) mags fit properly.

[IronButt]

I'm far from a 1911 gunsmith, but over the years I've become a "good enough" 1911 mechanic to be able to keep mine running. The way you describe it, a grip screw bushing would be my first guess, but you already checked that. Don't take this the wrong way, but did the mags work before you detail stripped it?

As suggested, coating a mag with something like a grease pencil or crayon should show you where it's hanging up. If that fails, detail strip it again & get a closer look at what's going on.

I don't think mag specs have changed too much over the years, but trying a new Wilson or Chip Mc wouldn't hurt.

Either way, I have three 1911s & I'd be interested to find out what the problem was.

[mbinpa]

BACK OUT THE GRIP SCREWS a little. Some grip screws, especially aftermarket, can actually protrude into the mag well.

If this is the case, either try new grip screws or back out a little and use LocTite to secure the screw.