Colt Defender feed issues

[Pops1911]

Don't forget the liberal application of a ball peen hammer to make it better! LOL

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Update to my Colt Defender saga:

Replaced the Slide Lock Plunger Spring assembly and tightened the extractor just a bit more.

Tested it tonight with 56 rounds (8 mag fulls). This time using my one good Colt Factory magazine.

The result:

• 55/56 rounds fired without a hitch
  
• Only 1 Failure to Feed (round #48). A stove piped live round.
• No premature slide lock backs

That's a 1.7% failure rate, which is very good news indeed, considering it was 11% just a month ago. I'll want to test it a couple more times (maybe try it with the Wilson mag again to see if that's an issue).

I am very pleased.

 

[Stomper]

Cool, but 2% killed is still dead.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Cool, but 2% killed is still dead.

It's moving in the right direction.
If I can be accurate 98% of the time, the remaining 2% won't matter.
100% reliability would be preferred, and I'm still working on it, but there's risk in everything.

 

[Alexx1401]

It sounds very possibly like the extractor may be the cause of all this. I have seen this in 1911's before. One that no ammo would work in and just slipping in a new one and all was fine. How much is a spare one? If they are not real expensive I would just buy another one and pop it in.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

It sounds very possibly like the extractor may be the cause of all this. I have seen this in 1911's before. One that no ammo would work in and just slipping in a new one and all was fine. How much is a spare one? If they are not real expensive I would just buy another one and pop it in.

I'll look into that. I always buy two of everything so I'll have a back up if anything breaks. I've got extra recoil springs and plunger assemblies, may as well get an extra extractor too.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Went to the range today. Shot 49 rounds with the Defender and had 1 Live Round Stove Pipe and 1 Premature Slide Lock. Both were while using Wilson mags. The Colt factory mag worked fine. It's only 49 rounds, so I need to check it some more and focus on the mags.

Gawd! When is this little B^$%@&D gonna work right?

 

[Alexx1401]

Went to the range today. Shot 49 rounds with the Defender and had 1 Live Round Stove Pipe and 1 Premature Slide Lock. Both were while using Wilson mags. The Colt factory mag worked fine. It's only 49 rounds, so I need to check it some more and focus on the mags.

Gawd! When is this little B^$%@&D gonna work right?

Well at least you're moving the right direction Odd for Wilson mags to not work but, if the pistol will work with the Colt mags that's certainly doable. Would still try another extractor. Then if that stops the jams the mag thing can be worked on. The slide locking back would of course not be the extractor. On that I know this will sound dumb but, be sure it's not the grip as in your grip. I have never seen but have heard of people causing it by having some part of their hold. Hitting the stop in recoil pushing it up. Seemed strange to me but have read of people swearing they found it was happening.

 

[Pops1911]

Sometimes it IS the arrow! ;-)

 

[Koda]

had 1 Live Round Stove Pipe and 1 Premature Slide Lock. Both were while using Wilson mags. The Colt factory mag worked fine.

Odd for Wilson mags to not work but, if the pistol will work with the Colt mags that's certainly doable.

I actually have a beef with Wilson mags, The only one I bought was terrible and in my case would never hold the slide back its plastic follower rounded off within just a few rounds of use. I returned it.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

I ordered a couple new Colt Factory mags. Once I get them I'll test it. I suspect that will eliminate the premature slide-lock.

 

[Nomad45]

Update to my Colt Defender saga:

Replaced the Slide Lock Plunger Spring assembly and tightened the extractor just a bit more.

Tested it tonight with 56 rounds (8 mag fulls). This time using my one good Colt Factory magazine.

The result:

• 55/56 rounds fired without a hitch
  
• Only 1 Failure to Feed (round #48). A stove piped live round.
• No premature slide lock backs

That's a 1.7% failure rate, which is very good news indeed, considering it was 11% just a month ago. I'll want to test it a couple more times (maybe try it with the Wilson mag again to see if that's an issue).

I am very pleased.

Hello, I had the same issue with my new Colt Defender (two weeks old), the factory mags and all of the other officer mags I had (mostly generic brands) would fail to feed the last round. This morning, I tried my Springfield Armory mags #PI4736 6 round officer mags stainless (I have two of them). I ran two boxes of ball ammo with no failure to feeds with either magazine. It looks like my Defender is VERY picky about what feeds it. Yours may also be picky about the magazine.

I have not had the premature slide lock issue.

 

[ron]

I have used the Wilson mags but I find the Chip McCormick mags
work better and are cheaper. I have used these mags
for plus 20 years. I have seen these as OEM
mags that came with new Springfields and Kimbers.
Welcome to Chip McCormick Custom, LLC

 

[Cameron72]

Hey Sigma, how goes your quest??

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Hey Sigma, how goes your quest??

I've shot it a few times since my last report, though I haven't tracked it formally, so I still need to get out with a logbook and record everything precisely. Anecdotally, it's still about a 2% failure rate (much better than the 11% prior to extractor adjustment, but still not perfect).

I've ground the slide-lock down a little where it was making contact with the rising rounds, but I don't think I did enough as I still get a premature slide-lock on occasion. Will need to touch that up a bit.

Also, getting a failure to feed on the last round every so often as well. It's not regular, so I need to test it with specific mags and a logbook to isolate the problem.

I still love the pistol and it's a hoot to shoot, but I don't totally trust it. I hope to achieve functioning perfection at some point so I can trust it completely.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

My Defender Saga Continues...
In which I admit my foolishness in not seeing what was right in front of me.

Hey, I'm new to guns and shootin' (only about a year and a half). This is not an excuse; it's a reason. The fact is I've been mis-diagnosing many of these problems as Failure To Feed issues because when I looked down into the open chamber, I'd see a round that had failed to rise into the barrel chamber. But here's the thing: Nearly every time this happened, I was only able to see the round's condition because the slide was locked back. I was focusing on the state of the round so much that I was ignoring the state of the slide.

Stupid me! To be sure, every so often I'd get one where the slide would not lock and would be stuck on a round that did in fact, fail to feed. But those instances were rare (and in fact have not occurred since I adjusted the extractor) so to the extent that this might be a problem, it's irrelevent until I solve this slide lock issue.

This afternoon I took my Defender and 100 rounds of 230gr American Eagle FMJ and two magazines, a Wilson and a Colt Factory Mag. I alternated mags and shot 98 rounds total (14 mags). I had 8 premature slide lock-backs and 1 actual failure to feed. I disassembled the gun for cleaning afterward and checked the slide lock and saw brass residue again. It seems that the rounds are occasionally sliding forward in the magazine and making contact with the slide lock as they rise.

I checked this by removing the slide assembly, reinserting the slide lock and inserting a loaded magazine. By looking down into the throat as the magazine was slowly inserted I saw the rounds make contact only when they were slightly forward in the magazine. Every instance of slide lock-back when I was shooting had the round slightly forward and in contact with the ramp.

I observed how the magazine follower made contact with the slide lock, so I knew where and how much surface was necessary to maintain proper function. I ground the crap out of the rest of the inner face of the slide lock and tested it on a full mag with a round slightly forward and there was hardly any contact.

I hope to have an hour or so tomorrow to test this adjusted slide lock.

I know the standard answer is to "replace the magazines", but to be honest I'm tired of buying new magazines (I've bought 6 new mags so far with no improvement on this issue) when the solution may be much simpler.

Report to follow (hopefully tomorrow).

 

[Koda]

you should replace the slide lock lever with a new one...

 

[Vendor Hidden]

you should replace the slide lock lever.

That's the next move. But I'll tell ya, the slide lock lever from my LW Commander is exactly the same as the Defender, and it's that shape that is causing problems. So to my mind, replacing that part may not do much except put me back where I started.

If this doesn't work, or causes more problems, replacement will be the next move. But this fix is immediate and free.

And it just might work.

 

[Koda]

That's the next move. But I'll tell ya, the slide lock lever from my LW Commander is exactly the same as the Defender, and it's that shape that is causing problems.

slide stop levers actually have a lot of complex geometry, really hard to check and measure for the average home hobbyist.

google 1911 blueprints if you want to see the blueprint for a slide stop... The dimensions you should check are .198", .066", .115", among others related to the part that protrudes into the frame...
https://www.m1911.org/technic.htm

or you could just buy a new one. I kinda feel as if your resorting to grinding on things, then it should be replaced.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I would test it first to see if you have in fact solved the issues, then order a Wilson combat extended slide stop lever any way! Makes things a little easier to reach with the right hand when doing a reload! Midway USA had them on sale for $35 last I checked and i picked up a pair for a few builds I have in the works!