Problems feeding reloads in SIG 1911 TT

[rutilate]

A number of .45 ACP reloads will not feed properly in a Sig 1911 TT, but will feed just fine in an M&P .45. The cartridges will feed just fine and rapid fire in an M&P .45, but will fail to chamber in the Sig. It tends to jam into the chamber at an angle. When I drop the mag and gently realign, it'll feed fine, although every so often I'll find one that doesn't seem to want to chamber fully.

What can I do to further diagnose the problem?

I'm loading Rainier 230g, set to 1.265 COAL. I'm crimping the mouths to .472, and SAAMI spec says the mouth should be .473 (there was one in my batch of 10 that I tested that was at .473). SAAMI spec for chamber should be .4740 at the mouth. Thus, the cartridges at the mouth should be well within spec.

The maximum length of a bullet that will fit in the M&P 45 magazine is 1.314", and the SIG is 1.319". Measuring bullets on diagonal adds .022" with these Rainier 230gr bullets, making a maximum diagonal length of 1.292" COAL, sufficiently above the SAAMI spec of 1.275" so as to be a non-issue in magazine feed issues. Thus, with a 1.265 COAL, the length is within SAAMI spec and well within tolerances for magazine feed/binding issues.

Any others with experience with the SIG 1911 TT? Does it have a tighter chamber tolerance than SAAMI spec?

Thanks!

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[boogerhook]

I am wondering whether the slide is only barely racking, enough to extract the old and picking up the new round, but maybe not enough to fully take advantage of the breech lock, i.e. the angle of the barrel. The reloads may be of lesser pressure than factory ammo. You could try a lighter main spring, not affecting the recoil tension, just the hammer resistance. Wilson Combat offers a #19 if I am not mistaken. If that doesn't help you can also experiment with a lighter recoil spring.

Just random ideas. Good luck.

 

[Classic]

You M&P uses a different mag than your Sig... Sig makes great weapons but a Sig 1911 doesn't follow the 1911 design 100%. I don't know if you can use a Wilson 47D mag in it but if you can it should fix your feed issues. Of my 4 1911's the Colt mags work in the Colts but only after replacing the guts with Tripp springs and followers. My Les Baer only likes the Wilsons - it doesn't even like the Les Baer Mags!
Just my humble opinion but I know a little about 1911's because I stay at Holiday Inn's quite often.
Swap out the mag with a Wilson if it fits

 

[boogerhook]

I second that. My Dan Wesson likes the Wilson mags better than its own ;-)

 

[Pepe-lepew]

How does it chamber with factory ammo? From your description it sounds like a three point jam. Is that what it is doing?

In the 1911's I have owned, the most common feeding problem has been three point jams. Most jam before the round even touches the extractor. From my experience, three point jams are from poor fitting. The problem is hard to fix and most people seem to Band-Aid it with Wilson mags and/or finding the right OAL length and bullet profile. The last 1911 I bought was the worst. I sent it back to the manufacture and they worked it over. Since I got it back, it has been 100% reliable through a couple thousand rounds of various types of bullets.

 

[spyguy]

I've experienced the same problem with my reloads. I'm relatively new to reloading and suspect is has something to do with the way I have my dies set.

My Sig Spartan has been particularity sensitive to the cases, in exactly the manor described in the original post here. That said, I had the same problem with a tuned up Para, with a Remington 1911, and with a slag-gun 1911 in compact.

My observations were, the tighter the fit between slide and frame, the more often I had this exact problem. The Sig is the tightest and suffered the most often....but we're talking one round per mag.

To address the magazine discussion. My experimenting included a couple sig mags, a couple Wilson combat mags, and a couple Kimber mags. My testing did not lead me to suspect the magazines. The same mags would fire store bought ammo just fine in all weapons listed.

I did notice the ridge of my loaded cases had a noticeable edge that I could feel with my fingers. I've adjusted the heck out of my die sets but have not been able to eliminate the edge of the brass case.

I've recently read about something called a "Factory Crimp Die" that can be used after the seating die. A you tube post I watched mentioned them as a way to eliminate loose bullets or spinning bullets.

I'm still learning at this point, but the factory crimp die sounded like what I was looking for. Have yet to try it. I'd love to hear any suggestions.

 

[Classic]

Get a factory roll crimp die and crank it tight enough that when you pull a round apart you see a distinct groove in the bullet. I'm thinking your crimping die hasn't taken all the belling/flair out of the brass so it hangs up a little as it tries to feed since factory ammo seems to feed well

 

[spyguy]

@ Classic - That is exactly what I was thinking. I was hoping someone would confirm my suspicions before throwing more money at a guess...

As a entry level reloader, it seems like they'd sell those with the die sets?

 

[deadeye]

@ Classic - That is exactly what I was thinking. I was hoping someone would confirm my suspicions before throwing more money at a guess...

As a entry level reloader, it seems like they'd sell those with the die sets?

They do sell a four die set as well as the three that you currently have. The factory crimp die is a good thing to have for both rimless rounds as well as rifle (They are two different styles). They sell a factory crimp die for rimmed cartridge rounds also but I have never found a need for those as most bullets I use for them have a cannelure and the roll crimp works fine.

 

[Wayne]

You do not want to use a roll crimp on 45ACP, especially on plated bullets, taper crimp only. .472 should be fine, mine come out .471/.472.
When loading for multiple guns you need to find an OAL that will work for all of them. I have to load mine at 1.240 and they work fine.
Make some dummy rounds and try different OAL's till you find what works for both.

 

[scrandall01215]

I had this problem with my 10mm and I finally broke down and bought a Wilson max cartridge gauge and found I wasn't getting enough crimp it helps diagnosis eeasy to fix problems.
The cartridge would work in my witness match and not in my kimber now the feed just fine.
Stacy

 

[Classic]

A Lee factory crimp die will run ya about $20. Your other dies will still work