In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Options
Breechface to disconnector distance?
DCastro713
Member Posts: 20 ✭
Working on my first 9mm 1911 that I bought knowing it needed work. I think I fixed most of the issues but waiting on a replacement barrel because the existing barrel was "worked on" so badly it no longer properly chamber a round.
But my main question is how far should the breechface be from the disconnector when fully to the rear?
The distance on my 45 acp 1911 is around 0.185" but it is only around 0.035" on the 9mm.
Is that normal? I tried to find the info online but could not find it so asking here.
Thanks in advance,
David
Comments
The photos show the slide fully to the rear.
In slide lock the distance in the 45 looks similar to the 9mm when it is all the way to the rear. When the 9mm is in slide lock you cannot see the disconnector.
I just want to be sure this is normal before I take it to the range, after all the parts I ordered arrive and hopefully get the firearm tuned.
As long as the breech face retracts to or past the rear of the magazine well you can only assume it is set-up to factory specifications. Only live testing will determine if a malfunction situation exists. Again, most feeding malfunctions are caused by the magazine lips being out-of-spec. Good luck.
Update:
Wanted to let people know I figured out why the slide didn't did not go back completely.
Remember I said this was the first 9mm 1911 I have worked on. It is also the first commander sized 1911 I have worked on. Seems the original "gunsmith" that was building this gun used a full sized barrel bushing on a commander slide.
I know that may be a minor mistake that is easily corrected but the gun was heavily laser engraved including the barrel bushing but because the engraving came so close to the edges there are several places that the metal has broken off.
But I think I have worked out the issues with this firearm and hope to take it to the range soon. Will update again to let you know if it fired.
It's nice to see someone come back with an answer.
Another update:
Took it to the range and asked the owner/gunsmith to examine the firearm and my work.
It seemed to function but he tried a go gauge and the gun would not go into battery. Seems the barrel would not let the gauge go into the chamber deep enough.
He did not have a replacement barrel but thought a barrel reamer might get the chamber deep enough to chamber a round.
He did not have a chamber reamer so I ordered one.
Well, turns out the reamer was coming from eastern Europe and would take over a month to get here.
On top of that the post office lost the shipment between Hawaii and Guam, the last leg of the trip.
Had to put in a request for the post office to find the package.
It took them over a month to find it and FINALLY deliver it.
A FMJ round originally would sit almost 1mm above the top of the chamber extension. Now it sits flush with the chamber extension.
So I finally took it to the range.
One round in the mag. Dropped the slide, chambered, pulled trigger, fired, ejected and slide locked back just as it should.
Two rounds in the mag. Dropped the slide, chambered, pulled trigger, fired, ejected and loaded the next round just like is should. Pulled trigger again, fired, ejected and slide locked back just as it should. So far so good.
Loaded a full mag. Dropped the slide. 1st round nosedives into the feed ramp. Failure to feed.
Same thing with 2nd round, and 3rd round.
Tried several other mags with the same results.
First I thought the 1911 might need more work but but after reading a number of online posts about mag issues not supporting the cartridges properly and seeing all my mags have that issue ( 2 unmarked and 2 Ed Brown), and reading about the magazines possibly not seating high enough in the mag well I will be ordering a raised mag catch to see if that helps.
Just wanted to give a final update.
I know it has been a while, with a number of additional trips to the range but I think with my last trip I have gotten 2 1911's to run. It was a good day.
So after a bunch of work including smoothing and polishing the frame feed ramp and reworking the barrel ramp. The barrel sat too close to the edge of the frame but now it seems to be working.
Ran around 100 rounds through the gun using a variety of mags including Mec-Gar, Wilson Combat, Ed Brown and some generics and not a single failure of any kind. I know 100 rounds isn't enough but I was also testing a Rock Island Armory 1911A2 full size that I picked up in 22TCM.
Unfortunately, the RIA was bought used and didn't come with a magazine so I had been trying to source 22TCM magazines but just about everyone was out so I ordered a 9mm barrel and magazines and that involved a whole new set of issues. But I finally got what I needed to convert it to 9mm and with only minor fitting of the barrel hood I was able to take it to the range. Ran around 100 rounds through the RIA with only 1 failure to feed. It seemed the slide for some reason didn't completely strip the round from the mag but I just re-racked and the round fed properly. And yes, I did change out the recoil spring for 9mm.
Now my problem is that I am running out of guns to work on. I seem to enjoy working on them more then shooting them.
So the hunt for more broken guns begins again.
Glad to hear all your effort has paid off and thanks for following up. @mmppres posts fairly regularly in the general discussions forum about project guns that he has listed and he attends a lot of gun shows, he may have or can find whatever projects you may be interested in. this is a link to his current listings:
Hello,
He has some interesting parts and I have saved the seller.
Thanks for the tip.
David