# pt111 g2 doesn't feed hollow points well



## ferg75407

My gun is new with about a hundred rds fired and missfeeds hollow points, no problem with fmj. They dont seem to come up high enough to get to the ramp on the back of the barrel. It puts a flat spot at the forward edge of hollow. I have tried DRT the 85 gram HP and the Monarch 124 gram jacketed hollow points. 
One out of about 10-15 missfeed. I have cleaned and looked at the ramp on the back of the barrel, did not see anything.There is also a ramp in the body below the barrel ramp, it does appear to be contacting the bullet. Talked with Taurus, They suggested looking at the bullets! The ammo looks consistant, The DRT leading edge is sharp which to me suggests that it could dig in if meets something soft. The monarch leading edge is radiused pretty well. 
Is there a regulated dimension for this ammo? Are these hollow point brands controlling their product dimensions? Where could I find these dimensions? 
Is my gun the problem, are there other guns of this model with these problems, is this ammo a problem?
Thanks for any and all suggestions and disscussion.


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## GCBHM

Well there are certain guns that don't do JHPs well, and it really isn't restricted to junk guns either. Browning Hi-Power is a good example of this. It is one of the finest guns ever made, but it just does not feed JHPs well. It has more to do with the angle of the feed ramp than anything, in my experience. The 1911 is another platform that doesn't always feed JHPs that well. 

I'm not familiar with the PT111, but I know it is a relatively popular gun. I think it's due to the cost mainly, but it seems to make a lot of PT111 owners happy. I would suggest looking for ammunition like the Critical Duty or Critical Defense that have more narrow tips than some other offerings like HST or Gold Dot. Hornady makes the XTP bullet which is used in their Hornady Custom ammunition and their newer American Gunner product, both of which are more narrow at the point. Try that and see if it helps.


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## ferg75407

This sounds like a project with calipers at the ammo store. It makes sense since there are variations of dimensions. 
I'll be using this information on my future purchases. 
Thanks for your input, good day


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## hud35500

I'm not familiar with Monarch ammunition, but the DRT stuff can cause malfunctions in some handguns. Very high velocity and light weight bullets don't allow the gun to completely cycle the slide, resulting in a failure to feed properly. I use Federal HST's, Winchester Ranger, & Speer Gold Dot in my G2 and have had no malfunctions. Either 115 or 124 grain. Try some of these, if you experience further FTF's, It's probably not the ammo.


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## pic

Keep using hardball, 
Its the way to go anyway. 

Better reliability,


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## Steve M1911A1

Any decent pistolsmith should be able to make any pistol feed any ammunition.
My 1911s both feed empty cases, for example.

Sometimes, it's a matter of feed angle. That's a big deal, because it could be a magazine issue, a feed-ramp issue, an extractor issue, or some combination of the three.

Generally speaking, the first thing to try is a feed-ramp polish job. That's within the kitchen-table capabilities of any reasonably-handy person.
If that works, you're home free. If it doesn't, then you need that competent pistolsmith to do a more complex job.

If you'd like instructions on how to do a polish job, please send me a PM. I have them all written out and ready, and other shooters have used them successfully.
The materials are inexpensive, and the work takes only about an hour.


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## ferg75407

the round makes contact with the ramp while it is too low to get the upper push. hud35500 mentioned short cycle with light ammo like the DRT 85gr makes some sense. The monarch 124gr should be heavy enough for a full stroke, mu guess. 
I have marked a magizine to track the two of them (more paper work, yae). 
Pic said keep using hardball ( you guys?)
Thanks for all the lessons. later


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## Steve M1911A1

Best-quality hollow-point (HP) bullets have a smoother, more-ogival nose shape, and will feed properly in _most_ properly-set-up pistols. Not all.
Try a (25-round) box of premium-quality HP ammunition-as made by Speer, Hornaday, Remington, Winchester, or one of the others-and see if it makes a difference.


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## Spike12

I had two 3" 1911s. Neither one would be JHP through a full magazine. Bullets that used Horady FTX bullets were the worst because FTX bullets were flat sided w/o any curve.

I agree, polishing the feed ramp _without modify it's angle_ is a great idea for just about all guns.

Secondly, doing a formal job of keeping track of which magazines work or don't work might solve your answer. Make sure they are clean, inside and out. Do NOT lubricate them.

The condition of their feed lips could be your entire problem. Their accuracy determine timing and angles of the next round coming out of the magazine as it's presented to the breech. SO if you've dropped your mags on their lips that could be your problem.


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## ferg75407

A more formal experiment shows the DRT the 85 gram HP ammo is not heavy enough to cause the slide to move full travel. It would not send the slide back far enough to latch with an empty magazine. It also would not go back far enough to eject e very time, but it would catch on the next round in the magazine. what a traffic jam. 
The Monarch 124 gram jacketed hollow points may not be a problem I will try them and reportback, in a more formal test.
What is a "stovepipe"?
I am appreciative of your help on the "zen" of semi automatic hand guns. One is never too old to learn, sometimes too foolish to listen.


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## Steve M1911A1

A "stovepipe" is a kind of incomplete-ejection jam in which the expended cartridge case is extracted from the pistol's chamber, but is so incompletely ejected that it ends up trapped between barrel-breech and slide face, usually vertical (or almost so), half out of the ejection port.
It resembles a chimney, sticking up out of the "roof" of the pistol. Thus it is called a "stovepipe."


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## joebeasley

I fired twenty of the freedom munitions 124 grain xtp hollow points through the pt111 without any issues.


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## PT111Pro

OK I shoot the PT 111 Pro first series but had never any problem feeding and firing. Looks like if all the good advice doesn't help you have to send the gun to Taurus.
Taurus International Manufacturing Inc - Repair Policy Shipping


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## Silverbullit

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Best-quality hollow-point (HP) bullets have a smoother, more-ogival nose shape, and will feed properly in _most_ properly-set-up pistols. Not all.
> Try a (25-round) box of premium-quality HP ammunition-as made by Speer, Hornaday, Rermington, Winchester, or one of the others-and see if it makes a difference.


I usually run Federal HST 124gr JHP & CorBon's DPX 115gr JHP with no FTF or FTE whatsoever. However, I'm planning to use Steve's method of polishing the feed ramp and throat with Flitz as well.

I also concur with Steve on the ogival nose shape issue.


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## pic

I try to find the worse ammo , to the best, if it all feeds well that's good,.

But I hate to depend on a certain brand of ammo for reliability


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## TEXN8

My G2 eats Hornady Critical Defense like it's starving. I have about 800 rounds thru it (most of it fmj) for target, but about once every 200 rds, I feed it some of the hp, just to ensure no sudden indigestion. So, I guess what I'm saying is maybe it's the type of hp. Try something different, like the Hornady. Just a suggestion. Please post your results


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## djr

Mine is ok with golden Saber but hydra shok JHP Personal defence with 12 rounds in mag is a no go with 11 ok.


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## berettatoter

I usually just load mine up with the old school Federal 115 grainers, but it does fine with Hornady Critical Defense too.


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## DLYskes1976

In my pt111 g2, I use Hornady American gunner 124gr bullets and have had no issues with them feeding, check them out...


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## PT111Pro

The post is now 1 year old but I thought I post the solution for people that still have that problem with new PT 111 G2 guns and strive the web for a hint to solve the problem.

The PT111 Millenium G2 has a new Magazine Problem. Not feeding the HP or xtp shaped bullet is caused by a nose dive of the round into the magazine when pushed out by the slide. The front of the round dives down and the edge of the bullet (hp/xtp) get stoped on the bottom of the barrel feed ramp. FMJ rounds dive too but they don't have a edge on the bullet and feed therefore reliable.

How to fix the problem?
It is actually caused by the Magazine Spring. Load the Magazine up when the gun is stored to weaken the spring. In the first 300 round shooting with a particular magazine, load the Magazine with not more than 10 HP/XTP rounds. (FMJ should not be affected)

Some PT 24/7 G2 in 40 sw reporded the same problem.


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## Steve M1911A1

PT111Pro said:


> ...Load the Magazine up when the gun is stored to weaken the spring...


This won't work very well.
A new coil spring will quickly "take a set," which will shorten it a small amount.
But leaving a coil spring fully compressed for any length of time will not have any further effect on it.

Coil springs wear out when they are repeatedly compressed and released.
The internal molecular "friction" that results from repeated cycling causes the spring's metal to fatigue, and, finally, to fail.
But leaving a coil spring in either a relaxed or a compressed state will have so little effect that it is virtually unmeasurable.

It may be that the "set" taken by a new coil spring during its first few compressions will solve the problem, as *PT111Pro* suggests.
But leaving the magazine loaded, under full compression, won't.


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## Livingthedream

First guess is the ammo . Second guess check your extractor to make sure it is not damaged or gunked up. The round may not be getting seated properly .


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## eddd777

Correct. I have read this by spring makers, as well.

Some say not to lube a magazine. I have found that a light lube really helps deal with the friction, especially felt when loading with thumbs and not a speed loader, and especially with loading the last few rounds. As the spring gets more and more compressed, there is going to be increased friction inside the mag. A bit off point, I know, but it sort of fits.


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## pic

eddd777 said:


> Correct. I have read this by spring makers, as well.
> 
> Some say not to lube a magazine. I have found that a light lube really helps deal with the friction, especially felt when loading with thumbs and not a speed loader, and especially with loading the last few rounds. As the spring gets more and more compressed, there is going to be increased friction inside the mag. A bit off point, I know, but it sort of fits.


sounds like we have keep loading full mags. Lol.

Cool ! Makes sense to me.
:smt1099


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## pic

eddd777 said:


> Correct. I have read this by spring makers, as well.
> 
> Some say not to lube a magazine. I have found that a light lube really helps deal with the friction, especially felt when loading with thumbs and not a speed loader, and especially with loading the last few rounds. As the spring gets more and more compressed, there is going to be increased friction inside the mag. A bit off point, I know, but it sort of fits.


 like you said ,,the last few rounds have the most spring tension ...


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## Steve M1911A1

eddd777 said:


> ...Some say not to lube a magazine...


I, too, say that you should not lubricate a magazine.
The lubricant will collect dirt, and the lubricated dirt will become viscous gunk.
The resulting viscous gunk will impede the magazine's spring and follower, and will make it mis-feed.

Magazines should be cleaned periodically. Remove both spring and follower, and brush all the collected crud out.


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## pic

Concerning the hollow points unreliable feed, I would just use hardball for reliability.. If you're determined to carry hollow points, get a different gun Imo


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## pic

Basically you don't or shouldn't lube a magazine. Unless you're really good at it. It would be IMO just a rust preventative on the spring,, But as STEVE said above ,, "it will collect dust and dirt" ,,,if not done properly.


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## Blackhawkman

It's the bullet Ogive that is too steep for the feed ramp. Try FMJ ammo then if that doesn't work>>>sell that Taurus and get a good pistol.? jmho fwiw


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## Airetime

*Taurus PT111 G2 misfire*



ferg75407 said:


> My gun is new with about a hundred rds fired and missfeeds hollow points, no problem with fmj. They dont seem to come up high enough to get to the ramp on the back of the barrel. It puts a flat spot at the forward edge of hollow. I have tried DRT the 85 gram HP and the Monarch 124 gram jacketed hollow points.
> One out of about 10-15 missfeed. I have cleaned and looked at the ramp on the back of the barrel, did not see anything.There is also a ramp in the body below the barrel ramp, it does appear to be contacting the bullet. Talked with Taurus, They suggested looking at the bullets! The ammo looks consistant, The DRT leading edge is sharp which to me suggests that it could dig in if meets something soft. The monarch leading edge is radiused pretty well.
> Is there a regulated dimension for this ammo? Are these hollow point brands controlling their product dimensions? Where could I find these dimensions?
> Is my gun the problem, are there other guns of this model with these problems, is this ammo a problem?
> Thanks for any and all suggestions and disscusion.


I own two PT111 G2's and have not had an issue. I pre-loaded the mags for a week or so before I went to the range. I put a couple hundred rounds through and all clustered nicely. I used reloads, Winchester, Herters and Hornady Critical Defense and not a whimper. I alternated between 4 magazines. Anytime I purchase a new firearm, I pre-load and let them set the spring so they feed smother and it is much easier to load the last round. Old School, but it has worked for me. Both of mine were purchased to CC and have performed well. Swap the magazines around, pre-load for a week or two, empty the magazine by hand and reload. Taurus has a well deserved "bad rap" due to the fact that Taurus was hit and miss with the quality issue back years ago. A lower cost pistol does not make a bad gun, but some shooters have a long memory. The PT111 G2's are accurate and are not fussy about ammo used IMHO. The only complaint that I have is some of the mags were not dropping when I released them empty, until I put a dab of gun lube on the mag and release, worked it in, wiped it off and was a bit more aggressive on loading, loaded/released a couple dozen times, no more issue with that. Worse come to worse, Taurus has a "Lifetime Warranty" on their firearms now. I'd do what you did and call them (Florida) and talk to customer service. Usually they will either tell you what to do on the phone or get you fixed up with the procedure to either have Taurus fix or replace at no cost to you. They stand by their work on a consistent basis these days. Last thing, like firing a 45, don't limp wrist it! Sometimes I don't grip firm enough on the Glock.45 and it will misfeed on me and I will cuss myself out for not paying enough attention to that. Good review from Hickock45 at youtube.com/watch?v=MH3tJrK2ma4[/url] Good luck


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