# HELP! 1911 Locking Up!



## Redelf88 (Oct 3, 2009)

Hello all you 1911 enthusiasts. 

I've hit a snag with a recently purchased Dan Wesson Classic Commander Bobtail 1911. I ran some Golden Saber 185 grain JHPs through it no problem. Then I wanted to get some other ammo, so I bought some Buffalo Bore 230 grain +P JHPs. I noticed that it would not always chamber fully, meaning I had to bump the rear of the slide, and I also noticed that it did not eject properly on occasion. Also, when unloading a loaded chamber, the round would "stick" a little bit, and require more force than usual to eject it. 

So I knew I couldn't carry with ammo that didn't function well, so I bought some Hornady TAP 200 grain +P JHPs. BAD THINGS STARTED OCCURING. Upon first trying to chamber a round, the firearm "locked up." It would not fully chamber, but neither could I eject the live round. I had to (carefully) disassemble the firearm, then tap the front with a rubber mallet to eject the round. Thinking it might be a fluke, I reassembled the 1911, and tried to chamber a round. The same thing happened, and I was forced to repeat the process of disassembling a firearm with a live round in it. Then I polished up the feed ramp and made sure the firearm was functioning without ammo, and tried again. Same thing. This time, I tapped the rear of the slide sharply with the mallet to chamber the round, and fired it. But the next round of course, locked the gun up again. 

I then disassembled it, and in the process, lost my recoil spring plug, :-(

I have an Ed Brown one ordered, as well as a 20 lbs. Ed Brown recoil spring. 

Any advice or comments or troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated, as I dropped a pretty penny on this gun. Thanks so much! 

-Nate


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I bet that there is a ring of broken-off cartridge case, or of some other foreign material, in the front end of your pistol's chamber.
Take the gun completely apart and, using a light, carefully examine the chamber from front to back.
Next, with the barrel still out of the gun and completely separate from it, and pointing muzzle down, try to drop a factory-loaded round into the chamber.
If this round doesn't fully enter the chamber of its own weight, there is something seriously wrong with the barrel.

If that trial round does fully enter the chamber of its own weight, check the slide's breech-face, and also under the extractor hook, for well-attached crud that can be scraped off (or out).

If none of that works, see a gunsmith. If I had your pistol in my hands, I could decode your problem in a couple of minutes, but such is not the case. A real gunsmith will be able to find the problem pretty quickly.

Supplementary Thoughts:
Could your gun somehow be chambered for the .45 GAP cartridge? Check the barrel and slide for markings. The .45 GAP is just a little bit shorter than the .45 ACP.
Did you have any trouble at all, chambering your first batch of Golden Saber cartridges? Did any of them eject sluggishly, or make a "funny noise"? Maybe that was the point when something broke off in the chamber.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

Sounds dangerous to me? I'd send it back for repair, or go to a gunsmith. Disasembling a firearm w/ a live round in the chamber doesn't sound good.


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## Gunners_Mate (Feb 17, 2010)

+1 everything Steve M1911A1 said :mrgreen:


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## 45Sidekick (Oct 18, 2011)

Gunners_Mate said:


> +1 everything Steve M1911A1 said :mrgreen:


i second that, steve always seems to have the right info for your shooting needs


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## Redelf88 (Oct 3, 2009)

Okay, so I tried dropping a round in, and it appears to drop in fine. I cleaned the barrel, and did not see any fragments in the chamber. Am getting ready to test again... after that I'm taking it in to a gunsmith.


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## Redelf88 (Oct 3, 2009)

I just tried again, and the first round chambered fine, but was hard to eject, the second did not chamber fully and was also hard to eject, but it currently is not locking up completely, which is a plus. I'm taking it to a local gunsmith who is a wizard at figuring out what's wrong with a firearm.


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

Why not just call Dan Wesson and have them fix it? Sounds like the chamber might need a little reaming.


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## 45Sidekick (Oct 18, 2011)

hope its nothing too bad. i hate it for you man, those dan wessons cost a pretty penny


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I nominate an extractor problem; or the firing pin is dirty, and sticks out of the breech-face.

Please let us know what the real problem is, as soon as you find out.


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> ...... or the firing pin is dirty, and sticks out of the breech-face......


*IF* this is the case there is a real risk of an "out of battery" detonation or even a slamfire... be UBERCAREFULL till you figure it out


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## Redelf88 (Oct 3, 2009)

Okay, figured it out. It looks like the chamber is in fact made to tighter specs, and therefore is picky about ammo. If the ammo has a slightly longer case or more bullet "bulge" than target ammunition, it doesn't like it. So far, target hardball, Remington Golden Sabers, and Speer Gold Dot all function fine, but Hornady Crit Defense, Cor-Bon, Buffalo Bore, and several other prominent ammunitions are out. 

Now that that is sorted out, I could've kept it and just bought ammo that it likes, but I can't carry a gun that locked up on me that bad without doubting its reliability. Thought this might make some people wince, I traded it on a new Sig P226. I've found Sigs to have great reliability for a carry gun.

I'm sad that I sold my Ruger SR1911 for the Dan Wesson. So far, my favorite 1911 was a Smith Commander 1911PD Gunsite edition. 

Anyway, thanks all for the advice and help. I appreciate it!


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

Redelf88 said:


> Okay, figured it out. It looks like the chamber is in fact made to tighter specs, and therefore is picky about ammo. If the ammo has a slightly longer case or more bullet "bulge" than target ammunition, it doesn't like it. So far, target hardball, Remington Golden Sabers, and Speer Gold Dot all function fine, but Hornady Crit Defense, Cor-Bon, Buffalo Bore, and several other prominent ammunitions are out.
> 
> Now that that is sorted out, I could've kept it and just bought ammo that it likes, but I can't carry a gun that locked up on me that bad without doubting its reliability. Thought this might make some people wince, I traded it on a new Sig P226. I've found Sigs to have great reliability for a carry gun.
> 
> ...


Yes, I'm wincing. Dan Wesson would probably would have fixed the gun under warranty service and as the CBob is out of production they are harder and harder to come buy and are sought after by a lot of guys not wanting to pay a couple hundred more for a VBob.

9/10 times you loose money on a trade.

I would have kept the C'Bob, but to each their own.


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## tom1911sigfreak (Dec 10, 2011)

I got a Dan wesson heritage last week, took it apart cleaned and oiled it. It shot fine until the 15th round the slide locked almost all the way back not ejecting the round. It was locked up real tight! I took it back to the shop and put a rag on her and tapped it till I could get everything in line to disassemble. I got it apart cleaned it again checked it out all looked good, lubed again with the oil they included. put it back together cycled it 10 times smooth. Went out shot it again 1st shot locked back up. I removed the mag. and this time I was able to close the slide by hand. Cycled it 10 more times put the mag back in and 150 rounds later working good.Are they just tight guns? By the way this is by far the best shooting gun I have ever shot so far.I really like everything about it! (except for the jamming deal)hope that was just teething pains!


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## Gunners_Mate (Feb 17, 2010)

I've never gotten my hands on one, but they are expensive because of what they are, custom, hand fitted, TIGHT tolerance guns. I'm not surprised in the least to hear about thing's like this. but I can imagine after your "teething" pains you'll have a tack driver to which all other tack drivers aspire to be.


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