Clearing chambered round results in jam

Almostelmo

Almostelmo

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wtf over

I can't seem to clear a chambered live WWB 230 grain .45 without it jamming in the ejection port. I can't duplicate the problem with snap caps because they are shorter than the WWB rounds and they eject without issue. I stuck this snap cap in there as an example of what's happening.

D7K_9311.jpg


It's a sig ultra 1911...I really like this gun but little things like this are really starting to piss me off. To make matters worse, I just noticed dents in the primers of 4 rounds that I tried to clear.

D7K_9306.jpg


Is this my stupidity or what? Federal 230 grain rounds seem to be the same size so I'm assuming it will happen with them as well and after seeing those dented primers I'd rather not test them out [sad2]
 
Does the extractor seem to be functioning? It is frozen in place at all? I wouldn't try anything with live ammo. If you reload you make up a couple dummy rounds to the same overall length as the 230 grain rounds.
 
Did you by chance install one of those "Frame Saver" buffer washers on your guide rod?

It looks as if something is preventing the slide from going fully to the rear.
 
Check out the wwb specs onsome of the rounds. Is this a new malfunction? I have various issues with wwb ammo. Most recent was stove pipe jam with 9mm.
As noted above have you changed anything.....at work we have a saying "go where man has been or touched last "
 
Mike_Diako said:
Does the extractor seem to be functioning? It is frozen in place at all? I wouldn't try anything with live ammo. If you reload you make up a couple dummy rounds to the same overall length as the 230 grain rounds.
Click to expand...
Yes the ejector functions. Clears the snap caps with no problem. I don't reload so I can't make dummies.
Mike-Mike said:
Did you by chance install one of those "Frame Saver" buffer washers on your guide rod?

It looks as if something is preventing the slide from going fully to the rear.
Click to expand...
I haven't done anything to this gun except clean it and shoot it. When it jams, the slide can only move back a tiny bit...like a 1/16". It's tough to do, but every time it's jammed I have to pull the slide back as far as it can go and try to push the round back into the port so it can fall out the magwell.
mac1911 said:
Check out the wwb specs onsome of the rounds. Is this a new malfunction? I have various issues with wwb ammo. Most recent was stove pipe jam with 9mm.
As noted above have you changed anything.....at work we have a saying "go where man has been or touched last "
Click to expand...
It's not necessarily a new malfunction, I haven't been able to clear a single round by hand without an issue. I don't have any verniers handy right now, I'll check them sometime this weekend.
Supermoto said:
The ejection port is to small and/or the ejector is to long . Do you have a dremel?
Click to expand...
I do have a dremel.

It seems to always hang up right here
D7K_9313.jpg


It's like when I rack the slide back the nose of the bullet hits that and bounces it back in to the ejection port.

Also, only 300 rounds fired by me with this gun. Previous owner claimed only 50 rounds fired since new.
 
This has been a great learning experience. I understand how all of this works now, so if I shorten the ejector it's just going to allow more rearward travel of the slide before ejecting the round, correct? Will this affect anything else, assuming I keep the exact same ejector profile? What are the benefits/shortcomings of having the ejector longer or shorter?
 
Almostelmo said:
This has been a great learning experience. I understand how all of this works now, so if I shorten the ejector it's just going to allow more rearward travel of the slide before ejecting the round, correct? Will this affect anything else, assuming I keep the exact same ejector profile? What are the benefits/shortcomings of having the ejector longer or shorter?
Click to expand...

Nooooo.... Don't shorten/modify/bubba anything. I think they are looking for obvious signs of a broken ejector.
 
terraformer said:
Nooooo.... Don't shorten/modify/bubba anything. I think they are looking for obvious signs of a broken ejector.
Click to expand...

Nope, looking to see how long the ejector was. Almostelmo is correct, if you shorten the ejector you will get more rearward travel before the round ejects, allowing the nose of the bullet to clear the barrel hood ( you don't want to modify the hood). This is one of the issues with the short recoil officer length 1911, just not enough slide travel. One problem is that the ejection port is very small and square, so it may have problem there also

The benefit of a long ejector is the case will hit at a higher speed resulting in more positive ejection. If the ejector is to short, they hit hit when the slide speed to to low resulting in weak uncontrolled ejection.

If I was you I would trim the ejector, worst thing happens is you need to get another one.

Those dents on the primer is from the ejector. The extractor is losing control of the round when it hits the barrel hood and the rim of the case is sliding over to the ejector. You can get out of battery detonations from this. Be very careful where you place you hand on the slide while ejecting the live round. I would grab from the back serration and not near the ejection port
 
Last edited:
Supermoto said:
Nope, looking to see how long the ejector was. Almostelmo is correct, if you shorten the ejector you will get more rearward travel before the round ejects, allowing the nose of the bullet to clear the barrel hood ( you don't want to modify the hood). This is one of the issues with the short recoil officer length 1911, just not enough slide travel. One problem is that the ejection port is very small and square, so it may have problem there also

The benefit of a long ejector is the case will hit at a higher speed resulting in more positive ejection. If the ejector is to short, they hit hit when the slide speed to to low resulting in weak uncontrolled ejection.

If I was you I would trim the ejector, worst thing happens is you need to get another one.

Those dents on the primer is from the ejector. The extractor is losing control of the round when it hits the barrel hood and the rim of the case is sliding over to the ejector. You can get out of battery detonations from this. Be very careful where you place you hand on the slide while ejecting the live round. I would grab from the back serration and not near the ejection port
Click to expand...

That's cool, I was more trying to pause the newbie from grabbing power tools and destroying stuff and his warranty.
 
Supermoto said:
Nope, looking to see how long the ejector was. Almostelmo is correct, if you shorten the ejector you will get more rearward travel before the round ejects, allowing the nose of the bullet to clear the barrel hood ( you don't want to modify the hood). This is one of the issues with the short recoil officer length 1911, just not enough slide travel. One problem is that the ejection port is very small and square, so it may have problem there also

The benefit of a long ejector is the case will hit at a higher speed resulting in more positive ejection. If the ejector is to short, they hit hit when the slide speed to to low resulting in weak uncontrolled ejection.

If I was you I would trim the ejector, worst thing happens is you need to get another one.

Those dents on the primer is from the ejector. The extractor is losing control of the round when it hits the barrel hood and the rim of the case is sliding over to the ejector. You can get out of battery detonations from this. Be very careful where you place you hand on the slide while ejecting the live round. I would grab from the back serration and not near the ejection port
Click to expand...

above bold - Bear in mind like SM states you may actually end up with no ejection if you use wimpy loads and or limp wrist the gun. The statement that "When it jams, the slide can only move back a tiny bit...like a 1/16". It's tough to do," There is not a lot of wiggle room.
 
Thanks for the help guys, really. Not sure what I'm going to do about it right now. I have no doubt I'd be able to fix it without destroying anything, as I'm a metal fabricator by trade...but I'll probably contact Sig on Monday and see what they can do for me. At least now I know why it's happening...again, thanks for the help.
 
Just finished shortening and reshaping the ejector. I took maybe 1/32" off...probably less...and that's all it needed. It ejects live 230gn FMJ perfectly now. I'll report back after a trip to the range to make sure everything is working properly.

[banana]
 
FYI, most 1911's are not cut to allow an unfired round to clear the port. I don't have a shot of one now but for IDPA/ USPSA it is common to cut the front section of the port to allow clearance for live round ejection. This should be done on a mill and by someone who has the skill since over cutting will expose a locking lug.
 
Follow up

Just put about 200 rounds of various 230gn FMJ (fiocchi, federal, WWB) and a couple mags worth of 230gn JHP's (speer gold dot short barrel) through it and everything went well. I took my two roommates shooting (both first timers!) and one of them had 3 FTE's but he was definitely limp wristing it. I gave him some tips and he didn't have any more issues.

Shells were ejecting at about 4:30, right over my right shoulder. Before working on the ejector it seemed like they came straight out at 3:00 and bounced off the dividers at the range and often hit me in the side of the head...so 4:30 works perfectly for me. The shells did occasionally have a small scrape or dent around the rim of the cartridge, which it did before as well. It was really bad when I first got the gun, and seems to be happening less the more I shoot it.

Now if I could only find some holsters for this thing...

Thanks again for everyone's help in solving this problem.
 
Supermoto said:
Those dents on the primer is from the ejector. The extractor is losing control of the round when it hits the barrel hood and the rim of the case is sliding over to the ejector. You can get out of battery detonations from this. Be very careful where you place you hand on the slide while ejecting the live round. I would grab from the back serration and not near the ejection port
Click to expand...

yes, someone posted on here a little while back about this happening to them in a match, he nearly blew his finger off.
 

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