10mm 1911 Troubleshooting

I have worked 1911 handguns for many years, usually chambered in .45 ACP and occasionally .38 ACP Super and 9mm. 1911s are sometimes chambered in the 10mm cartridge, which has proven more challenging in many ways. Introducing greater power and momentum into a firearm originally intended for a low pressure number simply cannot be done without trade-offs. After dealing with the first 10mm 1911 handguns up through modern variants, I have discovered most of the quirks.

Some are the same as high-wear .45s, while others are unique to the 10mm. While most failures seem to be related to the magazine in the .45, there are other factors with the 10mm. Recoil springs are one problem. Some makes seem to have a spring too weak for the 10mm, resulting in excess recoil. Others have a spring that is too strong and the last cartridge in the magazine fails to feed. Ammunition Wilson Combat magazines pictured. is always a suspect as makers rush to make the cheapest ammo.

The extractor remains a problem. Hamhanded and ten-thumbed home gunsmiths are another. As an example of the problems encountered, I recently went over a custom grade 10mm brought in because it did not go into battery. The owner had told me it wasn’t feeding. He was wrong. The pistol never failed to feed the bullet nose into the chamber. Feeding and failure to go into battery are very different problems. The slide was not

completely closing on the cartridge in the chamber. Sometimes the bullet nose was pointing straight up in the slide window. The slide flipped the round down, catching it on the rim and the nose flipped up. This seemed to be a magazine spring issue, however, adding extra power W. C. Wolff magazine springs did not help. The magazines were more difficult to load but the problem persisted. I took a recoil spring from a functioning SIG 1911 .45 and replaced the 10mm recoil spring.

Function became perfect, recoil was a bit more but not excessive. The pistol, a 10mm Commander, had been over-sprung. A lighter weight recoil spring worked just fine. Sometimes the slide outruns the magazine to the point the slide actually slams forward on an empty chamber; this is more rare but it occurs. Sometimes the bullet rams the feed ramp and ties things up.

Fairly often I have seen another malfunction occurring with modern magazines that have eliminated the original metal follower design of the 1911. 10mm recoil actually jars the cartridge when it is still in the magazine. Sometimes the round fails to feed. A shorter follower of the conventional type is about as bad. Sometimes magazines simply do not have the correct tension. Another thing to look for is the extractor is too close to the center of the breechface. Be certain to use dummy rounds and check for clearance.

The extractor may be adjusted if this situation is present. Another problem that I have encountered more often with the 10mm 1911 than other calibers is the bullet nose hitting the slide lock and locking the slide open. For some reason it is more common on round seven, eight, or nine, depending on the magazine. The first stick of cartridges feeds just fine most of the time. I suppose as the pistol feeds with spring tension at a given point but that tension lessens with less rounds in the magazine.

The answer in this case was to file and polish the slide stop extension. I had to remove Be certain each is properly tuned. more metal than I liked but the pistol functioned correctly. However, the shortened slide lock may not completely engage the polymer/plastic follower of some modern magazines. It is a tough call but the bottom line is the pistol functioned after this work and with both factory-issued followers and Mec-Gar magazines.

After going through several Rock Island Armory 10mm handguns, mostly full size but also the Rock Island Armory Commander and a Fusion Firearms version, I think I have a handle on the proper springs. I have also had similar experience with both Ruger and Kimber 10mm pistols. It is a sign of the times that I have not seen a Colt in the shop in awhile as there are more 1911 10mm handguns from other makers than Colt. The 18.5 pound recoil spring and a #25 hammer spring seems the best spot.

The heavier springs sometimes cause short cycles. I have gone as far as a 20 pound recoil spring and #26 hammer spring in a Commander 10mm set up for Buffalo Bore loads. When it comes to the 10mm battering is a concern but modern slides and frames, even the cast ones, are pretty tough. I have not seen a cracked or broken a slide or frame in some time. I have seen early model Colt 10mm guns, before the improved frame cut in the Delta

Far Elite, that did have broken frames after only a few thousand cartridges. The slide lock, link, and link pin do get beat up and battered, however, and should be checked periodically. Every five hundred rounds of full power ammunition is a good spot to check and certainly every 1,000 rounds. If the spent cartridge cases seem to be taking a beating, the end of the ejector may need to be cut and polished. I think that the flat bottom firing pin stop is a good idea.

Quite a bit of the slide’s velocity is used in cocking the hammer. If the hammer spring is heavier, it helps slow recoil. The flat bottom firing pin stop increases slide leverage and force is moved nearer the fulcrum. As an aside, at Gun Tests magazine it has become necessary to measure the pressure needed to rack the slide. Readers, particularly older readers, asked for this information. An ability to rack the slide or not is far from inconsequential.

Some slides are much more difficult to rack, with a heavily-sprung 10mm being the worst and the new S&W 380 Shield EZ being easiest. The Bond Arms Bullpup 9 with its rotating barrel is also very easy to rack and use well. I have constructed a gauge that measures the slide force. Using a standard fisherman’s scale with a line, a strong vise clamp, and leather pads in the clamp to protect the slide, practice racking the slide to simulate loading the pistol measures the force needed.

This setup requires being careful of the vector of the force, which needs to be kept straight down and consistent. While the racking force may not be the actual weight of the recoil spring, it is close and a close correlation should exist. The main point is the test is valid, repeatable, and useful in comparing one handgun to the other in terms of slide racking force. The 10mm requires a stronger racking force than the .45, 9mm, or .38 Super and this may be excessive for many shooters.

The 10mm may not be the ideal handgun for older shooters and using This firing pin and extractor are fitted well. lighter springs and soft loads with it essentially makes it a .40 S&W. Extractor and Firing Stop Fitting Since I mentioned the extractor and firing pin stop I would be remiss not to go into detail on how they are fitted. The 10mm 1911 needs more preventive maintenance than the 9mm, .38 Super, or .45 ACP pistols.

A sports car need more care and a heavy truck needs more maintenance and so it is with the 10mm due to the higher pressure and momentum of the cartridge. When testing the 1911 10mm the first chore is to field strip the pistol with the slide off the frame. Remove the barrel and barrel bushing. Force the cartridge case rim of a fully loaded cartridge (a heavy dummy round with actual bullet but no powder or primer) under the extractor hook. Be certain the cartridge case is in the normal feeding position.

Move the slide; not vigorously shaken but enough to put some force into the action. The cartridge should not loosen from the extractor. If the cartridge case falls loose from the extractor it is time to adjust the tension. As long as the extractor hook is good and sharp then adjusting tension is OK compared to fitting an extractor. If the extractor tension isn’t sufficient to hold the cartridge case, the extractor must be (Continued on page 23)

tuned. First, press the firing pin inward to release tension on the firing pin stop. Press the firing pin stop out, being careful to capture the firing pin and firing pin spring as they are under pressure. The extractor may need a bump from a screwdriver to get out; just give it a tug. Remove the extractor and then reinsert the extractor into the extractor groove or channel. Only about a half inch of the extractor— the front—should be inserted into the channel. Bend the extractor very slightly. Try it again.

Don’t get the extractor too tight. The raised section on the extractor is called a locator pad and sets the point the extractor groove contacts the cartridge case rim. Pressure is largely controlled by this locator pad and the case needs to be pulled about 0.75" toward the firing pin channel.

If the cartridge case is too far from the firing pin this is controlled by incrementally and slowly removing a portion of the extractor pad while filing while ensuring the original specifications of the other dimensions of the extractor pad are maintained. When working with the 10mm 1911, and any other 1911, the firing pin stop must be correctly fitted in order for the extractor to work properly. If the firing pin stop does not simply slide into place with modest pressure, it may be too tight.

This is checked with the firing pin stop installed. Of course, if the fit is too sloppy then replace with anew stop, possibly an oversize firing pin stop, and fit it instead. The procedure is the same. Keep the right and left sides matching the other at all times and do not allow them to become eccentric. The right side of the firing pin stop where the firing pin stop contacts the extractor is filed carefully until the firing pin stop is a good press fit.

This type of press fit does not make it too difficult to remove the firing pin stop for normal maintenance and also serves to prevent the extractor from moving in its channel. The 10mm 1911 operates in the same manner as the .45 ACP and other 1911 calibers. Maintenance demands as far as changing springs is higher in my experience and the 10mm cartridge results in greater wear on the pistol and its parts. The 10mm 1911 will be in the shop more often. I hope these tips help in dealing with the piece.

Accuracy Notes The 10mm has a well-earned reputation for indifferent accuracy. Much of the problem lies with the ammunition. Bulk ammunition, shooter’s grade, intended to sell at a certain price point at the big chain stores is part of the puzzle. Generally speaking, 10mm 1911s were not as accurate as the .45 ACP but there are certain types of ammunition that exhibit greater accuracy. Fiocchi delivers good accuracy and the new Steiner brand is also proven accurate.

A custom grade handgun such as the Fusion will prove more accurate than most, but then the Kimber 10mm is pretty accurate as well. While a 10mm 1911 may respond well to an improved trigger action or a fitted barrel bushing it would be wise to explore the ammunition angle as well. If the owner uses less expensive or bargain grade ammunition then there is little point in tightening the piece up. AG