I've been reading posts on the forum for some time and haven't posted much. This forum is one that's different. Everyone more or less behaves and interacts with other members in a respectful way. That's refreshing in this era of instant news and high tech communications.
But now I have a question. I have a Springfield 1911 A1 45 ACP that shoots just fine but has a couple peculiar things about it.
It's very particular about the magazines that will work in it.
And the brass after it has been fired and ejected has a definite scrape and a flattened spot on it. I marked a round before firing and it seems that the scraped and flattened place is about 90 degrees or a little more (clockwise when viewed from the primer end of the cartridge)from the top of the round as it enters the chamber.
Any ideas?

Welcome and I agree this is a friendly forum for sure. I don't know anything about the Springfield but the 1911 is a great pistol I would guess the dent is coming from the ejector. You might want to check out this link.
New 1911 is denting the brass | The High Road

As you describe it, it is being pulled by the extractor and is getting caught before it is totally ejected. Sounds like it is being smashed as a pre-fail to eject. Hot load? small/standard ejection port?

The first fix I would try is a recoil buffer on the return spring guide rod! $2 or $3 fix that should be done anyway.

Ivan

Wouldn't a mark from the ejector be 90° counter-clockwise when looking from the case head end?

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Release the Kraken

I have the Mil Spec, mine has the lowered & scalloped Ejection port. If your brass is dinging then your extractor probably needs tuning. But are you shooting factory loads 230 grain? Remember, if it doesn't run right with 230 grain ball then something on the pistol needs tweaking. Always start with 230 grain standard GI ball ammo.

Not really specific to your issue but I'll add a few thoughts. You should have a 16 lb. recoil spring, 23 lb. mainspring imo. I replaced my titanium FP with a steel one by Ed Brown. SA 1911 is proprietary size FP., don't recall off the top of my head but research it if your'e going that way or I can look at the part number / FP size for you in my supplies when I get time.

Finally, any new manufacture stock Colt 7 rounder mag should work, again, that's the litmus test. Wilsons & Chip McCormick mags feed very high & straighter into the barrel, they bypass the actual functional design inherent in a standard GI mag so again, what kind of mags are you using?

Just ran into the same problem with a 1943 arsenal rework. EXCEPT that it only does it with 230 hardball factory ammo. If I change to my std reload of a 200g coated Lead bullet at 900 fps, it doesn't scrape or flatten the case. this is the responses I got on the Colt forum.
As the slide opens and the extractor pulls the case out, the ejector on the left side of the frame flips the empty case out. As the case spins out, the case mouth hits the rear of the ejection port pretty hard. The lower velocity of the cast bullets don't hit as hard.

and

Yes. If the brass is getting dinged on ejection, there is always the chance the brass will not clear the slide in the extraction/ejection cycle and stay in the ejection port long enough to get caught as the slide goes back into battery. It is generally a difficult malfunction to clear.

If the gun is a spare and not a dedicated carry gun I wouldn't worry about it. But if you want the gun to be reliable...I would stick with a standard 16# recoil spring, quality 7 round mags and ammo you know to be 100% for function. If you follow those guide lines the basic 1911 has been good to go for over 100 years.

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Charlie

Does your 1911 have the lowered and scallopped ejection port, or the older smaller port? I know the smaller ejection port could sometimes ding brass upon ejection. I would agree with those who said to look at the ejector and see if it needs some tuning. From what I've read, lowering the ejection port wasn't done for reliability but to prevent case dings for reloaders.

Another thought. Have you ever removed the ejector? I wonder if it's possible it was installed slightly off. While the firing pin stop prevents the ejector from clocking inside the slide, there can be some play there. Having an oversized firing pin stop, like the one from EGW, installed would prevent that.

As for the magazines, my first question would be what mags are you using? Also, what exactly is the issue with the mags? I have a Colt 70 Series Gold Cup that won't let some mags be inserted without pressing the mag release during insertion. I can't remember offhand which mags. If I get around to checking later, I'll edit this post with an update. It could just be manufacturing variances stacking up to make it incompatible. 1911 people often experiment with different mags to find the ones that work best with their guns.

New Recoil Spring, (18lbs), Tripp or Wilson 47 Magazine

The scrape on the brass is from the brass impacting the bottom edge of the ejection port during the ejection sequence. It is of little concern so long as ejection is reliable. The ejection pattern can be tuned through extractor tension and the use of a properly fitted and tuned extended ejector.

Magazines can be the Achilles heel of the 1911. Springfield Armory magazines are high quality and usually quite reliable. Colt and Mec-Gar magazines also usually work well. Cheap magazines often result in malfunctions. Unless the magazine body is extended, you are best served with 7 round magazines. Cramming an 8th round into the standard length magazine body requires a spring of thinner diameter and a magazine follower that is shorter and more prone to tipping.

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