1911 Feed Ramp Polishing

[Mydogmax]

I've searched for a thread on this but can't find one. I'd like to polish the feed ramp on my 1911. My questions are........
What grit sandpaper is needed ? I presently have 3M Imperial,600 & 800 wet/dry for paint, plastics, lacquers, sealers and paints. Are the grits and type of sandpaper OK or to I need automotive type sandpaper? I also have a Dremel tool with a felt tip polishing brush. I've searched YouTube for videos regarding the procedure but can only find feed ramp polishing for 9mm where the feed ramp is part of the barrel. The 1911 has the feed ramp in the frame and only a tiny part of it in the barrel. Any advice frm 1911 experts?

 

[Grayfox]

Unless you're having feeding problems, I recommend leaving it alone. Time and shooting will smooth it out just fine.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

Unless you're having feeding problems, I recommend leaving it alone. Time and shooting will smooth it out just fine.

I would have to concur with Grayfox-- polish is not mean necessarily removal of metal-- if you feel you must do something, a polish with red rouge and GO SLOW!!!! JMO of course. In addition, I would do NOTHING until I had put 500/1000 rounds down range--

 

[Mydogmax]

Unless you're having feeding problems, I recommend leaving it alone. Time and shooting will smooth it out just fine.

Actually the feed ramp is blued like the rest of the gun. I have shot 200 rds thru it and noticed the blueing is wearing off where the rd is sliding into the chamber creating kind of a groove or more correctly put, the blueing is wearing off in the small area where the rd slides in. Initially I put 50 rds thru it with no issues. Today 150 rds with two FTF's.

 

[johngalt]

Ditto.

Unless you have a real problem that you are trying to solve, leave it alone. Polishing can cause feed problems.

If you are having problems, take it to a gunsmith or preferably send it back to the manufacturer for repair. Taking a Dremel tool to it is a good way to ruin it.

The dimensions of the feed ramp - both angle and ramp/barrel interface are important.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Is this a new gun? Try using a different ammo.

 

[Mydogmax]

Is this a new gun? Try using a different ammo.

Yes, new gun. Using Frederal 230 grain FMJ. If this is just break in period, fine. I just hear so much about polished feed ramps.

 

[BigBill]

Hang on here don't touch that sand paper and back away from that 1911 until we talk.

On every new 1911 that has the finish on the ramp I remove just the finish on the ramp first. Then if there is any machinlng marks under the finish I polish a tad more till the feed ramp has a mirror finish on it.

I use a cheap Dremel from harbor freight that's low on power. So we can't remove too much material too fast. The discs or polishing rolls from brownells they come in a kit.

I want my 1911 to be flawless in operation with any ammo. I want it to be reliable and dependable.
When I ccw carry it there is no question of failure it's not an option.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Yes, new gun. Using Frederal 230 grain FMJ. If this is just break in period, fine. I just hear so much about polished feed ramps.

I don't remember which gun you bought. But some of the less expensive 1911's don't come with the best recoil springs. Buy a new Wolff recoil spring and install it. Then leave the gun alone until you put a couple hundred rounds through it.

Fail to feed can also be cause by the magazine.

I've own several different 1911's and have never polished a feed ramp.

 

[Mydogmax]

Hang on here don't touch that sand paper and back away from that 1911 until we talk.

On every new 1911 that has the finish on the ramp I remove just the finish on the ramp first. Then if there is any machinlng marks under the finish I polish a tad more till the feed ramp has a mirror finish on it.

I use a cheap Dremel from harbor freight that's low on power. So we can't remove too much material too fast. The discs or polishing rolls from brownells they come in a kit.

Therein is my biggest question. Should the feed ramp be blued? Does it matter? Definitely not a mirrored finish with the blueing. I do have a Dremel with a felt brush.

 

[HankG]

Get a new wooden number 2 pencil with a brand new never used eraser on it. Get a sheet of 800 grit waterproof emery paper suitable for polishing steel. Cut off a piece 1/2 inch wide and 4 inches long. Put the eraser on the center of the paper on the backside. Fold it up along the length of the pencil 2 inches and hold it with your thumb and index finger so the paper doesn't move. Slide the eraser along the feed ramp up and back into the chamber entrance and out down along the ramp...not side to side! Follow the path of the bullet as it slides up the ramp and into the chamber.

Don't use a Dremel tool unless you know what your doing. You can destroy the chamber inlet very quickly which is a no-no. Take your time and make sure the rubber eraser is the only thing rubbing the paper against the steel. I take the barrel out of the gun and turn on a TV program when I do mine. After about a half an hour, the feed ramp should shine and be as smooth as a baby's behind. Depending on the quality of the barrel steel, I polish mine every 200 rounds. The Springfield Armory and Para-Ordinance barrels are made of high quality steel and need very little buffing. The KelTec and Diamondback barrels need a lot more scrutiny. Ya get what ya pay for!

 

[BigBill]

The bluing can hide machinlng marks. I use the Simi chrome polish with the drum polishing arrangiment. It's softer with the Simi chrome polish so only the finish will be removed slowly.

Mark with a sharp pencil while the slide is locked open where the edge of the barrel is on the frame. Do not change the angle of the ramp.

Just remove the finish.

We can talk later about tuning the extractor, the disconnector ramp, the full length guide rod and the 18# recoil spring.

 

[jlrhiner]

0000 or 00000 (4aught or 5aught) lapping compound. Placed on my finger rubbed until the ramp is smooth.

DO NOT use a motorized anything on any part of your pistol (carburetor, wedding ring, nuclear reactor or atomic submarine) unless your REALLY skilled with said tool.

 

[Fishslayer]

Yes, new gun. Using Frederal 230 grain FMJ. If this is just break in period, fine. I just hear so much about polished feed ramps.

Biggest causes of FTF in 1911 are magazines and extractor tension.

Plenty of tips on the internet.

Dremels have ruined a lot of firearms. If it's not feed ball ammo something else is up.

 

[venomballistics]

Before you dig into your steel, try a few different magazines.
Chip Mccormick shooting stars seem to be a good value in budget mags, but don't be afraid to get a bit more spendy.
if a magazine don't solve it, then polish it

 

[Rastoff]

Therein is my biggest question. Should the feed ramp be blued? Does it matter?

Yes, the feed ramp will be blued. No, it doesn't matter. The blue on a gun is so thin it can't really hide any machine marks that matter.


What is the model of the gun? Is the frame steel or aluminum?

The reason that polishing the feed ramp can be bad, is due to a critical dimension that most don't realize until it's too late. Look at this pic:

The red arrow is pointing to the relationship between the chamber and the feed ramp. Notice that there is a little gap there. This must be about 1/32" wide. Make it too small and the gun will never feed right.

Also, you said "FTF", but didn't say what that meant. Were they Fail to Feed or Fail to Fire? Did the round get caught on the way into the chamber like this?:

If this is the case, it could be an extractor issue.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Back when I was building 45"s I used mostly alloy frames and the few steel frames were blasted white and Parkerized. This finish is a little rough and I never had a finish caused fail to feed issue. Bad mag lips were the normal problem (Brand new GI mags). Break down and buy at least one Wilson completion mag as a bench mark that all others can be judged by. Ivan

 

[Rastoff]

That's why I asked. The Girsan is one of, if not the, cheapest 1911s out there. At that price point you are going to have inconsistencies. Polishing the feed ramp on this gun won't hurt, just stick to grits of 1,200 and higher.

This is a great gun to learn how to tinker with. If you mess something up, you're only out a little. You might consider buying a new extractor and learning how to tune it. This could help with your FTF issues.

 

[Mydogmax]

****, just deleted my own post while trying to edit it. As I mentioned before, it's a Girsan 1911 and the FTF is failure to feed just like rastoff's pic showed. Only 200 rds thru it and less than 150 rds (combined) thru the 3 Kimber mags that I bought. The gun was cheap. $365 from Buds. Just a good learning 1911 to start with. Funny, until last October, I had not picked up a gun since 1967.
It's all YouTube's fault. Was just browsing and stumbled across a shooting video. Thought it looked interesting so I started watching more of them. Next thing I knew I bought a M&P 22. Didn't care for the feel of a Glock. Next was going to be the M&P9 but spotted this gun at Buds and couldn't pass up the price. I'll pick up the 9mm in a couple of months. I can see where this sport can get a bit addictive. No previous experience with handguns but was a pretty good shot with the M14. BTW, here's a pic of the gun.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I still say shoot it some more.

Two hiccups in 150 rounds pretty much rules out a bad magazine but not completely.

Limp wristing is a possibility but failure to eject is more common with this.

Federal ammo is good stuff but if you got a few rounds with the incorrect over all length, that's a problem too.

You could take some Flitz or lead cloth and rub the blueing off the feed ramp. Just don't get it on the gun itself.