PC1911 Round Butt Commander

[ESW]

I purchased my first 1911 the smaller commander PC1911 and I'm very impressed with this pistol. I've owned a 645 since 1988 and always loved it. I have a M&P40 with a Apex trigger and love it too. The 1911 I've learned quickly is a very different gun mainly due to it's safeties.

I've had a few fail to fire, hammer not dropping issues. Here is my question: What would cause this pistol a 1911 design, to not drop the hammer when I feel the heal of my palms is depressing the beaver tail safety and I'm depressing the trigger? I looked at is once and it did not appear it was all the way in battery, 1/16" out maybe. I have never trimmed my brass and I will double check length that could be the issue. I've fired about 150 rounds so far and at least 5 times it has not fired due to the trigger not pulling and the hammer not dropping.

Otherwise I love this pistol. Amazing trigger, and super accurate. 1911 experts please help...

 

[cmj8591]

My bet would be your reloads. Get some good factory FMJ's. If you don't have a problem then you know it's your loads. The problem may also resolve itself as the gun gets broken in. If it's a little stiff, the recoil spring may not have the juice to close the slide on the out of spec round. The reload problem could be anything from brass length (unlikely) to the bullet bulging the case when it was seated to improperly seated primers or a combination of factors. One way to insure that your ammo will chamber is to get a chamber gauge and check each round. It's not a big deal to load 45 acp but you do have to pay a little more attention to detail than you do when loading for a revolver.

 

[ESW]

Thanks CMJ. I'll try some FMJ factory loads as a test. I just hate buying factory loads. I've been reloading 45 ACP since 1988, also 40 S&W and 223 in the past year+ with zero issues in any of my other guns. The Performance Center gun is "really" tight. The spring is also really strong compared to every other gun I have. It seems like it has the energy to slam the bolt closed. I ejected three round from the gun and each had a dent in the side of the Rainier jacketed HP's. Right where the lips of the case meets the bullet. Almost as though the feed ramp had a sharp odject protuding, which is does not.

I usually use Hornady XTP but since I'm shooting so much now I bought some bulk bullets that I've read good reviews on. They feed in my M&P like a champ.

I've heard 1911's only like hard balls, is that true? My 645 eats these with zero issues. If it's not a battery issue, what else could cause this? I've never had an issue of a slide no closing all the way. As a safety feature you would never want gun to fire out of battery. Since I don't know 1911 at all, would the slide not closing 100% prevent the hammer from dropping? I would hope so but I don't yet understand all of it's internal part and this gun it too new to take it apart just for fun. I want to make sure this is not a S&W issue before doing anything else.

ALSO: This only happens on the first shot after a new magazine is loaded. I'll experiment tonight to try to replicate the dented bullets. It has never Failed to fire after after the first round has been sent down range. I don't know, I've heard these guns take 500 rounds before they break in.

 

[ESW]

After a lot of diagnosis and dry firing it seem my right thumb is nudging the thumb safety up. The grip is smaller than all of my other large caliber guns and my left hand has limited room to grip it and I'm pushing my right thumb up a bit too much. Is that a common issue with 1911's?

 

[Bartman3562]

A 1911 is much more picky about ammo, especially reloads. I have issues with reloads in my 1911, I just put them a mag for my 4563 CQB and it eats and shoots them fine. The chamber gauge advice above is a good start. I had to change my seating depth and crimp for mine.