45ACP cartridge/case issue ?

[tazman]

So far it appears you have only fired full power loads in your pistol. I missed it if you mentioned otherwise. Have you tried light loads to see if you got the same marks on the case?
I am not certain how much the timing and forces change with different loads, but it might make a difference and would at least give another data point to consider.

I have heard quite a few reports about the Taurus PT1911 being a good dependable firearm. I own and have owned several Taurus handguns without having any issues of significance with any of them. The ones I sold were simply because I didn't need them any more and wanted something else.

[sawinredneck]

I agree with the above post, if the extractor/ejector are working, I'd be inclined not to mess with it! I built a .45acp 1911 from parts I bought at a gun show once. Frame from this table, grips this table, beavertail another table etc., you get the idea. Took me two months and three books to get that thing sorted out! Tweek the mainspring, adjust the trigger bow, bend the extractor and so on, but once right it was an incredible piece, still not sure why I sold it but my buddy still loves it!
Anyway, this is why the started lowering and flairing the ejection port on 1911's, like my custom tuned Delta Elite. In a lot of cases this isn't done to save brass but to increase reliability of the gun.
I'll paraphrase and leave you with this thought, do you want a reliable gun that you can trust with your life, or do you want a gun that doesn't hurt your brass? I'm not going to say you can't have it both ways, eventually, but at what cost? Just something to think about.

[hpdrifter]

Hp, not referring to you. The OP said extractor. I said extractor.

If the extractor is doing its thing, which is extracting the case as its primary function, my inclination is to let it continue doing it unmodified if it is doing it well. Where the case goes afterward has to do with two other areas of the gun besides the extractor. So the ding in the case is not the extractor's sole fault, or even the primary source of the problem.

Food for thought.

Ok, that's cool. It was just a matter of timing, the reason I asked. and the bold italics is what I was posting to in previous thread.

[JBinMN]

My practice on buying pistols used or new; If the handgun doesn't please you trade it off for one that will. No sense putting up with the angst trying to run the problems down and look for a fix. None of that will convert a bad experience into a good experience.

Trade that Taurus in on a Colt or a Ruger and pay the difference. Life will be simpler, better and happier. The extra money you pay will be well spent. Happiness can be bought, at least when it comes to 1911 pistols.

Getting rid of this one and getting another is certainly under consideration.
Thanks.

[JBinMN]

Hp, not referring to you. The OP said extractor. I said extractor.

If the extractor is doing its thing, which is extracting the case as its primary function, my inclination is to let it continue doing it unmodified if it is doing it well. Where the case goes afterward has to do with two other areas of the gun besides the extractor. So the ding in the case is not the extractor's sole fault, or even the primary source of the problem.

Food for thought.

I understand that & thanks for mentioning it. Sometimes one gets "so close to the trees one doesn't see the forest" I think the saying goes or something like that.

It is good to have others input on these decisions & searches for solutions, IMO.

[JBinMN]

So far it appears you have only fired full power loads in your pistol. I missed it if you mentioned otherwise. Have you tried light loads to see if you got the same marks on the case?
I am not certain how much the timing and forces change with different loads, but it might make a difference and would at least give another data point to consider.

I have heard quite a few reports about the Taurus PT1911 being a good dependable firearm. I own and have owned several Taurus handguns without having any issues of significance with any of them. The ones I sold were simply because I didn't need them any more and wanted something else.

Yes, I mentioned the loads I was using in pot #28.

They were a series of 10 rounds each boolit using Alliant Red Dot, ladder stepping from 4.6 gr. to 5.0 gr. a tenth of a gr. at a time. So, I started & shot each series of 10 for each boolit type. {10 each type at 4.6/4.7/4.8/4.9/5.0 grns.}.

4.7gr. demonstrated the best accuracy for this pistol at this time(still "new"). The rounds I have loaded for it now, to see about this "dinging/denting" are all at 4.7gr..

I can understand how it was missed in the mix. I am sticking to the 4.7 right now, which is low end of the parameters.

As far as this pistol goes... I like it & it is pretty accurate for me, so I do not want to part with it yet. But, I will if it comes to it.. I will be continuing to shoot it for a bit longer though.

Thanks for your suggestion(s).

[JBinMN]

I agree with the above post, if the extractor/ejector are working, I'd be inclined not to mess with it! I built a .45acp 1911 from parts I bought at a gun show once. Frame from this table, grips this table, beavertail another table etc., you get the idea. Took me two months and three books to get that thing sorted out! Tweek the mainspring, adjust the trigger bow, bend the extractor and so on, but once right it was an incredible piece, still not sure why I sold it but my buddy still loves it!
Anyway, this is why the started lowering and flairing the ejection port on 1911's, like my custom tuned Delta Elite. In a lot of cases this isn't done to save brass but to increase reliability of the gun.
I'll paraphrase and leave you with this thought, do you want a reliable gun that you can trust with your life, or do you want a gun that doesn't hurt your brass? I'm not going to say you can't have it both ways, eventually, but at what cost? Just something to think about.

I have only had it a short time. I will be considering your suggested thought as I put it thru some more paces. It is functioning very well with the exception of this ding/dent issue so far.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[hpdrifter]

Thanks for your suggestions.


I toyed with the idea of doing a little file/dremel work on that edge also, and was thinking that maybe just tweaking the extractor a bit to loosen in up might be the better idea. But, as was pointed out, that tweaking can maybe cause another issue.

So, I am now leaning towards either rounding over or adding a bevel to that sharp spot more so than messing with the extractor right now.

I think I will buy another extractor anyway, try it & if necessary tweak the one I buy first, if a swap doesn't help.

I am trying to weigh the options as they are suggested to me. I like this pistol & rather than sell it & go get another. I would rather keep it & try to fix the issue. My sons/grandsons are going to end up with it sooner than later the way my health is going anyhow.

If I can get it to where it is spitting ammo that isn't gouged, I would be very happy. Dings/dents are one thing, the gouge, even though it is fairly small, "to me" is unacceptable. I think I will talk it over with my adult sons & see what they think, before I do much more than tweaking/replacing the extractor. Aesthetics are not my concern, I am pretty ugly too, but safe operation & it functioning properly for me to reload using the same brass is a concern for me.

Thanks again for your suggestions & I will continue to read any new ones that might help with this issue.

Hp, not referring to you. The OP said extractor. I said extractor.

If the extractor is doing its thing, which is extracting the case as its primary function, my inclination is to let it continue doing it unmodified if it is doing it well. Where the case goes afterward has to do with two other areas of the gun besides the extractor. So the ding in the case is not the extractor's sole fault, or even the primary source of the problem.

Food for thought.

If you read 35remington's post carefully, which I may not have the first time around, you will see that there are at least two more variables to affect cartridge ejection. Fixating on the extractor is limiting your options. The ejector and timing are also involved, just to name a few.

I understand that & thanks for mentioning it. Sometimes one gets "so close to the trees one doesn't see the forest" I think the saying goes or something like that.

It is good to have others input on these decisions & searches for solutions, IMO.

Really!

[JBinMN]

I did understand what he was saying was "food for thought". And that I should consider the other parts like the ejector/slide/etc. (< the "Forest") involved, rather than focusing on just the ejector/tension/etc. (< the "tree(s)").
"Bigger picture" rather than just a focused view.

Thanks for your specifying about the other parts & timing/etc..


I did not get the, "Really!" part of the post though.

[hpdrifter]

Just to let you know, I put a 20 lb recoil spring and a 19 lb main spring in my 1911. I was in the same boat you were in; pretty heavy dents and dings in my brass about midway up the case on almost every casing. Now I might get a very small dent with no scratching on 1 out of every 5 or six.

I had also made the ejector high spot on the very top; in other words, angling down towards the back of the breech face.

I have put a box of 100 thru it since changing springs. Not a be all end all test, but it seems to have helped.