Springfield 1911

[bigted]

got this grand 45 and had it for some time. just getting round to shooting it any and doing some reloads for it.

I like the simple machinery of it and always have had an affair with the 1911. however I never have been a reloader for them and so this is an exasperating occurrence for me and the rounding up the dang brass every clip full.

this pistol sends the brass everywhere and sometimes close and sometimes far away. its hard to find it all when shooting over gravel and I wind up losing some.

any suggestions on getting it to spit the brass in an even span of area to make finding the durn stuff any easier?

[JWT]

I have resigned myself to loosing a percentage of my 45 brass

[tazman]

Get yourself a large tarp and put it on the ground where you expect most of the brass to land. You will still lose some but it will make the ones you find a lot easier to collect. The brass you lose is the price you pay to shoot semi auto weapons.

[High Desert Hunter]

http://forum.m1911.org/forumdisplay.php?58-Gunsmithing-Troubleshooting-amp-Refinishing

This site has some very knowledgeable people where the 1911 is concerned.

[Petrol & Powder]

Get yourself a large tarp and put it on the ground where you expect most of the brass to land. You will still lose some but it will make the ones you find a lot easier to collect. The brass you lose is the price you pay to shoot semi auto weapons.
Exactly what I do and it works well. When I'm done I just fold the tarp up with the brass in it.

[MtGun44]

How is the extractor tension? If you don't know how to check and
set it, PM me.

Bill

[Bigslug]

They make brass catchers for Bullseye matches that you stand up next to your firing point. They are basically a fishing net stood up on a tripod.

[Bent Ramrod]

The Range giveth and the Range taketh away. I always lose some, but make up for it by picking up the brass others have lost or left.

On the other hand, I don't think I've ever worn out a .45 ACP shell, and I've reloaded some of them dozens of times.

[DougGuy]

Extractor tuning and ejector tuning plus getting the correct # recoil spring can control where brass drops. Your extractor should be tuned regardless, it's easy to do. The length of the nose on the ejector (if it HAS a nose extension) throws brass out earlier if it's long, while the slide still has a lot of rearward velocity. As the slide travels rearward, it begins slowing down near the end of the cycle and if it ejects at this point, it will basically roll brass out of the ejection port and drop it at your feet or on your feet. The trick is to get the length of the ejector to the point where it throws brass close enough and in the same basic area. Recoil spring too light = higher slide velocity, brass is thrown farther.

The 1911 is a wonderful set of physics when it is motion, when it is correct in all the components, it balances itself out pretty good, all the shooter needs to do is to not limp-wrist it while shooting.

[GhostHawk]

I have found an indoor range that sells me all the .45 acp brass I want at 5.00 per hundred.

Great place to go shoot too, and they even hand you a broom to sweep up your brass with when your done.

Anyone else in the Fargo North Dakota are check out the Red River Regional Marksmanship Center.
http://rrrmc.com/

[gray wolf]

Brass ejected to far from the pistol is one problem, brass in all directions is another ( different problem )

DougGuy brings up good points, also check to see if your extractor is clocking in it's tunnel, the extractor should not rotate.
Check the firing pin stop to see that it holds the extractor firmly.

You should be able to shoot full ball ammo and a reasonably soft SWC target bullet with a standard 16# recoil spring and a 23# main spring.

[Jupiter7]

What load data are you using? Erratic ejection/extraction could also be load related.

as above, extractor and ejector tuning can help. springfield offers lifetime warranty on their guns regardless of 1st or 50th owner. Their CS is excellent.

[floydboy]

Tuning and no limp wristing is the answer to ejecting shells in the same area. Shooting on gravel and grass can make finding brass hard with a well tuned gun. I do my target shooting on the concrete apron in front of my shop and rarely lose any brass. If shooting on a gravel road I look once and pick up what I see and forget it. If shooting in the woods or pasture you might as well forget it. Above advise is good. I can't remember the guys name but he writes some of the best repair manuals for all kinds of guns. His name is Jerry kanutsen or something like that. I have his manuals on the 1911 and he walks you through all you need to do to tune your 1911. I'm no gunsmith but do like to tinker with my guns. spent most of a winter evenings filing, polishing,etc. Very happy with the results.

[35remington]

As long as it is informed "polishing." More 1911s have been ruined by ill informed modification than any other factor. "Polishing the feed ramp", for example, is something nobody has needed to do for a long time......yet many do it anyway to the detriment of the gun and reliable feeding.

[DougGuy]

There is a 3 DVD series called "Ultimate 1911" where the technician models a wooden extractor the size of a baseball bat and shows where to radius, how to file, how to bend and how to gauge the tension, he shows fitting the firing pin stop and mentions WHY you want that fit snug, and finally he shows where you should look and make SURE the tip of the extractor should NOT be touching.

I have built and tuned 1911s for years and years before I saw this dvd, and it has been a while since I built one so I watched it just to refresh my own skills and I have to admit, the guy is SPOT ON in every detail what to do, how to do it, and how it should look when it's done right. He skipped NO detail in his presentation. It also made me feel good to know that all this time, I had been doing them right as the end result of his presentation, and the very things I look and feel for when I am checking to see if I have the results I am after, are one in the same.

[bigted]

just awesome fellers ... lots of info to digest this weekend and I will do so as I really enjoy shooting this 1911 as I have the others I have owned. the best working 1911 was a Colt that had been tuned when I got it. the worst was an old Remington 1911 that I sure wish I had back now ... just for a keeper.

thanks again and I do enjoy the knowledge of the members here that is shared in such a manner.

Bill ... PM sent and thanks.

the tarp will be a doable thing till I get it tuned as I am also a bit of a tinkerer by nature and do enjoy "fixin" my weapons myself if no lathe or milling is required.

guess I really need to go to school on these 1911 platforms as I have some ideas that id like to do someday ... maybe with a "built" or cheap pistol purchase.

do keep em coming as I really do like gleaning knowledge from others.

[CJR]

Bigted,

There are basically four(4) areas on a 1911 that affects where the brass gets tossed;

1. The slide's ejection port. Brass can hit the insides of the slide's ejection port on the way out. Brass marks on the inside of the ejection port will show this problem. Typical solution is to lower ejection port and round contour the inner edge of the ejection port for cleaner brass ejection.
2. Cutting a scallop on the outside of the slide, i.e. rear of ejection port. The slight angle of the scallop helps direct the brass properly as it rolls off the extractor and hits the scallop and bounces off.
3. Radiusing the extractor tip to the proper geometry. See Kuhlhausen's and Sweeney's 1911 manuals for the proper tip geometry. Likewise tensioning the extractor properly.
4. Filing a slight angle on the tip of the ejector to direct the brass more properly towards the slide's ejection port. Some change out the ejector to one with a longer tip/nose.

There is nothing like a well tuned 1911!

Best regards,

CJR

[Virginia John]

Obviously, you all are not familiar with the brass monster that lurks below where you shoot. He snatches the brass when you are not looking. As a general rule, he only takes a percentage depending on how hungry he is. But if you happen to irritate him, he will increase the percentage. Once in a while, if he likes you he will give a little back. Be ware of the brass monster, he lives on every range, even the one in your back yard.

[MtGun44]

Good point on the ejection port. A high percentage of modern 1911s have
lowered ejection ports as standard part of the "updates".
If yours has the original ejection port, you will have dented mouths on every
case and brass marks on the bottom right edge of the ejection port.
The lower port improves brass life and makes ejection more consistent.