Firearms Stack Exchange Archive

What sort of failure to feed would cause this?

I was firing my 1911 at the range last night, and I had one stoppage that resulted in this:

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The previous cartridge ejected properly, and then the slide didn’t return to battery. The round (last one in the magazine) was sticking straight up, partially still in the magazine, and the slide slammed closed on it hard enough to dent it like so. I dropped the magazine and removed the round, and everything else worked great.

Does anyone know what would cause this?

Answer 566

I suspect your magazine. Fire all but the last round in a magazine, then draw the slide back and look at the last round. My suspicion is that it will be sitting somewhere forward of where it should be. Generally this means the feed angle on the magazine (it wouldn’t be a Wilson would it?) is too sharp. On some mags this happens after some use - particularly if the magazines are dropped loaded or partially loaded as in IPSC competition or if practicing reloads with loaded magazines. Finally, I note that you appear to be shooting Golden Sabers - that round is smaller in diameter at the outside (for the part exposed outside the cartridge) than a standard round and that may contribute to the problem. (I’ve also never found them to produce acceptable accuracy).

Answer 565

Check the follower and the spring, also check the crimp at the top of the magazine to make sure it’s catching the cartridges. Could the follower/spring have forced the cartridge out of the magazine, past the chamber, and towards the ejection port?

Hold the magazine in your hand and quickly push a cartridge out with your thumb, did the next cartridge in the magazine line up as it should?

Answer 945

In addition to what the other responders have said, I’ve also seen this happen when the shooter ‘limp-wrists’ the gun when shooting; that is, doesn’t hold firmly to the pistol and allows the muzzle to climb.

If the shooter doesn’t control the recoil properly, there might not be enough energy for the gun to cycle all the way. A 1911 will not feed properly if the slide comes forward slowly; what you have here is called a nose-up failure to feed. If you haven’t seen it before or since, it might have just been a momentary lapse in form, rather than a problem with the magazine.

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