Officers model giving me trouble ....

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brushunter

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Need some suggestions : My new ( several months old ) Ruger Officers style is failing to go into battery. Usually a couple times per magazine , sometimes more , sometimes less. I'm using factory ammo , the pistol is well lubed .... I have no issues with my other 1911's. ( thinking limp wristing ) It appears the slide / bolt is racking forward with a cartridge then hanging up on the extractor ??? The pistol is completely factory , didn't change springs ..... Anyone else had this problem ?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
regards , brushunter

I did just send off a note to Ruger , I'm thinking they'll want it back
 

hittman

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Try 2 or 3 different brands of ammo.
Try 2 or 3 different magazines.

Have a trusted friend shoot it too.

After that if it's still acting the same ...... then a trip to Ruger seems to be in order.
 

brushunter

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hittman , have actually tried 3 brands plus my reloads ( loaded with 200gr XTPs and Nosler 185gr HPs ) . The mags , well , I've tried both that were shipped with pistol. I haven't had anyone else shoot it . I did shoot my range officer , no problems , though its a full sized 1911.

I did hear back from Ruger already. Told me to call a certain number , did that , ended up talking to " Wayne ". Wayne said to shoot 200 more rounds through it .... if it doesn't work itself out , call him directly and he'd send me a label to return it. He said only two things would create the problem I described to him ... faulty or weak recoil springs or a burr of bump somewhere ... He claims he had a commander that didn't act right until it had hundreds of rounds through it. I've had it apart , including the extractor .... cleaned everything and oiled it up. I don't see anything unusual ... I'm gonna go out tomorrow and run a couple hundred rounds through it , see what happens. Thanks for your suggestion regards , brushunter
 

hittman

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Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff.

My 9mm Commander has been flawless from day one which is absolutely NO help to you. :lol:

Let us know if a couple hundred more round loosens her up some and gets it on the right track.

Or you know ..... if you have a buddy with one you could switch recoil springs for a day or two.
 

jgt

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It is probably the extractor spring tension is not right. It is not worth buying the tools for one gun and would probably be cheaper to find a good gunsmith that knows what he is doing or send it back to Ruger. I would opt for the latter. It is their problem. If you hold their feet to the fire they will probably send you a shipping label to send it to them. Call them and ask to speak to one of their technical people because the customer service people will likely not know of the problem. If all else fails, call Wilson and ask if their extractors are set when you get them (as in ready to drop in) or if they have to be adjusted also. Good luck.
 
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brushunter said:
...ended up talking to " Wayne ". Wayne said to shoot 200 more rounds through it .... if it doesn't work itself out , call him directly and he'd send me a label to return it.

Ruger's customer service is mostly exemplary.

But there are also a few times when their customer service sucks eggs.

My 1911 10mm, after it blew up, and after a couple trips back to Ruger, still malfunctioned, and they told be to buy more ammo and keep shooting to see if it would fix itself. This costed me a lot of money over a year, the gun never fixed itself, and it was finally replaced, not by Ruger, but by Davidson's.

If they want you to try a couple more hundred rounds, ask them to send you the ammo.

Please don't stand for this treatment.
 

hittman

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I feel WAYNO's pain.

On an LC9 they told me 200 to 300 rounds for break in. It'd already fired 500 and I'd told them that.

On the LC9s Pro that had the trigger pinch my finger they said I should adjust my grip to accommodate the gun and eventuallly I'd get used to the pinching thing. I sent it to them and (even though FREE) it came back to me the same way.

I carry a G43 now. I traded a local store the 2 LC9s even up for the Glock.
 

Rodfac

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If they want you to try a couple more hundred rounds, ask them to send you the ammo.
Good advice...but throwing good ammo down range in an attempt to "FIX" it, on a carry gun, does not lead to confidence...how and when will you feel it's reliable...sounds like the classic Kimber line....BS in my opinion, and I'm truly surprised that Ruger resorted to that lame excuse. YMMv Rod
 

Pat-inCO

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I developed a process for any new (to me or out of the box) 1911s:

~ Detail strip, clean, lightly lube.
~ Hand cycle the slide two hundred to two hundred fifty times.
~ Put it away until at least tomorrow.
~ Take it out and hand cycle the slide. If it is smooth with zero hang ups on anything,
do another detail strip, clean, lube properly. Have fun at the range.
~ If it is not smooth on the second day, do another three hundred hand cycles of
the slide, and put it away for the night.
~ If it is not completely smooth by then, (especially out of the box) talk with the
manufacturer.

I started that process when I had problems with one 1911. Since then, I have yet
to need to send one to the manufacturer. Read that as they all smooth out, quickly
and inexpensively.

I'll add a P.S. to that and say I do the hand cycling during advertisements on TV.
No one in the house complains that way. 8)
 

s4s4u

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MN, USA
brushunter said:
Need some suggestions : My new ( several months old ) Ruger Officers style is failing to go into battery. Usually a couple times per magazine , sometimes more , sometimes less. I'm using factory ammo , the pistol is well lubed .... I have no issues with my other 1911's. ( thinking limp wristing ) It appears the slide / bolt is racking forward with a cartridge then hanging up on the extractor ??? The pistol is completely factory , didn't change springs ..... Anyone else had this problem ?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
regards , brushunter

I did just send off a note to Ruger , I'm thinking they'll want it back

Does the ammo pass the "plunk" test?
 

loaded round

Hunter
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I'd check your feed ramp and chamber for roughness before you start experimenting with different magazines and ammo. I had the same problem with a Commander until I polished both my feed ramp and chamber with a felt bob and polishing compound. Zero problems after that no matter what I feed my Cdr.
 

Enigma

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Officer size 1911s are problematic, at best. However, IMHO, telling someone to shoot 3-500 rounds to "break in" a production (read: loose as a goose) 1911 is... well, hogwash. I would call Wayne back and demand that he send me a return label, instead of spending my money so freely.
 

Cholo

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s4s4u said:
Does the ammo pass the "plunk" test?
That's the 1st thing I would have tried, but I have the Dillon gauge to check them in first. If they work in it and not the barrel in question, there's your problem. I know this is an older thread.

Enigma, I've heard that for decades, and I don't doubt there's some truth in it. I have an early '03 Kimber Eclipse with the 3" barrel and it has always eaten everything I've fed it. Same as my '19 3" Colt Defender, both 45 ACP. I wouldn't hesitate to buy the Ruger. I admit that my 2 examples are hardly represent all the Officer sized 1911's ever made. I do think they've come a long way.

I wonder how it all turned out?
 

jgt

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Officers models have such short travel of moving parts compared to a full size, it makes timing critical. Slide spring tension can speed up or slow down the timing depending on the strength of the spring. All the other parts have to be fitted right to work with the timing. A slide stop a little too proud. An extractor with too sharp or not enough angle to except the rim just right, with too much or too little tension. Mag release too proud. burrs on moving parts. These guns have a lot of places and parts that need attention to work right. Officers models just personify that need. Once those needs are addressed they will run like any other. They also need springs changed out more often due to shorter life span. I would have given up on mine long ago if it didn't fit my hand so well. I think it is worth the effort to keep working to make it a gun I can rely on.
 

George

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Make sure the extractor is not too tight! If you find it snug or too tight adjust extractor! Look at the angles from the extractor to see if it needs fitting! Fit if needed but first I would check the tension on it. I find little to no tension works best for me. That should correct the problem. I find a snug or slightly tight extractor to be more problematic than a loose-fitting extractor. Really hard to say without having a gun in hand! If you're running Full Metal Jacket hard ball there's no reason why it shouldn't run regardless of feed ramp being polished or not in my opinion. I generally take that route if I have one finity type of hollow point. Then polishing the feed ramp usually takes care of that.
 

kwh

Bearcat
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Jun 19, 2013
Messages
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Are you shooting factory 230 gr "hardball" ammo? If that is 100%, then it is time for ammo search to find reliable expanding defensive ammo in the short barrel.
If 230 grain hardball is not 100%, then it is the gun not the ammo: >>definitely back to Ruger or experienced gunsmith.
 

Diabloman

Single-Sixer
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Mar 19, 2022
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340
Location
Ohio Territory
Limp wristing may be A cause also. Try different ammo. Too much lube? The gun may "shoot-in".....? after several range
trips. I would try several of these suggestions. fwiw
 

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