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Gunsmithing 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

moto

Private
Minuteman
Nov 14, 2008
5
0
CA
Today I took my brand new Taurus pt 1911 to the range for the very first time. Every single magazine that I shot had at least 2 FTE and the slide never Locke back on a empty mag. What can I do to fix this?
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Magazine springs would be my first guess but since they are new it would seem that that shouldn't be it. You will have to check inside the gun how well the mag follower is pushing up on the slide lock for starters. I'll let someone more qualified chime in. If worse comes to worse, let Taurus fix it.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

I'm using federal ammo and the mags that came with it.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Moto</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Today I took my brand new Taurus pt 1911 to the range for the very first time. Every single magazine that I shot had at least 2 FTE and the slide never Locke back on a empty mag. What can I do to fix this? </div></div>

Have your gunsmith install a Wilson Combat bulletproof extractor and a Wolff recoil spring.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

First thing that I would do is invest in several Chip McCormick Power Plus Mags. 1911's most critical failure is the wide availability of mags for it. Unfortunately there are some really crappy mags out there, so before you go changing the gun I would run some Chip McCormick's. The reason I use Chip McCormicks versus Wilson Combat is that McCormicks control feed whereas the Wilson Combat mags present the round at an angle that can mask other issues which you might want to tune in the gun. Start with the mags and then after 500 or so rounds you'll know where you stand.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Did you clean and oil it before taking it to the range?

Your Taurus is under warranty. However Taurus has no warranty repair stations and has to be shipped to them.

Any 1911 smith can make the adjustments needed but they will be out of pocket.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Yeah I cleaned all the packing grease off of it and oiled it.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Will it lock back manually without an unusual amount of force?
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Well, without more info my first suggestion would be to fire at least 100 rounds out of it to break it in. The problems you have are not terribly unusual for a brand new pistol. If it doesn't settle in...........then call Taurus. With a brand new sidearm I wouldn't invest in any upgrades...........it should run well out of the box.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Dude
Trust me the mags that came with your gun are crap!! So are the ones that come with Kimbers for that matter. If you want the gun to run replace those crappy mags and use them only as stripper mags at the range.

My two cents
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Since you are having Failure to Eject you can rule out bad mags although the factory Taurus are of question. Many things can come into play chamber spec is always questioned on the Taurus PT1911. The extractor and ejector geometry, the gun should be able to eject spent cases without the magazine in the weapon. This is one of the tests I perform during a reliability package.

Where in CA are you located?
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Taurus, WHY ? enough said
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tactical Support</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Since you are having Failure to Eject you can rule out bad mags although the factory Taurus are of question. Many things can come into play chamber spec is always questioned on the Taurus PT1911. The extractor and ejector geometry, the gun should be able to eject spent cases without the magazine in the weapon. This is one of the tests I perform during a reliability package.
</div></div>

Correct, FTE's are usually not mag related....more often than not its extractor related.

I have seen failure to lock back slide problems fixed with better mags, but I would definitely consider having a nice extractor and ejector fit for your gun by a competent smith.

EGW and Wilson parts are top notch and it shouldnt cost too much. I would consider it a must if you planned on using it in any self defense capacity.



 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

I have seen FTE/battery failures with new 1911's due to a tight lockup. If the slide can be cycled by hand and the slide lockback functons on an empty mag, this is almost certainly the issue.

Failure to lock back can be related because tight tolerances/lack of wear will slow the slide down so it won't reach the slide lock engagement distance.

Generally, the combined (stacking) tolerances tend to be too small initially; making the barrel link behave as if it were a tad long.

Also generally, running some hardball through it for 50-100rd should generate enough wear that fit is improved to allow the factory link to operate properly.

During that time lube the hell out of it, and also recognize that if you're going to shoot long strings with a 1911, they love their lube.

I have seen some use lapping compound on the rails to accelerate the wear-in process. Personally, I think that's overkill. If you do this lapping compound process, simply cycling the slide by hand about 50-100 times should be adequate.

Don't mess with the link before trying the above break-in/wear-in first.

Greg
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Easy fix.
Smash the damn thing with a 16# sledge.
A standard extractor will not fit, Taurus uses a proprietary cut on the firing pin block section and a standard extractor will not retain the plunger/spring.
Taurus is rife with this kind of crap.
As far as the slide not locking back it can either be the mags(unlikely) or the slide stop.
The best fix? Take it back where you bought it, eat the depreciation and trade it in for a Rock Island or similar.
At least standard parts will interchange then.
Taurus is such an abomination, I have done trigger jobs on PT1911's that required the hammer and sear to be surface ground because the frame machining is out of spec and another that there was probably .015 slop in the hammer and sear because again, the frame machining was too wide.
The wheelguns are just as bad, did one action job that cleaned up halfway decent and another that the exact same procedures were used to no benefit.
I will not even waste my time on them.
Dealing with the factory is another matter that sucks about them.
I had a customer bring in a Tracker in a shoebox. His story was he lent it to a buddy who took it camping and dropped it in a creek.
He took it apart to clean it and could not reassemble it so he brought it to me. Everything was hunky dory until it came time for the bolt. The bolt spring and plunger were nowhere to be found.
No biggie, call Taurus and get new ones on the way.
WRONG!
The spring they would sell but the plunger was a factory item only "restricted" was the word they used IIRC.
Pure bullish!t.
When I worked at a dealer we would tell prospective Taurus owners that they have one of the best warranties in the business. But it was also the warranty we saw exercised the most.
Some got it, most didn't.
Not to mention last I knew Taurus would not accept a returning item from an individual, it had to come from a dealer.

Taurus sucks
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BPTactical</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Easy fix.
Smash the damn thing with a 16# sledge.
"" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" ""

Taurus sucks </div></div>

LOL.....I was wondering if someone was gonna say that.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Yeah I've already shot 150 rounds through it and cleaned it. I dont want to invest to much money into it because it's only a Taurus and 9mm at that. But if it keeps acting up I'm probably going to go with BPTactical and trade it in.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

You need to try factory ammo. If it still has a problem, it will most likely be the springs.
 
Re: 1911 FTE and failure to lock slide

Try a lighter recoil spring, the ammo you are using may not be cycling the slide back far enough to eject the spent round or lock the slide. Some 9mm 1911's can be picky.