polishing up a pistol

[Scarecrow]

just looking for help by someone who may have experience. I was reading online about how polishing the ramp and chamber of a semi auto pistol helps with feeding problems.

I am not new to guns or shooting. I enjoy taking them apart and cleaning them and putting them back together. but I've never done this. I bought an EAA witness .45 new and I've only put about 100 rounds through it so far. but in that hundred rounds it jammed 2 or 3 times. just a little annoying. I had the exact same gun a few years ago and never had a single jam with a few thousand rounds through it. so just wondering if anyone has done it and could give some advice on it? recomended polish and so on. and the best way to do it. or if it would just be better to take it to a gun smith?

thanks

[K Frame]

Put at least 500 to 1000 rounds through it before you start considering polishing it.

It may just be that it needs to be broken in some. Remember, semi-autos have moving parts, and like cars, those moving parts sometimes don't mesh 100% when the object is new.

[Warhorse]

Mike Irwin gave you good advice. Don't rush into any changes to the gun itself until at least 500 rounds through it.

Having said that, I suggest that you try a different magazine. 9 times out of 10 a jamming problem, especially with a new pistol, is due to a problem with the magazine. If you have an appropriate magazine that has worked well in the past, try that one first.

[AmbulanceDriver]

Additionally, a particular combination of ammo, magazines, and firearm may not work as well.  The 1911 design was meant to be used w/ 230g FMJ (Ball) ammo, in a 7 round magazine.  I found that my 1911 (Colt 1991A1) was *very* sensitive to mazagine feed angle with hollowpoints, but not with ball ammo.  Since I carry it as a defensive gun, I wanted it to be reliable with the hollowpoints I'd chosen (speer gold dots 200g +p) if at all possible.  So I tried to polish the feed ramp first.  Helped some, but didn't completely resolve the problem (primarily stovepiping on rd 7 or 8 of an 8 rd mag).  So I then tried different magazines until I found one that worked for my gun.  In this case, Wilson Combat 8rd mags with the polymer follower.  This way magazine feed angle is more consistent than with the steel mag followers that are just stamped steel into an angle with no front support.

[geronimotwo]

i'm not sure how the EAA witness is put together, but the reason i like my older smiths is that the feed ramp is part of the barrel. they are so reliable that you can feed empty cases.

good luck with your gun, just remember, once you remove the metal you can not put it back.

[mfree]

I'll bet on the magazine, knowing EAAs and my CZs.

Where were you in the mag when the jams occurred, and in what orientation was the cartridge?

All jams are not created equal...

[Scarecrow]

I'll bet on the magazine, knowing EAAs and my CZs.

I guess it could be the mag at fault. I hear that sometimes the springs used aren't the best. it was the 8th or 9th round I believe on the jams. the slide would not go all the way forward. the round was at the angle of the ramp just about to be chambered.

do you think maybe if I replaced the mag spring with a stronger one?

[K Frame]

"what orientation was the cartridge?"

What?

Cartridges are gay, straight, and/or bi now?

Geez life is becoming a minefield for Lil Baby Jesus...

[mfree]

In the best British vernacular, anything that didn't chamber and fire is a bit queer.

[Scarecrow]

the best British vernacular, anything that didn't chamber and fire is a bit queer.
 
 
yeah I thought it was a little gay too. oh well hopefully the gayness will disapear after breaking it in more. I just kick myself for getting rid of the one I had before. never had a single jam. what was I thinking?

[mfree]

It was a little happy?

[Scarecrow]

It was a little happy?

something like that

[Mabs2]

Have you tried different ammo?

[Art Eatman]

I've rescued many a "bad" magazine with judicious use of needle-nose pliers on the feed lips.  If the cartridge comes out high, the lips need to be a wee skosh closer together.  If it comes out nose-low, open them up a tad.

[onions!]

FWIW,I have an Auto Ordnance 1911A1 that wouldn't feed hollowpoints or,for that matter,anything but hardball.I tried different mags with no improvement.When I looked closely @ the feed ramp I noticed that it wasn't super polished.It was shiny but not like a mirror.A bigger concern was the horizontal machine tool mark right accross the center of the ramp.That worthy was big enough to snag a fingernail.Not thinking,I decided to see what I could do about it myself.

Enter the Dremel.Skip the grinding wheels & forget the sanding drums.I went straight to the felt buff & polishing rouge.I knew that there was no way to match the correct angles w/the tools @ hand so I didn't try.After an evening of careful polishing that ramp shined like a mirror!&,more importantly,that tool mark was smoothed enough that it just barely could be felt w/a fingernail.A trip to the range proved that my couple hours of patience worked.That little bastard now feeds exerything I care to feed it with.

Like I said,FWIW.

[seeker_two]

Mike is right.....250-500 rounds through it is the best way to polish all the parts. Try different magazines. If it's still giving problems, then let a gunsmith take a look.

In the best British vernacular, anything that didn't chamber and fire is a bit queer.

This from a culture that sets fags on fire and then puts them in their mouths.... 

[mfree]

Alight. They rend fags alight and whence puff. :p

[Scarecrow]

thanks for all the input. I'm actually in europe right now, but when I get home in march I'll try everything that was recomended. going through withdrawals here... gotta go shooting!!!