A question about metal frame pistols

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Mar The Large

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Hi folks,

Something odd happens with my norinco 1911 and while it might just be the fact that it's a norinco (lol) it still could also be related to the metal frame.

As the gun warms up, I've noticed that the steel magazine no longer fits snugly in the magwell. That is to say, it has some play. As such, it sits fractionally lower and the slide on occasion fails to pick up the top round.

I do swap out the magazine every 5 rounds as that's a rule at the range I go to so the issue doesn't seem to be with the magazine. Nor does it happen with only one specific magazine either.

My guess is that something metal inside the magwell is expanding due to the heat causing the mag to no longer fit ideally.

Does anyone have any insight on this? Does this happen to anyone else? The magazines are the plain steel ones that come with the gun and one is nickel coated.

Thanks in advance
 
It hasn't happened to me, but I think your hunch is not impossible. I have had several Norinco 1911s and they were all mechanically sound out of the box. But they were pretty rough and all were improved dramatically with some elbow grease.

If I were in your shoes, and before going through an in-depth diagnosis:


First completely strip the frame and clean everything really well. Especially the magazine button assembly, and the corresponding recess in the frame. Lube everything a lot (I think they have a reputation for running better when wet), reassemble, and see if it's still a problem. Hopefully it's just grit and/or lack of lube keeping the magazine button from moving freely.

If not that, it could be tolerances changing as things heat up on either the frame or the magazine button, or both. Hopefully it's just the magazine button, and trying a different standard-spec button will solve the problem.

You could also try different magazine manufacturers to see if you can get around the problem that way.

If none of those work, there are other things you can try but it might not be worth it given the value of the pistol.
 
Come to think of it, I think you're right about the mag release. This didn't start happening until I brought a friend to the range who kept slamming the mag in causing the slide to release. As u know, in a norinco 1911 at least, the slide release needs to be pressed in to allow full insertion of the mag. I'll open it up and have a look-see.

Thank u very much for your input :)
 
The few degrees your hand is going to heat up the magwell is not nearly enough to cause enough thermal expansion to change the fit of a magazine in any noticeable way. You're probably looking at a few ten thousandths of an inch, if that. This is definitely not your problem.
 
There's some wear on the mag release but not something that looks like it could cause the problem, nor is it loose.The mags fit properly at room temperature too. I dunno...
 
Mar The Large said:
There's some wear on the mag release but not something that looks like it could cause the problem, nor is it loose.The mags fit properly at room temperature too. I dunno...
Click to expand...

Mmmmk, so. The thermal expansion coefficient of steel is about 7 x 10-6 inches per degree f per linear inch of material. Say your 1911 magwell is .800" wide. Even if it heated up 30 degrees f, it would only increase in width about 2 tenths of one thousandth of an inch. (.000007 x 30 x 0.8). Temperature change is not your issue,

Just a bit of an FYI I guess- I'm a machinist that works with very tight tolerances regularly. This is very relevant to what I do for a living.
 
Mar The Large said:
Come to think of it, I think you're right about the mag release. This didn't start happening until I brought a friend to the range who kept slamming the mag in causing the slide to release. As u know, in a norinco 1911 at least, the slide release needs to be pressed in to allow full insertion of the mag. I'll open it up and have a look-see.

Thank u very much for your input :)
Click to expand...

Really, Any 1911, you do not need to press in the mag release to lock a mag in, unless you or some one has been messing with the gun.
It could be tight, Poor mag spring is the only thing I can think of., or he has messed up the slot or lips.
I have worked on a few norinco's and smooth up the mag release, so the mag would slide over the lock and not hang up.
Most of those mags , while sharp edges and rough as hell with piss poor springs seem to work, but I just keep them for a back up, or a replacement for a customers norc. mag
Your friend is no friend. 1911's are not made to release the slide by hammering in the mag., Some one is watching too many movies.
 
Yeah, agree with others here: Try some different magazines.

Not sure what you mean by needing to press in the slide release to fully insert the mag. There should be no interference between a magazine and the slide stop until it is empty.
 
A Weak mag spring would explain not picking up the next round, as they're not strong enough to keep up with the slide .

It could also be why the slide is dropping with slamming a fresh mag in , because, the weak mag spring on the previous mag didn't engage the slide lock fully, that or buddy is automatically thumbing the slide lock after loading a fresh mag.
There are pistols that are designed to drop the slide on a fresh mag, the 1911 is not one of them .

The norinco 1911 magazine bodys are very serviceable, if a little rough, the springs and followers are total crap.
I've replaced the springs and followers on my nork 1911 mags with chip McCormick springs and followers, this also ups a standard 7rd mag to 8 rounds, it is unfortunate that your range only allows you to load 5 rounds at a time
 
If you haven't removed the mag catch and cleaned it, I'd bet there's crap in there - those guns have a ton of crap in them when they come from the factory, gritty nasty crap in thick oil. Take the catch out and clean it, and the frame recess where it sits thoroughly with an aerosol gun cleaner like G96.
 
My bet is because the manufacturer but also could be that the magazines are undersized, I've never had that happen ever, but if you're interested in the same manufacturer but np34 with four magazines I have one lol
 
No issues with mine; I have two Nork mags and two remington mags. The Remington ones are MecGar I think, and are very nicely made and finish, but both run perfectly, all that time. Very happy with mine, and have had it for almost 4 years now.
 
Mar The Large said:
There's some wear on the mag release but not something that looks like it could cause the problem, nor is it loose.The mags fit properly at room temperature too. I dunno...
Click to expand...

It wouldn't get hot enough to expand the metal. You wouldn't be able to touch it. Its probably just something mental in your head, thinking it is tighter.

And the slide catch isn't getting pushed up enough by the follower ( weak spring ) so it only partially catching, hence why your buddy was able to bump the slide stop to disengage. Also a weak spring would cause the rounds to nose dive, and not be picked up.
 
Mar The Large said:
Come to think of it, I think you're right about the mag release. This didn't start happening until I brought a friend to the range who kept slamming the mag in causing the slide to release. As u know, in a norinco 1911 at least, the slide release needs to be pressed in to allow full insertion of the mag. I'll open it up and have a look-see.

Thank u very much for your input :)
Click to expand...

Not mine, ever. Nork and Remington mags (MecGar).
 
"in a Norinco 1911 at least, the slide release needs to be pressed in to allow full insertion of the mag."

I have a dozen Norc 1911's, in 3 different calibers. They all seat the mag just by pushing it in. Sounds like you have to clean up the slide stop/release.
 
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