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1911 barrel cracked, wonderin' why


Pulp, SASS#28319

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I was shooting my Springfield 1911 the other day, every shot seemed normal. On third shot, slide only came back about 1/8 inch and locked up. I took it home, shined a light down the barrel to check for stuck bullet, could see empty brass. I put a dowel rod down the barrel and drove the action back enough to clear the brass, thinking maybe split brass or something. A gunsmith will probably love me for that move. :lol: Then I looked at the muzzle end and found this:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/BlackPowderPulp/IMG_0312.jpg

 

I don't think the shot before was a squib, but I won't rule it out. I'm sure I heard it hit steel, but I was sure I had a clean match at EOT, and found out I didn't. The load was a not quite maximum charge of TiteGroup under a 200 grain bullet.

 

Any suggestions?

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Recoil felt normal. I'm sure the shot before was normal, but I couldn't swear to it in court. I was working on speed drills when it happened. I'm thinking it has got to be either squib bullet stuck in the barrel, and blown out by the second shot, or a double charge.

 

Anyway, here's the cartridge head:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/BlackPowderPulp/IMG_0319.jpg

 

The marks around the rim are from me working it out of the gun, not from firing.

 

And here's a side view:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/BlackPowderPulp/IMG_0320.jpg

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Pulp, a couple of comments:

#1. This is a strange forum to ask that question, but your choice where to post.

#2. That case looks horrible!! The mouth looks uneven and the case looks pretty corroded. (that alone didn't cause your problem, just an observation., but that brass isn't something I would reload.)

#3. In 45+ years building, selling and shooting 1911's I have seen a few cracked barrels. Usually back at the lug area but a split muzzle isn't unheard of.

#4. Call Springfield and see how much they want to repair the pistol. That will probably be your least expensive and best way to deal with the problem. If you have a bunch of aftermarket parts in the pistol take them out before sending it to them. It won't be a free warranty job, but they will make sure the pistol meets spec before sending it back. Fitting a 1911 barrel isn't a "drop in job" no matter what the advertisement says. It isn't a Glock.

#5. While a squib is likely the cause it may not be. I seriously doubt it is a double charge. I have blown up a 1911 with a double charge and the symptoms are COMPLETELY different.

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Pulp

After thinking about this for a bit , I think (?) it was most likely a squib that the last round pushed out , but I have been wrong before . All 1911 barells need to be fitted , if you do not know how to do it , Please take it to a good smith .

I have only been around 1911s for 25 years or so , and can think of less than 10 or so bbls turning loose like that , a double charge would show a lot more damage . Most bbls turn loose around the link area , or the hood to slide lugs shear ,

I would suggest that she goes in for a check up , some other things could have happened that may need attention . The replacement bbl , if installed properly should take care of any lock up issues , as well as loose breech .

 

CB

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I would think if it was a low enough velocity squib to stick a bullet in the barrel, you would have heard the definite lower report (noise) from that fired round. About a primer only amount to stick a bullet in barrel. I am not a 1911 shooter, but would the slide even function enough (primer only) to extract the empty brass from a very low velocity squib load that people are thinking of?

 

my zero cents worth.

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I had a cracked barrel in a Colt Officer's ACP a couple of years ago. The gun was working normally until after one shot, the slide stayed back. The recoil spring and plunger were missing. I found them in the grass. The tab that holds the plunger in the slide was broken off, which let the spring fly out of the slide. The barrel was cracked from end to end. I had a smith check out the gun and replace the barrel. We never did figure out why the plunger broke, other than fatigue after about 3,000 rounds.

 

Duffield

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Interesting that the crack is at the end of the barrel where it is supported by the barrel bushing. I would expect if it was do to overpressure it would have split in the middle where it is unsupported.

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Well, doubt it was a squib but thats bout all the intell i got for ya-

Been shootin 1911's for over 40 yrs & never had a barrel split?

 

Happy Jack- I figger he asked here cause we friendly 'n helpfull & we drink-

Not like them over that other part!! They'd eat ole Pulp alive fer not cleanin it rite or overloadin or underloadin it oe leavin a cleanin patch in it or SUMTHIN!!!!

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Molassas

If conditions were just right it could , cycle the action . This is one of those things , that Will be very hard to figgure out . VERY unusual thing to , to have a bbl split there in my experance .

It could have even been , an unseen inculasion in the metalaluguy of the bbl , a soft spot that just turned loose .

 

There are a whole lot of it could be _______ , that might explain why it split .

 

Just always have to wonder why in some cases .

 

CB

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Some folks over on http://www.okshooters.com site said Springfield has had some problems with metallurgy. Could've just been a bad barrel.

 

I noticed today there is a complete ring of black about 1 inch from the muzzle inside the barrel. I'm wonderin' if the whole end of the barrel tried to come off. It's about were the end of the bushing is. I'll try to get a photo of it, but it's gonna be a tricky photography challenge.

 

Here's a couple of photos of the barrel from the muzzle end. Probing the ring with a hooked pin makes me think there is a crack all the way around.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/BlackPowderPulp/IMG_0324.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/BlackPowderPulp/IMG_0324.jpg

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If you did not observe any extremes of recoil or report, and with no evidence of a squib round, I'd suspect the metallurgy of the barrel to be the cause.

 

I've seen more than one do that.

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If you did not observe any extremes of recoil or report, and with no evidence of a squib round, I'd suspect the metallurgy of the barrel to be the cause.

 

I've seen more than one do that.

 

I have to agree with Lawman here. Looks to be one slipped by QC.

 

I did see in the first pic something curious - about 1/4" back from the muzzle along the crack is an odd blemish in the metal.

It almost looks like a spot weld ... ??

 

I've only ever seen something like in thick-wall EMT along the seam.

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The black ring was the point where the stuck pill was pushed forward. At that point a static explosion ocured, it is about the same as a hydrostatic explosion. It is a common sigh of a squib bullet lodged in the tube. Usually I'n a revolver it happens closer to the cyl, but in a semi it can occur any plac in the tube..

The ring inside is the give away It was a squib.. End of story..

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