1911 9mm occasional fail-to-eject issue

[Grimscale]

I'm terribly sorry to interrupt the exciting discussions on politics (FUKH), religion, health, the universe, etc., but I need advice on an issue I've been having with a recent 1911 purchase.

The gun:
TriStar American Classic II 1911 in 9mm.
Imported by TriStar from Metro Arms Corp, Manila, Phillipines.
5" barrel.
Spec sheet:

https://www.tristararms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/American-Classic-II-Sell-Spec-Sheet-web.pdf

Fit and finish on the gun are great. The slide does not rattle and functions smoothly. The trigger is crisp.
When the gun functions as it should it is accurate and fun to shoot.

The issue:
Occasionally it will not eject the spent brass. It is not regular enough for me to determine an obvious cause, and is not dependent on magazine (I have the stock magazine that came with the gun as well as an aftermarket Magtech mag). I'd say it occurs once in every 25 rounds.
Using Winchester white-box 115gr 9mm jacketed ball ammo.
I've never had an issue with extraction, just the occasional fail-to-eject.

Doing a search on the forum led me to this thread:

Potential sources of FTE/Double Feed stoppages with 115gr ammo

I have a Girsan Regard which is a Turkish clone of the Beretta 92. All reviews and mentions online seem to indicate it's a high quality firearm. So far, I am in agreement but with a small caveat. I haven't been able to use 115gr ammo and have it reliably operate the firearm. Factory ammo...

nygunforum.com

This suggests the recoil spring on this 1911 may be a touch too heavy for the ammo I'm using. I don't have a lot of 124gr to test with at this time. Would it be prudent to try a slightly lighter recoil spring to see if the FTE disappear?

Since the spec sheet does not specify what rate the current recoil spring is on this gun, is there a way to test it myself to get a baseline for purchasing another?

Looking for advice on where to go next. I really like shooting this gun when it behaves.

 

[kev74]

First step is clean and lube.

Next, try some different ammo.

Third, stop limp wristing it. Grip the gun like a man! J/k

How many rounds do you have through the gun so far?

It's a nice gun. I haven't heard anything bad about them.

 

[dsdmmat]

A 12 pound recoil spring should be adequate for your gun.

You may still need to fit and tune the Extractor. Steve in Allentown Extractor fitting
The 1911 Forum has quite a few threads on TriStar guns.

Search results for query: TriStar

www.1911forum.com

 

[FP1201]

Tuning the extractor should help if not cure the issue completely... I bought one of these:

1911 Colt 1911 A1 Extractor Adjusting Tool from Weigand Combat Handguns Inc

and the Gauges as well:Weigand 1911 extractor tension gauge set

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

I wouldn't start mucking around with springs and such. If it's a brand new gun then it may just need to be broken in. Especially if it's tight like you say it is. A little rattle usually makes a 1911 more reliable lol. Break in along with ammo. It's cheap factory ammo. Some of the rounds may simply be loaded too lightly to make it cycle properly when the gun is still so new. I take it you don't reload? If you did you could easily make up some warmer loads and I bet there would be no stoppages. Again just keep shooting. Beautiful gun btw.

 

[FP1201]

I wouldn't start mucking around with springs and such. If it's a brand new gun then it may just need to be broken in. Especially if it's tight like you say it is. A little rattle usually makes a 1911 more reliable lol. Break in along with ammo. It's cheap factory ammo. Some of the rounds may simply be loaded too lightly to make it cycle properly when the gun is still so new. I take it you don't reload? If you did you could easily make up some warmer loads and I bet there would be no stoppages. Again just keep shooting. Beautiful gun btw.

Winchester "White Box" is typically the wimpiest stuff made....cheap for a reason.

 

[spat]

If you have a cell phone that can do a high enough frame rate slow motion mode, you might be able to measure the velocity of the slide and see if it is getting down to the low range of acceptable.

Would just need to have someone video it firing from 90 degrees to the side with a suitable background like a tape measure, then do the math.

That will at least tell you if it's a slide velocity thing, or of you should be looking at some burr or something in the mechanism.

Some cell phones can do a 1000 frame per second slow mode now, which would be sufficient.


IIRC, you're looking for the slide to recoil in the 25-30fps range during normal operation.

Slower and you'll get symptoms similar to what you describe, faster and it will cause undue wear and tear on the gun.

 

[Deplorable Me]

My new Springfield Armory 1911 in .45 had the same problem. I tuned up the extractor and it's been running fine with new ammo ever since. If you run reloads, look at the case head rims, some get beat up pretty bad from prior extraction which doesn't allow the extractor to catch.