I had the same thing happen to me in 1968 in Vietnam. I jumped out of the back of a helicopter (LOH) into a rice paddy to pick up a VC prisoner my the 1911 jammed when I racked it.’Very stressful situation!
I used to carry a Airweight Bodyguard (the shrouded, but exposed hammer variety). One day, I took it out of the holster at the range and went to shoot it and I couldn’t double-action fire it because pocket lint had accumulated inside the shroud and was blocking the hammer from coming all the way back to the break point.
It is chilling when you realize that something you take for granted (the ability to rack the slide flawlessly or the assumption that revolvers NEVER fail) turns out to be a bad assumption.
I’ve carried a Glock ever since.
the ONLy way to carry a 1911 is cocked and locked. Period.
One old man to another.
There are procedures for misfeeds.
Check the function of the ejector and other parts.
Just saying.
Good luck.
(Where was your 1911 made and make? Oldie or recently made?)
Regards
IMHO
I have had some 1911's with all the 'bells and whistles' that were not reliable (on ejection, not feeding).
When chambering a round in an 1911, I always lock the slide open, insert loaded magazine and use the slide release to load the chamber.
This is the reason a lot of “old timers” carry revolvers. Wheel guns don’t “jam”.
Was the round deformed in any way?
Was it a reload?
Was it a hollow point?
A little more info would be instructive.
I learned 1911 handling from an Army six striper. He insisted that you always pull the slide back to the stop and release it. This type of jam was probably why. I follow that rule.
I know I am going to get slammed for this, but if I wanted to carry a pistol with only 7 rounds (which I have to in NYC, where I have a rare carry permit), I’ll stick to my SW 7 shot .357 revolver.
It’s never not gone “bang” when I pull the trigger.
No reason not to carry with one in the pipe if you’re using a quality holster.
Question.
I’ve fired a 1911 (Colt Combat Commander) once back in 1989. I was nowhere near the, “Gun guy,” that I am now, and don’t remember the answer to this.
My first hammer-fired pistol was a used Beretta 92SF that I bought in 1996. If the hammer is down and I pull the trigger, it’s a heavy trigger pull to draw the hammer back for that first round. After that round goes off, the slide re-cocks the hammer for the next. AKA: single-double action.
Is this pretty much the same for the 1911? And, how heavy is that first trigger pull?
Sadly, I don’t own a 1911.
...yet
While you’re thinking about the Failure To Feed, think about the other things carrying with an empty chamber in an automatic means:
1. You are measurably slower to bring the weapon to action - and that time may be costly.
2. You *need* both hands to ready the weapon. What if you’re being pinned by an assailant and can only get one hand free? What if you’re wounded? What if you’re simply carrying something in your hand that you can’t drop? You have a particularly poor club, not a pistol.
3. You have deprived yourself of one precious round of ammunition that you might need. Not even Carlos Hathcock or Jerry Miculek could or can *guarantee* a single shot will incapacitate an attacker, so you may have to fire multiple rounds per assailant. You may find yourself really wishing you’d had that extra round.
***I had a SS $700. brick. ***
Sounds like my first stainless steel AMT Hardballer Jammamatic.
Second one works perfectly. Also super accurate.
Gold Cup 1911
always loads.
Learn how to clear it and practice that along with other things that could go wrong like a stove pipe or your mag falls out. Practice Practice
Remove magazine.
Rack slide again.
Insert magazine.
Rack again.
NBD
L
My Glock 22 did that. The magazine had burs at the opening and was mishapen a bit from careless loading. It’s been fine since but, I lubed the magizine, worked on my racking method and keep one in the chamber. I think it’s a matter of maintenance.
The opening of the magizine is a bit flimsy.
It’s an early Glock and I wonder if newer is much different.
My Dad brought me up "in the NRA" and taught me as a youngster that if there was not a round chambered, you had a rock in the holster and you might never get the chance to turn it into a weapon if SHTF...I remember all his lessons over the years...
There’s a name for those that do not carry a round chambered
Deceased
When Browning and Colt submitted the 1911 to the Army for it’s pistol trials in 1911, it fired 6,000 rounds without a malfunction.
No gun had ever accomplished that before.
Hardly an unreliable design.
Thank you FReepers for the informative comments.
I did drop the Mag, re-racked the Slide, ejected the Cartridge. That would have a disaster under a Crime Situation.