Lynx Defense

1911 firing out of battery....anyone ever hear of this?

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Texas

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • 40Arpent

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Jul 16, 2008
    7,061
    31
    Houston
    This is excerpted from a safety "reminder" from my shooting club's monthly newsletter. It's not very explanatory, but having never heard of such a thing, I was wondering if anyone else here had:

    "In over 30+ years of shooting that was not the first time I had heard about it. Now this is the third time I have heard of a loaded round being set off by the extractor on a Model 1911. I actually witnessed this in person a few years ago.
    The best explanation I have received is that the loaded round falls off the extractor, rolls around such that the ejector can strike the primer and set the round off."

    Huh?
     

    jrbfishn

    TGT Addict
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Aug 9, 2013
    28,316
    96
    south of killeen
    Seems like it would have to FTF and then extract awful far off center for the ejector to hit the primer. My RIA 1911s have a guide hole in the slide barely big enough for the ejector, if it was bent that far i am not sure it would fit.


    Sent by a idjit coffeeholic
     

    ROGER4314

    Been Called "Flash" Since I Was A Kid!
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jul 11, 2009
    10,444
    66
    East Houston
    I pulled out a 1911 and wrestled with this issue for a while. I suppose, if a round got loose out of the magazine, rattled around loose while the slide was continuing on its rearward journey, it is possible for the EJECTOR to strike the primer. What is troubling, is that the previous fired round would need to clear the port with perfect timing to allow the loose round to line up with the ejector.

    The other possibility is that a round popped out of the magazine while the slide was being racked back manually. I can't see how a primer would be hit hard enough to fire while being charged.

    So...is that discharge physically possible? I guess so if there is a magazine issue to cause it, but the chances are about as great as being hit by a meteorite.

    Flash
     

    rsayloriii

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    May 11, 2009
    3,314
    31
    H-Town, TX
    A guy on the range the other day, on the other side of my dad, had an out of battery fire. I BELIEVE my dad said it was a 1911, but not 100% sure on that ... probably 85% sure. I personally did not witness it, but I do know the guy had just put up a fresh target, fired maybe 4 shots, then packed it up and left. That's when my dad said he had an out of battery firing.
     

    shortround

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 24, 2011
    6,624
    31
    Grid 0409
    The brilliance of John Browning's design is the "dis-connector" which positively prevents out of battery ignition.

    On the other hand, he never considered that if you dropped a M1911 with a round in the chamber from about three or four feet on a rock-hard surface (and if it landed on the muzzle) that the pistol might discharge.

    In his day and time that was something no one would ever be stupid enough to do.
     

    kyletxria1911a1

    TGT Addict
    Emeritus - "Texas Proud"
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    May 22, 2010
    22,036
    96
    kyletx
    The brilliance of John Browning's design is the "dis-connector" which positively prevents out of battery ignition.

    On the other hand, he never considered that if you dropped a M1911 with a round in the chamber from about three or four feet on a rock-hard surface (and if it landed on the muzzle) that the pistol might discharge.

    In his day and time that was something no one would ever be stupid enough to do.
    Wasnt that part of the test before the army put in the order?
    Hey what is the ejector? Oh same same extractor got it
     

    kyletxria1911a1

    TGT Addict
    Emeritus - "Texas Proud"
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    May 22, 2010
    22,036
    96
    kyletx
    I pulled out a 1911 and wrestled with this issue for a while. I suppose, if a round got loose out of the magazine, rattled around loose while the slide was continuing on its rearward journey, it is possible for the EJECTOR to strike the primer. What is troubling, is that the previous fired round would need to clear the port with perfect timing to allow the loose round to line up with the ejector.

    The other possibility is that a round popped out of the magazine while the slide was being racked back manually. I can't see how a primer would be hit hard enough to fire while being charged.

    So...is that discharge physically possible? I guess so if there is a magazine issue to cause it, but the chances are about as great as being hit by a meteorite.

    Flash
    yep the timing would be so off it wouldnt fire right and if at all
     

    robertc1024

    Moderator
    Staff member
    Moderator
    TGT Supporter
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Jan 22, 2013
    20,780
    96
    San Marcos
    It is on the internet. It must be true.

    I call BS, I pulled my 1911 out and can't imagine how that could possibly happen.
     

    Big Dipper

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Sep 10, 2012
    2,940
    96
    ATX & FC, WI
    "In over 30+ years of shooting that was not the first time I had heard about it. Now this is the third time I have heard of a loaded round being set off by the extractor on a Model 1911. I actually witnessed this in person a few years ago.
    The best explanation I have received is that the loaded round falls off the extractor, rolls around such that the ejector can strike the primer and set the round off."


    That is categorically impossible since the ejector is pinned to the frame and cannot "get closer" to a live round than where it is at the time that the round is stripped from the magazine. In other words, a live round is ALWAYS moving away from the ejector!

    If he meant the "extractor" hit the primer as the slide was moving into battery, it seems to me that the deformity would have to be so great that previous spent shells would not have been extracted, thus indicating to most that there was a major malfunction issue with the weapon and to stop using it.


    eta
    Here is an animation showing the stripped round coming up under the ejector and moving forward. Only the spent shell gets near the ejector later.
    http://www.m1911.org/loader.swf
     
    Last edited:
    Top Bottom