Thoughts requested, continued

cdoc42 · March 30, 2024, 12:07 PM

I started this new thread to replace the similarly-named one from 3/10/24.

I just got home from the gunsmith with my Browning 1911-380 repaired. To recap briefly, it was jamming by refusing to fully go into battery and failing to fire when it did go into battery, sometimes assisted, and sometimes that was not necessary.

He confirmed my experience and reported that the ejector was the problem. It would interfere with the movement of the cartridge from the magazine and cause the failure to go into battery. The final position of the cartridge was improper so the firing pin struck at odd places with insufficient force to ignite the primer. He explained that it was improperly inserted in the first place and two areas had to be slightly filed and polished. Once this was accomplished, 32 factory rounds from 4 different manufacturers were fired without failure.

When I finish this, I'm going out to confirm his success at the range!

Happy Easter to those who celebrate the occasion!

DaleA · March 30, 2024, 01:28 PM

Good luck!

I think there are a lot of folk, like me, that read these posts but don't always comment in them. It is much appreciated when the OP comes back and tells us how things ended up, i.e. 'the rest of the story'. Thanks.

cdoc42 · March 30, 2024, 10:35 PM

Thanks, DaleA, I fired 50 rounds of 95gr., FMJ, with Zero faults. Now I will test my HP handloads.

**Aguila Blanca** · March 30, 2024, 10:59 PM

Thank you for the follow-up, Doc. Sounds like you have a competent gunsmith. You are fortunate.

bedbugbilly · March 31, 2024, 12:48 PM

Good information! Glad you got your answer to the issue and got 'er fixed up.

I looked at one of these a few years back and liked it - but - I was buying another .380 at the time and didn't want to take another handgun home until I was sure that I was going to like the 380 cartridge (I reload)as I have a variety of other cartridges I reload. I like the cartridge and now have one of the S & W EZ and a Beretta. I've kicked myself mire than once as I liked the Browning and am keeping my eyes open for one.

Thanks for the follow up - good info to know and I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Easter to all!

Bill DeShivs · March 31, 2024, 01:23 PM

Sounds like the extractor, not the ejector, was the problem.

L-2 · March 31, 2024, 08:05 PM

I tend to agree with Post 6.
OP, it's fairly common for folks to say or type the word "EJECTOR" when really meaning "EXTRACTOR" or the other way around.

OP, was it the extractor the gunsmith actually corrected?

cdoc42 · March 31, 2024, 08:07 PM

GREAT catch, Bill. My typo!! It WAS the extractor!!

bedbugbilly, I traded a Beretta for the Browning. From 10 yards I fired at a 12 x 18 BC IPSC Practice Target with 45 rounds with my Kimber .45 ACP and 16 from the Browning .380-1911. Of the 61 rounds, 2 were in the head A zone and 3 in the B. Of 56 in the "body," 54 were in the A ring with 49 measuring 1.4". Only 2 rounds were out of the body A ring.

Even the gunsmith commented after testing 32 rounds, "That is an accurate gun."

Hellcat1 · April 1, 2024, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdoc42

GREAT catch, Bill. My typo!! It WAS the extractor!!

bedbugbilly, I traded a Beretta for the Browning. From 10 yards I fired at a 12 x 18 BC IPSC Practice Target with 45 rounds with my Kimber .45 ACP and 16 from the Browning .380-1911. Of the 61 rounds, 2 were in the head A zone and 3 in the B. Of 56 in the "body," 54 were in the A ring with 49 measuring 1.4". Only 2 rounds were out of the body A ring.

Even the gunsmith commented after testing 32 rounds, "That is an accurate gun."

I have found mine (my Browning 1911-380) to be quite accurate, too, and a lot of fun to shoot. That, plus the fact that its slim profile make it a very easily concealable gun, is why it has now become one of my EDC guns.

Glad to hear that yours is running well now. Enjoy!

Frank

**Aguila Blanca** · April 2, 2024, 12:24 AM

The compact version of the Browning 1911-380 is very close in size to the old Colt Government 380. I believe it would make a dandy carry pistol.

https://ezine.m1911.org//showthread....80-Black-Label

jar · April 2, 2024, 08:20 AM

I have the Rock Island Armory BBR, a tiny little .380 1911. The biggest issue I have with it is the distance from backstrap to trigger face is so short I have to use the pad of the second joint of my finger to keep from pulling all shots to the left.

Bill DeShivs · April 2, 2024, 02:53 PM

The Rock Island .380 is pretty much a remake of the Llama .380. The grip angle is very different from the Brownings and most other 1911-ish .380s, which are generally versions of the Star design.

Armybrat · April 2, 2024, 03:06 PM

Yes, the Colt is pretty close to the Browning.
Bought mine in 1987.
It has less than 50 rounds through the pipe and is 100% finish - still have the box & papers.

https://thefiringline.com/forums/att...6&d=1678760464

JimCunn · April 3, 2024, 04:59 AM

Thus might be a good place to mention that though the ejectors in the Browning 1911-380 and 1911-22 are different, the 380 ejector continues to work fine when running a .22 slide assembly on the 380 frame.

Some 380 ejectors being too long is a known problem with the Brownings.

cdoc42 · April 4, 2024, 03:43 PM

I tested my hand loads today, 16 rounds with 95gr HP, 4.0gr CFE-Pistol, Winchester SPP, OAL 0.950". No problems at all until I reached the last round in both magazines. The bolt did not eject case #7; it was stuck halfway back, and looked like it was stopped by the tip of cartridge #8 angled upward. I cleared it, put only 2 rounds in both mags and fired both without any jam.

Any thoughts?

March 30, 2024, 12:07 PM	#1
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,690	Thoughts requested, continued I started this new thread to replace the similarly-named one from 3/10/24. I just got home from the gunsmith with my Browning 1911-380 repaired. To recap briefly, it was jamming by refusing to fully go into battery and failing to fire when it did go into battery, sometimes assisted, and sometimes that was not necessary. He confirmed my experience and reported that the ejector was the problem. It would interfere with the movement of the cartridge from the magazine and cause the failure to go into battery. The final position of the cartridge was improper so the firing pin struck at odd places with insufficient force to ignite the primer. He explained that it was improperly inserted in the first place and two areas had to be slightly filed and polished. Once this was accomplished, 32 factory rounds from 4 different manufacturers were fired without failure. When I finish this, I'm going out to confirm his success at the range! Happy Easter to those who celebrate the occasion!

March 30, 2024, 10:59 PM	#4
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,496	Thank you for the follow-up, Doc. Sounds like you have a competent gunsmith. You are fortunate. __________________ NRA Life Member / Certified Instructor NRA Chief RSO / CMP RSO 1911 Certified Armorer Jeepaholic

March 31, 2024, 12:48 PM	#5
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Good information! Glad you got your answer to the issue and got 'er fixed up. I looked at one of these a few years back and liked it - but - I was buying another .380 at the time and didn't want to take another handgun home until I was sure that I was going to like the 380 cartridge (I reload)as I have a variety of other cartridges I reload. I like the cartridge and now have one of the S & W EZ and a Beretta. I've kicked myself mire than once as I liked the Browning and am keeping my eyes open for one. Thanks for the follow up - good info to know and I hope you enjoy it! Happy Easter to all! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

March 31, 2024, 01:23 PM	#6
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,991	Sounds like the extractor, not the ejector, was the problem. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

April 2, 2024, 12:24 AM	#10
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,496	The compact version of the Browning 1911-380 is very close in size to the old Colt Government 380. I believe it would make a dandy carry pistol. https://ezine.m1911.org//showthread....80-Black-Label __________________ NRA Life Member / Certified Instructor NRA Chief RSO / CMP RSO 1911 Certified Armorer Jeepaholic

March 30, 2024, 01:28 PM	#2
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,325	Good luck! I think there are a lot of folk, like me, that read these posts but don't always comment in them. It is much appreciated when the OP comes back and tells us how things ended up, i.e. 'the rest of the story'. Thanks.

March 30, 2024, 10:35 PM	#3
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,690	Thanks, DaleA, I fired 50 rounds of 95gr., FMJ, with Zero faults. Now I will test my HP handloads.

March 31, 2024, 08:05 PM	#7
L-2 Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2004 Location: Nevada Posts: 523	I tend to agree with Post 6. OP, it's fairly common for folks to say or type the word "EJECTOR" when really meaning "EXTRACTOR" or the other way around. OP, was it the extractor the gunsmith actually corrected? __________________ (former) Glock Armorer 1911 Armorer LEO (retired)

March 31, 2024, 08:07 PM	#8
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,690	GREAT catch, Bill. My typo!! It WAS the extractor!! bedbugbilly, I traded a Beretta for the Browning. From 10 yards I fired at a 12 x 18 BC IPSC Practice Target with 45 rounds with my Kimber .45 ACP and 16 from the Browning .380-1911. Of the 61 rounds, 2 were in the head A zone and 3 in the B. Of 56 in the "body," 54 were in the A ring with 49 measuring 1.4". Only 2 rounds were out of the body A ring. Even the gunsmith commented after testing 32 rounds, "That is an accurate gun."

April 2, 2024, 02:53 PM	#12
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,991	The Rock Island .380 is pretty much a remake of the Llama .380. The grip angle is very different from the Brownings and most other 1911-ish .380s, which are generally versions of the Star design. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

April 2, 2024, 03:06 PM	#13
Armybrat Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2009 Location: Round Rock, Texas Posts: 976	Yes, the Colt is pretty close to the Browning. Bought mine in 1987. It has less than 50 rounds through the pipe and is 100% finish - still have the box & papers. https://thefiringline.com/forums/att...6&d=1678760464 Last edited by Armybrat; April 2, 2024 at 03:17 PM.

April 3, 2024, 04:59 AM	#14
JimCunn Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2019 Posts: 124	Thus might be a good place to mention that though the ejectors in the Browning 1911-380 and 1911-22 are different, the 380 ejector continues to work fine when running a .22 slide assembly on the 380 frame. Some 380 ejectors being too long is a known problem with the Brownings. Last edited by JimCunn; April 3, 2024 at 05:05 AM.

April 4, 2024, 03:43 PM	#15
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,690	I tested my hand loads today, 16 rounds with 95gr HP, 4.0gr CFE-Pistol, Winchester SPP, OAL 0.950". No problems at all until I reached the last round in both magazines. The bolt did not eject case #7; it was stuck halfway back, and looked like it was stopped by the tip of cartridge #8 angled upward. I cleared it, put only 2 rounds in both mags and fired both without any jam. Any thoughts?