Thanks for the help so far guys, I am almost ready to test fire but when I run a mag through the 1911 it feeds and ejects perfect 10% of the times other times it feeds but does not eject and other times it just gets stuck trying to get into the barrell. I dremeled and polished the feedramp and it ramps right up to the barrell, my question is could this be the extractor because its in the slide tighte I lightlely hammered in the firing pin tab with a rubber mallet instead of filing it a little to fit in the slide, if you guys need pics I used a NOS USGI 1911a1 parts kit for the build.
So the extractor is sitting in the slide tight with no play I dont have another 1911 to compare to.
A little more info when it fails to feed the bullet goes half way into the barrel and gets stuck at an angle, I have been using these generic tracer as cycling rounds. My mags are NOS USGI that say 45 auto on the floor plate.
One thing I'm concerned about is the part where you said that you used a dremel to make the feed ramp go right up to the barrel. Do you have a picture of this? The feedramp shouldn't be mated to the barrel there should be a gap so the round can make it's turn into the barrel.
Things to try first. Take the extractor out of the gun all together. Now cycle the gun and see how it feeds, you'll have to manually remove the rounds from the barrel but if it feeds every time then you know it's your extractor, if it still has problems to feed when the extractor is out of the gun, try a few different dummy rounds, im not sure what you mean by generic tracer but as long as they are in spec with the standard ball rounds they are fine to use.
Other possibilities are that if your using an extended ejector and the rounds are at there max 1.275 or close, then the rounds may not have enough clearance to eject from the gun, or it could be your not yanking the slide back hard enough. When you say it fails to eject do you mean the round hangs up on the way out or it just stays in the barrel, if it just stays in the barrel then the extractor is having trouble grabbing the case and you need to adjust the tension.
So firstly take out the extractor and if it runs smooth as silk put it back in and keep bending it either forward or backward until it starts to feed reliably, probably backwards. Then try the cycling again. If the rounds all feed then you have fixed the feeding issues. Ejection you need to make certain the extractor claw is holding the base of the round so it can pull it back and onto the ejector, again does it just stay in the barrel or does it hit the ejection port and stick? If it just hits the ejection port and sticks then it's likely your either short stroking the slide or the ejector is too long or your rounds are too long.
If nothing works, take the extractor out of the gun and buy a Wilson combat magazine and try and feed the gun then with rounds you KNOW are good if it still fails to feed properly you know it's the feed ramp you messed up with your dremel work and you may have to scrap the frame or get it tig welded.
Pics would help of the feed ramp.
It may take a while to find the camera for the pics so does anyone have a proper picture of a feed ramp done correctly. Also the extractor is doing its job as the round never sticks in the barrel.
PICTURE 404
PICTURE 404
I think what Ironmike was testing for was extractor tension on the back of the case. With the slide off, slide a round under the extractor and "feel" the amount of effort it takes for the round to slide into position over thei firing pin hole. It should be slight but tight enough to hold the round in place by itself (nose of the bullet will droop (gunsmith term)). If it is much tighter, it will prevent the back of the round from sliding into position and will jam on feed. This is a fairly common problem and is corrected by retensioning (bending) the extractor to releive some of the pressure.
Could be one of many things, to exclude the extractor remove it and see if rounds cycle into the barrel properly. If so it's your extractor causing the loading of your cartridges. A overly tight extractor will inhibit the loading of a cartridge. Another thing to look for is a small gap between the top of the frames feedramp and the start of the barrrel's ramp. It should be about .032 or so, it appears you do not have this small gap which could pose a problem. Another thing is the sharp edge at the top of the barrel's ramp, I soften it slightly where the transition from the top of the ramp and the chamber starts, just a slight dehorn. Lastly your frame's feedramp could possibly be too steep or not deep enough.
Can one of guys post a pic of your 80% done feedramp like the way I took my picture, I have heard of the .032 gap but never really seen it on the frame I know I lack it.
In the meantime when I did the extractor test the rounds were almost feeding into the barrel and getting stuck at an angle I will do some more testing right now.
Updated: removed extractor and rounds get stuck at an angle feeding into the barrel, ocasionally it will feed 1/10 times.
Like blindhogg said it could be many things. Now that you have found it wont feed even with the extractor removed it helps. Magazine could be nosediving the rounds so try a magazine that holds the round higher and doesn't flex like a Wilson or Wolff. Make sure your rounds are not too long or short. If you reload sometimes a round that is 1.250 will feed better than a round that is 1.275 or vice versa. The barrel ramp might have too much of a sharp edge but from the photo yours looks okay. Try a new magazine of you don't want to spend the money on a Wilson try a Wolff. I know the rounds do not nosedive using either of these magazines, remember to test any new magazine with the extractor removed and buy some proper rounds. Only other thing I can think of is your mag catch might be holding the magazine too low in the gun. Last and worst is your feedramp is ruined. Try the mags and and inspect round without the extractor installed and go from there.
Ill see what I can do to get a photo of the ramps.
Reason for the gap between the two ramps is to ensure the barrel's ramp never overhangs the frames. If it did then it would shave the nose of your bullet when loading which would seriously slow down the loading of your bullet. Also it allows the bullet to accelerate upon reaching the top of the frames feedramp before starting to go up the barrels feedramp.
I got some of those A-Zoom snap caps and they are cycling at 90% now, I think I will run a mag through it this weekend.
I could still use so good photos of the gap in the feedramp I almost got this gun tweaked perfect, thanks guys.
Almost got reliability of 100% and a Wilson mag, I want to see this step you guys are talking about, I did just a little dremeling not on the feedramp but the part the barrel rests on some times the bullets get stuck halfway into the barrel and stop the slide but now its probably one of 20 times.
The tips of the bullets I noticed are getting nicked, like when I run the purple dummy rounds throught it its eating the tips and I can see purple on the feedramp. I am almost getting 90% reliability. I can see purple on the feedramp from where they hit.
Did you get a Wilson 8 round or 7 round mag? I think and it's only my opinion that the modifications you made to the frame means the round isn't being held high enough by the magazine to feed. 7 Round Wilson or Tripp magazine should fix all this by holding the round high enough.
Try this. Put 1 round in a magazine and try it. If it jams every time then it's the round being too low. Then put 2 rounds and try, if it works 90% you have an answer. Without the extractor
Here is one. The point is there is a gap.
Your feed ramp looks a lot lower. So the bullets coming up at a different angle. My feed ramp and the feed ramp in the photo look a lot steeper than yours. Yours looks too far forward. But with a good magazine and a good break in period you could still be okay.
You can imagine the round going up and then making it's turn. Your round is probably going straight up without making much of a turn.