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What is the best way to polish a feed ramp?

30K views 43 replies 21 participants last post by  Jolly Rogers 
#1 ·
I have purchased a Les Baer TRS that is hard chromed from Cabelas. This is not a new weapon, but the previous owner apparently had the entire frame and slide hard chromed and it looks fantastic.

The only problem is that I went to the range yesterday and ran 300 rounds of the Winchester White Box 230 g 45 auto FMJ. Those rounds would mash into the
feed ramp smearing copper all over it and pushing the round back into the brass casing.

First time I tried to load a full magazine into the chamber by releasing the slide stop, not manually releasing the slide stop... it would not feed, just mashed into the feed ramp. It took 300 rounds to get to the point where I can actually feed a full magazine (Wilson 47D).

So what I am asking is what is the best means to polish the feed ramp as I do not have a dremel and and trying to avoid using a gun smith here in Dallas as I am not familiar with any that are good.

attached is a picture. As you can see, the feed ramp is not polished at all, and its still rough. The only reason I believe it was feeding a full magazine was because I ran it very wet and placed a drop of CLP there.

 
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#2 ·
Check and adjust the extractor tension, as it could be too tight and not allowing the round the freedom of movement it needs to feed properly when it hits the ramp.

Extractor adjustments and tweaks are preferred to ramp / frame adjustments due to the fact that extractors are easily replaced, and far less costly.

While ramp polishing may have some merit, IMO, it is highly over rated and largely unnecessary in most cases. None of the 5 1911's I own have had their ramps polished by anything other than the rounds they have fired, and none have had feeding issues. (minus the Kimber....extractor issue though...)

Others will chime in I'm sure, however, I wouldn't bother with a ramp polish.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Take or send it to an experienced gunsmith and let them polish the feed ramp.
If it needs it. Your pistol's feed ramp looks just fine as it is.

I've owned a lot of handguns since the mid 70's and I've never seen one that
needed the feed ramp polished.

But, I have seen quite a few frames ruined by incompetent kitchen table gun
butchers.

Ken Crawley can fix your gun.
He's in Kemp, Tx.
http://www.crawleycustom.com/
 
#4 ·
Buy sheets of 600 and 800 grit sandpaper. Tear off a small piece of the 600 and place it grit side down on the feed ramp. Using the eraser end of a pencil, rub the sandpaper over the surface of the ramp. When the sandpaper is worn, replace it. Do that 6-8 times with the 600 and the same with the 800.

With such fine sandpaper, there's no way for you to do any damage, the ramp will be all smooth and shiny and you'll be happy.
 
#5 ·
Buy sheets of 600 and 800 grit sandpaper. Tear off a small piece of the 600 and place it grit side down on the feed ramp. Using the eraser end of a pencil, rub the sandpaper over the surface of the ramp. When the sandpaper is worn, replace it. Do that 6-8 times with the 600 and the same with the 800.
A handy sanding block to use is a spent .45 case. Do not change the angle of the feedramp, do not round off any corners, and don't strive for a mirror polish. All you really need to do is smooth the toolmarks.
 
#7 ·
I never thought about doing something like that... That is a great idea. If the issue still persists, then I will take the next step after
 
#8 ·
Being as your ramp looks like 100 grit sand paper, a light smoothing may not be a bad thing. Some 1k-2k grit paper and a few light strokes to knock off the high points would probably help. It does not have to be a mirror shine, just get rid of the high points. Lots of people will scream that only top gunsmiths can smooth a feed ramp, but thats is just rubbish. Don't remove excess metal, don't change the angle, don't use power tools, remove the minimum amount needed to accomplish the job.
 
#9 ·
I am glad you see it too. My Les Baer feed ramp does feel like 100 grit sand paper compared to my Kimber which is smooth.. I just removed the extractor to see if it was an issue feeding and I just ruined two bullets because the copper head just got pushed back into the brass casing. I'm going to get some sand paper and work this out.
 
#12 ·
You don't even need sandpaper, get a tube of flitz, put a dab on a clean patch and using the pad of your little finger with light pressure, polish in an up and down motion, top to bottom for about one minute. You don't need it shiney, just a little smoother.
 
#13 ·
I don care about mirror finishes. I am just looking to smooth it out so that the bullet will feed properly. The weapon itself already screams sexy to me... I know if this feed ramp issue gets smooth out just enough for the rounds... I will have no more issues.

As for the extractor, I don't believe that is the issue because I removed it and had the same issue and while at the range... all the issues I had with the Kimber didnt occur with the les baer during break in... The only issue my Baer has is the feeding.

Thanks you all for all these great information.
 
#16 ·
checked out Wal mart and home depot and I couldn't find any flitz which I think would be less abbrasive then sand paper. So I ended up getting 1000 grit paper and I'm going to be as gentle as I can and work it to make as smooth as I can. I'm going to post some pics later tonight of the before and after one I get off work at midnight.

Thanks for the inputs
 
#20 · (Edited)
I can assure you my Chip's, Wilson's, and the one that came with the baer are not the issue as they work just fine in my other 1911. But thank you for your input as I do want to know as much as possible. Also, I have no plans on making gouges or anything... just very, very light smoothing with a wet 1000 grit paper. And yes, I have invested a lot of money into the weapon, but no where near what I invested in my salt water hobby. Pics will be presented and also updates..
 
#18 ·
If you go to Home Depot, you can pick up some of this buffing compound by Ryobi. I use it on a felt tip with my Dremel. It will make quick work of your feed ramp and you will not have to worry about damage to the frame.

I know you don't have a Dremel, but this can be used with a regular drill or on a piece of cotton cloth and done by hand. Personally, I would find a Dremel to borrow or buy one.

http://www.ryobitools.com/catalog/accessories/buffing_accessories

Here is some good info on polishing. Go down to the bottom of the page and see what compounds are used for which metals.

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm


Out!
 
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#21 · (Edited)
Thank you everyone for your inputs... I was going to do some work on it tonight, but I am tired and have to work tomorrow.

So... I am going to work on it another day as I want to enjoy it as I enjoy cleaning my 1911 and other weapons that I own... It is a soothing experience for me. Until then here is a pic of my pride and joy chilling before bed.
 
#24 · (Edited)
update...

I didnt do much at all with the sand paper... my only goal with to gently sand in an up and down motion to remove the hard chrome off the feed ramp... It took a couple swipes, but I was able to remove the hard chrome finish to expose the actual polished finish before it was chromed.

These are my tools of the trade that I used. 3M 1000 grit Wetdry.. I did it dry.




I used the erasor pen to place gentle pressure against that little piece of sand paper.





This is the result after it was done... If you look closely, you can see some of the hard chrome finish still on the lower portion of the feed ramp, while the top portion is smooth....



I fed 4 fully loaded magazines.. 1 chip mccormick with Remington HP 45 auto, 2 Wilson 47D with the Winchester White box FMJ, and 1 Wilson Combat with the Hornady HP.. ALL full 8 round magazines... It did it 4 times by releasing the slide stop and allowing it to return to battery on its own. and 4 times manually racking it.. and 4 times with the slide in the normal position already return to battery and racking the 8 rounds in the magazine. I am satisfied now. I hope to confirm this when I go to the range soon.

I NOW HAVE NO MORE PROBLEMS WITH FTF!!!! and no more wasted bullets..However, I have a a lot of 1000g sand paper left. :)
 
#29 ·
Dave,

i did take the suggestion and removed the extractor and ran some test. I agree that the extractor can cause a nose dive but after I removed it and tested, it still nose dived...

In any case, I value everyone's input... and appreciate your comments with thus posting.. Thanks again!:biglaugh:
 
#30 ·
Whats the best way to polish a feed ramp?
Use some 800 grit sand paper wrapped around a 1/2" wooden dowel on the disassembled frame. Make sure to maintain the feed ramp angle by laying the dowel into the frame so that it is in contact with the full length of the ramp.

Finish up with a little Colgate toothpaste on your fingertip. Rub it in until the paste looks dull gray then clean the whole frame well with some Hoppe's #9.

Take a full mag of dummy rounds or snap caps (no live ammo!!!!!) and slowly cycle your slide in such a way that you can see the round strike the feed ramp. Try to see where on the breach face the cartridge is when the tip of the round strikes the feed ramp. It could be that your extractor claw needs to be relieved slightly to help ease the round into the claw. Or, it could be that your breach face has a dimensional flaw that needs to be corrected.

I'm suspicious of pistols that are for sale with a beautiful new finish.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Cabelas didn't do anything to the weapon, except sell it to me. I trust them and their reputation for selling quality weapons.. and I understand all the risks in purchasing a used gun from their Gun Library.

As for the polishing, I am the one who polished the weapon this morning. I'll post updates to see how well my sanding skills are once I get a chance to head out to the range.

I just know it's feeding just fine right now after the polishing, thanks to everyone's help here.
 
#35 · (Edited)
While hard chrome looks smooth with its satin finish, it actually has microscopic nodules that stick up off the newly plated surface that can be quite abrasive - not unlike a cat's tongue.

I worked for a shock absorber manufacturer that hard chromed their piston rods in-house. All piston rods were polished after plating using 400 grit "corkwheel" centerless grinding wheels to remove the nodules or the shock's rubber oil seals would be worn out in no time. As I recall, polishing removed less than 0.001" from a 0.75" diameter rod with the finish going from "satin" to a near mirror finish with faint grinding marks.

A hard chromed feed ramp only needs the "tooth" knocked off. Based on your last picture you have certainly achieved that. Somehow I doubt that you have gone all the way through the chrome layer - that will take a lot of doing with one little piece of 1000 grit paper.

Another aspect of hard chrome plating heat treated steel parts is the need to bake the parts very soon after plating at about 250 to 300 degrees C for an hour to prevent hydrogen embrittlement: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement
 
#40 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by superdude View Post
the extractor is not involved in feed failures that involve nosediving into the feed ramp. the extractor does not get involved in the process until the rear of the case has started to move up the breech face, which is after the cartridge has nosed into the chamber.
Actually, the extractor can be involved. If there is too much tension, the round will slip up in front of the Extractor and nose-dive.



the brand of magazine is seldom the problem with nose dive feeding issues in 1911 45s since magazines made by all manufacturers produce nosedives as more rounds are loaded into the magazine. load your magazine and look for a gap between the top round and one under it as more rounds are loaded. by the time you get to 6, 7 and 8 rounds the gap gets bigger and by the time you reach 8 rounds it doesn't matter whose name is on the magazine, they all have the same gap.

See bold print.
not in the initial stage of feeding where the round is being stripped from the magazine (and where the classic nosedive feed failure occurs). the cartridge rim is well below the extractor, and does not rise up the breech face to be engaged by the extractor until after the cartridge nose has bounced off the feed ramp, angled up, and contacted the chamber. i've studied thousands of frames of slow-motion video of 1911s during the feed cycle so i state this with confidence. you can see for yourself if you take a close look at the slide breech face, and see the place on the lowest portion of the breech face that contacts the round when it pushes the round from the magazine. the cartridge is well below the position of the extractor. during forward slide movement the round is pushed more or less straight forward by the slide for 1-4 milliseconds before hitting the feed ramp. the round's nose bounces up until it hits the top inside of the chamber. the rear of the case stays low. then, as the round is being pushed forward by the slide, the rear of the cartridge slides up the breech face until it is in line with the axis of the barrel bore/chamber. it is only during this latter part when the cartridge rear is sliding up the breech face that it comes into contact with the extractor.
 
#41 ·
Update on TRS feed ramp issue

I wanted to let you know that today I ran 300 more rounds through the TRS and I had no issues with it nose diving anymore into the feed ramp. I even did some drills of firing all 8 rounds as fast as I can and dropping the magazine and going to the next magazine without any issues to feed.

She got so hot, that I had to lay her down and cool off a bit because I ran 8 magazines non stop... but she feed like a champ. I feel sorry for the tree in the creek bed that took the majority of the 300 rounds... but I will be back to complete the wood chopping session. :rock:
 
#43 ·
update... went out to Elm Fork today because I wanted to shoot my AR-15 and of course my Baer which I love and adore.

ran 150 rounds of Remington UMC from Walmart, which I will tell you is crap and I will never ever ever do that again. I cant believe they pass some of these things as ammo.

In any case, my baby ran like a champ. Three times I did have to push forward on the slide to assist with return to battery... but the reason why is because some of those rounds looked like they were missing part of the brass. or the round itself seem to protrude out more then what I am accustomed to. She still ate it ran with it.

Also if you remember, I jacked my sear spring the last time I posted and got a replacement from les baer. I did have to make some additional adjustment, but had no problem and the weapon did not go full auto on me. I took Dave's advise and shot two rounds at a time first until I felt comfortable
 
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