Browning 1911-380 Handgun troubleshooting

Discussion in 'Browning 1911 - 380 Handgun' started by Billythekid, Jun 29, 2015.

  1. Texas-Mark

    Texas-Mark .22LR

    I sent Browniong another e-mail asking about the replacement mag and also questioning how the demand can be so great when nobody is posting anything about the gun. Their response was:

    "Thanks for the follow-up. We are working on getting the replacement mags right out. We will follow-up with you within the next couple days with shipment information."

    No comment on the demand thing. It will be interesting to see if there are any differences in these replacement mags. Besides for the feed lips being too wide, they also seem to be too short (at least compared to other .380 mags I have). Here is an example. Browning mag on the left. As you can see there is a lot less feed lip to hold the case. I think that is also why the rounds also pop out so easily and cause that nose up jam.

    [​IMG]
  2. Phil Tull

    Phil Tull Copper BB

    i took my new 1911-380 to the range yesterday and had a nightmare experience trying to shoot it. The slide would not go into battery when releasing it both by pulling the slide to the rear or by releasing the slide stop. I was using both factory JHP and FMJ factory loads. I could reach up with my weak hand and push the slide forward and it would go into battery and shoot the round, but subsequent cycles of the slide malfunctioned the same way. I am planning to ship the gun back to browning next week. Has anyone had this same issue, and if so how did you correct it? My gun only came with a single magazine as well. Very frustrated and disappointed with Browning.
  3. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    Did you field strip and clean the gun before firing...!?

    Lube it and work the lube into the slide by retracting and releasing the slide a few dozen times...?!

    All NIB firearms do not necessarily come from the factory clean, de-burred, or lubed and ready to fire from the box...

    Not trying to insult your intelligence or gun expertise....just asking a few questions and stating a fact.
  4. Phil Tull

    Phil Tull Copper BB

    Yes I thoroughly cleaned it with my mixture of shooters choice and kroil mixed half and half then lubed it with FP-7 lube. I own 7 HI Powers among other browning firearms. The slide just would not go into battery from the very first round I chambered in it. I think that Browning simply rushed this product line to market without QCing it properly. By the way this us the first Browning firearm I purchased that did not have a spent cartridge case from a factory test firing included inside the case. Very strange indeed. I thought that this was a standard practice mandated by Federal laws.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  5. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    Could there be a burr on the feed ramp...maybe just polish it a little

    How's the magazine feed lips look...bent or mis-aligned ?

    Feed ramps snafu's and bent magazine feed lips can contribute to problems with the gun not going into battery.

    Just some thoughts...
  6. Phil Tull

    Phil Tull Copper BB

    Thanks for the suggestion. The feed ramp is as smooth as a baby's butt. <smile> I mic'ed the feed lips and they are .318, so I am sending the entire gun and magazine back to Browning. I own 7 hi powers and a A-5 semiauto shotgun, this is the first bad experience I have ever had with a Browning product. They really screwed the pooch on QC's at the factory with this product line/magazines. I also did not get a spent cartridge case in an envelope inside the case when I bought it. I thought firearms manufactures had to send one with each firearm they shipped to prove it had been successfully test fired at the factory?
  7. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    Yea...QC is slipping with most big name manufacturers across the board...

    Browning, Remington, Winchester....all have issues both big and small...as they rush product out before adequate testing.

    Then people wonder why these companies send work over seas....as high paid union members lose their jobs to under-paid foreign workers.

    I fear for this country...it's decline it so evident that it make me sick to see it slipping from a world power to a third world country.

    But...that's another story !! Good luck with the return and let us know how you fare...
  8. Texas-Mark

    Texas-Mark .22LR

    Spent cases are not required by Fed law. Some states with gun registration laws require it, so some manufactures include them with all of their guns. Mine did not have one either. But most guns I buy don't have them either.

    On a side note, I am STILL waiting for the replacement mag. I was told on the Sept 22nd to expect a tracking number in the next few days. Nothing. Then on the 29th they said check back the next day. Still nothing. The only reason I have not sold this gun yet is because I am waiting to see if this new mag has somehow been redesigned.
  9. Phil Tull

    Phil Tull Copper BB

    I opted to order two replacement mags from browning rather than ship the gun back. They said 6-7 weeks to get them in and I asked who manufactured then for browning. Agent said she did not know but said they were made in the USA. Go figure QC sucks in all us manufacturing these days. She did give me the name and number to three browning dealers who according to her records showed they had recently been shipped magazines for resale. I called all three and they said they had not received any yet. I would hang on to your pistol until MecGar or some other after market mags become available. If you need to sell it I'd be interested in buying it from you. (Smile)


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  10. Texas-Mark

    Texas-Mark .22LR

    Well, I finally received my replacement mag from Browning. No change in the overall deign or feed lip length, and the feed lips on this one still measures .318". I'm so disappointed in Browning. I really wanted to like this gun, but will never trust it for daily carry.
  11. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    That's good news Gary...

    So...you reload .380 ?
  12. Texas-Mark

    Texas-Mark .22LR

    FWIW, now that I have 4 mags total, I can afford to do a little experimentation. I have closed the feed lips on the first two mags (original and first one I bought) down to .305". I went out and shot 200 rounds without any of those nose up jams or any rounds popping out. Additionally I did not have any rounds hit me in the head like they almost always do every mag. I did have a few hit my right arm, but it seems that the ejection pattern is now more to the right than straight back. Not quite sure how the feed lips are affecting that, but it has seemed to help. BUT, I have shot 200 rounds before without a problem. Until it is reliable 100% of the time, I will not consider the isse resolved.

    Note: I'm not saying this is what everyone needs to do. If your gun is shooting fine, then that is great, and leave it alone. But if you get those nose up jams, or rounds pop out of the mag way too easily, this seems to help considerably. I am sure I could close them up even more, but I am trying to find the "magic" spot.

    Now keep in mind I am only closing up the front of the feed lips. I am not doing it by squeezing the mag body, but by bending the existing curve at the front down a bit more.
  13. rbmorse

    rbmorse .410

    I bought one of these little beauties today for the wife, who finds my full size 1911 a bit heavy and a bit large for her delicate hands. Did the initial field strip for cleaning and noted the ejector sits a bit loose in the frame. There seems to be the world's smallest (smaller than anything I have in the house, anyway) hex screw that holds it in place. Is this normal and benign or do I have to run to the hardware store and buy a new tool (hurt me! hurt me!)?

    BTW. I'm impressed with the gun so far. Hope to avoid the mag problem discusses above, and I'm a bit vexed by the supply issues as I'm going to buy some additional mags, but it looks to be well made and after spreading a little oil around the innards it cycles smoothly by hand. Looking forward to getting it on the range.
  14. Texas-Mark

    Texas-Mark .22LR

    That screw is notorious for coming loose. I have used blue locktite on it several times and it still eventually starts to back out. So yeah, I would go get a hex driver for it.

    [​IMG]
  15. rbmorse

    rbmorse .410

    That's the one. Do you by chance recall what size driver I need?
  16. Texas-Mark

    Texas-Mark .22LR

    Not sure of the size. I had one used for adjusting a small laser sight on another gun that fit.
  17. rbmorse

    rbmorse .410

    I'll call them in the morning. That might be fun...

    Thanks.
  18. rbmorse

    rbmorse .410

    I called the Browning tech support number in the manual. The automated telephone tree was manageable, didn't have to listen to any commercials. Real human answered quickly after I made my menu selection. Stated my problem pretty much as I did here. Rep (didn't get his name, but he gave it) answered right away, said the condition was normal and it was not necessary to tighten the fitting. I thanked him and he wished me "happy shooting, enjoy your Browning." Whole process, from the time I found the manual to look up the number to hanging up happy took less than a minute.

    Made me very pleased even if I'm a bit skeptical about the ejector sitting loose on the frame being a normal condition.

    Anyway...Cabella's has stock on magazines at their usual high prices ($44.50 ea.) I ordered two because I couldn't find stock anywhere else that I trust for internet orders . They should be here next week. The one that came with the gun passes the "shake test" i.e., I can't shake a round loose and the first round chambers correctly when I rack the slide. Wife doesn't like me playing with live ammo in the house so I had to knock that off. Won't be able to get to the range until tomorrow, but I filled the magazine and will let it sit overnight to exercise the spring.
  19. rbmorse

    rbmorse .410

    Got to the range this morning and ran 100 rounds of Winchester 95g white box FMJ through the gun. Very pleased. Had a couple of stove pipe FTF on the first mag, after that things settled down and the gun generally ran well.

    One issue:

    a. The slide lock on empty works exactly backwards...i.e., the gun cycles normally until the mag is empty at which point the slide is fully forward.

    b. Manually racking the slide does not hold the slide back, it returns to the battery position.

    c. Insert a loaded magazine and pull the slide back. The slide will lock open. It's not a misfeed...there has been no attempt to move the cartridge out of the magazine.

    d. I can either bump the back of the slide with the heel of my free hand, or slingshot the slide, and it will close normally, loading a cartridge into the chamber and placing the pistol in full battery. The gun will fire if the grip safety is pressed and trigger pulled.

    e. The gun will cycle normally until the magazine is empty at which point the slide will be closed.

    This behavior is 100% consistent and reproducible.

    If I rack the slide manually with an empty magazine (taking care to not let it slam home) it will very occasionally lock back after moving forward about 1/2 inch. Dropping the mag at this point causes the slide to close.

    I'd appreciate any ideas about what may be causing the slide behavior and what, if anything might be done. Otherwise, all is good. On dis-assembly after 100 rounds things were pretty clean and there were no signs the various parts were trying to eat each other.

    It's a fun little gun and I look forward to running more rounds through it.
  20. rbmorse

    rbmorse .410

    Discovered the problem with the slide not locking back on an empty magazine was due to a magazine problem. The little loop at the top of the spring that protrudes from the slot in the follower and engages the slide stop had slipped it's mooring and got pushed back into the magazine. Took the mag apart, re-positioned the spring inside the follower (there's a little notch on the molding) and reassembled.

    The other end of the spring is diabolical. It wants very much to work its way out under the bottom of the mag body, making it impossible to slide the end cap back into place. I ended up tucking under the second to last bend until I got the end cap in place, and then working the follower until I felt the other end of the spring snap back into place. I think. Anyway, the follower appears to have normal travel and I can still load 8 rounds.

    Still working on the first round feed problem when the mag is full. Hangs up on 7 and 8 rounds. If loaded to six rounds it feeds normally.

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