Can anybody recommend a good pistolsmith?

[SwampDawg]

Roughly in the area from Slidell to Mobile to Hattiesburg (inclusive.) I have been given a .45 ACP Colt Mark IV Series 80. It fired a couple of magazines perfectly, and then on the third the firing pin only dimpled the primer face on about 3 rounds.I know of only two gunsmiths locally. One of them had replaced the firing pin for the guy that gave it to me, so I don't trust him too much. I took it to another one to diagnose and fix it for me, and he took it out back, shot it, andgave it back saying he didn't know what the problem is, so I don't trust him either.Any recommendations or ideas would be appreciated. If all else fails I will send it back to Colt, but UPS requires overnight shipping which costs about $50. I have been told the reason UPS requirexs this is because too many weapons were disappearing if the packages were in the route for too long.

 

[DMBULLY1]

First post, but I do have a pretty good amount of experience here. I know this is not in the location you specified, but I would take it to Scott at Jim's Firearms in Baton Rouge. Very good work and very professional.

 

[Anon1651053560]

Are you sure the primers weren't bad? Try a different box of ammo. You can also tear it down and make sure there isn't carbon build up on the cartridge seat. The 80 series is all in all not a very reliable weapon(when compared to the hand assembled 70 series). They have lower tolerances and are more jam prone. Not trying to offend, but you can expect more problems with it. But hey, 1911's are so freaking cool, you can deal with some repairs here and there. As far as gunsmithing, call Academy sports in Gulfport and get them to recommend someone. Good luck

 

[SwampDawg]

Please elaborate for a dubmass. I will definately call Academy.

 

[madisondawg11]

Red Jacket. Baton Rouge

 

[DMBULLY1]

The first thing you should do is look to see if the primer strikes were good. Take the casings that fired and compare those to the rounds that did not fire. Do the indents on the primers look the same. If so, you might have bad ammo. If not, it could be that the ammo you were using had "hard" primers, or it could be that you have a problem with the firearm. Carbon build up could cause the cartridge to seat forward enough to cause a light primer strike, although this is highly unlikely if you were experiencing random ftf (failure to fire). Firing pins can also become damaged over time, but a broken firing pin generally shuts the gun down completely, meaning it will not fire at all. ammunition is the problem here, more often than not, but you may have a firing pin issue. I would certainly try different ammo before I called a gunsmith. When you do decide to call one, however, Academy is not where I would start. If you are close to Gulfport, call Darryl at Dad's Super Pawn. They have a gunsmith on sight, and he is a serious gun guy himself, so they can diagnose the problem and fix it. Also, they are Colt dealers, so they can order parts straight from the factory if needed. Academy might know a good gunsmith, but why add the step and have the gunsmith likely use after-market parts to fix your pistol. Darryl should be back from vacation Monday, and he gets in around 8a.m. Make sure you go to Gulfport and not the new Pascagoula store.

 

[xxxWalkTheDawg]

Try the easiest thing. What ammunition are you using? It ever been wet? Reloads?<div>
</div><div>Go buy another box of a different, quality brand and try again.</div><div>
</div><div>I bought a box of off brand reloads for my Sig Sauer 9 mm just to fire off some rounds at a range. I thought my eyes had crossed on the way over of something. I couldn't hit ****. It was like shooting a snub nose .380. Put some Winchester back in it and it shot like a champ. Only thing I can figure out is the rounds were slightly off in diameter or something.</div><div>
</div><div>If it's still not shooting right... then take it in.</div>

 

[Anon1651053560]

It does sound like bad ammo to me too. However, I do know from owning a 1911 that they tend to get carbon buildup in the chamber, especially when shooting cheap ammo. Break the gun down and clean with bore solvent near the barrel and gun oil on the moving parts. Get an old toothbrush and a few toothpicks and scrub it clean. Go to YouTube if you need help reassembling it (it's tricky the first time).

 

[SwampDawg]

The three rounds that didn't go off had firing pin marks that looked a little less than those that had gone off before from the first two magazines. All were reloads I had worked up. It is my habit to inspect every primer I set to make sure it is flush with the case. The primers were CCI which I have used with satisfaction. I gave the bad roundsto the gunsmith who said he would analyze the situation but didn't (sorry, but this is the guy at Dad's) and he didn't return them. I have measured brass from the same lot, and it is all greater than .888 which seems to be the generally accepted minimum length, so the brass shouldn't be going too far into the chamber and lessening the impact of the firing pin. My plan is to first go back to the range with some more rounds from that lot and see if the problem repeats itself. If it does (and I expect it to) then I will check with Academy and see if they can recommend someone. Again, thanks guys.

 

[OneParticularHarbor]

I have heard good things about their gunsmith work, but I have not used them.

 

[DirtyLopez]

and while it was basic stuff, it was good work. And I have always heard good things about him.

 

[the next big thing]

I have heard good things about their gunsmith work, but I have not used them.

Ive heard good things about him, too. I used to know his name but cant remember. Ive got some friends who are good friends with him.

Another one (the guy I've used and will continue to use) is the one who works through Leaf River Outdoors on the Evelyn Gandy Parkway in Petal. I had his name and number in my old phone. If I still had it, Id post it. He's first-class. He called me after I got my gun back to be sure I was satisfied with the work.

Another time I had a problem with a shotgun and he told me over the phone what to clean and adjust so I could fix the problem myself. He was right on target with thattoo.