Tanfoglio Witness and Swiss Arms 1911 Jamming Problem Fix

[Ben 36]

Well done for a helpful thread. Personally I've always only used 7. It does seem odd to load 18 into a 1911 replica doesn't it.

[sniper24687066]

Very helpful as the man above said.

[Ben 36]

How are the Ekols coming on?

Sorry that should have been; How is the Mak coming on?

The Ekols went somewhere else.

[Freeonthree]

I totally agree with the 7 rounds for replica realism, and these really are awesome replica's.
I found another thread on this website where a guy was calling these pistols "JUNK", so I cut and pasted the same words I used above, hoping readers will realise the truth about these wonderful replica's.
Since i've been loading 7 and 8 rounds at a time, I have not had even one double feed or jamming issue. Both Witness and my Swiss Arms versions are working flawlessly. Dennis

[Freeonthree]

Since these are replica's of the real 1911's, I think KWC should have designed the clip to only hold 7 or 8 bb's, or at least put a big warning in the instructions about the danger of damaging the clips feeder tube by loading more than 8.
My Tanfoglio Witness's origional clips feeder tube failed before it had 100 shots on it, but my new Swiss Arms version has never seen more than 8 at a time, and life is good. Dennis

[zippy]

If you stretch the spring after shortening you can keep the mag empty hold open feature. If the spring is stretched back to its original length, it's travel will remain the same, but its pressure for any given % compression will be reduced. But as it is full length , the follower should still lock the slide.

[Freeonthree]

Been there, tried that.
Stretching the spring damages it. I stretched one to where the auto lockback just started working again, and within a few days, it compressed, and the auto lockback stopped working again.
I run 2 kinds of clips, modded and stock. I can run up to 18 bb's in the modded clips (2" shorter spring), with no auto lockback, or up to 7 or 8 bb's in the stock clips, gun fully functioning flawlessly, and im pretty sure that it will stay that way as long as I never load more than 8 in the stock clips.
Springs are shaped and then tempered, so stretching them is a bad idea in my opinion.
The length of the spring is not what activates the auto lockback, it's the pressure, and if whatever spring you have in there has enough pressure to operate the auto lockback, then compressed back to the 18bb mark still creates more pressure than the plastic feeder tube's retaining lips can handle. It's a shame the box and instructions tell us to load 18 bb's when this is supposed to be a replica. Real 1911's hold 7 rounds.

[Freeonthree]

Here's a little update from where im sitting:
I've been shooting the heck out of both my Tanfoglio Witness and my Swiss Arms 1911's and have not had any problems with them at all.
I've been using my stock unmodified clips, loading 8 bb's, and so far both pistols have been operating flawlessly.
I can still run 18 bb's in my modded clips, but I think it's more fun shooting these pistols like real 1911's, and I love the auto lockback.
From where im sitting, these KWC made 1911's are totally flawless. Dennis

[Freeonthree]

By the way guys, keep an eye on the two small screws that hold the bottom plate on the clip. I've found them loose even on my newest virgin clips, so snug them up ocassionally.

[Freeonthree]

Also, and this is very important, always ease the loading plunger up after loading the bb's. Never let it slam the bb's against the feeder tube retaining lips.
I always put my finger over the top of the feeder tube and press down, so if the plunger gets away from me, my finger will lessen the blow of the bb's against the feeder tube lips.

[Aimstraight]

Also, and this is very important, always ease the loading plunger up after loading the bb's. Never let it slam the bb's against the feeder tube retaining lips.
I always put my finger over the top of the feeder tube and press down, so if the plunger gets away from me, my finger will lessen the blow of the bb's against the feeder tube lips.

The choice of plastic at the top of a metal magazine seems odd. The precautions you highlight all make good sense, think I'll start to load with fewer bbs as I want to keep the spring as is so that the lockback operates as it should. Fewer bbs might help in other pistols where double feeds occasionally occur.

I guess they would not sell as many if they were promoted as 7 or 8 shot, most users want convenience (fewer reloads); maybe they should have used an all metal magazine.

[Freeonthree]

The choice of plastic at the top of a metal magazine seems odd. The precautions you highlight all make good sense, think I'll start to load with fewer bbs as I want to keep the spring as is so that the lockback operates as it should. Fewer bbs might help in other pistols where double feeds occasionally occur.

I guess they would not sell as many if they were promoted as 7 or 8 shot, most users want convenience (fewer reloads); maybe they should have used an all metal magazine.

The 8 shot rotary clip pellet pistols seem to be selling ok.
If I want to shoot 18 without reloading, I grab one of my Crosman C11's, or my Sigarms GSR (non blowback).
I didn't realise that other blowback pistols were having the same problems, but if they operate mechanically the same way, it makes perfect sense to me, especially if they also have plastic feeder tubes.
There is one other thing we have to consider when thinking about these problems, and thats how we release the bb plunger after loading. I keep seeing pistol reviews where the guys load the clips and then release the plunger, allowing the bb's to slam against the feeder tube. I think thats the worse thing you can do with these type of clips. I bet the guys who are having the least amount of trouble are letting their plungers up slowly.
I always let my bb plungers up slowly, except with my Crosman C11's. With those, I put my finger on top of the feeder tube and press down, so when I release the plunger, the bb''s slam into my finger, not the retaining lips in the feeder tube. Too bad the instruction that come with these guns don't mention all these things

[Freeonthree]

Well done for a helpful thread. Personally I've always only used 7. It does seem odd to load 18 into a 1911 replica doesn't it.

I totally agree, but I must confess, i've been loading 8. Just don't like odd numbers

[Benelli B76]

I always carried 8 in my .45, one in the chamber and 7 in the mag. Could have been the one that made the difference especially when a lot of the crims in South Africa had double stack 9 mils.

Baz

[Freeonthree]

I always carried 8 in my .45, one in the chamber and 7 in the mag. Could have been the one that made the difference especially when a lot of the crims in South Africa had double stack 9 mils.

Baz

Too bad they don't pack bb pistols