Colt 1911 Ejector Problems

Broken Ejector

• The ejector pin on a Colt 1911 pistol is used every time the firearm is fired. Every time an empty bullet casing is extracted and ejected from a 1911, the ejector pin is getting hit hard and eventually they can wear out and completely fail or even break off. When this occurs, the ejector will usually fall away from the pistol and be lost while the Colt 1911 pistol will no longer function properly. This can be a major problem because the only way to repair your firearm at this point is through the services of an experienced gunsmith.

Loose Ejector

• When the ejector on a Colt 1911 is loose in any way, the shooter risks the ammunition jamming in the firearm. Usually this will occur in the form of a stovepipe or smokestack jam, which is named after the smokestack like appearance of an empty shell casing sticking out of the ejection port of the Colt 1911. This occurs because the empty bullet casing is not pushed through the ejection port hard enough by the loose ejector.

Bent Extended Ejectors

• To solve ejector problem in Colt 1911's, many manufacturers offer an extended ejector pin that pushes used shell casings out of the way much faster on Colt 1911 pistols, however, this sometimes causes more problems than it solves. The extended ejectors bend or break even easier than a regular ejector and cause jamming. In addition, the extended ejectors can cause jamming when trying to unload an unfired bullet from the chamber.

Customized Ejectors

• Shooting enthusiasts often alter their Colt 1911 by filing the ejector pin. Filing an angle on the ejector pin can ensure that hot empty casings do not fall on the shooter or it can ensure all of your casings fall nearby to make it easier to reload them later. One thing to remember, however, is that any modification of the ejector pin can eventually cause failure and jam the gun.