Browning 1911-380 Handgun troubleshooting

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

  1. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    Welcome to the Browning Owners Forum Woundup1 !!

    Please introduce yourself to our community via the New Member Welcome Area...

    Enjoy the forum.
  2. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    Thanks for the update....
  3. TexasPete

    TexasPete .22LR

    Background: I just returned from my inaugural shoot with this weapon and experienced all the same pain, misfeeds, failure to eject, too light a tap on the primer to ignite/fire. I used three different magazines and three different types of ammo and I could feel the excitement drain out of my body. The guy shooting next to me kept looking at me like I was a zombie until I let him try.
    Question: From what I have read (thanx to all for posting great scoop), it seems like shipping the wpn back to Browning is a months long endeavor. However, I am not a smith and there are no authorized ones within a few hundred miles. Has anyone experienced a shorter turnaround or has Browning recognized the QC issue and simply replacing and returning these days? Gracias.
  4. TexasPete

    TexasPete .22LR

    Woundup1: I followed my training pre-shoot. Field-stripped, cleaned, cycled, all the usual preps. Beyond disappointing. After a while, I started loading cartridges one at a time to try to diagnose the illness. Suspect my pin might be a bit short (another QC issues) especially after one cartridge got TWO taps on the primer without firing (never have i seen that before in 30+ years as an infantryman). I tried the third (albeit a bit scared to pull the trigger), and if finally fred. That's when I put the 380 away and broke out my trusty 9mm. I am headed for the bckyard to crack open a bottle of rum and tell my neighbor my tale of woe.
  5. TexasPete

    TexasPete .22LR

    Woundup1,

    Being handy around the house, I am. Being handy around amateur gunsmithing I am not! I called Browning, they e-mailed me a shipping label during the call and the offending wpn is headed for Missouri! I'll let you know what happens.
  6. TexasPete

    TexasPete .22LR

    1st gen, Mk I, Mod. 0
  7. TexasPete

    TexasPete .22LR

    I love the True Handgun snap
  8. TexasPete

    TexasPete .22LR

    Repair update: Three weeks in MO and status is still "awaiting parts." Next week marks 30 days and I'll give 'em a buzz.
  9. bowman

    bowman Copper BB

    thank god for people that care , I mean you guys in this forum . I sent my browning 1911-380 back to browning for repair . It was doing the same as stated . Browning kept my firearm for a month and sent it back with the same issues . I found this forum , went to harbor freight , got the tools needed and did the job myself . I sent 5 magazines to browning with my firearm and explained that I think it was a magazine issue could you please check . Nothing as I could see was done with the mags , in fact they never opened the bag I shipped it in , (I paid for shipping ) . Thanks to this forum , I have a very sweat shooting 1911 .Thanks Texas-Mark
  10. bowman

    bowman Copper BB

    Browning had me send my firearm to Arnold Missouri for repair , but nothing was done . I complained in a email and got a quick responds . They also said for me to send a receipt of my shipping and they would refund it . All I wanted was a fixed gun , the shipping should have been covered in the first place
  11. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    Welcome to the Browning Owners Forum Mark !!

    Please introduce yourself to our community via the New Member Welcome Area...

    Enjoy the forum.
  12. TexasPete

    TexasPete .22LR

    I sent my malfunctioning NIB 1911 .380 to Arnold, MO at their expense. Receipted for on 19 April. On/about 19 May I called and they said awaiting a new slide. On D-Day the 6th of June I sent the Browning CEO a note politely explaining my disappointment that they, the manufacturer, couldn't get the parts to fix my firearm in less than two months.

    Today, 10 Jun, Arnold called, referenced my letter, and asked if it was okay to send me a new pistol, since they were still awaiting parts for my malfunctioning new pistol. I told him they could send me an old one if they wanted, I just need it to work properly.

    We'll see what shows up on my doorstop and how it functions.
  13. drewzter

    drewzter .22LR

    Took the gun to to a steel challenge match recently with some handloads I made with 95 grain lead boolits. It did great. No malfunctions after closing up those mag lips to about .308 as mentioned. It was a little bit of a pain shooing the match with only two mags but with help it was not bad. The ejector was loose afterward. I picked up a third mag on a recent trip out of town, (Bass Pro in Orlando had two ). They wanted 42 so I opened a CC account for 15 off. Now I have three mags and might take the gun to an IDPA shoot. I was actually thinking about selling it but it is really fun to shoot. I'd like to work on the trigger to slick it up a bit. If anyone has a link to a good tutorial for the strip I'd like to see it. That roll pin seems tricky, perhaps there is a better way.
  14. SFCCHAPMAN

    SFCCHAPMAN Copper BB

    I just received the Browning 1911-380 a few days ago. I had only shot 200 rounds to date. I had 3 failure to feed,but I think that's normal I think. I think this is absolutely a great shooting weapon,and I simply like 1911s. I have the 4 inch barrel and the recoil is like a 22 LR and re- aligns like a dream. I got lucky as when the weapon was purchased they one extra mag for sale.
    You're right,those things are had to find


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    SHOOTER13 likes this.
  15. SFCCHAPMAN

    SFCCHAPMAN Copper BB

    I appreciate the humor. However a brand-new weapon firing a few hundred rounds 2 or 3 failure to feeds are normal. I would never carry a weapon that wasn't broken in and I found that weapons favorite ammo.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2016
  16. Rick

    Rick Copper BB

    Here a new one for the Browning lovers out there. I don't think you'll have a hard time trouble shooting this one.
    I am nearly fed up with Browning at the moment. 6-10 week turn around. I had the gun for literally less than 72 hours. 30 shots in this happened. IMG_0491.JPG IMG_0492.JPG
  17. cavelamb

    cavelamb .22LR

    It comes apart just about like any 1911.
    Going back together make sure of the main spring placement on the sear.
    It's easy to get it misaligned.
    drewzter likes this.
  18. rbmorse

    rbmorse .410

    What Cavelamb says is very true. Make sure you do a complete function test of all the safety features after assembly.
  19. Hello, I just read all your posts and was glad to hear I am not alone in my stove pipes and flying cartridges. I have put about 300 rounds thru my Pro with night sights (which I hate). It is getting better but have 2 problematic mags that will not feed the last 2 rounds. This has happened 3x. I'm going to measure them tomorrow. This is my first gun and I remain optimistic that it will be more reliable. Thanks for the answers I've found here.
    SHOOTER13 likes this.
  20. TexasPete

    TexasPete .22LR

    In late June I received a different pistol back from Arnold, MO. I was pleased to clean lots of carbon out of it indicating it had been tested with more than a magazine of rounds. Took it to the range and put about two hundred rounds (three different manufacturers) through it with zero malfunctions. Though it took several months and some squeaky-wheeling, I am happy.
    Calamity Jane likes this.

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