Clark long heavy slide feeding problems

Good afternoon. I bought a Clark Long Slide a while back. It has feeding problems, as in the bullet nose jams into the bottom of the barrel feed ramp. I've been trying to diagnose the problem and I think I may have found the problem, but not a solution. First, It looks like the barrel links down ok onto the barrel bed ok. The bottom of the barrel throat looks a little close to the frame feed ramp. But the big issue, I think, is the top of barrel to slide clearance looks excessive, quite a bit more than my other 1911s. So, when the bullet nose contacts the barrel, the barrel lifts off the frame bed high enough that the bullet nose jams on the bottom of the barrel.  I've tried different link lengths, and I don't think the problem is a function of link length, and it would affect lockup, and it looks like lockup in battery is good.  I posted a few pictures to look at and I did take a video and will try to post a link here, or I can email the video to anyone interested.
Let me know what you think, and many thanks for your time.
Kurt 

YouTube link 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oJupSKXfNX4&noapp=1&client=mv-google

Are you sure that the magazine/follower isn't holding the nose of the round down too long? (video wasn't up yet)

If you look at barrel fully bedded down and to the rear in full recoil, how much distance/gap is there from frame ramp to barrel ramp? Frame ramp looks like it could use some polishing. Also try feeding a round with extractor removed. Does it feed the same or better? If too much extractor tension it can force bullet nose into the bottom of barrel ramp. Tha gap above the barrel does look like it is more than typical gap. The bed on frame could've been lowered or barrel sanded (shoe shined) excessively. With slide removed and barrel installed on frame with slidestop pin inserted (hanging down), push barrel down and back. Does slidestop freely rotate? Is that 185 or 200 gr bullet?
Jon

DA/SA, doesn;t matter what magazine I use.  Jon, I'll take a look and report.Thanks, Kurt

It's also possible that series 70 slide was extremely rough inside from machining and they polished inside slide excessively.
Jon

To me it looks like there isn't enough gap between the frame ramp and the barrel ramp when the barrel is fully bedded. In fact, it looks like the barrel might over hang the frame ramp by a hair.

Dave

Jon, I'll send a pic of the inside of the slide, it is pretty rough.  Dave, yes the barrel is close, doesn't overhang though.
Kurt

there should be a gap of 1/32" between the barrel and frame feed ramps with the barrel back against the vertical impact surface. Not uncommon for older guns to not have this clearance. I'd say you lack that space given your video.. This can be corrected by a good smith by throating the barrel and maintaining the proper angle.

a picture of the actual jam would be helpful.

Here are a few pictures of what the jam looks like. The bottom one is a ZERO 185 gr swchp. I think the other 2 are the same bullet, I took those earlier. I think the nose of the 185's is too "sharp" to work, although a friend has a Long Slide and they work great in his. 200 gr LSWC were better, but not reliable enough for competition.
The slide stop pin spins freely with the barrel bedded and back against the VIS.
I did ease the extractor tension a bit.  Maybe saw an improvement hand cycling the slide...I'll shoot it Thursday and see if that helped anything.
Kurt

The 1911 was designed so that when the cartridge is feeding the bullet will hit the frame feed ramp and then bounce up passing the feed ramp of the barrel. Then the cartridge willll hit the top of the chamber and feed/chamber all due to the slide pushing the cartridge forward out of the magazine. So basically what is happening is your Barrel throat or feed ramp is sitting too far to the rear and it is catching the nose of the bullet preventing it from properly feeding.
Jon

interesting way to lock the barrel with the two screws bearing down on the barrel hood through the bomar rib.. can't say I've seen that one before. maybe an early version of the accuracy tuner bomar had.


get the barrel feed ramp fixed as Jon suggests

Jimmy that's the Aristocrat rib. They still make them and that's their version of locking up the barrel.
Jon

Ahh never fooled with those..

Thanks Jon and Glenn. How is issue fixed?  Is that something I dare try myself? I do know the issue of headspace and exposing too much of the cartridge case in the throat.
Kurt

Kurt I will email you some pics and directions to try it your self later today.
Jon

Thanks, Jon!

Custom barrel with chamber work? If you reload...put a bullet you intend to use into a spent case leaving the oal long and drop it into the barrel chamber. Push forcing the bullet into the case. This gives the chamber length up to the lands where the bullet nose is now resting. Remove the bullet and case and push the bullet another .015” into the case. This gives the ideal oal for your barrel. Compare that oal to the oal of the bullets that have feeding failures.
A good place to start your investigations before removing metal.

Cazmont wrote:Custom barrel with chamber work? If you reload...put a bullet you intend to use into a spent case leaving the oal long and drop it into the barrel chamber. Push forcing the bullet into the case. This gives the chamber length up to the lands where the bullet nose is now resting. Remove the bullet and case and push the bullet another .015” into the case. This gives the ideal oal for your barrel. Compare that oal to the oal of the bullets that have feeding failures.
A good place to start your investigations before removing metal.

Too many variables for this to be accurate statement. What barrel? What chamber reamer? What’s headspace? 
Old Clark’s have long headspace because most used Colt barrels which were welded up and refit. These old barrels if you seated the bullet like you stated could be out too far. Which now creates problem/issue of transitioning from magazine to chamber more difficult.
So I respectfully disagree completely with your statement.
In my experience most feeding problems with 1911 pistols is either magazine related or barrel/frame ramp offset incorrect, the extractor. And crappy ammo
Jon

Jon, thanks for your informative input. The method I have described has been useful for me as a general, non destructive tool for trouble shooting feeding issues. Just a way of getting information. I am picking up a Clark Longslide next week if the lgs isn't closed down for the virus. I understand that Clark 6” barrels changed in manufacturing method over the years. Mine was built on a ‘68 Colt .45 and I'll get to see how the barrel was constructed.
I hope you and your family as well as the others of the forum stay safe and healthy in this crisis.

I had a problem with my trigger on a heavy long slide and Clark fixed it for no charge.  They stand behind their work.