Nelson Converson Problem with Rock River 45

My Nelson unit works perfectly with my Springfield RO but will not function at all with my Rock River wadcutter .45.  I have changed the mag release catch to a Caspian but it still will not work. If any Rock River owners have solved this problem I would love to hear from you.  I know I could send the gun back to Nelson or a gunsmith but I don't want to do so in the middle of the season.

archer gravely
asheville, nc

Call Larry? what is it doing?

Do you have a heavier mainspring in the Rock River gun?

Chris Miceli wrote:Call Larry? what is it doing?

I have called Larry and he suggested that it may be a possible problem with too tight 45 frame disconnector, but when I talked with Dave Salyer he didn't think this was the issue.  I am sure either Dave or Larry could diagnose and fix the problem if I were willing to give them the gun for a couple of weeks but I am hoping that someone else has resolved this with solution that I can implement without having to send it in.

Do you have a heavier mainspring in the Rock River gun?

I don't know - it is the original Rock River mainspring part that came on the Bullseye Wadcutter pistol purchased in 2002.

Symptoms? Behavior?

Archer Gravely wrote:My Nelson unit works perfectly with my Springfield RO but will not function at all with my Rock River wadcutter .45.  I have changed the mag release catch to a Caspian but it still will not work. If any Rock River owners have solved this problem I would love to hear from you.  I know I could send the gun back to Nelson or a gunsmith but I don't want to do so in the middle of the season.

archer gravely
asheville, nc

If the nelson slide won't smoothly function, its likely binding on your ejector. If the magazine is in the gun, the top of the mag might be pushing the nelson ejector up, and inhibit slide function. Another possibility is that the disconnector is not riding inside the channel in the slide just right, and filing the left and right corners of that disconnector would be a simple fix. My nelson slide fits on my RRA, but the magazine doesn't fit, and I haven't cared to spend the time fiddling with it since I have a dedicated lower for my nelson. Some things to consider though.

This describes the problem nicely as the ejector rubs against the slide as the slides moves back even without a magazine inserted.  As a result rounds fail to feed and I even had a double fire once

Archer Gravely wrote:This describes the problem nicely as the ejector rubs against the slide as the slides moves back even without a magazine inserted.  As a result rounds fail to feed and I even had a double fire once

Might replace the ejector on the frame. I had this binding issue with the nelson when I tried to put it on a 9mm les baer - apparently 9mm/38 super ejectors are different from .45acp ejectors. Your gun is a 45acp you say, but maybe they put a different ejector on it for some reason? Try a stock 45acp 1911 ejector from brownells and see if that does the trick.

I'd just file the ejector where it's rubbing..

jglenn21 wrote:I'd just file the ejector where it's rubbing..

Yep
Jon

That's exactly what Larry told me to check for. I found a slight divot on right side of my AMT ejector. I filed it smooth and level, it helped, now it never fails to go into battery. Like Larry says a .22 doesn't have the pressure to push a heavy recoil spring and little rough spot or rubbing of parts can stop the slide from full battery.
  I did have another problem with extraction of different ammo. I took the barrel off and inserted a cartridge under the extractor to see if it held, it failed. I looked at the contact of the hook face and it was barely on the rim and needed more contact. So I tuned it a little so the point of hook came closer to the side of cartridge by filing at indicated area a little at a time, 2 fits and I had it. I know the hook looks like it has a negative face but it is positive. It has perfect contact on the rim and the hook point is about just shy of case side. Be very careful doing this if you do it yourself, if uncertain of your ability, a gunsmith can do this very reasonably. 
  Stan

Guys...thanks for the excellent advice...given my limited mechanical abilities I know now that I need professional assistance to fix this problem.  Since the unit works fine with my Springfield RO, I can just wait till the off season to get it fixed.

I had a problem with mine where, in one lower, no problem but in another it wouldn't function. Larry said some guns use a high magazine catch. At his suggestion, I filed the top of the catch notch on two of my mags allowing the seated magazine to sit a hair lower. I held the magazine release down while cycling the slide by hand and filed, a few stroke at a time, until there was no friction. Then just cleaned it up. Worked like a charm, 100 rounds...flawless.

If your slide cycles smoothly with no magazine inserted, maybe this could be your issue??? I could post a pic of where I filed if that would help.