I have an 1100 that fails to eject about 10% of my 1oz 1200 fps home loads when it's cold. The gun is spotless - probably cleaner than new.

Anyway, a guy I was shooting with started going on about changing the action spring.

There's no way putting a newer, and presumably stiffer, action spring in is going to make it cycle light loads better, is there? Or do they come in different resistances?

Thanks

You need to visit with “Virginian”. He is the most knowledgeable person that I know on 1100s. He has proclaimed several times that he is not a member of “the spring changers guild” and that his 1963 1100 still has the original spring in it

Maybe not changing, but cleaning could help. Maybe you’ve already done that.

You are correct, a new spring isn't going to help with that issue at all. Cleaning it "might".

It might be cleaner than it's ever been... Since the factory.

Stripped everything - dipped the receiver/mag/action tube in denatured alcohol, wiped and rinsed inside and out with brake cleaner, everything else similarly sparkly clean, then reassembled with sparing amounts of CLP on the action spring and follower, action rails, and pins in the trigger. Similarly cleaned out the barrel ports with a pipe cleaner with CLP, let that sit, then a clean one.

I might be at the edge of what this particular gun will do at freezing. But I can also bump up my reloads half a grain or so and see if that does the trick.

Thanks for the advice.

Try running through a box of quality target ammo and observe the ejection distance of fired hulls. If that changes anything, perhaps a bushing or two increase in powder used with your reloads could help out. (assuming you are currently not at max load)

Again, did you try manual cycling? Did the same problem occur? If not, it’s probably an ammo problem

Thanks - yes, it cycles fine by hand.

And it cycles factory 3 dram loads fine. So I'm probably just a bit light on the powder.

Bingo!