DW Vigil Slow Slide and Failure to eject

[welike45acp]

I have recently started having problems with a slow slide and failure to eject on my DW Vigil fill size 9mm.

I relaced my recoil spring with a new 10lb Wilson Combat spring, dud a thourough cleaning and lube and the problem still exist. By looking at the enclosed pics, it looks like the extractor may be tight or out of adjustment? At the range today the following ammo brands and weights had failure to eject with almost every round fired:

Fiochhi - 115g
American Eagle - 115g
Blazer Brass - 115g
Federal HST - 124g
Remington UMC - 124g


The following worked 100% - 50 rds of each

Magtech - 115g
Blazer Brass - 124g
Speer Lawman - 147g



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[Wobbly]

I have recently started having problems with a slow slide and failure to eject on my DW Vigil full size 9mm.

I replaced my recoil spring with a new 10lb Wilson Combat spring, did a thorough cleaning and lube and the problem still exist. By looking at the enclosed pics, it looks like the extractor may be tight or out of adjustment? At the range today the following ammo brands and weights had failure to eject with almost every round fired:

Fiochhi - 115g
American Eagle - 115g
Blazer Brass - 115g
Federal HST - 124g
Remington UMC - 124g

The following worked 100% - 50 rds of each:
Magtech - 115g
Blazer Brass - 124g
Speer Lawman - 147g

I have more questions than answers:

• Use of the word "recently" is not clear. Are you saying that everything was previously working perfectly, and this situation just started ? Or are you saying you just got the gun ?

• Thoroughly cleaned... including the extractor and extractor well ?

• What is the round count on the gun ?

• What is the weight of the stock spring for comparison ? What lead you to pick a WC 10# ?

• Have you added a recoil buffer, changed the hammer spring housing, or added/ modified/ changed any other internal accessory ?

• In an auto handgun, the total recoil force is absorbed by the recoil spring PLUS the hammer spring. Have you modified the hammer spring.

• What happens when you cycle test cartridges (like Snap Caps) by hand through the action ?


Inquiring minds, and all that.

[welike45acp]

I have recently started having problems with a slow slide and failure to eject on my DW Vigil full size 9mm.

I replaced my recoil spring with a new 10lb Wilson Combat spring, did a thorough cleaning and lube and the problem still exist. By looking at the enclosed pics, it looks like the extractor may be tight or out of adjustment? At the range today the following ammo brands and weights had failure to eject with almost every round fired:

Fiochhi - 115g
American Eagle - 115g
Blazer Brass - 115g
Federal HST - 124g
Remington UMC - 124g

The following worked 100% - 50 rds of each:
Magtech - 115g
Blazer Brass - 124g
Speer Lawman - 147g

I have more questions than answers:

• Use of the word "recently" is not clear. Are you saying that everything was previously working perfectly, and this situation just started ? Or are you saying you just got the gun ?

• Thoroughly cleaned... including the extractor and extractor well ?

• What is the round count on the gun ?

• What is the weight of the stock spring for comparison ? What lead you to pick a WC 10# ?

• Have you added a recoil buffer, changed the hammer spring housing, or added/ modified/ changed any other internal accessory ?

• In an auto handgun, the total recoil force is absorbed by the recoil spring PLUS the hammer spring. Have you modified the hammer spring.

• What happens when you cycle test cartridges (like Snap Caps) by hand through the action ?


Inquiring minds, and all that.

Since this issue I have completely disassembled the slide and did a complete cleaning. The Extractor channel was full of oil and debris which I believe was the issue as the extractor had limited or no movement. Sine the cleaning it has been to the range once and every brand of ammo performed 100%.

I am the second owner and was told the gun was right about 700 rds when I got it, I added another 200 rds before the issues started.

In speaking with the DW tech support, they informed me that the stock standard recoil spring that was 10lbs - which is the weight I used when replacing,

No additional changes, shok buffs or other work.

[Tanners Owner]

Glad it appears you got it running right. Am not surprised the extractor was gunned up, as I’ve found removing 9mm extractors on 1911s much more difficult than 45ACP versions. Good luck and keep us up to date with future range trips.

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

I suppose if the gun wasn't cleaned of it's shipping lube before being fired initially the extractor could be gummed up by gunk mixing with that lube especially since you suggest a fairly low round count before the issue surfaced.  Two very important things I've noted on the 5 DW 1911's I own/have owned and many other brands as well.  DW as good as they are do not always get the extractor properly adjusted and I've had to make proper adjustment on 3 of the 5 guns. They don't tune the ejector at all and it's installed in its bone stock form. I've tuned the ejector on EVERY DW I've had as the ejection pattern was erratic and often the guns would eject spent cases directly back in my face. There are good vids from Wilson Combat and others detailing how to properly tension the extractor and there is good info on Brazos Custom's website on tuning the ejector and achieving good consistent ejection patterns with the 1911.