Wa Shan Series 70 1911

I got an All metal Wa Shan series 70 and simply put, when fired the slide does not slide back enough or at all sometimes.

I've tried using a lot of lubrication and even a smaller spring from my MGC 1911 (the slide spring underneath the barrel)
I thought it was dud caps but I've tried caps from 3 different boxes.
I may be loading the cap into the cartridge wrong because the piston is loose in there because it does not have an O-ring.

Has anybody had this problem?
Any ideas?

Thanks guys.

Hi Kevin,

The only WaShan model I own is a Beretta M9 so I checked the 2 original cartridges that I recieved with it.
I'm going to assume here that the .45 cartridges share the same internals...

The Beretta type appear to be a cross between the old Marushin MP40/UZI 9mm cartridges and the newer Marushin M9 type...

Loading procedure would be to place the washer without an 0-ring into the cartridge body.



Lightly grease the edges of a 7mm cap and place that into the cartridge, charge facing towards you.



The internal firing pin is integral with the "primer" and these Beretta ones have an 0-ring on them.
Lightly grease the 0-ring, place it into the cartridge base until it seats flush with the rear.



With the loading tool, push the cap into the cartridge using the wider end of the tool.


Screw on the base and you should be good to go.

I use silicone grease both for good lubrication and to aid gas seal. The cap needs to blow-back and slide smoothly within the cartridge and it's the cap itself that acts as a piston.

At a guess your problem certainly sounds like poor blowback pressure or the slide's fouling on something. Marushin 9mm cartridges lose a lot of pressure past the screw threads as they get older.

I checked Spencerman's review on the WaShan Colt 1911 https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/modelgun-reviews-f4/wa-shan-1911-t328.htm?highlight=wa+shan+colt but there aren't any photos of dismantled cartridges unfortunately.

Hopefully an owner can shed further light on this one...

You are spot on there Cerwyn, here is a picture of the components in order from a Wa Shan .45



As you can see, my photography skills are still not much better, but it lines the bits up as they should be put together as explained by Cerwyn.

I am assuming that the gun goes bang when you fire it? The piston does indeed just sit in front of the cap and can move about, but as you can see from my review, it is my most reliable model gun so far so I am surprised to hear of a problem like this with one. Does the slide function smoothly when cycled manually without the magazine in place? Perhaps a part is burred slightly and is stopping it from functioning properly.

Was the model new or used when you have got it? Perhaps it has not been maintained and a build up of crap on the detonator or suchlike could be preventing the rounds from chambering properly. Does it rack the rounds when it is cycled manually with the magazine in place? If not, can you easily load a round manually with the slide locked open?

I think I may have found the problem:

The hammer on on pistol has been beveled out where it is supposed to hit the firing pin. This causes it to curve around it and not drive the firing pin into the detonator in the cap hard enough to get a good pop.
At least that is my theory. Does anyone else have a beveled out hammer on their pistol or is it flat?

i have one and it has never fired well but i never had the time to really check it out which i will do soon and let you know, by the way is yours a plastic or metal barrel? mine is plastic which is a bit shitty as its alos red plastic painted black and the black comes off really easy.

Any chance of a picture showing the part that is bevelled out. The hammer should be flat in the area that makes contact with the firing pin. I am very surprised that you have not had much joy with yours Claymore, I have nothing but great praise for mine, works flawlessly and has from day one. Maybe I was lucky! You are right though about the plastic barrel, mine is plastic also, but I didnt realise at first until the red showed through, not anywhere that is too noticeable at the moment though thankfully.