I am loading up some 200 grain swc copper clad bullets for shooting in my colt .45 acp using about 4.5 grains of greendot. Every magazine or two one round seems to get stuck in the ejector and the spent case rams into the rear of a freshly chambered round. Is my powder charge too low to make the ejection haphazard or is it a problem with the ejector...maybe needs cleaning and lubing? Gun is a Colt custom shop combat .45 hard chromed that had about 300 rounds put thorough it perviously. Gun was taken apart and cleaned about 50 rounds ago, but only barrel area.

Thanks,

Dan

Your load is a bit on the light side. Let's get our terms straight first. The extractor, on the right side of the slide, isn't pulling the case back far enough, so the ejector, on the left side of the frame, isn't kicking the case out. If the load doesn't push the slide back far enough, the ejector won't eject the case. Do factory loads eject properly? A lighter recoil spring should help. The standard spring is rated at 16 lb, although an 18 lb. spring is common. I use a 12 lb. spring with a load of your power level.

Check out this troubleshooting guide for more details and other possible problems.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58497

Bye
Jack

Extractor is the "hook" that pulls the case out...ejector is the sud mounted to the frame taht the case hits against to pivot out of the extgractor's grasp.

Sounds like one of two things:
1. it's not hitting the ejector...so it never gets pivoted out of the extractors grasp. This could be becasue the load is too weak. 4.5gr. of gree Dot should cycle the action fine unless you have an extra heavy recoil spring or buffer (see #2)

#2. The recoil spring, or added recoil buffer, isn't allowing the slide full travel.

#3. The extractor could be letting go of the case before hitting the ejector, leaving the case kind of rattling around in there...most of the time it gets kicked out, but once in ahwile it gets caught and is jammed behind the feeding round. Usually if this is the case, would find the ejected rounds on normal shots that autoload the next round, willbe being ejected in random patterns...one way back behind you, one ahead of you, one straight up, etc.

Your load is a bit on the light side. My Lyman Pistol and Revolver Handbook says 4.5 gr. of Green Dot is the starting point for 200 gr. cast bullets. Their recommended max is 5.8 so I agree with Jack that your load is a bit light. Suggest you increase your load to something closer to 5.0 gr. and see if your problem doesn't clear up. It sounds like your slide is not cycling back far enough to eject the fired case. Cause could be too light a load, tight slide/receiver fit, occasionally allowing the wrist to "break" at the moment of discharge among all the other explanations previously given. You might also check to see if the extractor is burring up the case rims. Improperly polished extractors can dig up the case rims creating burrs which can interfere with a smooth ejection. Try increasing your load first, I believe this will cure your problem.

Thanks for the info,

Dan