Quote from: Ascension on April 26 2014 05:28:43 PM MDT
So here is the big question --. Has the Colt Delta Elite been redesigned now to a point it is really safe to run full power 10mm in without a ramped barrel??
They look good feel great and are quite accurate but the lack of support issue has kept me well clear of that pistol to this point.   
I have been looking hard at the Kimber or Rock Island in the 1911 10mm and discounted any thoughts of owning a Delta so far for that reason.
IS THE DELTA ELITE TRULY A SAFE PISTOL  running full power 10MM or NOT???

I've put 500 rds of Buffalo Bore and Doubletap through my '89 Delta in the year since I bought it. I put in a fresh recoil spring before the first shot, another after 250 rds (along with a Wilson Combat shock buffer), and another after the 500th. Now, I don't reload, so I won't offer an opinion on how well the brass held up, but the empties that I gandered at were not split or bulged and did not show any other obvious signs of stress.

It's the watered down ammo that my pistol hates.

The Delta certainly had at least one prior owner. I will pursue the mainspring idea first and see how it goes. I very much doubt, however, that the piece was previously modified. In every visible way it remained stone-stock, including the guide rod that was well-chewed.

With respect to the extractor possibility, which I would take up next if the mainspring idea doesn't pan out, would it be the case that the Double Tap and Buffalo Bore ammo were merely masking the issue because of the additional force generated? And then the switch to Armscor revealed the problem?

I suppose I could just shoot the full-house ammo exclusively, but I chafe at the cost and the battering to the gun. Of course, in the interim I "solved" the problem by buying another Colt 1911 in .45 for "plinking" while I get the Delta sorted out. My wife doesn't understand how this is a solution.

Thanks much for the recommendations, and for the welcome.

Best regards to all.

I apologize if this has already been covered somewhere, but a lot of searching didn't turn it up.

I recently acquired a '89 Delta Elite. It functions flawlessly with Double Tap and Buffalo Bore ammo, but of course that gets expensive. Later I obtained some Armscor for plinking and immediately started experiencing FTFs, stove-pipes, and failure to go into battery (about 75% of the time, I'd say). I switched back to Double Tap, and no problem.

A few people recommended to me that the stock double recoil spring was too heavy for watered-down ammo and to swap it out for a spring rated for .40 cal. I installed a Wolff 19-lb spring (at Wolff's recommendation) along with a Wilson Combat standard length guide rod.

At the last trip to the range, the original problems disappeared but were replaced by a failure to extract (also about 75% of the time).

If this is truly a recoil spring problem, then I'm happy to experiment with different weights, but if something else is going on I'd rather not spend precious range time chasing my tail.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!