Help, Barrel Fit question

[Blacktri99]

Well I decided to go with a Storm Lake barrel in my Officers model, With a very little triming of the barrel hood I have a nice fit, However when I go to put the slide w/barrel onto the frame when I get about halfway to the slide release position, the slide locks up, in looking at the gun it appears that the top of the slide is catching on the top of the barrel, I am using a .278 link, Do I need to go to a smaller link? I think I am close but at this point no cigar. :butthead:

Jim

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h170/blacktri99/Slide.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h170/blacktri99/slide2.jpg

[1911Tuner]

It's probably not the link, but check to see if the barrel is riding the link just to make sure. One way to check is to remove the link and see if the barrel will go to battery. You'll probably have to push down on the barrel while pulling the slide back to get it to drop without the link.

What is likely causing it is the geometry or dimensions of the lower lug is pushing or holding the barrel up too high on the slidestop pin and the barrel is binding between the top of the chamber and the slide.

Get it into the bind shown and push straight back on the muzzle to see if the slide comes forward any futher.

Standin' by...

[Blacktri99]

Okay, Checked without the link, and no it still stops at the same place, tried to push on the muzzle, also a no go! It appears that the chamber area from the fram to the top of the slide just flat out is out of room. Any Ideas?

Jim

[1911Tuner]

Okay, Checked without the link, and no it still stops at the same place, tried to push on the muzzle, also a no go! It appears that the chamber area from the fram to the top of the slide just flat out is out of room. Any Ideas?

Jim

Hi Jim,

It's not out of room until the barrel starts to move forward. As it moves forward, it also moves up as the lower lug rides over the slidestop crosspin.
There also may be other points of interference that would require having the pistol in front of me to determine.

Was the barrel labeled as a gunsmith fit or a drop-in fit?

[Blacktri99]

The barrel was labeled drop in, In looking at it more last night, your right it is not out of room until the slode comes back, it looks like in the slide there is room in me moving the barrel without the frame on, This is a Caspian frame, and I am just wondering it mated with the Colt slide if the frame is just riding the barrel a little high?

As bad as I want this to be my own assembled/Built gun, I may need a more compitent person to look at it, Does anyone know a good Gunsmith or Knowledgable person in the DFW area? That could just look it over to see if I may have screwed things up!

Jim

[1911Tuner]

It might work with another slide and it might not. Also might work with another frame and the present slide...and it might not.
It all depends on the frame/slide/slidestop pin dimensions and/or tolerance stacks, and the barrel's OD at the lugs, and the lower lug size and geometer, and how that relates to the other set of dimensions.

To better understand how tolerances can affect things...Every part has an allowable tolerance from the nominal dimension of plus or minus. A part that falls within that tolerance is within spec, even though it may be larger or smaller than the dimension called for in the blueprint. If one mating part is
.003 inch large, and the other is also .003 inch large, the clearance between the two parts is reduced, though usually still workable, but sometimes reqires a little stoning to reduce interference. Or...it the two parts are each .003 inch smaller than nomimal, you get a loose fit.

So, tolerance stacking can work in your favor or against you...depending on each individual part. It's possible for all parts and dimensions to individually fall within allowable tolerances, and be within spec...but the combination of all the parts when assembled into a unit or sub-assembly can stack up to throw the assembly out of spec.

Most of the critical dimensions on the frame are taken from the slidestop pin hole location. The frame rails and ways and the slide ways and rails determine the slide's installed height. If the slide sits low...and the crosspin is high, the tolerances have been stacked to provide less room for the barrel. Then, if the barrel's size (diameter) is on the high side, that makes for less room. Then, if the lower barrel lug is on the large side of the tolerance, you's lost even more space. If all parts are dead on mid-spec, the assembly literally falls together and works with very little, if any adjustment needed.
Or...it may fall together and rattle like a box of rocks. OR..it may not go together at all, as in your case. My best educated guess is that adjusting the lower lug will likely solve your problem, but without having the gun on the bench, that would be a guess at best.

Ain't this fun? :D

There may be other issues, so it's probably wise to take it to someone who can better determine what's goin' on with it. You can do a Google search to find a pistolsmith in your area, but be sure that the one that you choose understands the little nuances of the 1911.

Luck to ya, neighbor.

[Hawkmoon]

I'm sure there must be a comptetent 1911 'smith in the DFW area, but one whom John has recommended in Texas is Alan Tillman, in Austin.

ART Enterprises
1702 Barbara Street
Austin, TX 78757
Tel: 512-454-9328
Fax: 512-451-2727
e-mail: ArtEnt@austin.rr.com

[johnsmalltx]

Check with Gene Williams at the Collin County Gun Range in McKinney. He is their in-house smith and knows 1911s inside and out.

[Blacktri99]

Thanks Guy's, I will check them out,
I wish I had another Officers barrel to compare, as the barrel chamber appears to be a bit oversized, in camparing to my kimber compact.

Jim

[johnsmalltx]

Jim

Send me a PM where in DFW you are located. I've got an Officer's model that you can compare your's to.

Let's see if we can sync up.

[Blacktri99]

Well stubborn me sat down and analyzed this situation and thought about it, and after 3 hours I have an operating officers model, that I hand built myself, everything seems to function perfectly, I only wish I had the extractor so that I could go test fire it. So far the only extractor I have found in Dallas was 34.95, I'll order one from wilson tinight.
My barrel may have been a drop in for a worn out officers, but on a new colt slide it took alot of work on the slide, and the barrel, Johnny part of the problem was indeed the geometry of the lug, it needed trimmed alittle, the slide also needed a little work for clearance,
Mechanically my gun feels like it is working well, The big test will of course be at the range, but to tell you the truth even now the satisfaction I feel I would not trade this gun for a Wilson CQB as this is a one in a kind built by me!

I owe this Board, and the wonderful folks here a big thank you, and I will post pictures after while.

Jim

P.S.John, Thanks for the offer to look at your officers, Maybe we can still hook up for some range time somewhere, as I am in Carrollton.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h170/blacktri99/Officers1.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h170/blacktri99/Officers_open.jpg