Drop IN NM Bushing Question

[tightgroups]

I was looking around in a gun shop and noticed they had a "Maryland Customs" Stainless steel NM Bushing. I decided to buy it for no other reason then I though it would look nice on my new S.A. G.I.. Anyway, I took it home and popped it on the pistol...worked fine. Seemed to be a little tighter fitting than the original bushing to boot so all in all, I was satisfied.

Then one day I was fooling around with the slide, working it back and forth slowly, checking for rough spots,etc., when I noticed something odd. If I eased the slide towards battery very slowly, just before the slide would be completely closed (in full battery) the slide would stick! I could actually take my hand off the slide and it would stick open about a quarter inch before going to full battery.

After peeping around a bit and looking for what might be causing this weird problem I finally realized that it must be the new bushing. If I put a finger on the edge of the barrel, slightly inside the muzzle and pushed down a bit the slide would return to full battery. I reinstalled the old bushing and sure enough, the slide would not hang up if eased home by hand like the new SS NM custom drop in from Maryland Customs.

So, my question is this: Since the problem was only uncovered by slowly hand-cycling the slide in the first place, under operating conditions would there be any cause for concern? I figure under recoil there wouldn't be any problems and maybe through normal operation the bushing would properly seat itself. I guess it is just a question of shooting it a bit and seeing what happens. A tighter bushing is supposed to be better anyway, right? :confused:

Thanks.

[RickB]

The match bushing should be tight on the barrel only when fully in battery. You might see if you can determine where the binding is taking place. It could be that the "skirt" of the bushing, the cylindrical part that extends into the slide, is rubbing on the barrel, and polishing a small radius around the top inside edge will fix it. Sometimes, the exterior of the barrel, immediately behind the lock-up area, is reduced .005" or so in diameter, in order provide a bit of clearance. Or, fire 10,000 rounds, and the high spots will probably be worn down!

[tightgroups]

It is a new pistol, still less than a 1000 rounds. And this is really not a "problem" as it shouldn't effect function at all when actually shooting. I'm just curious if there could be any sort of danger firing it like this? Besides, tigh is good, but misfitted is not. I need to get me an undersized bushing so I can fit one myself. Should be the best way to go about getting a bushing right for a pistol. Can this be done with just using sandpaper and maybe some files?

Thanks Rick.

[robot1911]

Is the bushing a snug fit to the slide? Is it a snug fit to the barrel? When you install the barrel and bushing in the slide (removed from the frame) and push the barrel all the way to the back and then push down on the barrel to lock it into the slide lugs, does it spring back up a little?

Answers to these will help us diagnose your problem a lot better.

Bob

[tightgroups]

Yes, yes,hmmm...don't know. I'll get back to you. Should it spring back a bit?

[robot1911]

Yes, yes,hmmm...don't know. I'll get back to you. Should it spring back a bit?

No. If it doesn't seat into the lugs with a nice "clunk" and stay there, it's springing and that's not good. You'll need to do some work on the bushing to allow the barrel to tip up into the lugs and stay there. It's done by relieving the bottom, front and top, rear of the bushing ID, up in front where it's the smallest. If you'll put the bushing on the barrel and tilt it up, you'll see what I mean. Or, if you've been shooting it that 1000 rounds you mentioned, the barrel will be marked at the muzzle...on top and back a bit and on the bottom further forward toward the muzzle. These marks are good, but if the barrel is springing when it makes those marks, it has to be relieved or your accuracy will go downhill.

Bob