AMT Longslide slide tightening ????

[Ramblin Man]

I recently bought a used (obviously) AMT Hardballer Longslide. It feeds ok and functions fine. The groups are "OK" but with lots of room for improvement. The gun is "sloppy" with lots of slide play, and generally lots of play everywhere. Once I got used to the trigger (i'm a Glock man and this is my first 1911) I was able to get consistent 5 shot groups of about 4" in one diagonal elipse at 7 yards. These were the last 10 shots out of the first and only box of ammo I shot to break myself in. It took the first 40 rounds to figure out that I was pushing the trigger to the left as I pulled it and spoiling my aim. The trigger kind of flops around and if you were to hold the gun by the grip and twist your rist back and forth the whole gun would rattle.

I knew before I bought it that it was sloppy, especially when you compare it to a new quality 1911 or one that has been smithed, but the alure of a longslide Hardballer, a gun on my always wanted list at a decent price made it a "must buy".

Now I would like to tighten things up, but the fact that it is Stainless Steel has me wondering what my options are. I'd like to do as much as I can myself and was looking at chrome plating kits to plate frame rails but couldn't find anything that would do Hard Chrome plating, and the kits I did find cost more than I paid for the gun.

I have shot a competition prepped 1911 and all I could say about that gun was WOW!. Pull the trigger and a hole apeared exactly where you were aiming.

I won't be competing with this gun, but I would like to improve it if I can. If anyone has any tips for me I'd apreciate hearing them.

[David Rose]

Yes sir! A very good place to start is to get Jerry Kuhnhausen's Shop Manuals both version I and II. You can do a passable job with these books alone, well, and some specialized tools. The stainless that was used in early AMT's was very prone to gauling. I don't know about the later ones. You can pretty much avoid that by not going extremely tight and using a good grease on the rails.

David

[Ramblin Man]

Talk to me about grease. I've been looking around for a thick stiff sticky paste thinking that might help a little until I can do something real, but all I can find locally for guns are oils or automtive grease which are all way to light. I bought some graphite and was going to try mixing up my own, but I can't find a base thats thick enough.

[rjm713]

Hi and welcome. Another place to start is with the "stickies" on gunsmithing and maintenance on this site. There is a world of info here. Also the working xray of the 1911 will show how things work and help you understand what needs to be done.
Again welcome and good luck. Ralph

[niemi24s]

Not tried it myself on a 1911, but to keep the slide & frame rails apart and prevent galling a copper or nickel based anti-sieze compound (grease) might do the trick. I've used both types for other purposes and it's fairly thick - at least it won't run like an oil.

Auto parts stores & industrial supply companies may have it locally. If not, there's always McMasters-Carr in Chicago.

[toolman]

AMEN to the above, and find everything on this site written by 1911tuner, read it several times, print a hard copy and read them a bunch more times. I've almost finished doing much the same thing to my Colt Series 70 as you are describing and wish I had found this site before I fitted the barrel instead of afterwards. 1911tuner and the rest of these fine folks can tell you things that even Jerry Kuhnhaeusen doesn't tell you in his books (and Kuhnhaeusen's books are worth their weight in gold).

[David Rose]

Here is what Seth Bishop @ Caspian says about the lube. "Mil-Comm TW-25B it was recommended to us by the military it’s a lubricant and protect ant. We use it to fit all our slides and frames."

I have used Permatex's antiseize compound years ago. It did prevent gauling, but I suspect it is not meant as a lube or protectant.

Triflow's new grease (can't remember... Super Lube?) is what I've used a little lately. It will blend with Triflow liquid if it seems a bit sluggish on the slide/frame. I will try to find the TW-25b soon.

David

[officer2312]

I've never tried it, nor known anyone who has, but this stuff sounds like it might be right up your alley...if you get some, lemme know what you think about it...

http://www.brianenos.com/pages/slide-glide.html

[David Rose]

The lowest temp recommended is 30 degrees F. I don't want to have to watch the thermometer in the winter. I do have one of the little propane selflighting torches. :o

David

I've never tried it, nor known anyone who has, but this stuff sounds like it might be right up your alley...if you get some, lemme know what you think about it...

http://www.brianenos.com/pages/slide-glide.html

[officer2312]

Good point...I missed that part.
Back home, in Arkansas, I would use it and worry little...but up here in Missouri, it gets cold! Glad you pointed that out...I had been kicking around the idea of trying it...

[Armorer]

Forget the TW 25B-- Most of the ACACs I know hate the stuff. Personal experience hasn't been all that thrilling aside from the usual build up and scumminess of worn grease.
Try Dow 33 Cornering grease--
It's a light lithium base compound that also uses molybdenium--
I've seen it used on AR's and race Glocks around here for years, however, I picked the stuff up for using in paintball of all things. Siince then I've continued using it in my firearms for the past two years and seen improvements in lifespan and cleaning needs.

[Ramblin Man]

Well this gun will be more of a collector piece than anything. I have some silver impregnated heat sink grease I was going to mix with dry molly lube and try and make a thick paste for the slide. Right now the fit is so sloppy that galling isn't a problem.

It's too big to carry so it will only see range duty. My main concern was what not to do to the gun. Hearing the stories on this site about the dreaded "tink" of a freshly broken slide had me a little concerned. It's not like I can call up AMT and order a new anything.

What it really needs are bronze rail sleeves. Thats why I was thinking if I could just chrome plate the frame rails the fit would tighten up.

I read a blurb about an electroless nickel/teflon plating process that sparked my intrest. No other information other than it exists and goes on thick. Sounded like just what I needed.

[SW1911SC]

Slide-frame fit is way overated in a 1911. You'd be way ahead by
fitting a barrel bushing and if necessary, a properly fit barrel.

I use Honda Moly-60 (60% molybdenum paste) on all of my 1911s.
You can buy it at your local Honda motorcycle shop.

[David Rose]

Slide to rail fit is estimated to amount to about 15% of overall accuracy. That means, if you are getting a 4" 25 yard group, that a PERFECT fit will decrease your group to about 3 1/2". That is not totally inconsequential, but it is not terribly significant either.

As SW1911 says, a properly fitted barrel to bushing can decrease your group by a number of TIMES. Hood and lug fit at the rear does the same on the other end, but doesn't help you much "after the fact" of installing a barrel.

David

Slide-frame fit is way overated in a 1911. You'd be way ahead by
fitting a barrel bushing and if necessary, a properly fit barrel.

I use Honda Moly-60 (60% molybdenum paste) on all of my 1911s.
You can buy it at your local Honda motorcycle shop.

[Ramblin Man]

That was a 4 inch group at 25 FEET not yards. And actually after I went back and looked at the targets, it was more like 2.5 inches. Thats two haned in a dimly lit range ( why are ranges so dark anyway?)

Found a great site that you gunsmithing types may want to check out. www.caswellplating.com

Lots of help sections and plating kits for the hobbiest (read cheap). I've inquired about electroless nickel teflon. They have an electric plating brush kit for small items. Think about being able to "paint" the slide rails with the end result of being plated. The stuff you can find on the web amazes me daily. Like this forum.

The barrel to bushing fit is pretty good. The bushing to slide....well to me it seems loose. I guess I just need to order the latest brownells catalogs and do my part to keep the nations economy moving.

[Timothy]

[QUOTE=Ramblin Man]
I'd like to do as much as I can myself and was looking at chrome plating kits to plate frame rails but couldn't find anything that would do Hard Chrome plating, and the kits I did find cost more than I paid for the gun.
QUOTE]

You can get a hard chrome kit for $112.00 I haven't tried it but I'm seriously thinking about it.

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/chrome.htm