Barrel links

[Don K.]

I have read Mr Hill's thread intitled "Barrel Fit - Expert advice" and it seems that Mr. Hill and I have about the same problem with our Colt Gold Cup's ---accuracy or lack of it. While reading his thread I tried what niemi24s had suggested, put a long wooded dowel in the barrel and see how much up and down movement there is. Well I tried this in mine and measured .010 of an inch of play going one way both up and down and side ways also (.010 total movement in one direction and then I can push it back up ). Would a different size barrel link reduce this movement (up and down) or is there more to this than I realize? My slide stop lever measures .200 in diameter so I don't think getting a new one would help here. When the barrel/slide is allowed to go forward I can push the rear of the barrel down by this amount (.010). I'm sure this isn't helping my accuracy but will removing this up and down play help my accuracy? And can I do it with a different barrel link?

Don K.

[Hawkmoon]

I have read Mr Hill's thread intitled "Barrel Fit - Expert advice" and it seems that Mr. Hill and I have about the same problem with our Colt Gold Cup's ---accuracy or lack of it.
No, Sir, you do not have the same problem. Mr. Hill stated in his first post that he had not fired his Gold Cup. All he was doing was looking at measurements and assuming that the pistol would not be accurate. He doesn't even know if he has a problem.

[1911Tuner]

The barrel link's only function is in disengaging the barrel from the slide. It times the linkdown function. Swapping links around with different on-center lengths is a good way to do some damage to the barrel and the slide.

Using a long link to effect a toggle-action vertical engagement accomplishes two things...neither one good, and it can actually cause accuracy to degrade.

It delays linkdown timing. If the link is far enough from optimum, it can even prevent the barrel from completely disengaging from the slide, so that when the rear face of the lug strikes the vertical impact surface in the frame...the upper lugs are still partially engaged in the slide. The slide is moving, and the resultant crash damages
upper and lower lugs...usually resulting in the failure of one or the other within 5,000 rounds...but most often, it comes much sooner.

It places stress on the barrel lug's link pinhole that it was never meant to withstand, and the hole will start to become egg-shaped. In time, it will wallow out...further delaying linkdown timing.

[Don K.]

1911tuner;

Thanks for the good info. I too feel like Mr Hill does in that finding this web site has been a gold mine of information. I will leave the link alone and heed your advice. I used layout blue like Mr. Hill and the only thing that I found was some rubbing on the top of the barrel about .5" back from the muzzle. It was only on the top 1/4 of the barrel, left a line about .020 thick front to back and was being caused by the new barrel bushing I have installed (Wilson). The bushing is .002 over the barrel diameter and doesn't seem to bind anywhere except in this one spot where the step starts inside the bushing to reduce it to the barrel size. Is it possible that the bushing is springing the barrel to some extent in that spot? And if it is could I relieve the bushing in that one spot to see if it would help accuracy?

Hawkmoon;

Mr. Hill had post #9 in my thread "Head Space and the Gold Cup" stating that he had fired his GC at 20 yards (I believe) and got the same results as I did, around 8 inches at that range. So I just assumed ( and I probably shouldn't) that we both had the same problem. You are right in that Mr. Hill didn't state that he had fired his Gold Cup in his thread "Barrel Fit - Expert Advice". I wouldn't have read his thread if he didn't post in mine because it's imposable for most of us to stay on the computer for that long and check every thread out ( I wish I could, you guys are great). He did have some good points to make about his GC and with his knowledge along with yours and everyone else that knows more than myself, hopefully I can get this GC to shoot respectably without putting much more money in it.

Don K.

[Hawkmoon]

My bad. I didn't see his post in that other thread.

Tuner is absolutely correct about a long link enlarging the hole in the barrel lower lugs. The lower lugs are supposed to ride on the slie stop pin at lockup. My poor little 9mm Commander (which 1911Tuner has seen) is an example. The barrel underlugs appear to have been filed down by hand, so that at lockup the barrel is riding entirely on the link and pin. This allows the barrel to move around because the support base is nowhere near as wide and stable as it would be if it were sitting in the underlugs.

On mine (which I bought used and which shows much evidence of Bubba's skilled workmanship throughout), the hole through the underlugs has enlarged so much that a Brownells oversized link pin falls out if the barrel is laid on a table, and it cannot be staked sufficiently to hold it.

[1911Tuner]

Don...To check for a bushing-induced accuracy problem:

Field-strip the gun and flip the slide upside down on a table with barrel and bushing installed. Barrel to the rear...push it down into the slide into the in-battery position and release. If the barrel springs back up, the bushing is too tight. If it doesn't...the bushing fit is okay.

The wear line on your barrel hood is pretty normal. Likely caused by the barrel bouncing off the bed as the slide moves over it. Your .010 inch of slack in the link is a clue that you may be able to get by with a slightly shorter link...maybe .003-.005 inch shorter...but unless you know what to look for with link-related timing issues...I'd just leave it alone until somebody with experience can take a look and see.

[Don K.]

Hawkmoon;

No problem, my bad too! I have just found the technical articles part of this web site. It has answered a lot of my questions and suspicions about my 1911. I have read some of 1911tuners articles and some of the Brownells but have many more to read. After reading these I'm sure I will have questions but I think I should read them first then re-read and then ask questions. It must get monotonous for you guys to keep answering the same questions over and over.

From one Viet Nam Vet to another, thanks for the info bro!
(Go 75th Rangers)

Don K.

[Hill]

No, Sir, you do not have the same problem. Mr. Hill stated in his first post that he had not fired his Gold Cup. All he was doing was looking at measurements and assuming that the pistol would not be accurate. He doesn't even know if he has a problem.

Well actuallymy suspicions were supported when my gun didn't shoot better than an out of the box Springfield XD using same ammo which I did post in my thread, at the end..and mentioned on DonK's other thread. Even if that had not been the case I would still have considered the comparative fit measurements I had made to be a problem in terms of my expectations in buying the pistol.

I'm not one to attach a lot of importance to anectodal tales of the Colt that shot 2600 scores in bullseye despite using baling wire in place of a barrel link or some such and do believe that accuracy in 1911 pistols is directly tied to the fitment of the parts and the quality of the barrel.

So I asked the opinion of the forum of the fitment as I found it to ask whether or not to try to make it better.

And, may I say....D Troop, 1/4 Cav 1st Inf Div 1968-'69