Colt Enhanced Barrel Question

[TrapK80]

Is it possible to use a Colt enhanced barrel in a standard non-enhanced slide? Not sure if they are compatible since the hood of the barrel looks different on the two. Thanks!!

[wichaka]

You answered your own question. The hoods are a different size, they are the same as a Gold Cup. So you can use them on a Gold Cup slide or any other that's made for a narrow hood, but they won't interchange.

[TrapK80]

Wichaka thanks for verifying that. I wasn't sure and after a cursory examination of the barrels I noticed the hoods were different. Thanks, I was thinking about getting another barrel and this stainless enhanced barrel was available locally. I will keep looking for a "standard" barrel. Thanks again.

[1911Tuner]

Don't know what the logic was behind that change, but if it was to force
us to come back to Colt for service/replacement barrels, they mighta screwed up...since they also provided slides that were perfect for fitting a standard
dimensioned hood to...

Wichaka...have you noticed that sometimes the new "Dimple" throat is a
little off-center in some pistols...and the sometimes it won't always work as promised? About one in five that I've run across need a bit of tweak to
get'em to feed...

Tuner

[wichaka]

I've not had the chance to inspect much of anything new. The guys have been giving me their older stuff to build.

I have noticed in the past that some of the hoods aren't the straightest, or have poor quality maching and are a poor fit. Will have to go out and look for the dimple throat. Is it on the actual throat of the barrel or ?

Okay my memory is now kicking in, is that the notch that some makers put on the throat of the barrel so they are apt to feed HP's? If so, yes, yes, and YES. How are they supposed to work if they're not aligned with the ramp & mag.? Quality control........oh for those by gone years, when Colt and others were producing good stuff.........or at least more consistantly.

[1911Tuner]

wichaka said:

Okay my memory is now kicking in, is that the notch that some makers put on the throat of the barrel...

Yep. That be the one. Kind of a cross between the old "Wadcutter" throat
and the GI "Hardball" throat. The theory is that it offers better case head support while still allowing the gun to feed profiles other than ball. If it's
well-executed, it works pretty well. If the dimple isn't centered, all bets are off. I've had to massage an average of one in three that I've seen to address
3-point jams/excessive stem bind. Not major surgery, but still a PITA if
a man doesn't happen to be handy with a Dremel and a scrape.

Note to all: Overzealous "Dremeling" has ruined more guns than the dream
team of Clinton, Clinton, Brady, Feinstein and Schumer. Be careful!

Luck!

Tuner

[wichaka]

Your opinion may differ from mine here Tuner, but ya know if the gun is put together well, there is no need for the dimple thing. It was an answer that had no relevant question.........other than "....we're too lazy to have much quality control so.........uh........well.........here ya go, that'll fix it."

If one pays attention to a bit of detail, there should be no need for a dimple, gadget, gizmo, or freak thing that has no redeeming firearm value. Just put the gun together with a bit of patience and care, and..........wow, look at this..........it will work and function flawlessly. What a concept.
Your case in point Tuner, even the thing that was supposed to fix the problem is failing, i.e. the dimple. Because there's no quality control there either.

Just have patience folks, make a post for Tuner (he'll talk you down) and everything will be okay.

Although I think we're seeing a swing of the pendulum to the quality control side again. And none too soon.

Okay I'm off my soap box now.

[1911Tuner]

Wichaka...Sounds like we're on the same wavelength here...or as I put it
to a certain Old Fuff who understands the problem...Brothers from another mother.

Colt! Springfield! Kimber! Everybody!
Just build'em to spec and use good small parts. Fer crissakes, go back to a
spring-tempered steel extractor, and stop with the 'Near Steel' crap. Put good
springs in your magazines. Tell the bean counters that you're gonna start buildin' workin' guns again, and to go sit down and shut up. Hire good people
who have some experience to put'em together and inspect'em. Bump the
MSRP up a couple hundred bucks to cover it. We'll buy the guns!

I stay so busy fixin screw-ups from the factories that I don't have time to
go shoot my own pistols. Simple stuff! Maybe if guys like me and wichaka here stop fixin' guns for the guys who don't wanna do the Warranty Shuffle for
6 or 8 weeks...and still don't have reliable pistols when they get'em back, you'd stop thinkin' that you're actually buildin' good pistols and start doin' it right...again. Your grandfathers could do it, and they didn't have all that fancy CNC machinery.

You'd save a bundle on warranty repairs alone. That money could be redirected to pay good assemblers and armorers and inspectors, or allow
them (the good ones) the time to do their jobs right the first time.

let the custom pistolsmiths ply their trade instead of spendin' half their workweek gettin' these abortions to run and stay together! Go look at a
Norinco! The Chinese showed ya how it's supposed to be done...and they did it with reclaimed, salvaged steel!

If you build it, they will come!

Howzat for a rant? :cool:

Cheers!

Tuner

[wichaka]

Your grandfathers could do it, and they didn't have all that fancy CNC machinery.


Ya know I've been chewin' on this one for a couple days now, and just can't find a way to say it any better. Touche'

[1911Tuner]

Ya know I've been chewin' on this one for a couple days now, and just can't find a way to say it any better. Touche'

I'm tellin' ya...Brothers from another mother! :cool:

[Dave Berryhill]

...Kind of a cross between the old "Wadcutter" throat
and the GI "Hardball" throat. The theory is that it offers better case head support while still allowing the gun to feed profiles other than ball...

Hey Tuner! I just got my first one of the Colts with the new "throat" (and I use that term generously). I haven't taken any measurements yet - I just looked at it and then put it in the safe. Is it the same depth and angle as a fully throated barrel or will it still be visible if I properly throat the barrel?

It sure looks goofy.

[wichaka]

Dave, the one I 'massaged' looked a touch deeper than a full throat job would be. I don't know if they are all that way as I haven't seen very many, and have only worked on one. But if they were all the same we wouldn't have to work on them.........quality control you know.........

[1911Tuner]

Howdy Dave! 'Bout time you made your presence kniown again...

I've re-throated two of those barrels on my personal guns...an SXE Commander and a NRM Governemnt model. Basically just a matter of
blending the sides into the dimpled area to make it match the conventional
throat shape. Why did I do it? Dang guns wouldn't feed. Some do..some
don't, and when they don't, it's a hard 3-point jam. I've done the work on
about a dozen barrels altogether, and the results have been good.

I haven't had any problems with case head support or case bulging with
hardball-spec ammo, but as wichaka noted, the center part is a tad
deepering the chamber, so you'll still have that small "trough" in the throat.
With the widened area and the small trough, they feed like grease through a goose...actually smoother than the full conventional throat. Due to the
tolerance differences in some barrels, the trough completely disappears on
some, but not on others. I'd test the guns for feeding before doin' the mods.
When they work, they work great. When they don't, they feed like they
don't have a throat.

The main thing that I've noticed is that none of them have the requisite 32nd inch gap...All of'em are flush with the ramp at the back, and that may have as much to do with the problems as anything else, but just setting it forward
and reshaping the existing dimple didn't help much...which is why I went ahead and recut the whole throat.

I can hear the "whirr' of the Dremels now! :D Wake Ted up and tell him to
get to work! Time's a wastin!

Luck!

Tuner

[Dave Berryhill]

I don't need no steenking Dremel! :D I use a barrel throating fixture on my mill to cut the throat and a plug gauge in the chamber to check for depth. I only use the Dremel for polishing and blending (if it needs any)

[1911Tuner]

Dave said:

I don't need no steenking Dremel!

And here all this time I was thinkin' you'd learned all ya know from Teddyyyyyerrrrrummmmm...Never mind! :D Reckon ya can't believe ever'thing ya hear on the net...heh

My mill's on the fritz, and I ain't gotta throatin' fixture like ya'll rich,
successful custom smithers...so I gotta do it freehanded-like with a Dremel
and a home-made scrape...Works purty good though.

If ya don't want that barrel ya stuck in the safe...What'll ya take for it? :cool:

[Dave Berryhill]

Rich, huh? Now THAT'S funny!

That barrel happens to be attached to a 1911 that belongs to a customer.

[1911Tuner]

Dave said:

That barrel happens to be attached to a 1911 that belongs to a customer.

Damn...I just hate it when that happens. :(

If ya get one in that you're gonna fit up with a new barrel, and the other one is in prety decent shape...keep me in mind. If it's got the narrow hood, I'll
hafta get it tigged up. Never tried to tig stainless...How's it do?

[Dave Berryhill]

I will keep you in mind. I'm no tig expert but welding stainless isn't that difficult with a little practice. It takes a little more juice to get a puddle started and then you back off the power and weld like carbon steel.

[1911Tuner]

Good deal...I farm out my welding needs to my ex-wife's other ex-husband.
(Long, funny story) I tweak his pistols and he welds things for me...Pretty
good deal, since he gets about 50 bucks an hour and I'd do the work for him
for nuttin' if he needed it... :cool: Helluva nice guy. We just made bad choices in women. :rolleyes: Story of my life though... :D

Later on!

Tuner