Cracked Barrel Bushing

[freiwilliger]

Just noticed my AO deluxe barrel bushing has a crack. Its running down the center in the plane of the muzzle. Has anyone else had this happen and can this be replaced with just a standard off the shelf Barrel bushing? Thanks.

[wichaka]

First check to see if there are any strange marks, nicks around the barrel where the bushing rides. It may be a bad bushing, or you've got some bind in the fit when the barrel links down........soemthing had to make it break.

Take a micrometer and mic the outside of the barrel at the muzzle. It'll be in the .576-.579 range........I'm guessing. Then mic the inside of the slide where the bushing fits. That should be somewhere around .695-.699 or so.

Then find a bushing with the numbers that are close to the barrel measurement. Brownells has a good selection of bushings. I use either EGW or MGW. EGW has a drop in fit bushing that usually fits the barrel right off, but will need to be taken down a bit on the outside diameter where it fits into the slide, as they usually come at about .701-.702 outside diameter.

Contact Brownells, or call EGW right off.

[17remfan]

Sorry to hear about Your cracked bushing .I hope a new one will fix it up with no further trouble . Can You tell Me how about the quality of finish on Your Blue Delux .I may way to oder one but havent seen any good color photos.All I have seen are the black and white pics from AO I dont care for blued guns with that ink pen color purple if you know what I mean.Sorry to sray from your post good luck with the bushing .At least Bushings are cheap .Have You found the original bushing to fit on the tight side ??also how old is Your gun ? is it one of the newer ones?Would auto ordnance pay for this repair ??

[1911Tuner]

If it cracked down the center, as if it was trying to split into two mirror halves, it's likely an MIM bushing that cracked at the parting line. Seen that a few times on older Auto Ordnance investment cast bushings, and on a DW
MIM bushing.

If it cracked at the bottom of the flange, under the barrel, there might be a spring bind condition..where the spring goes solid before the slide has gone full travel in recoil.

MIM...KEY...M-O-U-S-EEEEEE :D

Sorry...I hadda do it or cease to exist. Check your PMs, lad. :cool:

[freiwilliger]

Yes its cracked down the center line as you described. The Pistol is still shooting fine strangely enough.

17remfan, This gun is a new, MA made AO. I bought it a couple years ago. As far as the finnish goes, it is a consistent black, none of the purply, bluey shades I think your talking about. But it isn't deep. The top of the slides and most of the frame are sandblasted so the finnish is very much a matte black. Its attractive in my opinion. But most of my other handguns that are blued have a deeper finnish.

Go here. this might give you a better idea of what it looks like.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=32551407

[17remfan]

Thanks for the reply .I would like the the tope and bottom to be kinda flat black. I think thats cool. A friend is getting one now and will have it in a few days . His is the parkerized version ill be able to check to quality of that gun .Ill go from there but thanks for the helpfull info

[1911Tuner]

The quote:

>>Yes its cracked down the center line as you described. The Pistol is still shooting fine strangely enough.<<
**************************

:eek: Don't shoot it! If it cracks through and the halves get the barrel into a bind...and it can't unlock from the slide when it recoils...it could clean about
.020 inch off the tops of the locking lugs...barrel AND slide. Bad show. Then you'll be shoppin' for a whole top end. I didn't get to the post office today.
I'll get the bushing out first thing Tuesday. It should be there by next Firday or Saturday.

[shep854]

The bushing cracked on my "GI" Kahr/AO a few months ago. In fairness to the gun, I was abusing it with some extremely hot handloads I was given. It was replaced with a Maryland Gun Works barrel bushing (Brownell part # 584-579-434) and required some honing to fit.

I will not abuse the gun again.

[wichaka]

Those hot hand loads shouldn't have much effect on it. Either you've got a quality bushing or you don't.

[shep854]

Those hot hand loads shouldn't have much effect on it. Either you've got a quality bushing or you don't.

The consensus on the spot was that the hot loads were the problem. Any way you look at it, they didn't help. Of course, the pistol NOW has a good bushing. :)

[stans]

I watched a friend put about 1000 rounds of 45 ACP that was pushing 10mm ballistics through an aluminum framed Para Ordnance. The frame failed (cracked around the slide stop pin hole), but everything else was fine. A cracked bushing is the sign of:
1) barrel springing (rare in a factory 1911)
2) bushing skirt contact with the barrel chamber extension (seen in Commanders using cut down Government model barrels)
3) flawed bushing

[freiwilliger]

The quote:

>>Yes its cracked down the center line as you described. The Pistol is still shooting fine strangely enough.<<
**************************

:eek: Don't shoot it! If it cracks through and the halves get the barrel into a bind...and it can't unlock from the slide when it recoils...it could clean about
.020 inch off the tops of the locking lugs...barrel AND slide. Bad show. Then you'll be shoppin' for a whole top end. I didn't get to the post office today.
I'll get the bushing out first thing Tuesday. It should be there by next Firday or Saturday.

1911tuner

I received the bushing in the mail and after a small amount of fitting got it on and tried it out today. My pistol is shooting nicely again. Thanks very much for the part. I really appreciate it.