Hoping I did it right. Please read and advise.

[Tom in Ohio]

I read 1911Tuner's bit about checking the timing on the 1911 and discovered that my Springfield was riding the link during loading instead of having the slide stop pin riding on the lugs. It properly rode the lugs at the beginning and end of the cycle, but rode the link in the middle. I followed 1911Tuner's instructions and took a 3/16" Dremel chainsaw sharpening bit and removed about 0.003" from the inside radius of the large hole in the link closest to the smaller hole. I did it a little at a time until I could just no longer see daylight and just feel friction between the slide stop pin and the lower barrel lugs as I rotated the link through its arc. I then tested the feeding without the spring or guide rod and was able to easily push feed rounds with one finger. I have not yet test fired it, and I would like to hear from anyone (1911Tuner?) whether I have done it correctly before I do. I would rather find out that all I did was ruin a link instead of blowing up my pistol. Thanks.

[Unclenick]

Riding the link can get the barrel up in the locking lugs ahead of schedule and results in peeing of the locking lugs. It sounds like you've cured that tendency. However, if the gun still went into battery with the long link, then the barrel lugs were already too short for a full lock-up. You should get reliable factory level functionality withwhat you've done, but if you want higher-than-factory accuracy you will need the barrel and link both fit. The old method is to do a weld build-up of the link lugs and barrel hood, then file and scrape them to ride the assembly pin into full lock-up. Many people now just buy a barrel with extra metal already in these areas for fitting.

Nick

[mike h. buness]

I agree with with nick. Having gone the new barrel/link/oversized linkpin and new link route myself. Tuners chainsaw file remedy sounds a little, how should I say this politely, harsh [ I also have a chain saw]. The barrel lugs should just clear the pin when in motion and the pin should sit firmly in the lugs at lockup with NO movement of the barrel when pushed down through the port. Easy does it is my point here. The surfaces should be polished. if not, they will wear and you'll be back to square one. Again, no offense Tuner. You walked me through many a procedure on my 1911. Mike

[Tom in Ohio]

I got to range test my pistol two days ago. I shot the State of Ohio police qualification course in 40 degree rain. The pistol functioned flawlessly and was very accurate. At 15yds I put five shots into the same hole. The slide stop now rides along the lower lug through its entire arc. Before, it would rest firmly on the lugs in lock-up, but would ride the link a little while feeding. I also replaced the firing pin stop with an EGW squared firing pin stop (which I put a slight ~0.078" radius on it), 14# Wolff spring, and Cylinder and Slide extractor. I fired both Winchester white box 230gr FMJ and Federal Hydra-shock 230gr JHP with zero malfunctions. On a side note, I was using Alumagrip's slim-line grips and they worked great even with soaking wet hands/gun. Also, the low temperature was not an issue with the aluminum grips. They didn't feel any colder than plastic grips.

[1911Tuner]

Sounds like you did okay, Tom. Losing .003 inch of vertical lockup isn't gonna make a helluva lotta difference one way or another. We're talkin' less than the thickness of a sheet of 20-bond typin' paper here. If it had full depth with
the link riding, it has enough now. Besides, it the barrel was only riding the link as it cammed up, and not actually locking on the link in battery, it won't make a bit of difference.

Mike...I don't do it with a file. I do it with a stone that Dremel makes for sharpening chain saws. Relieving the hole in the link has been done for decades. It's often part of the fine-tuning process. Just be careful about relieving the BOTTOM of the hole...which produces the same results as using a longer link. Namely, delaying unlock and linkdown timing...possibly to the point of not getting the lugs out of the slide and down in time to prevent a crash.

Clear as mud? ;)