have taken down my defender for the first time,new gun ,trying to clean it,can not get barrel lug hole to line up,no matter what ive tried,just seems to not line up properly.im stumped.

Rusty:

I don't know that particular model. Matter of fact, some of the guys here will tell you that I don't know _any_ Colts, but, assuming it's mostly a 1911....

While working with my Commander and Para Tac-Four, I find that the barrel link can get stuck - a little too much oil - and won't quite drop into place. Any old tool seems to do the job.

Another possibility is that you're not getting the barrel back into the frame properly - it's fairly easy to do that wrong. Try just dropping the barrel into the frame without the slide & recoil spring and see what's going on. You'll want to try to drop the barrel into the slide, too, and see how that goes together. I find that I need to shove the barrel into battery, and then move the slide until things line up.

Some 1911's have a spring-loaded barrel link. I don't have any experience with that design (but I'm old enough to remember when it was new). That may involve magic incantatations to line up, but that's why the slide stop's got a rounded end. Should go together.

(I wasn't able to find a schematic for the Defender online.)

I suppose Colt could have done something completely off-the-wall, but chances are it's a matter of getting the link to drop freely into the frame, and getting the barrel into the right place.

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Stu.
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after about 8 tries and a large amout of cussing,i just put it up out of frustration and came back to it in an hour,and assembled it the same way and whatda ya know it went back together with no problem,i cant figure out what i did different,i still belive the problem was with the guide rod assembly,what a flimsy set up ,id love to replace it with a new one ,too bad wilson doesnt make one for a 3" barrel.id have to hold it with one hand upside down, slide the frame on as far as i could then the guide rod assem resting aginst the barrel lug would sort of pop up a little, just enough to put the lug in a postion where it would not fall to line up with the slide stop,the last time it stayed in place and all went together great,at least that what i think!! thanks!

Rusty:

Glad you got it!

Some of these things are a little tricky. Some are not intended for ordinary humans at all....

(Check the "Para Stripdown" information from the M1911.ORG's home page. Be very afraid....)

All of this can be kinda fun, though.... I just came back from "range night". Found out that my Commander doesn't like some SWC's (best described as "why the heck did you buy those" reloads) but the Para loves them.... Since the Commander happily handles round lead or jacketed stuff from the same source I now get to study up on "throating", having learned more than I wanted to about extractors, firing pin stops, ejectors, magazine lips, and a few more things I've already forgotten.

I may also study up on not buying those SWC's.... Might be simpler.

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Stu.
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One little tip; make sure that when you put the barrel into the slide, that the link is forward (towards the muzzle). If the link is to the rear; you will have the problem you described. After you slip the slide onto the frame; use a toothpick to finish lining up the link with the hole. One last point; always start the frame into the slide upsidedown; then as you are finishing slipping them together; flip them right side up at the same time. Sounds more complicated than it is.

Care-less:

Both of my 1911-ish guns won't let me put the barrel in the slide if the link is out of position.

'Course, that could be just me.

(Series 70 Commander and a Para Tac-Four.)

The toothpick and flipping things over are good ideas.

In my case, I have more trouble with the link pin falling out of the Commander's barrel than anything else. Guess I should bash it harder next time.

Thanks for jumping in. To some extent, these things are jigsaw puzzles.

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Stu.
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slide is on table upside down,barrel in slide,if i move link towards muzzel cannot get guide rod assembly in,have to rotate link 180 the other way this is what i did to get it together,did assembly it upside down and flipped it,so i was half right.