There is a brass (?) ring insert that pivots horizontally inside of the bushing. I can't see how it would contribute to consistency any more than a fitted bushing of conventinal design.
Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems that the ring insert and pivot points are just another place for Mr. Murphy to hide.
It is another of the products that attempts to substituted gimmickry for fitting. All it needs is a straight cylindrical barrel and an insert ring just larger. They say .001" clearance but .0005" is feasible. But a conventional fitted bushing must be hand fit to the individual gun and barrel, preferably with a little relief on the barrel behind the bushing engagement.
I have one that has done fine, but the gunsmith who put it in had one to lose a flake of the TiN coating and scar up his barrel.
Quote:
Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems that the ring insert and pivot
points are just another place for Mr. Murphy to hide.
Yes, I think you are missing something. I have three guns with the Briley spherical bushing, and it is (IMO) the best design ever created.
They run reliably with as little as 0.001" clearance. Front lock up is almost perfect, every shot. Maintenance is minimal. Just a quick wipe and drop of oil, is all it takes. Wear is almost non-existant. I have a 1911 with their bushing that has well over 25k rounds through it. It shows no wear, and even if it ever does, I need only replace the ring. Which BTW are not brass. They are carbon steel with a TiN (Titanium Nitride) coating.
USGI barrels were straight. If a barrel was tightly fitted to the bushing the barrel couldn't tip down to unlock without binding. For this reason most of the barrels made today have a step about 3/8 to 1/4 inch behind the muzzle to provide necessary clearence. Even so the barrel can still bind if the bushing isn't carefully fitted. The Briley bushing does work, and is a far better solution then Colt's spring-fingered style. Since rings come in different sizes hand fitting to the barrel is unnecessary, but you still have to fit the bushing to the slide for best results.