I've got a slide with a bushing tab channel large enough to allow the bushing to sit about 0.015" forward of flush with the square of the front of the slide, when the recoil spring puts forward pressure on the bushing. I find that if I assemble the gun this way, I get barrel springing. For temporary purposes, I've placed a shim in the front of the bushing tab channel on the slide, which takes up the slack and forces the bushing to sit flush against the slide. There is no barrel springing in this configuration. Is there a right way to peen the tab forward to take up the slack?
I think I would call George at EGW and order a custom bushing. You could specify that you want the tab left oversize for final fitting. Or send him the slide and barrel (no FFL necessary) and let him fit it.
Just be sure to discuss and specify exactly what you want. I once bought an EGW "drop in" barrel bushing from Brownells. First problem was, it wasn't drop in. It still required fitting... just less of it. Second, although Brownells didn't say so in their catalog, it was a "thick flange" bushing. It was for an original Colt Combat Commander and I wanted a standard flange to look original. Brownells took it back and refunded my money. I checked with George and he said all their barrel bushings are "thick flange" unless otherwise specified. I have no tolerance for thick flanges (I think they are as ugly as sin), so I have to be sure I remember to specify "standard flange."
The way that I've done that is to support the bushing on a round solid bar and I hold a punch on the lug and peen it on the forward edge, you can get a little but it's pointed and won't last a long time. I prefer to weld a dab on the lug and then fit it and have had the best results doing that.
I think a year or two ago Colt made some slides where the bushing cut was off. We use .117 as a guide and average. these were about .103 so they stuck out .015 just like your speaking of.
We made a run of bushings with the lug cut at .100 so you can fit it to suit.
Log, I agree the small contact will not hold up. We did some TIG up jobs and it was not fast. When there was the run of Colts we went ahead and made the batch of close one.
geo
www.egw-guns.com
Hi guys, thanks for the informative responses. Log man, welding sounds like a good idea, but I haven't reached that stage in abilities yet.
Most likely, I'm going to go with EGW like Geo and Hawkmoon suggested. Geo, I measured somewhere like .110 plus or minus .001. I'm not sure I could file .010 and keep everything square. Would you be willing to cut one of the .100 bushings to .110 for me?
Sure, for an obscene fee, 10.00 spun in a lathe.
geo
www.egw-guns.com