I have a Tannery Shop 80% 1911 frame that I cut the rails on. The frame is fine but the slide when assembled with a standard old colt Barrel, the slide extends about .041 past the frame. Just enough for the hammer not to fall properly. The slide may be suspect as I haven't tried it on any other frames yet.
Is this something that can fixed with a longer barrel link?
I wouldn't use a longer link unless it was absolutely necessary for slide/barrel lockup. Make sure, if your barrel bushing is snug to the barrel that you are not getting any springing.
Overall make sure your slide, frame, and barrel are properly together.
This is not uncommon it is usually the lower barrel lugs having too much material or too long of a link that causes it. to test, try this: remove the link and reassemble the pistol if it still causes the problem then you know your lugs are too thick - mic them if they are thicker than .10 then use a lug cutter to slim them down a bit. HOWEVER - this usually causes the barrel to bind and not lock-up and it sounds like you are getting lock-up so I'd just try a smaller link and see if that corrects your issue. You can get a link kit that can take up as much as .02" in variation just by switching to a smaller size - that should get you half way there.
Now don't expect the back of the slide to mate up to the back of the frame- it may not, but if you can get it functional then you can simply file the slide down a bit to match - this is not a big deal. Remember - you do not want the link to dictate lock-up it should be the lugs or "feet" of the barrel that does that or else you risk the link/pin breaking. Let us know how it works out for you
I have ordered a link kit and will give it a try. I don't think its the barrel, I have had the barrel for quite some time and it worked fine in my old Essex/colt. Both the frame and slide are suspect. I try-ed removing the link. It appears the bottom Barrel lugs do not match to the SS cross pin hole without offsetting the slide just enough to depress the disconnect witch catches the hammer at the half cock. If I slam the slide home It will engage so the variance is very slight.
Thanks for your advice I hope to have the new links to try tomorrow.
I have wild ass idea that the frame barrel link stop surface or breach face to barrel dimensions are off. Any thoughts on this?
Not of your side will not go into battery. If the hood of the barrel is preventing the slide from going all the way forward, you will see that. I agree with TX400cb1911, look to your link and lugs. A fast way to check the lug engagement is simple, hold the barrel with link still installed. If correct, the bottom hole for the link should be fully visable in relation to the lug. If the lug impedes or covers any part of the link hole, there is your problem. Part 2 of this check is with just the barrel and link, put the slide stop through the link hole. It should spin freely. If not you either have an undersized hole or the slide stop is rubbing on the lugs. Part three is insatll the barrel and slide on the frame. Now install the slide stop, upside down. By the I mean, so the thumb tab is pointed down alomng the trigger guard. In this position it should spin freely also.
Do you have a copy of the two Kuhnhasen books? This is all covered in there. As another SWAG look up the dimensions of the barrel lug tunnel on the frame and be sure that it is long enough.
I have try ed the longer links, No good. However, the lower lugs do block the SS hole when in battery. Would this point to the barrel or the slide? As I have said the barrel is tested and good. The slide on the other hand is low end and has some issues. I don't like the idea of filling the either one. I have a SA barrel on the way.
Since the slide stop blocks the link hole when in battery, you found your problem. Do as TX400cb1911 said in his post. If you do not have a lug cutter, some judicious and careful work with a proper sized rat tail file will do the trick.
Alright, if your slide sits to far forward then your lower lugs on your barrel have been overcut for this particular frame/slide combo. Having your said good barrel does not mean anything when you stick it in another pistol, a barrel I fit for one frame/slide combo will not Necessarily drop in another pistol and give the same performance. What dictates where a slide stops is the barrel's lower lugs!
Thanks for the info, I have a SA barrel on the way, If the guy remembers to send it! I hope this barrel will work. I will switch out with some of my other barrel to see how they look.
Good luck with the other barrels, if you get no joy just buy a oversized barrel. Of course you will need a lug cutter but the upside to a oversized barrel is you cut the lower lugs until the slide and frame mate up. Of course there are a few other stipulations but for the most part the above statement is true. I have a article on my site about barrel fitting here.
http://blindhogg.com/gunsmith/barrel.html
Thanks for the info Chris. I read your article some time ago, looks like it's time to re-read. I hope the SA barrel I have coming will work, I don't need to buy another barrel right now. But the thought of fitting a oversize barrel sounds fun and educational. I should have the barrel soon so we'll see which way I have to go by friday.
Hopefully your new barrel fixes all your pistols woes. But fear not a match barrel install is something all 1911 disciples should do at least once in their lifetime.
Would it be a bad idea to weld up the lugs and carefully reshape them? Would this fix my thumb safety notch not matching up perfectly?
Always modify the cheaper part.
The barrel is just a cheapie Sarco thing. I don't have any expensive parts really.
I'm wondering if you & 3towed maybe need to just trade barrels!
quote:
would it be a bad idea to weld up the lugs and carefully reshape them?
would this fix my thumb safety notch not matching up perfectly
In the old days that's how they did it, mostly because match barrels were not available. Yes, I beleive you could weld up your lower lugs and recut them to get the slide to stop in the proper place. Of course would you still have the gap when your thumb safety is in the up position, maybe it depends if your thumb safety cutout were put in the right place on the slide, ie (In spec).
I guess the big quesion is, where did you get the slide? is it a quality one?
Good luck on the weld up if that's what you decide.
The slide is a Brazilian Sarco slide. I haven't measured it yet...
My Sarco Brazilian slide does the same exact thing. It's on a K.T. frame.
Thanks Rusty. I may just weld up the slide and machine down the top edge of the safety.
I beleive I have one or two Sarco slides around here and never had any problems with them. If I were you I would weld up the barrel, easier and cheaper part to replace in my opinion.Upside is you will likely get a more accurate gun if you do it my way vs. your way.
Andy, I think I read somewhere on this board that these brazillian slides were made on colt machinery. if thats true, they should be ok. I'm gonna try a different size link & see if that helps. The gun functions fine as is, but I notice, if I remove the hood spring, and count on the barrel link, it will lock up when I try to pull the slide back for disassembly. I wonder what that means? will i need a shorter link to fix this, or a longer one?