Sometime ago I read an ad for Accu-Rail installation on 1911's. A steel drill type rod on each side of the frame inside the slide channel. The rods were available in oversize if needed. Are these folks still around? How did these installs work out in real world shooting? As good - or better - than a tight slide to frame fit?
I believe Bob Kreiger still does them. Doug Jones here is licensed to do them. http://acc-u-rail.com/
Once you go with rails that frame and slide can never be anything else but rails. On aluminum guns it is really great.
We did an aluminum steel gun for Jerry Barnhart one time with AccuRails. He shot many thousand rounds thru it. Rails are like sliding on ball bearings literally!
I love mine, the gun runs beautifully and it is incredibly smooth. I'd have them again in a heartbeat.
Old Speed;
Here's a look at a pair I am working on. The system is light years ahead of
the old swage and squeeze method. Is it better than a fitted slide and frame?
that depends on the skill of the fitter... Either, can be very good... The
rails are proof that accurate machining is the key.
PICTURE 404
There's a thread in the Caspian subforum with a few pics of an accu-rail gun. I think it's titled "what did I buy?"
I remember seeing some picks in the past that Dave Erickson had posted of a couple of builds he did with ACCU-RAILs, so evidently he is satisfied with them as well as Jerry.
I've never handled a 1911 using them, but would like to. It looks like the action would be extremely smooth.
I have used them off and on for years. I like them. Diligence is required if you take your gun apart a lot. Ti frames benefit from them as well.
I had Bob Krieger install rails, fit a new ramped barrel/bushing, and tune the extractor of my Colt 38 Super back in 1989, and it is still one of the smoothest and most accurate 1911 I own. I am still amazed at how smooth the slide works after 20+ years. I found some literature Bob sent along when he returned the gun in 89, and it was an article about ACC-U-RAILs written in the mid 1980's and it notes Bob has been a gunsmith for 40 years. If you do the math and Bob is still a practicing gunsmith, he'd probably be well into his 80's by now. The address that Doug Jones uses now is the same that Bob Krieger used back in the 89 where I sent my gun, so I'm going to guess that Doug has taken over the business. I'm planning to rail a Colt Commander later this year so I'm glad someone is still carrying on the work!
EDIT: One thing I do recall was that Bob told me to never pry the rails off when disassembling or you will likely break the hardened drill rods. To disassemble you must push from the end of the pin where it bends 90 degrees into the frame near where the barrel link is. Also, he said that once I remove the rails I must clean the recess very thoroughly before assembling. This is to ensure that there is no debris between the rail and frame before reassembling. I've followed these instructions over the years and have never had any issues with the rails. It's quite unusual to feel absolutely no perceptible movement between the slide and frame, even when the hammer is cocked and the magazine is out.
I had one of my STI 2011s railed by Doug Jones. I really like it.