Hello, I hope you guys will be kind enough to throw some advice my way.
The problem I am having is that my slide will not move back far enough back to lock up when the recoil spring is installed. With out the recoil spring it moves back fine. I am having this problem with an Essex frame, I have tried all of these parts on a colt frame and it all works fine.
When it is as far back as it can go with the recoil sping installed there is still free play in the barrel, I have done my best to measure this frame compared to the Colt frame and they seem to be almost exactly the same. The first picture is as far back as it will go with the sping.
Without the spring
It sounds like your recoil spring is binding. Try a different spring or-- some springs (such as Wollf springs) require that you put them in a certain way. There was another member of this board who was having the same problem as you are and all he did was flip the spring around the other way and Presto! it worked fine.
2 thinks to check: 1st, take out the recoil buffer; that is the biggest reason for failure to lock. You really don't need it to lock open (unless you are shooting IDPA) but I understand lots of guys think a 1911 should lock open. 2nd, check to make sure the base of the guide rod (or "plug" if you are using one) will fit into the tunnel in the frame. Often, the tunnel is slightly undersized & the base of the rod will not fit. Good pics by the way! let us know if the problem persists.
CBR, Nagantnut, thank you both for the info. I am shocked and amazed that simply turning the spring around fixed the problem. I dont understand how a simple spring could have a correct way and a wrong way? Well, I guess I should be happy that is was so easy to fix.