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BarSto barrel in STI frame question


BostonBullit

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Greetings all,

I have a question about fitting a BarSto W/N ramped semi-fit bull barrel in an STI 2011 frame. I'm not a smith and I realize this is the most complicated part of doing a build but I'm trying to learn how everything goes together regardless of who ends up doing the cutting. I have the barrel listed above thanks to the very generous BarSto company donating prizes to our Area match and I plan on having it fit into an STI frame. When I just fit the two parts together to see how things look the barrel is not able to slide back far enough for the ramp to lineup with the back of the barrel bed because it's hitting the vertical part of the frame. The apex of the "knee" of the lugs can also be seen through the slide stop pin hole. Comparing the barrel to one in a friends (running) 2011 it looks like the barsto has a lot more meat on the vertical face of the lugs; his is cut clean through where the link is and mine is not.

Is this common for this barrel/frame combination? where will the smith take the material off, from the vertical surface of the frame or from the corresponding part on the barrel lugs? If the frame is milled back further will that make it impossible to switch to a different brand barrel?

Hope I got the terminology right and these questions aren't too dumb to be asking...

thanks!

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You are basically asking for a barrel fitting lesson.

Is the frame cut for the w/n? If not the frame will need to be machined.

I do not remove material from the Vertical Impact Surface (VIS) except for a potential bow tie cut with non-ramped barrel.

I do not remove material from the lugs where the barrel impacts the VIS.

The barrel will not "line up" like your buddy's until the lower lugs have been cut to the correct lockup point.

If a barrel is fitted correctly switching to another barrel (not sure why you would want to do this after installing a barsto) should not be an issue.

Here are 3 vids by Jack Weigand that will enlighten you to the fitting process.

Edited by StraightUp_OG
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With deference to the gentlemen above, and to expand,

barsto WN ramped barrels also have a large radius between VIS and the under ramp flat. if you happen to DO have a ramped frame; a WN ramped frame more specifically, Youll have to either chamfer the WN cut corner or remove material from the barrel.

However Im not even sure you have a ramped frame, in which case you might as well be picking your nose with your elbow, cause it wont come close to fitting either.

also, the first thing you do is fit a barrel to the slide, and then fit both slide and barrel to frame. Actually , no, the first thing you do if thats going to a gunsmith and you want to get your moneys worth, is send that barrel back for a gunsmith fit barrel. if you are going to pay a pro to fit it, give him every opportunity to do his best. and an oversized barrel can do that.

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Thanks guys. First off great videos OG, thanks for the link. Yes the frame is cut from the factory for the Wilson ramp, I may not be able to smith anything worth a damn but one thing I CAN do is buy things correctly :-)

Thanks Mike, sounds like you have worked with this combo before. I was hoping to be able to fit if myself as a learning project, hence the semi-fit, and I'm assessing the chances of that. After talking to some people, reading a bunch, and watching a few videos this exact issue never came up which is why I'm here asking.

I know, another home hack thinking fitting a barrel is easy... To the contrary I know that it is a very complex task which is why it interests me. I learned to build furniture for the same reason but in the world of woodworking you are ok with the odd 32nd difference, the need for 5 digits of precision is daunting after that

With this info I'll probably look around for some experienced help....I don't mind buggering up a free barrel but a $500 frame is another story

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I know another furniture maker in my area who is getting into gun work, must be in the blood.

Furniture making is just another hobby for me, when you work with computers all day it's a nice change of pace to do something that produces a physical result after all the work...something that you can actually hold and use and will last. I approached that hobby the same way, read and watch all I can and then take my time trying for myself. It's a lot easier with woodworking though, as I said the tolerances don't need to be quite as tight :blush:. The mechanics of how a drawer slides into casework is also just a little less complex than how a 1911 operates | :roflol:|

Another question, if the frame is chamfered more to allow for that radius on the barrel would that result in a poor fit for a barrel that doesn't use the large radius that Bar-Sto does? Why all the questions about different barrels when I have a bar-sto in hand? Primarily it's just for my own knowledge, how does having less VIS and barrel bed surface area due to the larger chamfer affect fit and operation. it's also a practical question; what if I decide to re-use the frame for an open build down the line...would I need to get another bar-sto because the frame was modified to fit this barrel or is that small amount of material removed not of any consequence?

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The whole point of the chamfer or radius in the case of a c/p/l ramp barrel is to reduce the stress on that point on the barrel to prevent lug shearing. As long as that area is relieved you should be gtg. Frames are cheap just buy a new one for your open build.

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The whole point of the chamfer or radius in the case of a c/p/l ramp barrel is to reduce the stress on that point on the barrel to prevent lug shearing. As long as that area is relieved you should be gtg. Frames are cheap just buy a new one for your open build.

Thanks OG! I'll let my wife know what your advice is on the buy vs re-use the frame topic if that time ever comes ;-)

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You bet!

Here is an animation of the firing cycle of a 1911. You will see how the barrel drops when it unlocks it is that point where the stress is. It has no bearing on the lockup.

Good luck with the wife!

Edited by StraightUp_OG
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