reuse open barrel?

[Sandbagger123]

the slide on my open gun is cracked. i spoke to a couple of local smiths about getting just a new slide fitted. i want to use the old barrel as its a sheumann island barrel and i like it.  they said its better to just fit a new barrel and comp instead of using the old barrel due to fitting issues and the extra cut for the island. 

 

i don't really want to put too much money into this gun as i have plans to get a new open for next season and use this as my backup.  i would like to get a premachined slide like brazos offers  and have it fitted. 

 

So is it ok to reuse the old barrel? how hard is it to do the island cut for a gunsmith? 

 

thansk for any info

[EEH]

I'd find a smith thaw would do what I want,,not what he wants..It's your money after all.

[echotango]

Find another smith. Cracked my slide and used same barrel. No issue. 

[Sarge]

36 minutes ago, echotango said:

Find another smith. Cracked my slide and used same barrel. No issue. 

Same here.

[zzt]

I'd like to tell you that there is good consistency between slides from the same manufacturer, but there isn't (at least for most).  You may have fitment issues.  Hopefully you'll find removing metal cures the problem rather than adding it by welding.  Buy the slide from someone who allows returns or swaps.  Take your comp off and have your smith take some measurements and do an initial trial fit.  If you are lucky, all you will have to do is adjust the hood and put a one degree on the front of the slide.  If it were more than that, I'd swap the slide for another and try again. 

[rishii]

On 9/24/2017 at 7:56 AM, Sandbagger123 said:

 

 

i don't really want to put too much money into this gun as i have plans to get a new open for next season and use this as my backup.  i would like to get a premachined slide like brazos offers  and have it fitted. 

 

So is it ok to reuse the old barrel? how hard is it to do the island cut for a gunsmith? 

 

thansk for any info

I've done it and probably wouldn't do it again

the major issue is the hybricomp barrel, because they're hard to come, I reused my old barrel when I cracked the slide on my open gun

then I broke the standing lugs of the barrel 15k rounds later, and I was stuck with a slide cut for a barrel that's out of stock 

I luck out and found one at speed shooters international, but I haven't seen one since 

plus you want to use a brazos lightened slide, which is pretty light already, I'd be leery about doing a hybricomp cut on it

and in the long run you'll only be saving the cost of the barrel, which in the big picture is only a couple hundred bucks

[RonPogi]

What you gonna do with the old good barrel (throw it)?  Find another gunsmith.

[Sandbagger123]

On 9/26/2017 at 11:21 AM, rishii said:

I've done it and probably wouldn't do it again

the major issue is the hybricomp barrel, because they're hard to come, I reused my old barrel when I cracked the slide on my open gun

then I broke the standing lugs of the barrel 15k rounds later, and I was stuck with a slide cut for a barrel that's out of stock 

I luck out and found one at speed shooters international, but I haven't seen one since 

plus you want to use a brazos lightened slide, which is pretty light already, I'd be leery about doing a hybricomp cut on it

and in the long run you'll only be saving the cost of the barrel, which in the big picture is only a couple hundred bucks

so does the cut really matter if one were to just use a regular bull barrel?   lets say i get it cut for island. the island barrel wears out or breaks something, can a regular barrel just be used?

[jpl]

Yup, you can use a regular bull barrel with the island cut no problem.

[ACree]

The problem with re-using a barrel is that the hood and lower lugs have been cut to fit the necessary dimensions that were influenced by the previous slide. The hood dimension also affects the chamber depth. You can have the hood and lower lugs welded up and recut, but that is an additional expense that you will definitely have to pay for. Can it be done, sure. Is it cost effective, no - but, that is up to you to decide.