I have a 5 inch bull barrel on my STI, after cleaning the gun I was having a hard time with reassembly. The slide was not moving back enough for me to insert the slide stop again. I took it apart again and noticed the barrel link was stuck. I soaked the barrel in mineral spirits, the link moves now, but it does not move easily. I noticed this on the barrel:
Question for the experts, can this be fixed?
Do I need a new link and maybe file the damaged sides?
Is this a symptom of a bigger problem?
Thanks in advance