SVI or Kart best accuracy?

[twister]

I want to replace the barrel in my 1911 Range Officer, which barrel would be better for accuracy? Thanks for your help, Dave.

[Build4u]

Kart barrels have been extremely accurate in my guns in the past. Have a Schumann in my newer .40 very accurate as well. I mean at 50 yards with a dot gun and 25 yards with irons.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: Are you sure it is the barrel? If the bushing to barrel and bushing to slide are both loose then your accuracy will not be good. What caliber are you shooting? Reloads or factory ammo? I would say a Kart. Thanks, Eric

[bullsi45]

yea twister if u are looking to pay kark barrle i have 4 of them brand new with bushing all ready fit them if u would to buy one let me know. and is kart makes the best barrels that all i have in my bulleye guns and my uspsa gun

[bonglee0507]

Infinity

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Steve RA]

Kart, if you are sure the barrel is the problem. Check out other possible problems, as mentioned above.

[Bruce]

Schumann, Kart.

[dirty whiteboy]

Infinity

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

agree, ..........Infinity, Schuemann

[twister]

I'm shooting the gun,a 45, in a local ppc league. I'm using my reloads and I'm looking for more accuracy. I called Springfield Custom shop, they said they could get the group to 1.5 inch at 25 yards. With a Kart barrel, just wondering if I could get better results with the Infinity barrel.

Edited December 17, 2015 by twister

[lcs]

I'm shooting the gun,a 45, in a local ppc league. I'm using my reloads and I'm looking for more accuracy. I called Springfield Custom shop, they said they could get the group to 1.5 inch at 25 yards.

Could be your reloads. No offense meant, but sometimes a tenth of powder more or seating the bullet shorter/longer. My focus would be on my ammo before jumping on a new barrel. Barrel + labor + shipping = $400 to $500.

[twister]

At Springfield custom, looking at $300 plus shipping.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I would check the barrel and bushing fit as I suggested above. Try a different slide stop in there also. I am using a Wilson Extended with the tang cut off. I would also try some different loads and ask around what others are using. I know the bullseye guys around here are using either BarSto or Kart barrels. Thanks, Eric

[zzt]

If you are shooting lead, especially swc, go with Kart. If shooting JHPs, go with Barsto. Just remember, the barrel must be fit perfectly to get the results you want. BTW, 1.5" at 25 yards is a joke. You should shoot for that at 50.

I agree with others that you should check the existing fit.

Edited December 17, 2015 by zzt

[twister]

On the 1.5 at 25 yards, I might not have that right. It may have been 1.5 at 50 yards. I was told by Springfield that a barrel and bushing replacement would make a big difference in the guns performance. I will be shooting mostly cast bullets.

[mach1soldier]

Most of my family shoots bullseye competition. All of us are using Kart with very good success. I would honestly say though, fitment seems to matter more then brand.

Barrel fitment with a tight lockup and a tight barrel bushing are essential to accuracy. Slide to frame fit should also be tight.

If you ream the chamber to SAAMI minimum spec, that helps as well. Your reloads have to be perfect though. There won't be any slop in the brass to chamber fit.

[zzt]

twister, since you are shooting mostly cast, go with a NM (National Match) barrel of whatever brand you choose. They are designed for bullseye accuracy. Both of the Kart bushing barrel types in 45 are NM. The EZ-Fit comes with finished lower lugs and chamber. You have to fit the hood and upper lugs. Their gunsmith fit actually is, and requires finish chamber reaming.

All of the ROs that I have seen shoot very well. They start with forged frames and slides with an excellent fit and throw in a match barrel, also well fitted. I don't know what their bushing is made of, and that might be part of the problem. Here are some easy tests you can do yourself.

First, with the pistol assembled and in battery, push down on the top rear of the barrel in front of the hood. Does it move, even a little. If you can push the barrel down, your link is too long and it is pushing the barrel up into battery instead of the bottom lugs. For accuracy, that has to be fixed. However, there may be other factors that need addressing.

Second, with the pistol in battery, see if you can slide the edge of a piece of paper between the back of the hood and the slide. If you can, the hood is too short. Try the same on each side of the hood. If you can just barely get the paper in with some resistance, you are fine. If it slips in easily, the hood is too narrow.

Disassemble the pistol and clean it, but don't lube it. Use a magic marker and mark the lower lugs. Also mark the hood area of the slide and the sides and rear of the hood. Assemble the pistol, rack it 20-30 times, then disassemble. Look at the hood area on the slide and also at the hood itself. If you see any of the marker worn off any of the sides you have a problem there and the hood needs fitting. When the hood hits the side of the slide it cocks the barrel and the bottom lugs are not properly engaged. In an ideal world, the marking should be lighter, but not off on the rear of the hood and the corresponding point on the slide.

If everything passes there, check the bottom lugs. The markings should have worn off. If not, the link is too long and or the slide stop is too narrow or worn.

Next comes the bushing. If you can insert and turn it by hand with no resistance, the OD is too small. If you can slide the barrel in and out with ease, the ID is too large.

If you are uncomfortable with doing this, take it to a local gunsmith with a good reputation and have him check it out. If the hood needs work, he can weld it up and recut properly. That shouldn't be any more than $60-$70. He can fit a Briley spherical bushing, so you won't have to worry about wearing the bushing out, or barrel springing- about $60 fitted. If it is the link, that's $15 installed. While I was at it, I'd buy a new slide stop machined from billet or bar stock- $50.

Added later: I forgot to say that is Springfield will give you a new barrel and bushing, fit them and guarantee 1.5" groups at 50 yards, it's worth it.

Edited December 17, 2015 by zzt

[Steve RA]

I think you meant to say that the ID is too large, not too small.

[zzt]

I did Steve. Thanks. Corrected.

[feederic]

Kart.

[twister]

Thanks for all the input. Zzt, thanks for all your help. I'm going with a Kart barrel installed by Springfield.

[troupe]

Kart has national championships. Les Baer uses them because they are easier to get the accuracy they required.

[pjb45]

Bill Laughridge / Cylinder and Slide has a video about bushings and USPSA and Bullseye shooting. Bullseye guns were not performing well in USPSA because the bushings were extremely tight and when the gun was fired 16 times in seconds the heat expanded the metal. This was in the old days, maybe the steel has changed but the moral of the story is the bushing fit should be linked to what type of shooting.

You are not going to get the accuracy you want out of a drop in barrel.

I had a member of the pistolsmith guild build a gun, the barrel failed after <20,000 rounds. He offered to replace and refit a new barrel for me. He stood by his workmanship but it was not fitted correctly the first time. Be wary of just any gunsmith, errors occur all the time.

I have had Kart, SV, Schuemann, and Nowlin barrels. They all deliver great accuracy.

The SA custom gunshop has 3 or 4 members of the pistolsmith guild. I have met a few of them. I would trust them.

If C&S did not have such a wait time, I would use them.

[RippinSVT]

Kart, all day. That said, a poorly fitted Kart will shoot like shit. For PPC, Bullseye, or NRA-AP, you need to be aiming for <2" at 50 yards. I won't keep a damn Glock if it can't do that at 25yards, let alone a 1911. Barrel fit is THE key.