1911 Barrel Fitting

[CSEMARTIN]

I will be fitting the barrel on the 1911 I've been building--soon I hope. Below are the steps I'm planning to use, and if you guys would care to add any tips or tricks, I'm all ears. Thanks.

Barrel Fitting:

1. Measure the distance from the barrel hood to the rear slide lug bearing surface

2. Measure the hood length using: http://egw-guns.com/store/index.php?main_p...products_id=245

3. Take note of the difference in measurements between #1 & #2.

4. Measure the barrel hood slot width (on the slide) and comparison measure the barrel hood width.

5. Mark barrel hood and sides with Dykem blue and check fit using a barrel alignment block: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/Pro...IGNMENT%20BLOCK and a loose bushing.

6. Polish the inside of the slide with a lug iron: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/pro...g%20iron&s=

7. Debur slide and barrel lug edges by breaking the edges. However, leave the rear edges of the hood sharp and coat with Dykem blue.

8. Stone the barrel hood sides until the barrel hood will start into the slide’s hood slot with moderate finger pressure.

9. Bevel the barrel hood corners .010” by 45 degrees and carefully fine adjust the 3 flat hood surfaces until the barrel can be pushed upward to the vertically locked position with the 3 flat hood surfaces evenly contacting the corresponding slide surfaces.

10. Hold barrel in alignment with the barrel alignment gauge and check firing pin port location using: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/Pro...IGNMENT%20GAUGE

11. Coat the barrel lug slots with Dykem blue and reinstall the barrel and bushing. Push upwards to engage the lugs. Install the alignment block and tap the bottom of the barrel with an aluminum drift to determine lug slot contact. Remove the barrel and trial adjust the lug slots so that when the barrel is in the 100% vertically locked position, the firing pin alignment gauge will enter the firing pin port without resistance.

12. Optional step--hand lap the lugs and barrel hood using Dykem blue and 800 grip lapping compound. Just lap enough to wear through the Dykem blue. This can be done by hand or by cycling the slide after the bottom lugs have been fit.

13. Adjust chamber headspace with a throat chambering reamer: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/Pro...ATING%20REAMERS

Bottom barrel lug cutting steps:

1. Check slide/frame fit

2. Clearance the top of the front frame extension

3. Lightly stone the central slide rail

4. Check disconnector rise and concurrent alignment of the slide safety notch

5. Install barrel, bushing and barrel holding fixture: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/Pro...20FITTING%20KIT Note: make sure the tensioning screw in the barrel holding fixture keeps the barrel on vertical centerline before tightening the holding fixture screw.

6. Setup for barrel lug cutting--assemble slide, frame and barrel with lug cutting fixture. Coat the cutter with thick assembly grease before installing in the frame to lubricate and trap chips.

7. Begin cutting the bottom barrel lugs by applying light pressure using the slide pusher. Turn the cutter CLOCKWISE. Cut slowly until the thumb safety just engages the slide safety lever notch without drag. Note: Too much pressure will affect the smoothness of the cut. Counterclockwise cutting will dull the cutter.

8. If necessary, recontour the slide to match the frame.

Edited October 18, 2008 by CSEMARTIN

[HSMITH]

The range rod and the firing pin hole, well, if the stars all line up with the slide and barrel both at or very near nominal spec it will work. Otherwise check upper lug engagement and use that as the critical measurement. If the firing pin strike is in the middle 25-30% of the primer you are good to go, if it isn't you will have to fix or replace something to get it there, and it can get complicated figuring out which part is screwed up.

The bottom lug cut stops 1* past link vertical, and that is that. Cutting till the safety lines up will generally get you in the ball park but you might as well learn how to do it right. The lug cutter won't even be close to big enough for a .200" slide stop pin, you will have to finish by hand or shim the barrel down, both are great opportunities to screw something up so be careful.

You will also need to make sure the barrel goes to bed correctly, then check the vertical impact surface and it's location against the barrel feet location. If it is too short move the VIS back or the barrel feet forward, not a big deal. If it is too long you get into a novel on ways and theories to fix it, and the very reason I will NEVER build on a frame I didn't cut again.

I put a .040" or so bevel on the corners of the hood at more of a 60* angle, just me though.....

EDIT, I like the plan and the detail you have, go slow, check 10 times and cut once. It will be better than a lot of guns out there if you do, even on the first one.

Edited October 18, 2008 by HSMITH

[CSEMARTIN]

Thanks Howard!

I have the EGW barrel block (only $25 bucks): http://egw-guns.com/store/index.php?main_p...;products_id=66 and I'm planning to use it with my mill to cut the hood and sides.

Brownells sells a barrel fitting fixture: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/Pro...TTING%20FIXTURE but it is quite a bit more money.

Is the EGW block good enough? Do any of you guys use the brownells fixture (I believe Weigand makes it)? Is it worth the extra money? I think I like the cheaper solution better, but I'm not 100%.

[ong45]

Thanks Howard!

Do any of you guys use the brownells fixture (I believe Weigand makes it)? Is it worth the extra money? I think I like the cheaper solution better, but I'm not 100%.

The weigand fixture is pretty cool, after it's set up you can do the cuts pretty quickly. You can take the barrel out after a cut and set it back up without loss of zero.

Probably cuts straighter than doing it by hand however much it matters.

[HSMITH]

IMO the barrel block sucks, I have one and don't use it. I use a fixture I made and do all of the hood cuts by hand. I get the fit I want by hand, IMO it is better than a machine fit. The Weigand looks nice, if I didn't have a fixture and wanted to cut in a machine I would probably try it.

[CSEMARTIN]

The lug cutter won't even be close to big enough for a .200" slide stop pin

I noticed the cutters that come with the kit are 0.186" and 0.195". I was planning to start with the bigger cutter, but now I'm wondering if I should make my first cut with the smaller cutter, move up to the bigger cutter and do the final fitting by hand?

Howard, I was thinking the barrel block would work well for cutting the hood and sides because I could mount the barrel and block in my vise after I had everything indicated. The Weigand fixture would work great, but getting it mounted parallel on my table could prove to be a real pain in the a$$. And I'm having a hard time visualizing how I could cut the hood without getting my end mill into the fixture?

[Matt Cheely]

I should make my first cut with the smaller cutter, move up to the bigger cutter and do the final fitting by hand?

Do that.

I fit by hand with a file.

[CSEMARTIN]

I fit by hand with a file.

Do you know of anyone that sells a .200" round file? Brownells sells a 3/16" and a 7/32".

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/Pro...e=ROUND%20FILES

[Matt Cheely]

I use the 3/16" file.

[CSEMARTIN]

I use the 3/16" file.

Thanks Matt!

I just finished watching the Gene Shuey DVD on barrel fitting for about the fifth or sixth time. I'm pretty confident it will go well. He uses the Weigand barrel fitting fixture, and I'm thinking about picking one up. Since I have a mill now, I just have to use it.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: The EGW fixture works fine in the mill then use a file for final fitting. The barrel lockup means more than slide to frame fitting I think. Take your time fitting the barrel and you will have a very accurate pistol if the quality of the barrel is good. Make sure you have good barrel lockup and the hood fits well. I also hope you have a Schuemann or KKM barrel since they don't take much to fit them correctly. A Bar-Sto barrel will take you a while to fit. Good luck with your project and take your time and all will work out fine. Thanks, Eric

[colbyjack]

man i wish i could get my caspain going, thats not fair chris... -chris

[jjanglin]

Do you have Jerry Kuhnhausen's books?; good referance material they are!

Also Also Wil Schuemann's web site has a good barrel fitting guide.

If ya can find a military 45 Army or Marine manual they also have some good points in it.

Im a firm believer in getting the barrel up in the lugs good enough that a fireing pin of the proper

size will drop in and out with of a sized piece of brass with the primer out in the barrel with

firm presssure holding the barrel up in the lugs.

While you have the barrel held up on the lugs with just thumb pressure take hold the bottom

lug and try to rock the barrel back and forth if it will rock easy it will raise on one side

going into battery and wear the hood and loose accuracy eventually.Even if you watch

the hood as the barrel goes up into battery and looks to your eye that it comes up straight

when the gun is fired if the barrel doesnt set up in the lugs good it will rock and raise.

This is why in some cases guns loosen up sooner than ya want.

blacken the upper lugs and rock the barrel polish slightly the rubs with a lug file

till it sets in place pretty firm.

I do this before I finish the bottom lugs, use the small cutter first, then do what I said above

use a round piece of brass to act in place of slide stop before final fitting of the lugs doing this

will let you have enough material to get the barrel up in straight.Afor finishing the bottom lugs.

go slow!!!

Jim/Pa

Sailors

[CSEMARTIN]

I'm having trouble fitting my barrel. I have the hood cut, and it seems to fit really nice. But I am not happy with the vertical engagement. It's catching somewhere, and I can't figure it out.

I've coated everything with Dykem blue and tapped everything lightly with a hammer. I just can't figure out where it's rubbing.

Any ideas?

[Matt Cheely]

Springing the barrel in the bushing?

Welcome to the art of barrel fitting.....

[Powder Finger]

Also since the barrel tilts the bottom of the hood(if cut square) gets closer to the breach face as the barrel goes up.

[CSEMARTIN]

Springing the barrel in the bushing?

Welcome to the art of barrel fitting.....

Matt,

I'm not really sure what was going on. I thought the hood was rubbing the breechface so I kept filing. Next thing I know, I can fit my thumb nail between the two.

I decided to switch barrels and restarted with a Nowlin barrel I won at a match. This time, I went a lot slower and used my dial calipers, modeling clay and dykem blue/red a lot more. It took twice as long, but the results are very satisfying.

Also, I'd like to say thanks to Joe for the help on the phone earlier. You were right. There was a rough spot on the lugs in the slide. It was just enough to catch. I took it down and no more problems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJje87lnE4w

[CSEMARTIN]

I found this link and thought it was worth posting here:

http://www.blindhogg.com/gunsmith/barrel.html

I think he does a pretty good job of explaining everything.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: You could also learn from a gunsmith. Thanks Benny for the schooling on how to fit a barrel properly Thanks, Eric

[CSEMARTIN]

I'm learning from several gunsmiths:

Joe Licht

Matt Cheely

Howard Smith

Gene Shuey

Wilson Combat

Blindhogg.com

Jim Anglin

Jerry kuhnhausen

Bill Laughridge

and a few I probably forgot to mention.

Edited February 28, 2009 by CSEMARTIN

[Joe D]

I always use the .195" cutter.