Lee Watne Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 I saw a short article in a national publication discouraging the use of stailess steel for custom built frames and slides on 1911 type pistols due to the tendency of this steel to gall. Any comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Hard chrome it or some other coating or use a dissimilar metal for either the slide or the frame. Can gall em up really easy when doing the frame to slide fit if you are not careful... I don't like stainless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Watne Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 Is it possible for galling to occur while shooting an all stainless 1911 or does the problem go away once built? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan550 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Get Accu-Rails put in and it eliminates the problem, making the gun a tight fit to boot! That's how we build our AP pistols. Alan~^~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I'm not sure. The problems I have seen is during slide fitting. But.... A tight fit and insufficient lubrication with heat very well might do the trick on a gun being fired.. Just my guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 That used to be more of a problem until the companies started using 2 different types of stainless....different enough to get away from the problem. The Auto Mag was famous for that problem. Back then a special lube was recommended. Maybe someone with a background in metals can help out. FWIW Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I remember the original stainless guns autos came with instructions to use some sort of vegetable-based lube! I have owned several stainless 1911s from different manufacturers (including Colt, Kimber, and Springfield) that have never galled, and I really thought the galling issue with stainless 1911s was a thing of the past. That was right up until I recently traded for a NIB Springfield 9mm Loaded Target, which almost immediately galled up so bad you could barely get the slide to move. But Springfield was great about handling the repair, they emailed me a Fedex label to print off for the return, and promptly fixed and returned the gun with a note that said the rails needed refitting. Whatever they did to it, it felt fine, and now I've shot the pistol in 4 or 5 five steel matches with no problems whatsoever. The more I shoot it, the slicker it gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecichlid Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 It be some bad juju. One of my shooting buddies had an STI built with a stainless slide and stainless frame. He is the proud owner of the only single shot bolt action Open gun I have ever seen. Joe W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt2ace Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) Is it possible for galling to occur while shooting an all stainless 1911 or does the problem go away once built? Yes.....I watched it happen at a match last year to a friend shooting an all stainless 9mm Springfield. The slide just stopped cycling due to galling. After refitting and plating the slide, the problem never occured again. Edited May 6, 2009 by matt2ace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 My limited gun has a stainless SV frame, Caspian stainless slide and stainless barrel. The gun has about 7,000 though it and there are no signs of galling. Keep it cleaned and oiled and it will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lneel Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I have 4, or 5, (I forget) Stainless SV's with one having >25k rounds through it, no galling. The primary reason, they are dripping with lube. Stainless does have a tendency to gall due to too tight a fit OR lack of lubrication. I had one previously built by a local smith and it was a little tight and I put a little too little lube and bam...just started to gall after just 100 rounds or so.....now my biggest problem is lube splatter on my glasses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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