entropic Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) So my barrel and slide are both STI. I think I have a good barrel hood length since my breech face seems to have a solid, flat lock all around. My problem is that my locking lugs barely click into place and as you can see by the picture of the slide stop hole below, the barrel will not go up far enough. When I do the flash hole 'trick' for checking firing pin clearance, I only get a little sliver of light from the top of the flash hole. When I tried to take some of the metal off the barrel lugs, it did absolutely nothing...so I'm scared to take any more off and possibly wreck my barrel. I can't think of where to go from here. And if it is just a matter of taking off more from the lugs, I'm not sure where to start taking it off from. Any advice? Thanks very much for any pointers. Dave Edited October 2, 2009 by entropic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooterbenedetto Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) AGI DVD video on how to build a racegun will explain a lot. you will need to cut the barrel feet and select the proper size link for it. Edited October 2, 2009 by shooterbenedetto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entropic Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 I've been using the wilson DVDs for a 1911. They're helpful, but more so for a classic 1911. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entropic Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 If anyone has the AGI DVDs, I'd be happy to throw 1k of 9mm brass your way to let me borrow them, or for a copy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ong45 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Take a red marking pen and mark up the locking lugs and the sides of the barrel. Insert in slide and softly tap with a mallet. This should at least point you in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 can hardly wait for merlin to chime in on this one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooterbenedetto Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 +1 what ONG45 said, mark it with marker, then tap with a mallet and file. Are you sure the barrel hood has the proper cut? Did you use the barrel hood measurement tool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) As others have said, get your favorite color of magic marker and coat all sides of that barrel. Put it in place and attempt to tap the barrel into lock-up. Carefully remove the barrel and look where the ink has been rubbed off. When you find what is blocking, remove a little metal and repeat. By the look of things your hood may still be too long as you seem to have almost NO engagement on the upper lugs. Once you achieve good engagement, the lower lugs will have to be cut. You are attempting a pretty advanced procedure that will have a material imapct on the reliability and accuracy of that gun. Unless you are doing this simply for the knowledge, you would benefit from watching a pro do it once or twice before attempting something like this yourself. Good luck and have fun! Edited October 2, 2009 by L9X25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ong45 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 By the look of things your hood may still be too long as you seem to have almost NO engagement on the upper lugs. Once you achieve good engagement, the lower lugs will have to be cut. egw makes a handy dandy hood length gauge , i highly recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) The top of the barrel up close to the muzzle is bottoming against the top inside of the slide...this keeps the barrel from engaging the locking lugs I have seen this before...it drove me nuts, and a pro gunsmith friend found it for me. Pretty sure this may be your problem...if you use dicum or marker on the top of the barrel ...you should be able to see it Best luck Jim PS when I blow up the pics...it looks like you may have cut the hood too much Make sure the head space is correct when you solve the other problem Jim Edited October 2, 2009 by GentlemanJim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Also make sure you have some clearence around the hood, you should see a very narrow band of light around it. Check what Jim mentioned, I've seen that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 As others have said, get your favorite color of magic marker and coat all sides of that barrel. Put it in place and attempt to tap the barrel into lock-up. Carefully remove the barrel and look where the ink has been rubbed off. When you find what is blocking, remove a little metal and repeat. By the look of things your hood may still be too long as you seem to have almost NO engagement on the upper lugs. Once you achieve good engagement, the lower lugs will have to be cut. You are attempting a pretty advanced procedure that will have a material imapct on the reliability and accuracy of that gun. Unless you are doing this simply for the knowledge, you would benefit from watching a pro do it once or twice before attempting something like this yourself. Good luck and have fun! Lots of good advise but this (IMO) is probably the best of all.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entropic Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 The marker tip sounds like it might save me from buying a new barrel. Thanks. I'm pretty sure the hood is short enough, as a sliver of the rearmost lug is visible through the front of the ejection port while the barrel is in its most locked position...slightly more of a sliver than the other 1911s I'm using as reference. The barrel slides into the muzzle backwards and doesn't seem to get hung up anywhere, but I'll check if muzzle clearances are an issue. Could the hood width be an issue? I'm noticing wear marks on the sides of the hood. I don't have the tool you are talking about. Thanks again, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 The marker tip sounds like it might save me from buying a new barrel. Thanks.I'm pretty sure the hood is short enough, as a sliver of the rearmost lug is visible through the front of the ejection port while the barrel is in its most locked position...slightly more of a sliver than the other 1911s I'm using as reference. The barrel slides into the muzzle backwards and doesn't seem to get hung up anywhere, but I'll check if muzzle clearances are an issue. Could the hood width be an issue? I'm noticing wear marks on the sides of the hood. I don't have the tool you are talking about. Thanks again, Dave I mentioned clearance on the hood, not just the rear face, but sides included. The area the Jim mentioned is not the barrel diameter itself, but in front of where the barrel tapers down on top, approximately 1 inch from the muzzle. If that is too far back, the top of the barrel contacts the inside of the slide and doesn't allow the barrel to move up properly to engage the lugs. As I also said, I've seen that issue also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooterbenedetto Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) The marker tip sounds like it might save me from buying a new barrel. Thanks.I'm pretty sure the hood is short enough, as a sliver of the rearmost lug is visible through the front of the ejection port while the barrel is in its most locked position...slightly more of a sliver than the other 1911s I'm using as reference. The barrel slides into the muzzle backwards and doesn't seem to get hung up anywhere, but I'll check if muzzle clearances are an issue. Could the hood width be an issue? I'm noticing wear marks on the sides of the hood. I don't have the tool you are talking about. Thanks again, Dave I mentioned clearance on the hood, not just the rear face, but sides included. The area the Jim mentioned is not the barrel diameter itself, but in front of where the barrel tapers down on top, approximately 1 inch from the muzzle. If that is too far back, the top of the barrel contacts the inside of the slide and doesn't allow the barrel to move up properly to engage the lugs. As I also said, I've seen that issue also. +1 ITS CALLED THE 3 POINT BIND! You must also check for that. Edited October 3, 2009 by shooterbenedetto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 +1 ITS CALLED THE 3 BIND POINT! you must also check for that. You may mean 3 point bind. I've never heard that term though. It's likely a 5" barrel that got contoured for a Commander length slide, and didn't get cut off to 4.25", then slipped through Q.C. I may be showing my age, it's Q.A. now, isn't it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entropic Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) I think I see what you are talking about as far as the barrel profile. I have it above the shinier Schumann in the pictures below. The punch is pointing to the bulge...but there are no wear marks on the top of the barrel except toward the front...see second picture Edited October 2, 2009 by entropic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 That buldge is most likely causing the problem. This was an issue on 3 hybrib barrel I installed and it drove me crazy until I figured it out. I had the same problem that the barrel would not move up into the lugs. Mark that area with a marker or dykem, install and tap the feet with a mallet. More than likley that is the point of interference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entropic Posted October 3, 2009 Author Share Posted October 3, 2009 Yup....it was the bulge. Thanks for the tip...I would've destroyed the barrel otherwise. It's much appreciated. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I think Merlin owes me lunch now Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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