1911 Barrel fit to slide for evaluation slide and Nowlin barrel.

[Thisisyourcaptin]

This is a long slide I have been working on when I have the time. Its been since Sep since I last worked on it. I am having an issue with the firing pen hole location and barrel location on between the two. The firing pen hole is a 9mm style. I have fit the barrel hood of the 6 inch Nowlin with little to no issue.
https://www.brownells.com/handgun-pa...?sku=654601145

The barrel bushing as well. The barrel bushing is from EGW https://www.brownells.com/handgun-pa...?sku=296000085

. The issue is that I can not get the gauge for centering the firing pen hole to center in the chamber. As you can see with the pics below it is low by just a couple thousands or so. I have taken down the inside of the barrel bushings upper rear portion of the hood and lower front as I have a little barrel springing. This seems to have released some of the tension. How ever the barrel hood will not move any higher and the firming pen hole is still not lined up.

I have not ground down the barrel upper lugs due to Nowlin saying they do not need it. Lock up seems to be maxed out as it is. I seems that the only way to get the barrel to move up that extra thousands or so needed is to take down the upper lugs of the barrel. You can see from the picture that with the upper lugs blued they have very little play and what seems to be max contact, I assume as there is not a major mark to be found on them showing a high spot.

Its hard to see in the pics but one is of the breech face firing pen hole with the alignment gauge installed, the other with out it installed. You can see the slight mark it leaves just shy of the firing pen hole.

I really want to build this 100% correct. I feel right now that it would work and and run just fine, but my firing pen strikes are going to be off centered and we all know what that can lead to or cause.

In the past I have used Barstow barrels and never had this issue. How ever I had to a bit of fiddling with the upper lugs but also they where 5 inch barrels.

Suggestions?

Nate

 

[BBBBill]

You are worrying about nothing. The vast majority of all 1911 barrels have off center firing pin strikes, including match fit barrels. As long as it is not too far off center you will see zero negative effect. Ensure that your barrel lockup is .042-.045" as measured at the top front of the ejection port. Were it mine I would ream the firing pin hole to spec for a 45 pin and move on. What's up with the thinning of the top rear of the bushing skirt?

 

[Thisisyourcaptin]

You are worrying about nothing. The vast majority of all 1911 barrels have off center firing pin strikes, including match fit barrels. As long as it is not too far off center you will see zero negative effect. Ensure that your barrel lockup is .042-.045" as measured at the top front of the ejection port. Were it mine I would ream the firing pin hole to spec for a 45 pin and move on. What's up with the thinning of the top rear of the bushing skirt?

the barrel was binding on the both the back and front where I ground it down. To the point where it was impossible to turn the bushing while the barrel was in lock up. It now moves freer now.

 

[Jim Watson]

Why do you want to turn the bushing while the barrel is locked up?
I always get the barrel out of lockup to turn the bushing without wringing the fit. Or breaking S70 collet fingers.

 

[Thisisyourcaptin]

Why do you want to turn the bushing while the barrel is locked up?
I always get the barrel out of lockup to turn the bushing without wringing the fit. Or breaking S70 collet fingers.

Not sure why or how it did it. But read above post. I don’t want to be able to turn for any reason other than it was an indication that the barrel its self was binding in those areas while trying to go into lock up. This made going into lock up a bit easier is all. No binding of the rear of the bushing on the top of the barrel now.

 

[BBBBill]

I really want to build this 100% correct.

It appears that you are operating on too little knowledge. You need to pause and learn more about what you are trying to do. "Grinding" is not the appropriate method for fitting a bushing. Reaming or turning on a lathe is. Barrel locking lugs may need to be fit regardless of manufacturer's claims. Dimensional variations abound in the 1911 world as so many of the different manufacturers develop their own idea of what is correct spec and even then they don't always follow their own specs.

This is a great forum, but I suggest that, for this project, you go over to the 1911 Forum where the bulk of what you need can be found among the knowledgeable membership, which includes several of the top smiths specializing in this subject.