1911 Guys...are you concerned about slide rattle?

[orangeninja]

I put a Blued 1911 Milspec on layaway, but was a little concerned about the slide having a little side to side play. It rattles a little but was informed by the dealer that this is typical of used 1911's. I really like the looks of the gun because it is blue, not parkerized like most 1911's now. What do you guys think, will rattle affect the shooting?

 

[Black_Talon]

I'm not concerned at all, assuming the barrel is fit correctly to the slide and bushing. That has a whole lot more to do with the accuracy than the slide-to-frame fit.

Over the years I've shot some pretty loosey-goosey 1911's that shoot real well just because the barrel is fit correctly to the slide. It's actually kind of fun to have a gun setup like this because the guys that know a little bit about 1911's will take one look at the rattly frame/slide fit and swear the gun won't hit the side of a barn, yet the gun actually shoots quite well.

 

[Technosavant]

I would always see how it shoots before worrying too much. If it is all over the place, you can see how the maker will deal with it. I am assuming it is a Springfield Armory (from the name "MilSpec"), and they are very easy to deal with.

 

[tc300mag1]

naw i dont worry about it

 

[HSMITH]

Well, I am concerned about it if I am looking for a bullseye gun. If I am looking for a decent shooter that is reliable for range and carry a little looseness in the slide isn't a big deal, but they can be loose enough to compromise reliabilty. In my experience they have to be awfully sloppy to be a problem, and some that are pretty darn loose still shoot decent.

I guess it depends on what I am looking for whether it is a problem or not, for what I would use a mil-spec for a little looseness wouldn't bother me.

 

[bakert]

I read an article by one of the big name custom makers a few years ago saying the the most important thing for accuracy in a 1911 was the barrel to slide lock up. Makes sense to me.

 

[orangeninja]

Thanks guys. I'll shoot it first.