1911 recoil spring plug
- Thread starter mpthole
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1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Busted Plug
DAAAAaaaayuuuummm!
Any sign of the end of the plug hittin' the spring or the end of the guide?
Please don't tell me it's the Dan Wesson again...I couldn't take it....Really....
DAAAAaaaayuuuummm!
Any sign of the end of the plug hittin' the spring or the end of the guide?
Please don't tell me it's the Dan Wesson again...I couldn't take it....Really....
Johnny - I'll give the guide rod a close inspection. I bought both a plug and guide rod from Brownells, so I could replace both if necessary.
This is that Rock Island... one of the last original parts.
Not like anyone is keeping score... but just for the curious: This gun has ~ 3.5k rounds through it since this spring. In that time the ejector sheared off completely, the extractor went south and now this with the spring plug. Most everything else has already been replaced. Not because it broke, I just wanted them replaced. The original parts left on the gun after this will be the frame, slide, sights, barrel, barrel link (but not the link pin), magazine catch, mainspring housing (though not for long because I'm putting in an old Colt flat and smooth one) and disconnect.
This is that Rock Island... one of the last original parts.
Not like anyone is keeping score... but just for the curious: This gun has ~ 3.5k rounds through it since this spring. In that time the ejector sheared off completely, the extractor went south and now this with the spring plug. Most everything else has already been replaced. Not because it broke, I just wanted them replaced. The original parts left on the gun after this will be the frame, slide, sights, barrel, barrel link (but not the link pin), magazine catch, mainspring housing (though not for long because I'm putting in an old Colt flat and smooth one) and disconnect.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Clarification
Hey Mark,
I was in a rush...let me clarify:
Check for contact at the face of the guide rod head. Check for contact on the OD of the spring. Check the front of the guide rod for signs of spring contact. If the spring is kinked, it's hittin' the end of the rod hard.
Check slide travel with the plug in the gun and out of the gun...like a coil-bind check. You can do it with the bushing only holding the plug.
Standin' by...
Hey Mark,
I was in a rush...let me clarify:
Check for contact at the face of the guide rod head. Check for contact on the OD of the spring. Check the front of the guide rod for signs of spring contact. If the spring is kinked, it's hittin' the end of the rod hard.
Check slide travel with the plug in the gun and out of the gun...like a coil-bind check. You can do it with the bushing only holding the plug.
Standin' by...
Dave Sample
member
"Cheap is Expensive": Eagle's Law. I would say you need a new recoil spring plug. If I were replacing it, I would install a CMC recoil spring guide and plug and shoot it some more. "All parts fail. Some fail sooner than others." The CP shok-buff would be an option , too. Good Luck!
Thanks Tuner for the check list. Here's what I found.
No signs of OD spring contact.
No spring kink.
Last night I installed the new plug and a new recoil spring. I checked for coil-bind with the new spring and had to clip off about 1/2 of a coil. The new spring was probably an inch longer than the one I just took out and feels quite a bit more stout in the gun when hand cycling.
I'll take it out this weekend and give it a whirl.
Dave - Those are some of the more helpful comments I think you've posted. Thank you. I'll keep those parts in mind for the future.
No signs of contact on the face of the guide rod head. But, could these to parts even make contact? It seems like the plug would be stopped by the lip and the back of the channel it rides in and the length of the guide rod is too long for plug to make contact with the face of the guide rod... or am I reading this wrong?
No signs of OD spring contact.
No spring kink.
Slide travel is good. No problems there either.
Last night I installed the new plug and a new recoil spring. I checked for coil-bind with the new spring and had to clip off about 1/2 of a coil. The new spring was probably an inch longer than the one I just took out and feels quite a bit more stout in the gun when hand cycling.
I'll take it out this weekend and give it a whirl.
Dave - Those are some of the more helpful comments I think you've posted.
Thank you. I'll keep those parts in mind for the future.1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Contact?
Howdy Mark,
You asked:
No signs of contact on the face of the guide rod head. But, could these to parts even make contact? It seems like the plug would be stopped by the lip and the back of the channel it rides in and the length of the guide rod is too long for plug to make contact with the face of the guide rod... or am I reading this wrong?
___________________
As long as everything is in-spec and as it should be, but I've occasionally found a few slides that didn't have the lip...and the plug tunnel was bored through. Just coverin' all bases. In these cases...if the plug happens to be a little long...and the guide rod head a little thicker than spec...and the spring tunnel set a little further forward than it should be...you can have contact.
Many things to be wary of these days it seems.
Dave is gettin' into the spirit of The High Road these days.
Howdy Mark,
You asked:
No signs of contact on the face of the guide rod head. But, could these to parts even make contact? It seems like the plug would be stopped by the lip and the back of the channel it rides in and the length of the guide rod is too long for plug to make contact with the face of the guide rod... or am I reading this wrong?
___________________
As long as everything is in-spec and as it should be, but I've occasionally found a few slides that didn't have the lip...and the plug tunnel was bored through. Just coverin' all bases. In these cases...if the plug happens to be a little long...and the guide rod head a little thicker than spec...and the spring tunnel set a little further forward than it should be...you can have contact.
Many things to be wary of these days it seems.
Dave is gettin' into the spirit of The High Road these days.
I notice what appears to be a burnished or rubbed area at the back of the plug going around its circumference. Something is rubbing where it shouldn’t be.
I suppose this could come from pushing in the plug to turn the bushing during take-down, but I doubt it.
I suppose this could come from pushing in the plug to turn the bushing during take-down, but I doubt it.
Well, this piece has been taken down and put back together countless times... but I think you're right it does seem excessive for just takedown wear.
I think I'll run my new plug for a couple hundred rounds and inpsect it for wear marks. Maybe post some pictures if I find anything significant.
Could it be that the back of the plug channel is a little too narrow? When the plug is installed without the recoil spring and then pushed back against the lip, it will stick enough to require a solid tab to get it out again. I didn't think it would ever get pushed back that far though under normal operation...?
Time will tell.
I think I'll run my new plug for a couple hundred rounds and inpsect it for wear marks. Maybe post some pictures if I find anything significant.
Could it be that the back of the plug channel is a little too narrow? When the plug is installed without the recoil spring and then pushed back against the lip, it will stick enough to require a solid tab to get it out again. I didn't think it would ever get pushed back that far though under normal operation...?
Time will tell.
Dave Sample
member
I am only familiar with the old Colt slides that had a lip that stopped the recoil spring plug from going back in the slide. Some of the newer clones do not have this lip so I cannot say if this could be a factor. Try the new plug in the slide and see how far back it goes without the spring in it and make sure it has enough clearance to go below the bushing without binding. We used to file this lip out of slides for reverse plugs with a big old ratail file that Tumer would love! Later, they came out with a reamer for that. If the plug seems to long, you could file it a lttle on the back side by rubbing it on a big flat bastard file.
Newer Colt Slide with lip inside and to the back.
Newer Colt Slide with lip inside and to the back.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Files!
Nawww...I like reamers. I don't use bastard rat-tail files except to use on rat bas...uhhhnevermiiiiiind!
Nawww...I like reamers. I don't use bastard rat-tail files except to use on rat bas...uhhhnevermiiiiiind!
Dave Sample
member
Reverse plugs were pretty new then, Tuner. You just really don't know what you were missin'.
Newer style Caspian Slide with standard recoil spring guide modified per Bounty Hunter.
Newer style Caspian Slide with standard recoil spring guide modified per Bounty Hunter.
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