muzzle and slide looseness

[dashootist]

Hi
(1) If the fit between the muzzle end of the barrel and the slide is loose, does that mean the gun will never be able to shoot tight groups?

(2) How much discount should I get, if the serial number on the slide doesn't match the one on the frame?

Trying to pick out a Browning 1922 from several in the local gunshop.

 

[CWL]

I would rather own a pistol with some looseness/slop over one that had mis-matched serial numbers.

What caliber are you looking at, .32 or .380? How tight of a grouping are you looking for?

 

[dashootist]

The 1922's are .32acp caliber. I know these are mil pistol. So I don't expect 2" group from 25 yards like my revolvers. But I hope it's a lot better than my Keltec 32, which is awful. Just awful. I know the Keltec is meant to be a "belly gun," but I am really put off by the terrible accuracy. So much so that using it at more than card table distance in self defense would be probably deemed reckless. So if the 1922's can shoot, say, 4" groups from 25 yards, I'll be very happy.

 

[rcmodel]

The Browning 1922 is a hard gun to shoot for some people.

The grip safety operates off a double lief spring that is also the sear spring.
And it is stiff like a spring off a jeep.
It also works backward (pivits from the bottom, not the top) from a grip safety on a 1911 or something.

So depending on thier hand, some folks have problems depressing the 1922 grip safety hard enough to fully release it. If you don't compress it fully, the gun can be fired, but the trigger pull goes up.
And when you do compress it fully, the trigger pull also goes way up because of the heavy GS spring also compressing the sear spring.

That, and a mismatched parts gun would have me looking for a Colt 1908.

You can shoot the buggers off a gnats nose with one of them!

rc

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Doesn't that gun have a fixed barrel? If the barrel doesn't move, clearance between the slide and barrel would seem rather irrelevant.

 

[rcmodel]

Well it does have a fixed barrel.

But the sights are attached to the slide.

SO, if the slide is loose on the barrel, they may or may not return to the same place every time in relation to the barrel.

rc

 

[dashootist]

No. The barrel is free. It looks a lot like a 1911, but it doesn't have the little thingy that hangs off the bottom of the 1911 barrels.

I bought one today: a 1922. Gunshop said it's a "West German police" gun. All serial #'s match. The slide/barrel is not too loose.

I field stripped it and cleaned it. Everything looks good. Haven't fired it yet. This gun is small, perfect for my small hand and stubby fingers. I see what you mean about the grip safety. I wonder if I can glue apiece of foam to it, to make it depress easier. This is a recreational piece. No problem.

The 1903 is out of my price range. And I like the longer barrel of the 1922 better.

 

[rcmodel]

No. The barrel is free.

Only in the sense you can turn it to dissemble the gun.

The barrel does not drop down to unlock from the slide like a 1911.

It is a straight blow-back design, and the barrel is not locked to the slide.
It stays locked to the frame, except during dissembly.

rc