Ok, now that I have everyone's attention, LOL. I have a story for everyone that was just told to me by my good friend, we will call him Bill. Bill was out at the range one day and was carrying his 1911. He decided to go home and bake an apple pie...don't know why a pie but that's what he told me. He started making his pie and discovered he was out of an ingredient. I guess it was hot out during the Summer and he didn't want to carry his pistol but was too lazy to put it in the safe before he left for the store. Bill decided to hide the gun somewhere in his apartment... He then goes to the store picks up baking soda or whatever he needed and returned to making his pie. Bill decides to pre-heat the oven while he is finishing up his pie. POP...is what he heard and he soon remembered where he had hidden his Kimber 1911 Gold Match Pistol...yup, he hid that pistol in his now pre-heated 400 degree oven. The round in the chamber has now cooked off and as he reached for the oven door he did the only smart thing he could...HE left it shut Long story short, the other 7 rounds cooked off in the oven, destroying it but thank GOD no one was hurt. This was during the day and most of the other renters in this apartment complex were at work so he immediately went out, purchased a new oven and replaced the shot up one.

I may have told this story before but I don't think I have. It took my buddy 10+ years to tell me or anyone this story. Why I bring this up now is that we were talking about it and I asked when he purchased his NEW 1911 to replace the old one? He told me he went out that day and bought a brand new one because him and I were going to the range the next day and he didn't want me asking where his new 1911 was. Not only did he replace the oven that day but he also replaced his month old pistol< LOL. I was dying and almost choked on my cigar. I asked if I could post the story and pictures for you guys and he agreed.

The reason I posted here was he was wondering if there was a way to fix his pistol. The frame had swelled due to obvious reasons and jammed the slide onto the frame. He was wondering if he could put the pistol in a press and relieve the pressure? I told him this probably was a no go but I would ask the professionals on ARFCOM. Here are the pics!


Untitled by chevellecarcass, on Flickr

Untitled by chevellecarcass, on Flickr

Untitled by chevellecarcass, on Flickr

Untitled by chevellecarcass, on Flickr

billdo

You; err, I mean 'Bill', will have to get a new frame and move the parts over to it (IF none of the other parts are damaged).

That is what I figured, the slide also has some damage from the swelling. No it wasn't me, I wish I owned a Kimber, Charles Daly for me, lol.

I have no wisdom, but thanks for sharing!

Looks like the slide and barrel can be salvaged.  Brownells sells blocks for adjusting the slide rails.
 

I must be missing where the frame is swelled/twisted.  I'm just not seeing it.

If I had that pistol I'd be straightening the frame, replacing all the springs and the grips and be shooting it.  I'd watch for wear on the frame rails just to make sure it wasn't wearing unevenly, but I'd be shooting it.

So would you use a press and some heat to bring the frame back? Right now the slide will not come off, the frame has it spread tight.

The barrel is what "takes" the pressure on firing.  If the barrel is okay the other parts should be "safe" to use.

I've personally "baked" a rifle (FAL) at 550 F for 30 minutes to heat set/treat a ceramic finish on it.  The rifle has had hundreds of rounds fired through it since then with no issues (its really pretty/nice looking now vs. prior to refinishing with the ceramic paint).  If 550 F didn't hurt a .308 chamber I can't see 400 F hurting a .45 acp chamber.  But I'm not an expert.

Are you sure the slide is hung up due to frame warpage?  

If it were mine I'd soak it in some oil for a few days.  If the slide still won't move I get a rubber mallet or soft faced mallet (polyester/urethane heads) and try to tap the slide to the rear with the frame clamped in a padded vise.  If the frame is warmped the slide should still move back (with help from the mallet/hammer) and you should be able to stop it where it lines up with the slide stop.  If the spring pops the slide back forward then its not hanging up on the frame right now.

If you can get the slide back enough to get the slide stop out then tap the slide forward with the hammer/mallet till you get it off.

I'd take all the parts out of the frame (new springs need to be installed anyway) and then just use the vise, or a press, to try to slightly, a little at a time, "unswell" the frame/rails.  I wouldn't use any heat on it.  There's really no in/out stress on a frame anyway.  You just need the rails straight enough for the slide to move and straight enough that any wear is even along the length of the rails on the frame and slide.

it would be a fun/interesting project to tinker with.

I used to dry my Ruger speed six in the oven after fisihing trips because it almost always got submerged for some period of time while wading the river small mouth bass fishing.  I never used temperatures over 200 F and it was only in there long enough for me to take a shower before work.  I'd unload it, take it apart (Speed Sixes come apart very quickly/easily - its a modular design), put it on a cookie pan and "dry it out".  When I got out of the shower I'd pull it out of the over to cool while I got dressed.  Then I'd wipe it down, lube it up and put it back together before loading it up and dropping it in my pocket to walk to work.

Good memories, good days.

Good luck with your "little project".

I thought I uploaded all the pics but here are a couple more.
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Bill had his first kitchen pop

Good post count bump, pretty weak...LOL. Welcome to the board

It should be fixable, 400 deg is about annealing temp so it should be no damage to the steel

That's obviously a warranty issue.  Oh sorry, been hanging around my customers too much.
Bigass vice would help, I'm thinking...  Or list it on Armslist as "mint condition" since that's what everyone else does.

Wow, I got nothing, but thanks for the story and pics.  Please keep us updated.

Told my buddy to go for it with a vise...we shall see what happens.

Your friend must've been "baked"

This image:



Looks like the swelling is right about the middle of the grip, and that is pulling rails of the frame inboard at the top.

I'd soak the rails with oil for a couple of days, put it in a padded vise, and try and compress the middle of the grip in the hopes that it loosened the tension up enough to allow the slide to come off.

For all intents and purposes the gun is toast to the owner anyway....nothing to lose.

I put him in contact with a custom 1911 smith but my buddy has been so busy he hasn't had the time to call him. I hope he follows through so I can update this thread.

Yeah, I'd squeeze it real easy in a vise and whack the ass end of the slide with a rubber mallet. At this point you're not going to worry too much about hurting it anymore.

[chuckle]

 

Yeah Toast....

Big vicem,ight do it, but a hydraulic press would be safer.

Use some 1-2-3 or 2-4-6 blocks to spread force around ad squeeze.

It might take a couple tries since it is likely to spring back a little after the pressure comes off.

Heating will help, but can result in warping in other places.

I would try repeated squeezes before any heat.

I dial indicator will let you see how much you are actually moving the frame.



ETA:

You may need to use some shims between the blocks and the highest spot to get it down flat.

it is a slow ad touchy thing.

try a flat squeeze and see if you can move it.
Squeeze to flat, then release pressure.

If it springs back, put a few thousandths of shims on the high spot, squeeze to same level as before.
Having a pressure gauge on the ram is useful here.


You need to get past the plastic deformation region to make the change become permanent.
Flattening it and heating the area remains  alternatives.

Well he has all the right tools, blocks, indicators etc, so that shouldn't be a problem. I think he is going to wait until he talks to that smith. He has been waiting for a long time now so I don't think he is in much of a hurry, lol. Damn thing just sits in a box in his shop, like a piece of scrap

We've seen guys ressurect 1911s in worse shape. I'd put it back in my sock drawer.


dc.

My buddy is still dragging his feet with this pistol, its been sitting so long he doesn't seem to have much interest.

It is going to be a trial and error PITA to flatten.

Might be a nice project on a winter day.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/21/17045722-woman-shot-by-oven-while-trying-to-cook-waffles?lite

Wow, what kind of pie was it?

A caspian or fusion frame will probably be much cheaper in the long run.  However if you want to tackle it as a project I can respect that.  I'm not sure what parts I would trust after being heated then blown up.

Offer him $87 for it.   See what you can do with it.

I was thinking $86...

Note to self:  NEVER put a loaded firearm inside a household appliance

I can't add anything OP, but thanks for posting.  Hopefully someone will learn from your buddy's mistake

Still haven't gotten off his ass and done anything with this pistol!

You know, I can't tell you how many times I've seen or heard about this happening and it still boggles my mind. I mean it's like keeping your pet hamster in the garbage disposal then being surprised when Snuggles gets turned into red tinged waste water. I mean if you wanted to put a gun into an appliance why pick the ONE thing that can destroy it? Why not the freezer or fridge or dishwasher or even the high shelf the glasses you never use go on?

Wait a second.  Loaded 1911, cocked & locked, heated to 400 degrees.  Hears a pop.  That was a round in the magazine, not the round in the chamber - the round in the chamber was insulated more than the rounds in the magazine.  Rounds in magazine continue to cook off harmlessly, then the round in the chamber finally cooked off, putting a hole in the back of the oven.

So what happens to a 1911 safety when a round is fired while the safety is on?

Can the slide be shot loose?  Slide bbl back, chamber round, push bbl back into battery, tilt pistol until bbl lock lines up & push in slide stop?

I'm a little worried that "Bill" even owns guns. Not trying to be a douchebag but come on, the oven, really..............I live in an apartment, I don't want "Bill" as my neighbor.

Anyway, good for parts (maybe), but that's about it.