Posted: 9/3/2006 10:07:43 PM EDT
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On an impulse I traded the Mil Spec I fixed up for a new Loaded model. Novak style night sights and ambi safety. Already replaced the factory slide stop with a Wilson Bullet Proof. I put 200 rounds thru it today with no problems at all. At first it was printing horrid groups. I wasn't used to the trigger(bit heavier than my other 1911). After about 100 rounds the groups tightened up and I was able to make a ragged hole at 7 yards. But the stock bushing is not very tight in the slide, it actually turns out by hand. And it isn't very tight around the barrel. I haven't measured the tolerances yet but I figure there's room for a few thounsanths to tighten it up and get even better groups. What say you? |
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If it's shooting nice tight groups after 4 or 500 rounds then leave it alone. I've seen 1911s [and other makes too] cut their groups in half after a nice breaking in and if it is dependable and accurate then tossing on a tight bushing probably won't do to much other then possibly make it less dependable. You can get an oversize one, fit it and give it a shot, but make sure you give it a few good runs at the range before you trust it again. Remember, it's not how tight a 1911 is, it's how the gun locks up into battery. If it does it the same way time after time it's going to be accurate. BTW, most of my 1911 bushings turn in the slide. SOme a bit hard some a bit loose. Big deal, thats what the recoil spring plug sticks out there for. [In your case you probably have a one or two piece recoil spring rod, same thing applies] |
| According to the Khunhausen book on .45's Ideally you want .001 tolerance between the bbl and bushing, and .001 between the bushing and slide, provided the rear of the barrel is fit right and locking up correctly a tighter bushing should help alot. I put a EGW angle cut bushing in my Kimber, (which had .006 slop in the factory bushing) and it really, really, improved the accuracy I would get the calipers out and do some measuring.. O.D. of the barrel I.D. of the bushing, O.D. of the bushing, and I.D. of the slide where the bushing goes in. do a little math to get your .001 tolerance for barrel to bushing, and bushing to slide fit and look in the brownell's catalog EGW, will cut you one if they don't have one that will fit listed on their site.(www.egw-guns.com) this will cost about $25 but well worth it.It's not too hard to fit one either, it just takes a little time and some fine emory cloth, go slow, check often, the results will be worth it. |
I have .004" difference between the barrel OD and the bushing ID. There is .003" between the bushing OD and the slide ID for a total of .007" |
| I switched out a loose bushing for an oversize EGW angle cut bushing and my groups shrank. It was fairly easy to fit the bushing to the barrel but a bit more difficult to fit the bushing to the slide. It took about 1.5 hours to do the fitting and not only does it shoot better now, it looks better too! |
| I'd say that it sounds like you're trying to fix something that isn't broken. Now that it's broken in, it's shooting accurately, right? Once it's working right the only thing you can do by changing things would, at the very best, be to make things just as they are... or more likely, make things worse. |
| Well, I have 2 1911's. A older Kimber Classic Custom Target, and a S.A. mil-spec also a older blocky frame gun, The Kimber has around 5000 rounds through it(with the factory bushing) and the Mil-spec around 1800, with a bushing change at around 1200 rounds. both shot decently. Both had alot of slop in the factory bushings, the Kimber had .006 total and the mil-spec had .007 total . I replaced the Mil-spec with a Ed brown stainless unit, and the Kimber got a EGW bushing the .125 thick one. Total tolerance on both guns is now .002. Both improved considerably, I mean noticeable improvements. In both guns groups shrank by about 1 inch at 25yds. I seriously doubt that changing a bushing with .006-.007 slop for one with a total of.002 would do anything but help. For the kind of money spent on some models you'd think they would pay better attention to something as simple as barrel bushing fit. I'm a believer in tight fit bushings. |