Feeding and the BD45

[StarMetal]

West

Two inch groups at 25 yds from a bone stock 1911 is damn good, damn good.

By the way my tuned 1911's shoot lino, jacketed, ww, even pure lead about the same. I even have shot a hollow base pure lead bullet meant for the blackpowder 1858 Remington new army pistol in it with good results. The one by the way has a Clark match barrel in it.

Joe

[West Creek]

Yea Starmetal - I was tickled when I stumbled onto that load but the casting bug has got me and I have tired of the leading although it doesnt deteriorate accuracy too much. That 2" would be on the good side of its groups, I havent really tested it in a couple years. Last week I checked that load to make sure the gun was still working and shot it from a bench at say 20 yards and 7 rounds went into right at 2" but it was the last 7 bullets I had of those hard bullets. The BD45 loads went into a shot pattern of about 6". I'm pretty sure that range is less than 25 yard but not by much so I'll call it 20. Been a good spell since I measured that range.

I suppose some testing with harder bullets might prove to be a good solution but the prospect of being able to just cast'em and load'em with wheel weights sure is appealing.

BTW - the gun isnt box stock - the feller who had it before me tinkered with it I'm sure. It has one of those kits in it where the link has a tit onnit the guide rod pushes on, A trigger and a spring type bushing as well as novak sights and a drop in grip safety extension so there is no telling what all was tinkered with. But I recon the barrel, frame and side are stock.

[StarMetal]

West

That link with the hook on it, along with the guide rod that pushes on it, is called "the group gripper". What it does is pushes the barrel locking lugs more fully up into the slide recess for them. Supposely to a more consistant barrel setting. The spring bushing you speak of, I assume you're talking about the barrel bushing, I'm afraid are junk. One thing is they break in due time. The best is a fitted solid bushing. Colt come up with those spring bushing, which by the way are called collet bushings, to speed up manufacturing in that it eliminates fitting a solid bushing . They can shoot good sometimes.

Do you know what brand the barrel is that is currently in your pistol?

Joe

[West Creek]

Hey Star

Yep that barrel bushing doesnt work the best - There is a little looseness there at full battery.

The barrel is probably a Springfield barrel - it is stamped "SA 45 AUTO" on top leading me to beleive it is a Springfield barrel as is the frame and slide. My brother had a Mil Spec Springfield and it was stamped "Springfield 45 Auto" on top and not abreiviated like mine.

Would the link have any effect on the barrel set back from the feed ramp??

I have seen some sort of kit before with several links in it to adjust something or other - probably at Brownels. Is there a test of some sort to check the link for correct length or lock up?

[StarMetal]

West

Let me answer you question about the link having anything to do with the barrel being back too far. Basically no, but too short of a link wouldn't let the barrel bed all the way. It's the barrel lug that controls where the barrel bed assuming the frame is correct. Now let me explain about didn't lenght links, Their purpose is, when you're building or fine tuning a 1911, too make sure the barrel is locked fully into the locking recesses in the slide. It works in conjunction with the barrel lug and slide stop pin to position the fully up into those recesses. If your rack your slide (empty gun of course) then push down on the exposed portion of the barrel in the ejection port of the slide and it moves down, then those three things are out of adjustment. A temporary and incorrect fix is a longer link. The correct fix is welding up the lug and fitting it. Personally this isn't an easy thing to do if you don't know how. When you get a 1911 barrel to fully lock in, you'll find you will have to adjust your sight as the rear of the barrel is up higher, making the muzzle of the barrel point down more. Also you may find by fitting the barrel thus raising the rear of it, that you might have to raise your firing pin with a bushing to do this as it may be hit too far off center for reliable ignition. I've done this all my 1911's. I've tighten the slide to frame fit, have hand fitted barrels, hand fitted barrel bushings, trigger work, the works and not to brag I feel my 1911's will shoot along if not out shoot the big boys like Brown, Clark, Kimber, etc.....and for hundreds of dollars cheaper being I did the work myself. I educated myself to do this...by getting the books, by hanging around a smith that built 1911's, and by talking to some of the pros like Jimmy Clark. Jimmy is are really nice guy and will spend some time with you.

Joe

[West Creek]

Hey Joe

Sounds to me like the proper relationship between the link and the barrel is a 90 deg perpedicular relationship with the barrel lugs limiting the forward movement of the barrel and the Slide limiting the rearward movement of the barrel.

Looking at the Kart replacement barrel kit in brownells they have stated the link is already fit to the lugs (the perpendicular relationship) and basically all that needs to be fit is the barrel hood (trimmed to length & width for proper fit)

Anyways - Getting into and studying the proper workings of a gun is what I have spent many hours doing but mostly for my SAA. Learned alot and spent alot learning. Ended up buying higher quality firearm to make myself happy as I dont have the time nore place to tinker much. The kitchen table or the bench in my damp unheated detached garage doesnt lend itself well to such projects. Besides I have more money than time. I admire your tennacity in learning to make these guns shoot well. It is a road I have traveled with my SAA but alas I am taking on that task with casting and loading my own ammunition which is a time consuming task in itself. Which by the way has opened the door to getting this 1911 working properly. It never seams to end and I will probably be on my death bed telling my wife to have my son try such and such on a particular firearm - hehehehehe.

Well I am going to try adjusting the barrel ramp on this gun and then see if that helps as well as adjusting the magazines. But if the bullets fail the rifling test as I suspect it will I will most likely end up getting a new barrel kit with the link and bushing. I suspect the previous owner of this gun used a drill and something wound around a bit to clean fowling out to round off the rifling. Are there any Brands, methods etc you would recommend etc advice etc. you can add to that.

BTW - you havent posted the photo of the correct way to adjust the barrel ramp. I will wait to see it before proceding with that project.

Thanks
Charlie

[StarMetal]

West,

To answer the statement about the Kart barrel. I believe they are talking that the radius need in the lug to match where the hole is in link is fitted. This doesn't mean that the barrel will be seated the deepest in the locking lugs. Each gun is alittle different. All they are saying is that the slide stop pin will fit thru it and that is it.

Now I have a few pics for you. The first one is where and at what angle you take off a little bit of metal at the bottom barrel lip. Better to do alittle first because you can't put metal back easily. The second photo show what you will have when you file that part, then another photo of how to blend it in or throat it as you would say.

Good luck.
Joe

[West Creek]

Hey Joe

What is the name of the book you are getting these photos from?

Looks like a book I need to read. I've got Muelhausens book on SAA's but its a little on the technical side for the SAA let alone one of these here self chuckers. That book you got looks like one I can understand and cuts to the meat of fitting and function and such.

Thanks for all the help. I'll take it slow and see what happens

Charlie

[StarMetal]

West

That particular book is "The Colt .45 Automatic" by Jerry Kunhausen. It's available from just about any place that sells gun related books like Midway and esp Brownells. I think it's a pretty good book out of the many that I have. Quite a few of our other posters have this book also.

Joe

[West Creek]

Well I just got the name wrong - Ive got his book on SAA and it is a different format for sure but I guess mine is called a shop manual and his 1911 book is a little different. Anyway

Thanks - I'll have it ordered before I go home tonight for sure.

Charlie