fitting a 1911 barrel question

[mtenenhaus]

Trying to fit a new semi fit Ed Brown 9mm commander barrel to a new Fusion 9mm slide.

The width of the barrel is good to go however the barrel needs to go further back so that the upper barrel lugs can engage in the slide recesses.. in this case it is not limited by the hood length per se but rather the chamber face.

I haven't done anything to the barrel just yet. Didn't want to start filing till i got some more information.

On the side of the barrel there is a little cut out for the extractor....If i file back the chamber face/sides of the barrel to allow the barrel to go further back to the breach face will that impair extractor function?

Would sure appreciate any help. thanks

[ar15barrels]

the barrel needs to go further back so that the upper barrel lugs can engage in the slide recesses.. in this case it is not limited by the hood length per se but rather the chamber face.

The hood will need to be trimmed until the lugs in the slide will engage the lugs on the barrel.

What do YOU consider the "chamber face"?
Post a picture with an arrow in it...

[mtenenhaus]

Thanks, you're always so willing to help, i really appreciate it.
The first photo i hope shows the barrel in the slide. you can see there is a little light showing at the end of the barrel hood....what limits the barrel hood from going back far enough to abutt the breach face is what i'm calling the chamber face...on the second photo i have the pen tips resting on the face that i thought might have to be recessed.

[ar15barrels]

It's uncommon to need to clearance where the pen tips are.
Try without the cartridge in the chamber.
It's common to need to ream the chamber deeper for final headspace so the cartridge case being in the barrel could certainly effect the fit of the barrel in the slide.
Do your fitting without the extractor either because if that is hitting the barrel, it is going to screw up your measurements too.

There is a very specific order of fitting for barrels.

1 barrel hood to slide width
2 barrel hood length to allow lockup of lugs
3 chamber depth to headspace
4 extractor clearance

Doing it out of order screws up the other dimensions as some dimensions stack on top of other dimensions.

If your barrel or slide is really that far out of spec, you will need to trim the length of those two faces while you are fitting the hood length.
You want the HOOD to be what limits the rearward movement of the barrel against the slide, NOT those two side surfaces.
This has to do with the tilting lockup of the barrel.

[mtenenhaus]

Thank you.
I tried it with a naked slide and without the cartridge as you've suggested...without resolution.

guess i'll have to takedown the side surfaces.

Interesting that its a new Fusion slide and a new Ed Brown barrel. Had really hoped by paying a bit of a premium over generics that the specs would have been more in line

Each individual part looks nicely finished.

Still, should be a good learning experience

[ojisan]

I agree with Randall that the barrel face area is not usually messed with.
Since there is a gap between the case head and breech face in Pic #1, chamber dimensions do not yet seem to be a factor.

Before you do anything else, it's time to measure all dimensions of both slide and barrel to be sure that one or the other is not out of spec.

While the parts may be CNC machined for repeatable accuracy, human error can occur.
For example, not pushing a part all the way up against a stop while it is being placed in a holding fixture can make for out of spec parts that look great to the naked eye.

Nothing will throw you more curve balls than a defective new part.
(Especially hated in electrical work).

[Dr69er]

Thank you.
I tried it with a naked slide and without the cartridge as you've suggested...without resolution.

guess i'll have to takedown the side surfaces.

Interesting that its a new Fusion slide and a new Ed Brown barrel. Had really hoped by paying a bit of a premium over generics that the specs would have been more in line

Each individual part looks nicely finished.

Still, should be a good learning experience

The Fusion slide and Ed Brown barrel(s) are rarely out spec, both are well known and respected in the Industry...with that said, It still is possible to
get a part or two out of spec.

Keep in mind that 1911 parts typically need to be fitted to some degree or
another, this is especially true for:

>The barrel
>The barrel bushing
>The extractor
>The ejector
>The thumb safety
>The grip safety
>Occasionally the firing pin stop

So even if they are marked or listed as "drop in" many times they still
will require some fitting.


YT is your friend here, so look at those video tutorials to get yourself
familiar with the proper procedures and tools needed for that job...

Randall was correct in that there is a order of operations when doing
a barrel fitting job on a 1911.

Good luck.

[MosinVirus]

I had a Nighthawk slide with a mismachined shoulder in the slide. Hood could never reach the breach face.

On my slide only the bottom right section of the shoulder was left too long. But still.



Nighthawk replaced my slide.

[mtenenhaus]

thanks everyone, a buddy has a 9mm 1911. i'm going to see if i can borrow it and measure/compare

[ar15barrels]

The barrel will usually have clearance to the slide like this while the hood comes to rest on the breech face:



I mentioned keeping the extractor out earlier.
Here is how they often stick forward of the slide:



The barrel often has a clearance cut to accommodate the extractor.
The extractor should NOT come into contact with the barrel at any time.

[MosinVirus]

I would also not do anything with the breach face shoulders myself. You should probably measure things as you mentioned and contact Fusion. Your slide seems to be out of spec like my slide was, only worse.

[mtenenhaus]

Photos were very helpful, thank you.

I'll try to contact Fusion this week. I was hoping it was the barrel not having a long enough hood and not the slide...the slide looks so nice.

Would anyone happen to know the usual hood length of a 9mm 1911 barrel and slide cut out?

[ojisan]

Mine are all .45
Maybe check the 1911 forum?
I'm sure they have the dimensions there.

[ar15barrels]

Would anyone happen to know the usual hood length of a 9mm 1911 barrel and slide cut out?

Nominal dimension is 1.313".
EGW makes a slide length gauge that measures from the breech face to the first lug.



I have never seen any reference to other calibers/chamberings having different barrel/hood fitting specs.
They all seem to follow the 1911 standards.
The difference is primarily in feedramps or lack of feedramps and then the frame being cut properly for the feedramp if it needs one.

[MosinVirus]

If the hood was the problem (being too short) and the slide shoulders were in spec, you would see the locking lugs of the barrel enter the ejection port. Barely visible seam. Since your locking lugs are not near lockup, and the barrel face is already sitting on the breach face shoulders with the hood being nowhere near the breach face, I think the slide shoulders are too long.