1911 frame and slide fitted question

[anhzx]

Considering everything else are pretty much equal, is it possible to tell one has better frame to slide fitted than another by just looking at this?

Thanks

[mtenenhaus]

don't mean to be evasive, however we do not have enough information on only one view.

Here's just two aspects to consider, front of the slide fit could be very loose, too tight or off center for example. Similarly the quality of of the slide gliding on the frame rail could be very smooth or rough.

Better can also mean very different things....some prefer a bit of a looser fit for dirty/combat/carry situations, while for controlled settings such as a collectors object or slow fire bullseye applications a near seamless fit might be advocated by some.

[CifaldiPrecision]

[anhzx]

Thanks for all your responses. Sorry, i am a beginner and have lots to learn. Both have no rattle when shake. Slides have no movement or very minimal that i don't notice any, from side to side. No movement between barrel, bushing and slide. No play in barrel locking when i pushed down. Those are all the things that i know off to check. Thanks again.

[mtenenhaus]

I guess at the end of the day, if they cycle nicely, if they feel like quality and they're built by a reputable and experienced builder then more than likely they're good to go. If you have the opportunity to shoot them, so much the better. That's not always possible.

[dwalker]

the tighter the fit the finickier the gun

[CifaldiPrecision]

1911 frame and slide fitted question

the tighter the fit the finickier the gun

[CifaldiPrecision]

Agreed. However, many myths have some basis in fact. A properly fitted 1911 essentially means hand fitted, which virtually all production guns aren't. The problem is that people think that tighter is better, even when they are buying a non-hand fitted production gun. For a production gun that isn't hand fitted (i.e. almost all of them), a looser fit may be less finicky than a tighter one, since they may not be properly machined or slightly out-of-spec. So the "myth" it's not entirely false when talking about production guns.

[saki302]

Given all else equal, I'd probably get the one on the left- the frame to slide contour in the back *looks* better, and the matte hammer looks better.

[dwalker]

Weird, I have seen so many super tight and smooth 1911 and 2011 guns that would just not run if they were dirty at all. Literally cleaned before every match, and I know at least one shooter who would clean his gun during a match if there were more than 5 stages. The gun I just finished is on the tight side, and you can definitely feel when it has gotten a bit dirty. I mean the slide was visibly slower going into battery when chambering the first round but thus far a simple shot of oil has gotten me through until I could clean it. I kind of feel like the Black Nitride coating has a lot to do with that.
Will admit on am on the odd end of the stick, since I shoot a lot in all sorts of environments and weather, from the moon dust at St George to the red clay of TN/Georgia and everything in between. I have however noticed other guns which did in fact start having issues because they were on the dirty side of clean, but I have no real information other than they were tight tolerance raceguns.

[xsefan]

the tighter the fit the finickier the gun

You have never shot a bob chow or less baer.