1911 doesn't lock up all the way, help

[BucDan]

I'm trying to fit a new slide and barrel to my frame. 9mm barrel, 9mm slide

When I insert the slide stop in to the barrel link and frame, the gun does not close all the way into battery where the rear of the slide sits flush with the rear of the frame, like how all guns look when assembled. Too short of a barrel link?

I've tested with the slide stop installed, with the recoil assembly removed, same outcome, not flush slide and frame.

I've also tested slide stop installed with the barrel nut only installed, same outcome, not flush slide and frame.

I've tested with slide stop installed and the barrel nut removed, so it's slide and barrel only, it closes into battery all the way as it's supposed to.

Thoughts?

I'm leaning barrel link lockup is too short, and MAYBE barrel and slide need fitting, I didn't fit these two together, bought "drop-in" barrel.

Tr-enabling barrel, barrel link, and slide. It's a Para ramp cut barrel and frame if that matters.

Pics below are with no recoil assembly, but barrel nut installed with barrel and slide, with slide stop installed.






I reassembled everything but the slide stop. Lined up the complete slide and frame flush together and took a picture of the slide stop hole. I jiggle and wiggled the gun so the barrel link was as close to the hole as it can get and took a picture. In the picture, you see the frame, then the Para ramp, then the barrel link. Do I need to cut the Para ramp and make clearance?

[BucDan]

I'm using a #4 link. It came with the barrel. Measured it against my Wilson Combat #4 link.

I filed down the 3 upper lugs after marking with a permanent marker until it no longer rubbed off.

Now, I can force the slide home with about 10+lbs of pressure on the slide, hand pressure with the barrel nut and slide stop installed. But of course it seizes in placeand requires ripping strength to break it loose. Any ideas on where else I should look? I kinda want to just paint my whole barrel with a sharper and go from there. I didn't touch the face of the chamber yet. I don't think they need work, but I might file a couple of passes anyway.

[G-forceJunkie]

The link should have nothing to do with locking up. It is only to pull the barrel down when unlocking. The barrel lugs interface with the slide stop is what locks it up. The process of fitting 1911 is to first fit the slide to the frame. Then fit the barrel to the slide. Then set the lockup on the frame. Then install the proper length link.

[BucDan]

Slide to frame is good. Barrel locks up into the slide as far as I can tell. But once that slide release and barrel nut get added to the equation, it seizes.

Is there something on the bottom side of the barrel that I need to adjust?

When I do squeeze the slide to force fit close with the slide release installed, the slide release gets super tight where I can't rotate it.

[ar15barrels]

Slide to frame is good.
Barrel locks up into the slide as far as I can tell.
But once that slide release and barrel nut get added to the equation, it seizes.

Is there something on the bottom side of the barrel that I need to adjust?

Yes.

The lower barrel lug has to be cut to fit to the slide stop after the barrel is correctly fitting the slide and bushing.

The ORDER of the fitting is important because if you do them in the wrong order, you waste lots of parts.

The fitting is done without the link since the link's only job is to UNLOCK the barrel from the slide.
The barrel is locked to the slide by the slide stop shaft's interaction with the lower lug of the barrel.

This is where all the magic happens.
Come see me for a barrel fitting job with the magic click.
If you don't know what the magic click is, you should probably stop what you are doing immediatly before you over-do it.
It's also scary that you say "as far as I can tell" about the lockup because there are a couple reliable methods to check that and you might not know what those are either.
Here are a couple videos showing the fixture I use for this job which should explain where we are cutting on the bottom AFTER the top is all fitting correctly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFwkeYGMdbM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVcEn0EN3Wk

[newbie1234]

https://youtu.be/mYMVOoQXbuQ

[Sailormilan2]

PM sent.

[BucDan]

Yes.

The lower barrel lug has to be cut to fit to the slide stop after the barrel is correctly fitting the slide and bushing.

The ORDER of the fitting is important because if you do them in the wrong order, you waste lots of parts.

The fitting is done without the link since the link's only job is to UNLOCK the barrel from the slide.
The barrel is locked to the slide by the slide stop shaft's interaction with the lower lug of the barrel.

This is where all the magic happens.
Come see me for a barrel fitting job with the magic click.
If you don't know what the magic click is, you should probably stop what you are doing immediatly before you over-do it.
It's also scary that you say "as far as I can tell" about the lockup because there are a couple reliable methods to check that and you might not know what those are either.
Here are a couple videos showing the fixture I use for this job which should explain where we are cutting on the bottom AFTER the top is all fitting correctly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFwkeYGMdbM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVcEn0EN3Wk

Thank you for or the tips!

I'm willing to gamble 1 barrel in hopes of learning, it's a $110 lesson. It's still cheaper than taking the gas to get up there .

I still need you for my FAL build, but one thing at a time for me, and I think I can do this. I'll remeasure my lugs, I started filing the feet with a round file a bit, and I'll re-focus on the upper lugs first.

[MuayThaiJJ]

Order the Brownells lower lug cutter, it?s really easy to use. Or get a round file close to the size of the slide stop OD, remove the barrel link and fit the barrel to the frame, file a little at a time. You can mark the barrel lug and check for slide stop wear as you go. It doesn?t have to be super smooth to battery, some guys do hard fit which breaks in over time but should return fully to battery


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[ar15barrels]

Thank you for or the tips!

I'm willing to gamble 1 barrel in hopes of learning, it's a $110 lesson. It's still cheaper than taking the gas to get up there .

I still need you for my FAL build, but one thing at a time for me, and I think I can do this. I'll remeasure my lugs, I started filing the feet with a round file a bit, and I'll re-focus on the upper lugs first.

Get a set of gauge pins.
When you find the pin diameter that WILL lock up but the next 0.001" larger pin that will NOT lock up, cut enough off so that the pin that will not lock should theoretically fit and you are really close to the magic fit.

For example, if you can get it to close on a 0.196" pin but not on a 0.197" pin and your slide stop actually measures 0.201", you are 0.004" away.

Using the cost of gas as an excuse not to have it done right is penny wise but pound foolish.
You might only screw up the $110 barrel this time but you still might have so many other things that you didn't know about that it takes you another couple tries until you learn those lessons the hard way too.

[ar15barrels]

Order the Brownells lower lug cutter, it?s really easy to use. Or get a round file close to the size of the slide stop OD, remove the barrel link and fit the barrel to the frame, file a little at a time. You can mark the barrel lug and check for slide stop wear as you go. It doesn?t have to be super smooth to battery, some guys do hard fit which breaks in over time but should return fully to battery

No magic click for you.
I use a 0.2008" diameter carbide endmill when I do the lower lug cuts.

[BucDan]

Get a set of gauge pins.
When you find the pin diameter that WILL lock up but the next 0.001" larger pin that will NOT lock up, cut enough off so that the pin that will not lock should theoretically fit and you are really close to the magic fit.

For example, if you can get it to close on a 0.196" pin but not on a 0.197" pin and your slide stop actually measures 0.201", you are 0.004" away.

Using the cost of gas as an excuse not to have it done right is penny wise but pound foolish.
You might only screw up the $110 barrel this time but you still might have so many other things that you didn't know about that it takes you another couple tries until you learn those lessons the hard way too.

Hey hey hey! I'll be a pound wise when I schedule the FAL build with you; that, I don't trust to do myself. I know my limits on costs.

But sounds like me alright, I like to learn things the hard way. It's still in the realm of being a hobbyist, as long as it's safe and functional. I put around 1200 rounds into my 45acp build from almost a decade ago. Maybe not the most accurate gun like a $3k Wilson Combat, but it's good enough and I'm proud of it.

I'm actually eager to get off work and work on it again.

[ar15barrels]

Hey hey hey! I'll be a pound wise when I schedule the FAL build with you; that, I don't trust to do myself. I know my limits on costs.

But sounds like me alright, I like to learn things the hard way. It's still in the realm of being a hobbyist, as long as it's safe and functional. I put around 1200 rounds into my 45acp build from almost a decade ago. Maybe not the most accurate gun like a $3k Wilson Combat, but it's good enough and I'm proud of it.

I'm actually eager to get off work and work on it again.

Don't just file and test fit because you will overshoot the fit too fast.
Get a set of gauge pins to measure your fit and your progress so you can stop and stone to final fit before you over-file because you don't have the ability to measure before you cut.
They are useful for far more things that you can ever imagine.

https://www.amazon.com/LLDSIMEX-0-061-0-250-Plastic-M1-0-061-0-250-190PCS/dp/B08ZC49HZ7/ref=asc_df_B08ZC49HZ7/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=532535495505&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16323535038224952296&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031188&hvtargid=pla-1453204261594&psc=1

[BucDan]

Ordered, will do. Going to wait until these get in.

[bruce381]

"Using the cost of gas as an excuse not to have it done right is penny wise but pound foolish.
You might only screw up the $110 barrel this time but you still might have so many other things that you didn't know about that it takes you another couple tries until you learn those lessons the hard way too."

go see Randall look over shoulder and LEARN a few things make it a learning experience and get it done RIGHT. I have watched John Jardine and most of what he does I do not understand or remember but it is a great afternoon.