Lapping 1911 slide

[tbombaci]

What an experience!

I do have a question / concern. When the slide is all the way back, it seems to stick in place. Where would I file down to prevent this? Inside the slide at the end of the rails? The front of the rails on the frame?

Other than this issue, the slide is smooth as glass. I seriously thought I would never get it done.

Thanks!

Tom

[ar15barrels]

Keep lapping just a little bit more (concentrate effort at the rear of slide travel where it is sticking) and it will no longer stick at the rear.
You will eventually reach a point where the dustcover on the slide comes to stop firmly, yet freely inside the slide by the vertical impact surface.

[heidad01]

Guesstimating where to sand or file will get you bad results.
Use Dykem blue or just a Sharpie pen and cover/paint the entire surface of mating areas. Put gun back together. Rack the slide 10 to 15 times. Take apart and look. You will see the area that is rubbed off and binding. That is where it needs touch up with a very fine stone. Good luck.

[kcstott]

Guesstimating where to sand or file will get you bad results.
Use Dykem blue or just a Sharpie pen and cover/paint the entire surface of mating areas. Put gun back together. Rack the slide 10 to 15 times. Take apart and look. You will see the area that is rubbed off and binding. That is where it needs touch up with a very fine stone. Good luck.

Beat me to it.

Prussian blue or Hyspot is the stuff to use. Sharpy works well when the fit gets closer and you are just trying to remove the last little bit.

[edgerly779]

^^^ Best way to do it. I am lapping my slide in this afternoon and fitting trigger.

[SonofWWIIDI]

[tbombaci]

The spot that was binding was after the whole rail was traveled. It was sticking at the front of the slide where the grooves begin. When the slide was all the way back, it would stick. Logic dictates the bind would be on the slide itself. Removing a bit of material with a round narrow file did the trick.

Pics in a bit.

[tbombaci]

This is a learning experience for me. I started with a TM frame and a Sarco kit. I bought a new main spring, beavertail and hammer for the build as I didnt care for the look and feel of the beavertail and hammer in the kit.

I am not too concerned for dings and scratches on this build.

This is my starting point:



Let the games begin! Dykem'd up the frame to score a line. I followed Vader Spade's thread for this process.



Score the frame on both sides




Practice run on a chunk of aluminum



Endless lapping...



Slide FINALLY fits on. Hours upon hours of filing and lapping



This is where I removed a bit of material so the slide would not stick when all the way back.



So far so good. I made several mistakes and I have learned a bunch of valuable lessons.

Tom

[SonofWWIIDI]

This is a learning experience for me. I started with a TM frame and a Sarco kit. I bought a new main spring, beavertail and hammer for the build as I didnt care for the look and feel of the beavertail and hammer in the kit.

I am not too concerned for dings and scratches on this build.

This is my starting point:



Let the games begin! Dykem'd up the frame to score a line. I followed Vader Spade's thread for this process.



Score the frame on both sides




Practice run on a chunk of aluminum



Endless lapping...



Slide FINALLY fits on. Hours upon hours of filing and lapping



This is where I removed a bit of material so the slide would not stick when all the way back.



So far so good. I made several mistakes and I have learned a bunch of valuable lessons.

Tom

Nice!

Anything worthwhile takes time.

[tr6guns]

(QUOTE)

This is where I removed a bit of material so the slide would not stick when all the way back.




That area is not supposed to Hit the impact area of the frame, next time put the recoil spring guide in place, it will take up that area or if you use a Recoil Spring Buffer with it, it will be even thicker

[ar15barrels]

The spot that was binding was after the whole rail was traveled. It was sticking at the front of the slide where the grooves begin.

Typical 1911 frame rails will have a very generous radius at the front.
Did you put this radius on your frame?

[tbombaci]

Typical 1911 frame rails will have a very generous radius at the front.
Did you put this radius on your frame?

Yes. The TM frames come that way.