Barrel Link on Les Baer 1911 looks funny

[Control]

I recently noticed something on my Baer 1911. I'm not sure if this is an issue or not.

When the barrel is locked UP, she is tight like any other Baer. However, when the barrel is linked DOWN for feeding, it is able to move back and forth in the frame a bit because the hole in the barrel link for the slide stop pin is quite a bit larger than the slide stop pin. It's clear that the hole in the barrel link has been reamed out a bit by Baer (i.e. it's not excessive barrel link wear, it was done on purpose) I'm used to seeing the hole in the barrel link for the slide stop being a pretty close fit to the actual slide stop pin diamater so this one threw me off.

Thoughts? Does anyone else have a Baer with a reamed out slide stop hole in their barrel link?

 

[blanket]

A little suprised on a gun built by Baer, but not uncommon. When the barrel is in the locked position the barrel bottom lug should be what rests on the slide stop pin, not the link. The link on a fitted gun needs enough clearance to allow the gun to unlock from that position....Russ

 

[rcmodel]

it is able to move back and forth in the frame a bit because the hole in the barrel link

The hole in the barrel link has nothing at all to do with controlling side to side movement of the barrel when it is unlocked, or locked.
That is done by the slot in the frame the barrel sets in.

You want loose when unlocked for more reliable feeding.

Reaming a BB hole to allow extra clearance when locked, or unlocked is normal.
Don't worry about it.

rc

 

[Control]

Thanks for the notes so far.

The play I see is front to back when the barrel is unlocked and down, not side to side. it can move front to back when down because of the extra big hole in the barrel link.

Also, the barrel locks up on the lugs as expected and not on the link.

 

[log man]

Thanks for the notes so far.

The play I see is front to back when the barrel is unlocked and down, not side to side. it can move front to back when down because of the extra big hole in the barrel link.

Also, the barrel locks up on the lugs as expected and not on the link.

The barrel will go in and out, front to back, because it is unlocked, and can also go up and down, as it goes forward and back.....normal.

LOG

 

[bigfatdave]

does it feed reliably?
does it cycle reliably?
is this causing excessive wear at any point?

Every gun needs some play, otherwise they would grind themselves to powder while cycling. I suspect that you're imagining problems or being generally paranoid. Go shooting, run 1000 various rounds through, and then decide if you have a problem.

More guns have been declared "broken" on the bench than at the range, when bored owners poke about and get all excited about little things unrelated to function.

 

[Control]

The barrel will go in and out, front to back, because it is unlocked, and can also go up and down, as it goes forward and back.....normal.

I've never seen a barrel link with a slide stop pin hole reamed out like this (I have many 1911s and I have built two from Caspian slide frame kits). Some play between parts is of course normal. *Significant* front to back barrel movement is not normal. All of my other 1911s have barrel link pins that are within spec such that they fit the slide stop pin fairly closely. They don't slide front to back when linked down like this Baer does.

I suspect that you're imagining problems or being generally paranoid. Go shooting, run 1000 various rounds through, and then decide if you have a problem.

The gun already has over 5000 rounds *at least.* Honestly, I've lost count. There is a little more peening around the barrel hood in the frame then I would like to see (in several places). Its hard to tell if the reamed out link is causing the peening problem or not. The peening might also just be normal for a Baer. I've noticed that different guns just seem to wear differently...

The gun has never been reliable with the Baer or Wilson mags but it runs OK with Chip power mags. I never did debug why the other mags don't work but I was getting three point jams with them. Perhaps that is because during feeding the barrel moves forward and back and that somehow cases a jam? I just don't know.

 

[log man]

Some do ream, or oblong the hole so the link can not ride the pin. The links purpose is to tether the barrel at link down. The inertia at feeding is what keeps the barrel back. The greater the clearance between the top of barrel and inside of slide at link down, the greater linear movement it can have. If you are not happy change the link. There is only one link size that is correct for the frame, slide, and barrel. The link pin hole is oversize by a bit .005" or more depending the pin size to begin with.

LOG

 

[Control]

Thanks log man. That makes sense to me. When fitting a barrel, I've used Wilson barrel link kits and chosen the best link fit. I then check for proper fit on the lugs with a sharpie by blacking the lugs and working the action with the gun assembled. It looks like the folks at Baer just ream out their link so that it doesn't ride vs. play with different link sizes.

 

[Old Fuff]

When the slide goes into battery the barrel is cammed into lock-up by the barrel's bottom lug camming against the slide stop pin. This results in an absolute tight fit if the bottom lug has been correctly shaped, and you can bet your bottom dollar on a Les Baer pistol it has.

All the link does is help draw the barrel down when the slide is retracted, either by hand, or when the pistol is fired. Therefore the lower hole in the link is made deliberately oversized so it won't interfear with barrel when the slide goes into battery.

This isn't the way John Browning designed it to be, but it is the way that Baer and a lot of custom 'smiths do it, and that goes for military shooting team armorers too.

Just leave the link (not to mention the whole pistol) alone, and it will work fine. Put in a different link and it likely will not!

 

[blackwalnut]

Re: barrel link on Les Baer

Hey Control why didnt you send it back to Les Bear if its never been reliable with his magazines instead of operating on it yourself and trying other Mags?

You paid the long dollar Right? GET satisfaction. Les Bear is supposed to be good on warranty work if its needed. This confounds me why people buy these expensive pistols and then if they are not satisfied they start messing around with them and never send them back to the factory. If I dropped $1200 or more dollars on a common design like the 1911 you better believe I would have the manufacturer make it right as rain.