Ported 1911 help...

[possenti]

A friend of mine has a Springfield 1911 GI model. He doesn't care much for the recoil, and asked me how to reduce it. No hammer bite or anything like that. He just doesn't like the kick and muzzle flip. I'm not TOO familiar with 1911's, but I suggested a ported barrel.

I did a little searching on the 'net, and the ported barrels I found extended about an inch from the front of the slide, with the "grooves" on top. You get the picture.

Cruising around Springfield's site, I came across the XD model with factory ported barrel:

I've seen some Glocks with this also. Showed my friend the picture - he loves the idea AND the look. (So do I.) Would it be possible to port the stock 1911 barrel and slide this way? I know a very good machinist who would do this for free. If it's do-able, where exactly would the ports be cut? In the same general area of the slide/barrel, or is there a "sweet spot" somewhere?

(PS - I searched here, and found no satisfactory answers.)

 

[tbeb]

I have a Springfield .45 ACP with a bushing compensator, a heavy recoil spring, and a full length recoil spring guide rod that has a built-in shock absorber. The bushing compensator replaces the barrel bushing. I had to file this part to make it fit. It sticks out the front of the barrel and has slots on the top. For reliability, 230 gr. bullets must be used. Shooting 230 grainers feels like 200 gr. target loads. I bought everything 10 years ago, so don't even know if company that made these exact parts still exists. I can't remember their name, but if interested then e-mail me and I can look it up. Pistol is very easy to shoot.

 

[BluesBear]

If you do a search here for Griffon you will find several threads, some with photos, that will show you how a regular 1911 pattern pistol can be ported without extending the barrel.

In reality all you have to do is cut the port on the barrel and the slide in the same locations. Since the bullet has already left the muzzle before the slide unlocks the ports will work.

 

[possenti]

So, the factory barrel can have ports installed in it, or would I need a heavier aftermarket barrel?

 

[BluesBear]

Well, I've seen it done on standard barrels.

I figure Tuner or Fuff will be along shortly. I'm sure they'll have a better idea of the procedure since I really don't like ports I don't pay all that much attention to them.

Also if I remember correctly, Preacherman has a Griffon or two. Perhaps he'll drop by too.

 

[eerw]

Springfield used to make a v12 and v10 ported 1911s..
they were milled into the barrel in two rows..one with 6 in each row the other with 5

Here is a photo of a V12 model..

It could be done on a std barrel..latest rage on USPSA open divsion guns is to mill two ports in the barrel ahead of the compensator..
there is a way to do it to make sure your hole is clean..for the slide you can either have a slot milled for the porting or drill holes that correspond to the holes in the barrel..however it would be wise to drill the hole a little bigger to the rear..as carbon will build up between the barrel and the slide if you don't have a big enough exit hole in the slide..

 

[Shorts]

We had a ported V10, here's a pic. Not sure if it was factory or aftermarket, we bought the gun used from our gun shop. As for muzzle flip, not really sure if it helped any. That was the first .45, and compact no less, that both my husband or I have shot. So, nothing for comparison.

 

[stans]

Porting the barrel of most semi-automatic pistols will lead to the build up of powder fouling and carbon inside the slide. Bushing comps usually don't work because the inside diameter of the comp is slightly larger than the outside of the barrel diameter, so almost all of the gases continue in line with the path of the bullet since there is no restictor plate or baffle to block and divert the gases. Heavy recoil springs do cusion the impact of the slide against the frame, but also send the slide forward with far more energy and that serves to push the muzzle down with pounding the barrel hood, lower locking lugs and slide stop pin.

The way to reduce recoil is to either shoot lighter loads like some 185 grain target semi-wadcutter loads or to get a 1911 chambered in 9mm. And compensators don't really reduce recoil, they reduce muzzle rise by venting gases upward. Same with porting. Compensators and porting work better with high pressure cartridges such as 9mm, 38 Super, 40 S&W and 10mm.

 

[Avery Goodschott]

They ain't cheap, but they sure are good.

Check out the Schuemann AET barrel. I use a Hybrid II to tame my officer sized custom.

 

[Shorts]

Ok, I was thinking about this thread when I got another email sub. reply....we went shooting yesterday, my husband and I had a date at the range It was the maiden shooting of our new-to-us SA GI 1911. We put 100 rds through it.....now, I don't know if its just me being use to guns muzzle-flipping in my small hands (5'3" gal), but shooting that 1911 was smooth and fun I know I posted a pic of the V10 we had right before this new GI, and yes, there is a good 1.5" barrel length difference. I always enjoyed shooting the V10, and now I really love the GI. I guess what I'm wondering is, how can your buddy not care much for the recoil and muzze flip when the muzzle flip is fairly smooth? On this GI, the frame eats up so much recoil, that it isn't painful in the hand or wrist to shoot. I think there is some recoil you should 'go with' when shooting.

Now, I will say, we fooled around and empted the mags on our self evaluation 'let's-see-how-good-we-shoot-if-we-had-to-shoot-the-BG-fast'...now here was some recoil and muzzle flip I would like to control better But, the BG would still have 7 lead bullets in his chest cavity

 

[eerw]

The porting will possibly reduce the muzzle flip..but the recoil will still be there...


You might try different loads, different recoil springs ( lighter ), etc..different weight FLGR, etc..

are you shooting standard 230fmj???

good shooting technique will also help this too...many people don't shoot a .45 well just because they don't have good shooting technique..