1911 Barrel Hood "Springing"

[schmeky]

I have one 1911 (out of several) that when you push down forcibly on the barrel hood (in the slide forward position) it will spring down, I would estimate .025-030". I know this is in the slide stop/lower barrel lug area. There is no noticeable wear on the lower barrel lugs and you can see good contact on both lugs with the slide stop cross-pin.

My thoughts are as long as the barrel and frame lugs consistently lock-up, this is nothing to be concerned with, correct? This particular 1911 is quite accurate.

 

[rcmodel]

If the barrel will push down at all, the lugs are not in contact with the slide stop pin when the gun is assembled & in battery. The lugs are only contacting the pin on the back surface, and not the top.

It is being held up by the link.

If the gun shoots to your satisfaction, it is nothing to worry about. GI guns were fitted that way by design.

Fitting a barrel to lug-lock on the pin is a fairly recent match gun accurizing innovation, since carried over to a lot of commercial guns.

Everyone agree's it improves accuracy, but some feel it reduces reliability

rc

 

[schmeky]

Thanx RC. I tend to over analyze things.

 

[tgt40]

I've got one that will do that too, but if you push the slide forward, the barrel springing goes away. Any thoughts?

 

[digdeep74]

Why not just change the barrel link and or relieve the lugs to proper fit?
It may shoot fine now but you could reduce the damage to your lugs and possible create a more reliable gun.
it it a stock gun?number 3 barrel link?

 

[tgt40]

Yeah, I think it's a 2...

 

[schmeky]

I am in the process of slowly starting to learn some of the nuances of the 1911. If the slide stop pin is not resting on the horizontal lower barrel lugs, I believe this is referred to as "link locking".

As RC pointed out, this is common on mil-spec 1911's. I would not indescriminately change out links unless you know what your doing since you could negatively alter the barrel locking-unlocking sequence.