1911 grip bushing question.

[rero360]

I noticed my grips were getting loose so i tried to tighen them and noticed that they wouldn't tighten back up, so I investigated, turns the threads in the frame are stripped, the bushings just spin in the frame, I've been able to get three of the four off.

What are my options here? do I put them back in with a bunch of heavy duty loktite, or have a smith retap the frame and use bigger bushings? its a Springfield 1911 A1 loaded with the lightweight frame.

another option I'm thinking about is getting a new frame, only steel this time, maybe commander sized.

 

[Jim K]

Of course getting a new frame will solve your problems, but if you don't want to go that far, drilling and tapping to the larger bushing will solve the problem better than glue, IMHO.

How did the problem occur? It is not uncommon for bushings to strip the frame threads, especially in an alloy frame, but removing the bushings is not normally done by the user. They should be put in, staked, and then left alone. Some makers today use glue instead of staking, the bushings come loose, then the owner tries to tighten them down and strips the threads. The bushings on the old guns were heavily staked and one coming loose was a real rarity.

Jim

 

[rcmodel]

Too long bushings, or too thin grip counter-sinks will also do it.

When the screws are tightened down, they lock up on the too-long bushings instead of the grips, and seize there.

Then, the next time you try to take the grips off, the bushings come out with the screws, and the whole shebang stays stuck in the grips.

As Jim Keenan said, the holes can be tapped for over-size bushing threads, then new over-size bushings installed & staked.

Then, the bushings & grip counter-sinks need to be checked for proper clearance, and the bushings shortened if necessary.


rcmodel

 

[rero360]

I'm pretty sure they weren't staked to begin with, I'm thinkingi might have stripped them the last time I put the grip back on, oh well, crap happens, goog thing I'll be headed up to the city saterday, i can drop it off at gander mountain after I get done with the trooper exam.

 

[Jim K]

That grip fitting is a close business. Ideally, the top of the bushing is just a hair lower than the bottom of the hole in the grip, so there is a tiny bit of a crush fit before the screw contacts the bushing. That way, you don't have to crank the screw down to keep the grip snug. If you have the screw stop on the grip itself and not touch the bushing, the screw will work loose pretty quickly. (The M9 has lockwashers under the screws, but I have not seen any M1911 grips made that way.)

Jim

 

[rero360]

Yeah, I'm pretty familar with how the M9 grips are attached, well at least its not a problem that interfers with the funtion of the weapon, like a broken firing pin or something like that.

 

[nicholst55]

Any gunsmith worth his salt can replace your grip screw bushings in about 10 minutes. You can even do it yourself; Brownells has the tools and replacement bushings. IME, these holes seldom strip out, and all that's required is installation of new bushings and staking them. Alternately, they can be secured by silver soldering, or the use of permanent loc-tite.

If you elect to go the loc-tite method, read and follow the instructions. This will likely require the purchase of loc-tite primer to use before applying the loc-tite and installing the bushings.

 

[rcmodel]

Alternately, they can be secured by silver soldering,

Not on his.

He has an aluminum frame according to his first post.

I imagine they are really truly stripped out from the sound of it.


rcmodel

 

[funnelcake]

Brownells still sells the oversize bushings & tap as a kit:
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/st...itle=1911 AUTO OVERSIZED STOCK BUSHINGS & TAP

Funnel

 

[rero360]

thanks for the answers guys, I emailed SA and I'll see what they have to say about it, perhaps they'll do the work for free, lord knows I've given them plenty of my money over the years,