1911 slide change help?
- Thread starter TEXASJD
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1KPerDay
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The frame won’t need to be modified, assuming the same firing pin safety type or lack thereof.
ETA: the frame to slide fit MIGHT take some fiddling depending on how loose the tolerances are. For production pistols I wager you won’t have to fit the slide to the frame.
ETA: the frame to slide fit MIGHT take some fiddling depending on how loose the tolerances are. For production pistols I wager you won’t have to fit the slide to the frame.
edwardware
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While factory "assembled" 1911s might swap barrel and slide into a frame and still function. . . it's probably not a good bet. Even if it functions, it's as likely to be slowly eating the lugs, or wallering pin holes.
This is not the platform to mix-master; those parts are designed to be hand-fit, and only luck will get you a functioning pistol.
Edit to add: recognize that almost every semi pistol you'll see on any shelf was designed as a compliment (or plagiarism) of JMB's (PBUH) 1911. Front-pivot, tilt-barrel, barrel-lug-locking, delayed opening pistols rifle the world. Almost all of them incorporate changes to eliminate the hand fitting, most notably the link, and lugs in the hood.
This is not the platform to mix-master; those parts are designed to be hand-fit, and only luck will get you a functioning pistol.
Edit to add: recognize that almost every semi pistol you'll see on any shelf was designed as a compliment (or plagiarism) of JMB's (PBUH) 1911. Front-pivot, tilt-barrel, barrel-lug-locking, delayed opening pistols rifle the world. Almost all of them incorporate changes to eliminate the hand fitting, most notably the link, and lugs in the hood.
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mgmorden
Member
If you have to ask the question you don't want to take on this project. The likelihood that it drops in is almost nil. You'd have to fit the slide to the frame and then the barrel to the slide. 1911's are not like Glocks where you can just swap around parts.
Get a copynof a book like “The M1911 Complete Assembly Guide” by Walt Kuleck. It will help with fitting parts.
The barrel to slide fit is the most difficult but not impossible for one that is good with tools. Having the right size files is necessary.
Slide to frame fit may be a non issue but a tighter fit helps with accuracy. For a first project, I’d make sure the slide fit fine. It will be accurate enough. To get bullseye competition accuracy requires knowledge and some special tools.
The long slide will require special recoil springs and maybe a special guide rod. The slide needs to match the ejector (45 vs 9mm/38) that is installed on the frame.
Do as much research as you can before embarking on the project. The long slide adds a wrinkle to the installation but it is not insurmountable.
The barrel to slide fit is the most difficult but not impossible for one that is good with tools. Having the right size files is necessary.
Slide to frame fit may be a non issue but a tighter fit helps with accuracy. For a first project, I’d make sure the slide fit fine. It will be accurate enough. To get bullseye competition accuracy requires knowledge and some special tools.
The long slide will require special recoil springs and maybe a special guide rod. The slide needs to match the ejector (45 vs 9mm/38) that is installed on the frame.
Do as much research as you can before embarking on the project. The long slide adds a wrinkle to the installation but it is not insurmountable.
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CapnMac
Member
The real issue is that you'll need a suitable barrel to go in that (presumably) longer slide.
1911 barrels can be finicky about getting the link geometry just right.
The barrel then has to lock into the slide lugs correctly, too.
If you mean to shorten the overall length, that's a little less of an issue. Sort of. We're back to the barrel, it has (or generally does) have a slight swell to best fit the barrel bushing. It's at the muzzle as the barrel still has to "dip" out of the slide lugs to function, and the barrel is contoured to do just that.
So, moving the barrel bushing back might become a very sloppy fit at the muzzle ( the slide locking lugs are not meant to lock the barrel into alignment without some fit at the muzzle).
The spring dynamics are going to change, too. Since it's being compressed more, the "weight" of it will be increased. At the same time, the compression distance--the distance the spring loops can each move until they touch) changes.
More details may help us help you more. Like model/vendor of the slide, etc.
1911 barrels can be finicky about getting the link geometry just right.
The barrel then has to lock into the slide lugs correctly, too.
If you mean to shorten the overall length, that's a little less of an issue. Sort of. We're back to the barrel, it has (or generally does) have a slight swell to best fit the barrel bushing. It's at the muzzle as the barrel still has to "dip" out of the slide lugs to function, and the barrel is contoured to do just that.
So, moving the barrel bushing back might become a very sloppy fit at the muzzle ( the slide locking lugs are not meant to lock the barrel into alignment without some fit at the muzzle).
The spring dynamics are going to change, too. Since it's being compressed more, the "weight" of it will be increased. At the same time, the compression distance--the distance the spring loops can each move until they touch) changes.
More details may help us help you more. Like model/vendor of the slide, etc.
Riomouse911
Member
Sometimes if you share the rationale behind your thinking it can help us figure out how to answer. 
If you’re looking to add weight for recoil and some sight radius on a 10mm hog hunting gun, that high powered round may require more fitting and tinkering to properly run than merely a fun project to swap uppers on a .45 or 9mm plinker. Whatever the reason, the 1911 design isn’t quite as simple as swapping a Glock .40 barrel for a .357 SIG or a 1911 .45 for a .22 upper and magazine.
As the owner of 6” (.45 Super), 5” and 4.5” (.45 ACP) pistols, the long slide is a bit unwieldy and holsters are more difficult and expensive to find than the shorter barrelled models. It is a bit easier to shoot at distance, I’ll say for me it’s due to the target sights on this gun rather than the 1” increase in sight radius.
Other than the satisfaction of creating something a bit different on you own, in all honesty there really aren’t a lot of major pluses to the 6” 1911 over the standard 5”. But, if you want to give it a whirl, it can be done with some patience.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out
.
Stay safe.
If you’re looking to add weight for recoil and some sight radius on a 10mm hog hunting gun, that high powered round may require more fitting and tinkering to properly run than merely a fun project to swap uppers on a .45 or 9mm plinker. Whatever the reason, the 1911 design isn’t quite as simple as swapping a Glock .40 barrel for a .357 SIG or a 1911 .45 for a .22 upper and magazine.
As the owner of 6” (.45 Super), 5” and 4.5” (.45 ACP) pistols, the long slide is a bit unwieldy and holsters are more difficult and expensive to find than the shorter barrelled models. It is a bit easier to shoot at distance, I’ll say for me it’s due to the target sights on this gun rather than the 1” increase in sight radius.
Other than the satisfaction of creating something a bit different on you own, in all honesty there really aren’t a lot of major pluses to the 6” 1911 over the standard 5”. But, if you want to give it a whirl, it can be done with some patience.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out
.Stay safe.
JTQ
Member
Here's a post I have from another thread on long barrels https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...e-long-barrels-on-their-pistols.885299/page-2
CapnMac
Member
Presuming that's slide & barrel, then the critical dimensions are the barrel link and the fit to the frame rails.
As a general rule, too wide only occurs if the slide falls out of the rails; too narrow is an exercise in hand machining.
You want to take tools only to the new slide as much as possible, too, presuming the frame is "known good."
For the barrel & link, first test is if the slide stop pin will pass through the link. Next test is to mount the barrel only to the frame and check that fit with the barrel in its most rearward location.
Then, install the slide & barrel but not the recoil spring. Check for fit in all the places. I would use a transfer medium to check the barrel lugs & slides (largely because I have some for other purposes). I'd probably not aim for full contact of lugs to the bottom of the slide cuts as much as face engagements.
gnappi
Member
Some Springers have a Wilson type supported bbl, watch for that and don't get the wrong barrel.
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