Barrel swap info, was I lucky or what?

[robmkivseries70]

Good Day,
I have a parked Loaded Springfield in .45 ACP built in 2002 but recently bought NIB. I have been through a list of problems which include an extractor, FP stop, loose plunger tube, and stoning the ejector. The piece is now reliable but shoots 6 in. low and 3 in. right off a rest at 25 yards. Because of all the other work thats been done I am not sure how I'll be treated for warrenty work. However, I put the barrel from my Colt Series 70 with the collet bushing into the Springfield and it shoots point of aim at 25 yards with very good groups! What are the chances of another properly fit barrel also hitting POA at 25 yards. The sights are fixed Novaks which I'd prefer to keep. The Colt barrel allows no movement of the hood when pressed downward BTW. The Springfield barrel does allow an eyeball guess of 20-30 thousandths movement downward. Thanks for your help.
Rob

 

[Jim K]

"Was I lucky...?" Yes.

Jim

 

[Winger Ed.]

Try using just the collet bushing in the Springfield. It'll probably be as accurate with either barrel.

Colt used them for years, I have a series 80 Goldcup that came with one. They do tend to be more accurate, were cheaper for them to produce than a hand fitted solid bushing, and were more marketable at the time than a big/lose/sloppy tollerance solid one that was inaccurate.

But they weren't well recieved, and usually got replaced with solid bushings because there were reports of one of the 'legs' breaking fairly easily and jamming the pistol.

If you've got .030 play on the Springfield bushing, that's alot for target shooting. Next time you're at a gun show, or go through a Brownell's catalog, grab a aftermarket match bushing. Even a $10-15 one will be fine.
Then, sit down with a piece of medium-ish sandpaper and fit it to your barrel/slide.

Those bushings come a little too small for the barrel, and a little too big for the slide. You want it to fit snug in the slide, requiring a bushing wrench to move, but just a little too tight to remove/instal by hand. Then the barrel should just slide through it without any 'drag', but no noticable movement of the muzzel when its all put together. The tighter the barrel/bushing fit is, the more accurate it will be, but also the easier it will jam too...... You want that little spot where its tight, but also reliable.