How tight is the bushing on a 1911 supposed to be?

[SureThing]

In general, how much play is a 1911 bushing supposed to have around the barrel?

Is the most important part how tight the bushing is in the slide?

 

[rcmodel]

A GI bushing rattles.

A tightly fitted Match gun requires a bushing wrench to turn it.

Both the bushing to slide, and bushing to barrel fit are critical for best accuracy. There should be zero movement when a match gun is in battery.

Combat grade guns can be looser and still shoot pretty darn good if they lock up right.

rcmodel

 

[SureThing]

I picked up my Spartan today. The bushing fit to slide is tight, but pertty loose on the barrel. I thought there was supposed to be no wobble in the barrel to bushing fit for a match gun.

 

[Jim K]

The test is in the shooting. If it shoots OK, it can rattle all over the place.

Jim

 

[fecmech]

Some years ago I got stupid and fired some hardball in my wad gun that had a 10 lb. spring in it and cracked the back end of my match bushing. I was concerned about using it that way and so I put a stock GI bushing in that I had laying around. I benched the gun at 25 yds expecting a 2 or 3" group and ended up with a ragged hole for a clip full! I put another full clip in cause I thought it was a fluke and got another ragged hole. I shot the gun for almost a year before I fitted another bushing.

 

[krs]

Tight is good. I like mine to have no play in the slide and a smooth sliding zero tolerance fit around the barrel as a general thing but Jim is right - if the gun shoots better than YOU thought possible then the bushing is OK.

 

[GaryK]

I have replaced loose factory bushings with tighter drop in bushings from Ed Brown, Wilson, or other mfgs with good luck. They usually went in with very little or no fitting and resulted in a noticable increase in accuracy.

 

[SureThing]

I called STI and was told the fitting to the frame should be tight, but there should bee .006-.008 difference between the barrel and bushing. I tested my STI, and it is .006.

Anyone else got caliapers to measure?

 

[rcmodel]

.006" to .008" is about .001" to .003" more then an accurate service or duty pistol should have.
(.005" total is considered standard for a duty gun.)

A Match gun should have as close to 0" Bushing O.D. as will still fit in the slide & still turn, and no more barrel/bushing clearance then will still function reliably.
In other words, a lapped slip-fit with no measurable clearance.

rcmodel

 

[WNC Seabee]

I'm new to 1911's, just picked up a SA Loaded the other day.

I am able to remove my bushing by hand. Just push the slide down a couple inches, push in in the guide rod spring and twist the bushing over. It takes a bit to get the guide rod pushed down, but the bushing turns without any resistance at all.

Is that normal? Or should I expect (want?) to need a bushing wrench because the fit is so tight?

 

[SureThing]

I've been told, a tight bushing in the side is the most desireable.

How much play do you have between the barrel and barrel bushing. That is what I'm trying to find out here.

RCmodel, thanks for the input.

 

[Riss]

That would be a good question for Old Fuff or 1911Tuner.

 

[BBBBill]

RC Model gave you a good answer in post #9. Zero clearance slide to bushing and .0005" -.001" bushing to barrel. I've run them that tight on all of my guns for years with no issues.

 

[Riss]

Yup got mine tight in the slide on my Colt Sistema. Had to turn the outside down to get it into the slide and fit around barrel is really close. If you need a new tight one shop around for one that fits right. All of the ones at Brownells are listed with their OD and ID on the spec sheet. Pick the one closest to what you need.

 

[Canuck-IL]

As tight as you can get it, as noted above. Be sure there's no barrel springing. It's easier to simply measure your barrel and slide then call EGW and order an angle bored bushing for those measurements. At the most, it will require a little burnishing with sandpaper to install and will provide a tight lockup w/o springing. They're about $20.
/Bryan

 

[brickeyee]

The only relief required is for tilt down of the barrel during cycling.
This is normally obtained by barely relieving the bushing on the inside at the front top and rear bottom.

If the outside of the barrel is relieved (smaller OD starting about an inch back form the muzzle) you can skip relieving the bushing in many case.

 

[Eljay]

Seabee, I'm not sure why you are retracting your slide at all when turning your bushing. I lock the thumb safety so the slide can not move while pushing in on the spring plug, turn bushing 90* to the right, let the spring and plug out, turn to the left passing bushing feet through the spring coils untill it can be removed.

 

[rcmodel]

Seabee, I'm not sure why you are retracting your slide at all when turning your bushing.

This is necessary on tightly fitted match bushings, or the Series 80 Colt collet bushing.

It is next to impossible to turn one without cracking the slide open to relieve the grip it has on the barrel.

Many match barrels have a relief cut starting about 1/2" behind the muzzle, with a larger muzzle section that tightly fits the bushing.

GI fitted bushings have plenty of clearance to turn with the barrel in battery.

rcmodel

 

[Canuck-IL]

The only relief required is for tilt down of the barrel during cycling.
This is normally obtained by barely relieving the bushing on the inside at the front top and rear bottom.

Not so - backwards in fact ... the barrel rear is cranked up a degree when in, and going into, battery. ie. when in battery, the nose of the barrel is actually pointing down very slightly. You relieve the springing of a too tight bushing at the lower front and upper rear.
/B

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, but you may also have to remove some at the rear bottom or all the way around the rear bushing skirt to provide unlocked barrel clearance.

Locked clearance, (barrel springing) and unlocked clearance (barrel drag) are two different things.

rcmodel