Plunger Tube

[45auto]

I have a loose plunger tube on my 1911 which has been loose quite a while, but held tight enough by the grips apparently.

Is it possible to clean out the stacked area, use red loctite and hold, or am I just buying time until a new one?

Or better to just buy a new one and have it installed?

I have "toyed" with the idea of buying the tools for it and trying it, but I'm not sure how much I would really use it. Plus, on other projects I've done, I almost have a 2 to 1 ratio on parts. Invariably, I screw up the first part and okay on the second.

Parts suppliers should give out free dremels to weekend gunsmiths.

Thanks for your input.

 

[stans]

I had the same problem with one of my 1911's, a Colt Series 80. I cleaned the area under the tube with brake cleaner, dried it thoroughly, applied a small amount of red Locktite and clamped to tube to the receiver overnight. So far, no problems.

 

[Denny Hansen]

I'd buy a new plunger tube and have a local smith restake it. Should set you back less than twenty bucks and is well worth the peace of mind.

Denny

 

[enfield]

It's not complicated or expensive to have a smith stake on a new tube. The tool to do it with is kind of expensive, so having the smith do it is probably most economical.

I don't know about using Loctite Red -- that's not what it's designed for -- it's threadlocker, not a general adhesive as far as I know. Has anyone heard of using superglue for something like this, at least as a temporary repair?

 

[HankL]

I'd kinda go along with Denny and enfield. If you have someone nearby with the proper tool it won't be expensive at all.
On the other hand, J.B. Weld will work better than Red Loctite in this case.
Loctite does make some adhesives that will fill voids and yield good strength but you can find an epoxy like J.B at the local hardware store.
Edited to add: Go to McMaster Carr Supply and search "anaerobic adhesive"

 

[Sheldon]

Just ahd that done on my brothers 1911. I think the part was $15 and labor was another $20 or so. The tool is a modified pair of Vise Grips, but is a bit spendy for a one shot repair. I am pretty sure Brownell's sells it. It is nice to have tools too though.

 

[Old Fuff]

What ever you do it’s imperative you get it right. If the tube comes loose the rear plunger can lock the safety in the “on†position and you can’t get it off. I have on occasion silvered a tube to the frame because of this.

It should be noted that Browning put a little lip on the left-hand grip at the top. The purpose is to make additionally sure the tube won’t be able to move far enough to affect the gun even if it becomes loose. Some grip makers leave this lip off, and it’s a big mistake. It is not a bad idea to glass bed the lip to get an absolutely tight fit.

If you decide to stake the tube be sure to insert a mandrel inside of it, otherwise it may be crushed. Ideally it should be staked of soldered in place by a gunsmith who is experienced and has the correct tools. Buying tools to fix a single gun is probably overkill, but over a long haul it might pay off. You might even make money doing this for others.

 

[Jammer Six]

It is not a bad idea to glass bed the lip to get an absolutely tight fit.

What happens to this glass bedding when the weapon is detail stripped, and the grips removed and re-installed?

 

[45auto]

Thanks for the replies. I will still have to mull it over so to speak.

Side note question: If you were going to have the frame reblued, would you install the plunger tube before or after?

Thanks again.

 

[Old Fuff]

Jammer Six:

I assumed that anyone reading my post would understand that the tube and frame surrounding the tube should be coated with a release agent before the glass bedding was performed. The idea is to have an absolutely tight fit between the tube and grip, not glue the grip to the gun.

I suppose that in the future I had better give more detailed step-by-step instructions.

While it is unlikely that the tube will come loose, many users do not understand the possible consequences if it does. When building or modifying a pistol that may be used as a defensive weapon I believe in careful attention to details that may affect reliability - and this is one that is frequently overlooked.

 

[Old Fuff]

45Auto:

If your refinishing involves a high-polish blue (or whatever) it is better to polish the frame before either the plunger tube or grip screw bushings are assembled. If you are going to use a matt finish these parts can be assembled first, followed by bead blasting.

Be aware that the temperature in a blue tank can reach 350 degrees or more, and this can degrade any adhesive (loc-tite, super glue, ect.) used during the assembly process.

 

[45auto]

Great info.

Timing is everything so I'll have it blued first and then install a new plunger tube just to be safe. Cheap insurance whether I do it myself or have it done.

Thanks again.

 

[Big Daddy]

As an aside, Loctite makes what they call a "retaining compound" which is different from their thread locker. it is for applications such as this. I would suggest taking it to a gunsmith if you don't feel you will have a need to do it again.

I would use a ball-end bur to bevel the INSIDE of the plunger tube holes in the FRAME. This gives the studs somewhere to expand when staking the tube. I would also use a retaining compound of some sort as well, but clean the tube and frame well before applying. It's fairly easy to do the procedure.

Good luck

 

[Jammer Six]

I assumed that anyone reading my post would understand that the tube and frame surrounding the tube should be coated with a release agent before the glass bedding was performed. The idea is to have an absolutely tight fit between the tube and grip, not glue the grip to the gun.

I suppose that in the future I had better give more detailed step-by-step instructions.

While it is unlikely that the tube will come loose, many users do not understand the possible consequences if it does. When building or modifying a pistol that may be used as a defensive weapon I believe in careful attention to details that may affect reliability - and this is one that is frequently overlooked.

I don't know anything about glass bedding, other than it is, I believe, a thing that is used on really expensive rifles. I know very little about rifles, other than the M-16A1, and don't own one.

The reason I responded is because I shot the plunger tube loose on my milspec, and learned how to replace it out of Kuhnhausen. (Of course, that meant I bought the tools and three plunger tubes, as well as a new plunger. Crushing plunger tubes is a thing I do well, but I digress.) :banghead:

Besides, I got a free catalog from Brownell's out of the deal. I'm sure they just like me, and have no ulterior motive for sending it to me.

While it was loose, it led to all sorts of ghoulish nightmares, including a new slide stop, failure to lock back, lock backs that slipped and slammed forward when you slam a reload in, and trouble with the thumb safety. Problem after problem, until I realized that the one thing they all had in common was that some part of the problem touched the plunger.

I don't wish to discuss "dimpling" the slide stop, nor do I wish to discuss the little pile of slide stops I now own that have dimples that are too deep. :banghead:

I then read (somewhere, it may have been the 1911 forum) that the top of the left grip is supposed to support the plunger tube, and ran right down to the safe and looked at my milspec. Sure enough, the Pachmyer wrap arounds that I added don't support the tube, they barely even touch it. Even if they did, I don't think the rubber is rigid enough to add real support.

I really like the milspec. It has over 6,000 rounds through it, and every problem I've had with it has been easy to diagnose and simple to fix. Tedious, but simple.

The issue with the grips was a real wake up call, as much as I hate that expression. Everything, and I do mean everything on a 1911 will affect something else. Even the damn grips.

Anyhow, I'm very interested in what you think about the grips/plunger tube issue, and if you have a method of supporting the tube with the grip, I'd be grateful if you would expound.

Assume I know nothing about it, because that's exactly the case.

 

[Old Fuff]

Jammer Six:

O. K. I see where you are coming from, and it's not what I expected. I will post another much longer and detailed reply as soon as I can get it written. Expect it tonight or sometime tomorrow.

 

[Sam]

I ike to hook them on with low temp silver solder,
resists bluing pretty good and is much more secure than loctite or staking.

Use an old style copper for this job, you can hardly go wrong

Sam