Question for 1911 fans

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Jim K

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OK, for those who think they really know all the ins and outs and whys and wherefores of the 1911 (original one, not some modern copies):

Why does the M1911 have a barrel bushing? And why doesn't the Browning High Power have one? Hint: The second question is a trick question.

Jim
 
The barrels remove differently. Barrel is too large in diameter on the 1911 to come out the bottom, so it had to come out the front and there were no bull barrels on the horizon back then. And there was a late prototype Hi Power that had a removeable bushing. ;)
 
Just guessing - a clearance for the tools required to machine the breech face, locking lugs and etc.?

Boris
 
Well...I know what the bushing does, but if there's a secret reason, let's hear it.

It's a pivot point for the barrel. It serves as an abutment to capture the spring. As Bill noted...it allows barrel removal from the front. And it keeps the muzzle end in closer alignment with the slide without having to contact it. (Wear and accuracy) And I use the bushing to depress the plunger to install the thumb safety after a no-tool detail strip.
 
Mizar is correct. The bushing may have advantages, but the real reason for it is that machining the breech face and the locking lug seats require a boring bar and end mill as large as the back end of the barrel. So the hole needs to be larger than the front of the barrel, and the bushing fills the gap. (Some "shorty" pistols now have large barrels that fill the gap without a bushing, but to make a regular 5" barrel that thick would add too much to the weight of the pistol.)

OK, so what about the BHP? (Remember, that is the trick question.)

Jim
 
The "trick" part is that the BHP does have a bushing, it is just not removable. It is screwed in (not soldered) and is kept from turning by the front sight post. It is intended to be a permanent assembly, though BHP pistolsmiths do remove them on occasion.

Here is a picture of one.

Jim
 

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My mistake. But i believe that Mk III's have a soldered in bushing, because of the different front site - dovetailed in. And I can see a yellow line on the inside of the slide. Thank you for the information, Mr. K - now I will try to butcher one Nazi era beater belonging to a friend of mine - it has very loose barrel to bushing fit.

Boris
 
I have an Inglis slide with the bushing missing. Any idea where I can find one?
 
Sorry, but that bushing was considered a permanent assembly in the slide and AFAIK no spares were available. Just on the off chance, you might contact Browning (US) or FN, but you might end up having to have one made. Another thought is Marstar in Canada; the BHP was the Canadian service pistol and they might have parts that are not available here.

Jim
 
Sorry, I don't. That bushing was considered a permanent part of the slide and AFAIK, no spares were ever available. I checked Marstar (Canada) on the off chance that they might have the part as the BHP was the Canadian service pistol, but struck out. You can probably have one made by anyone with a metric thread lathe; it should not be a hard job.

(The bushing shown in the picture is not mine.)

Jim
 
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